What would you do if you made it as a pro athlete? Would you buy nice things like a house, cars, or maybe a plane? Athletes today do buy nice things after they make it big playing professional sports. Some may buy a couple of mansions, nice cars, and maybe even buy their own plane to get around. Some athletes have so much money they don't know what to do with it. Some athletes like to live in the spotlight and throw their money and riches around.
On the other hand there are some athletes who would rather live the humble and simple lifestyle in their professional sport. They may drive a car from their high school days or even their college days when they had no money.
Some athletes even may buy a simple house and just use their money to may be donate it charity or to just save it. They don't necessarily see a car as a point of pride. Like many people, there are some that just see a car as a way from getting to point B and if their car works fine, they don't see any need to get a luxury car. It's understandable in many cases and it's probably the smartest way to go.
This article though is just about cars. Athletes who have nice cars and athletes who don't have nice cars and drive cheap automobiles that would be very easy for any person to buy.
20 Stunning Car: LeBron James
LeBron James the greatest basketball player right drove a Kia K900. LeBron James is one of the richest athletes and his contract was worth over $100 million dollars. In 2015 he auctioned is off for charity. The proceeds go to the LeBron James Family Foundation, which helped kids in school and live an active lifestyle.
The Kia K900 had diamond contrast stitching, Ceramic window tint, a premium audio system, and LBJ logos in the headrests.
According to autoweek.com the value of the car was $168,463. The car is a V8 an eight- speed automatic. LeBron James earned the right to drive some hot cars. With LeBron doing lots of charity work it was nice he auctioned off his Kia K900.
19 Cheaped Out: Nnamdi Asomugha
Nnamdi Asomugha got drafted by the Oakland Raiders. He played 11 seasons and earned up to $11 million per year. Since he retired he has gone into acting. Despite earning millions of dollars playing football he rarely spends a lot of money. He told Wealthsimple in an interview "I was never a big spender, We didn't have much growing up, so I guess I got used it. Even when I was a Pro Bowl player in the NFL, I lived the same way because that's what I knew." He still to this day keeps the car his brother passed down to him. A 1997 Nissan Maxima he drove the car to his prom. Asomuga told Wealthsimple "That car is the one thing that everyone makes fun of me for, Even after I started earning good money, I was still in the mentality of 'I know this is all I need so I'm doing fine."
18 Stunning: Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush was drafted second overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He had a great career and winning a Super Bowl. His car game is pretty solid too. He has a Ferrari F430 which is the successor to the F350 according to hotcars.com The car was in production from 2004 to 2009 and has Enzo taillights. The car also has Testarossa- style mirros according to hotcars.com Futhermore it also has oval openings in the front bumper. He was driving it when he was dating Kim Kardashian. In 2011 he decided to sell the Ferrari for $164,000. He even let Kim Kardashian drive it. He's also bought cars for family members, including his mother, whom he bought a Bentley for a few years ago.
17 Cheaped Out: Giovani Bernard
Giovani Bernard was drafted by the Bengals in the 2013 NFL Draft. After he was drafted he was paid $5.2 million and a $2.2 million singing bonus. You would think he would buy himself something nice, but he would rather drive his girlfriend's Honda Minivan.
He doesn't want to spend foolishly then have nothing when he retires from football.
He also has an apartment close to the stadium. Bernard told NFL.com about driving the minivan "It's a car that gets me from point A to point B, It's definitely good on gas." Whatever gets him from one point to another and at least he doesn't have to spend loads of money.
16 Stunning: Floyd Mayweather
Floyd Mayweather is wealthy and it shows. Whether he is on his private jet or in his cars you know he's got million of dollars to spend. He owns a Ferrari Enzo which cost a whopping $3.2 million. In 2015 he was selling the Enzo for $3.8 million. Only 400 Ferrari Enzos were made when production started for the vehicle in 2004. The Enzo goes from 0 to 60 in 3.14 seconds, it also sports a V-12 engine. Mayweather is the highest paid athlete on the planet according to bbc.com Selling or buying a car for millions is chump change to him. He drove the Enzo 549 miles when he had it.
