Just hours after announcing he's skipping college to play pro ball in Australia, 18-year-old hoops phenom RJ Hampton was already spending cash like a boss in New York City!
TMZ Sports spotted Hampton taking his family to dinner at Catch NYC -- one of the hottest restaurants in town ... where he told us paid for the entire meal himself! And, this place ain't cheap!
Earlier in the day, Hampton -- one of the top-rated high school stars in the country -- announced he turned down scholarship offers from schools like Kansas and Kentucky to play overseas for the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian National Basketball League.