John Calipari has trained, coached, and produced some top-tier talent for the NBA across his NCAA coaching career, especially during his 15-year tenure with the Kentucky Wildcats.
A former Kentucky Wildcat, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is currently leading the OKC Thunder in their 3-3 tied series of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. His former college head coach, Calipari, appeared on the Pat McAfee Show to talk about Kentucky players he sent to the NBA.
Calipari was addressing how players reach out to him for guidance during the NBA Draft when he recalled the 2015 NBA Draft. The year his star player, Karl Anthony-Towns, was the No. 1 pick, he rejected the Lakers to play in Minnesota. Calipari claims he tried to convince Towns to go to LA, but he was hellbent on staying the No. 1 pick instead of dropping down in the NBA Draft.
“When Karl Towns was getting drafted, the Lakers wanted him, the Lakers wanted him, and they were the two pick and I said ‘You may want to be the two pick and be in LA and you know Minnesota.’ He said, ‘No, I’ll wear a coat, I want to be the number one pick.’ And he enjoyed his time there.”
Karl Anthony-Towns thus rejected the Lakers simply because he wanted to stay at the top of the draft. During this interview, the co-hosts of the Pat McAfee show panel questioned Calipari about several aspects of the NCAA and his history with Kentucky.
After comparing Derrick Rose and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the two league MVPs coached by Calipari, he moved on to talk about the NIL economy in the NCAA season. It was during this time that he made a bold claim about helping college players with financial advice and how it has led his players to earn over $6 billion in the NBA.
“Let me say this, there will be coaches that would pay more than I would be willing to pay, but I’m telling kids you don’t want to trip over nickels trying to get to 200 million. And you pick the right school, don’t let it overwhelm you with the money.”
“Can I throw a humble brag out there? Okay, my guys have made $6 billion in the NBA. Yes, $6 billion, so when I say that, if you’re willing to take an extra 800,000 to go and you’re telling me you want to be a pro, have at it, I’m not— and I don’t begrudge anybody. DeMarcus Cousins told me back in the day he said, ‘What should I do, should I put my name in the draft?’ I said, “If you want to do what’s right for you and your family, you put your name in that draft. Do you want to do what’s right for me and my family? Why don’t you stay for a couple more years?”
“And so this thing I just wish they could not transfer, they should be able to go once maybe twice without penalty cause the coach lied, told them you’re shooting every ball, I’m going to play you this way and he didn’t tell them the truth then they should be able to leave but four times that means the first sign of trouble I’m out– if you’re a parent wouldn’t you tell your son “No you’re you’re fighting this you’re fighting this out you’re not, no, you’re staying you’re going to do it.”
“Now I understand once or twice without penalty, but after that, don’t tell me, ‘Well, we’d get sued.’ A kid transferring four times? One, it’s not good for him; two, he has no chance academically to do anything, and I think we’re still academic institutions. Take it to court, you can win that, but if we get that in order, I think the NIL stuff would be fine.”
The top five NBA contracts for Kentucky players coached by John Calipari include:
1. and 2. Karl Anthony Towns and Devin Booker (four years, $220.4 million)
The 2015 Kentucky Wildcat teammates share the 1 and 2 spots, tied for the highest contracts earned by NBA players who have been coached by Calipari.
3. Anthony Davis (five years, $189.9 million)
4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (five years, $179.3 million)
5. Tyrese Maxey (five years, $175 million)
