Tristan Thompson’s $25K Poppi Bet Turns Into 7 Figures, Showing a Different Side of NBA Money Habits

Tristan Thompson keeps adding to his highlight reel of savvy investments, and this time it’s a soda brand that sold for nearly $2 billion.

Speaking on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast, the former Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors big man revealed he put $25,000 into Poppi. This is the viral prebiotic soda company founded by married couple Allison and Stephen Ellsworth. They were acquired by Pepsi for $1.95 billion in 2025. “Made seven figures, God is good,” Thompson said of the payout.

It wasn’t his first quiet win. Thompson was also an early investor in Anthropic. This was a bet that reportedly traces back to an NBA dinner with Silicon Valley figures during his time with the Warriors. He brought friends into that deal too and walked away with what he called “a bigger check.”

Related Post: WNBA Star Angel Reese and Afrobeats Artist Rema Invest in Skincare Brand Topicals

No. 4 pick, hard lessons learned

Thompson entered the league as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He signed a four-year rookie deal worth $16.8 million at age 20. This was before re-signing with Cleveland in 2015 on a five-year, $82 million contract. He used some of that early money to retire his mother from her job as a school bus driver, a role made harder by caring for his brother, who has epilepsy.

But Thompson has also been candid that the wisdom behind moves like the Poppi and Anthropic bets didn’t come naturally at first. “When you’re 25, and you’re making $18 million a year, you’re not thinking about investing. You’re thinking about more like, ‘Let me buy a house’ … You’re not thinking about like alternative assets,” he admitted, adding that he missed other opportunities along the way.

Related Post: Former NBA Star Junior Bridgeman Attains Billionaire Status

A league wide problem

Thompson’s growth from “buy the house and the cars” to seed investing in soda startups and AI companies mirrors a conversation the NBA has been having about player finances. For years, the conversation has been the same, and the numbers behind it are sobering. Multiple reports trace back to a 2008 statement from the National Basketball Players’ Association and a widely cited 2009 Sports Illustrated investigation. Both of which point to roughly 60 percent of NBA players facing bankruptcy or serious financial stress within five years of leaving the league. Other pro sports are worse, with NFL players cited in the 60 to 78 percent range within just two to three years of retirement.

The average NBA career lasts only a few seasons. This leaves players with a short window to earn enough money to last a lifetime. Often, without the gradual opportunity most people have to develop sound financial habits. Many are drafted in their late teens or early 20s and suddenly find themselves managing millions of dollars. This is despite having little experience with budgeting, taxes, or investing. At the same time, lifestyle inflation can set in quickly as well. With expensive homes, luxury cars, large entourages, and the financial responsibility of supporting extended family.  On top of that, some players fall victim to dishonest financial advisors, unreliable business partners, or sophisticated scams that specifically target newly wealthy athletes. These factors makie it even harder to preserve the wealth they worked so hard to earn.

Related Post:  Aliyah Boston Makes WNBA History With Record $6.3M Deal

Charles Barkley has talked about this on the very same podcast where Thompson made his Poppi comments, recalling advice from Julius “Dr. J” Erving about resisting the pressure to buy the flashiest car in the room, since the gap between a modest and extravagant purchase, left invested, compounds into real money over the years.

Not everyone falls into the trap. Shaquille O’Neal is frequently cited as a counterexample, having built a business empire of restaurants, car washes, gyms, and brand investments after his playing days, something he’s credited to prioritizing financial literacy over flash.

Where Thompson fits

Thompson’s story now reads as something of a hybrid. There is a real early splurging, paired with a maturing investment instinct that turned a modest $25,000 stake into a seven-figure return.  On top of an already lucrative bet on one of Silicon Valley’s most talked-about AI companies. For a league where the majority of players still struggle to hold onto their fortunes after the buzzer sounds for the last time. It’s the kind of story the NBPA likely wants more players hearing about, not just the cautionary tales.

Tristan Thompson, Image Credit: Flickr