15 Cheaped Out: Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins is an average quarterback in the NFL. However with the millions he's made playing football he would rather drive a minivan. He drives a dented GMC Savana passenger van with more than 100,000 miles on it according to cnbc.com He and his wife bought it from his grandma for just $5,000 in 2014. He told the Wall Street Journal in 2016 "It's better to buy appreciating assets than depreciating, No yachts, no sports cars."
That's a fair point. As you drive a car off a lot, the value decreases by 20 percent. The van is in pretty good shape according to Cousins and sits seven passengers. It also has a sofa that folds flat. With his new $85 million guaranteed deal, you'd wonder if Cousins will splurge a little on his next car.
14 Stunning: Robinson Cano
Robinson Cano is a former baseball player for the Yankees and currently on the Seattle Mariners. He got a Ferrari with all his millions. All that hard work paid off and he got himself a nice car. He was with the Yankees from 2005-2013. Then he signed a 10 year $240 million contract with the Seattle Mariners. That comes to $24 million per year over the next 10 years.
Cano's prized baby now is a Ferrari 458 Spider. It's gold and he changed the wheels to match the gold body of the car.
In 2017 he won a Chevrolet Corvette after winning the MVP Award at the All Star Game. He had two choices; the Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck or a Corvette Grand Sport. He chose the Corvette.
13 Cheaped Out: Alfred Morris
Boris singed a contract with the Redskins in 2012. He would sign a 2.2 million dollar contact with the Redskins. Then in 2016 he signed a $3.5 million dollar contact with the Cowboys. He still drives a 1991 Mazda. He bought the car from his pastor in his college days for $2. No, that's not a typo - two dollars. He also names it Bentley. He kept the car because it reminds him of the work he put in to get to where he is in his life. That's a pretty cool way to look at it. He drove that car on his path to the NFL. Maybe someday he will get a nicer car with the millions he's making playing football.
12 Stunning: Franck Ribery
Franck Ribery is 34 years old and plays soccer. He plays for the German club Bayern Munich and played for the French national team for the most of his soccer career. His car of choice was the Lamborghini Aventador. According to hotcars.com the Lamborghini Aventador is the successor to the Murcielago. It also is similar to the F-22 Raptor fighter plane according to the site. It has a 6.5 liter V-12 engine also a 7 speed semi automatic transmission. It goes 0-60 in 2.9 seconds.
His other cars also include the Lamborghini Gallaro, BMW X6M, Porsche 918 Spyder, and a Audi S8. Ribery is an example of an athlete who shows off his money with his nice expensive cars.
11 Cheaped Out: John Urschel
John Urschel is a retired NFL player who made $1.8 million with the Baltimore Ravens. He quit football to pursue a PH.D in mathematics at MIT. He has published six articles and made the Forbes "30 for "30.
His car of choice is a used Nissan Versa which he bought for $9,000.
He told ESPN about driving his dream car saying "I don't think you understand that I'm living the dream, I'm driving my dream car. It's great on gas. It's surprisingly spacious, I'm on the first level, parking lot full and everyone else is parking on the upper deck where the car is getting hot. I'm not even taking the stairs." He's living the dream driving his Nissan Versa.
10 Stunning: Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Rolando is considered on of the best soccer players in the world. The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is one of the many stunning looking cars Rolando owns. It's great inside and out according to hotcars.com The front has a curvillnear waist, the sides have all the right curves and shapes.
It has a V-12 engine and can take you for a smooth ride anywhere you want to go.
His other cars include Lamborghini Aventador, Bentley GT Speed, Aston Martin DB9, Audi R8, and a Rolls Royce Phantom. Rolando is an example of an athlete showing off his wealth with his nice cars.
9 Cheaped Out: Brandon Jennings
Brandon Jennings is a NBA player making millions of dollars. He was picked in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft. He played for the Bucks, Magic, Knicks, and the Wizards in the NBA and also played overseas. Jennings played in 541 games in his NBA career. He played for 10 seasons in the NBA. He's won awards in his career he was the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2010. Jennings made $1.5 million and he drives a Ford Edge as his car of choice. Making millions doesn't phase him and would rather blend in with the rest of America of drivers.
8 Stunning: Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos drives a Audi R8 Spyder which are one of the sponsors of Real Madrid. According to hotcars.com Ramos received the R8 Spyder from Real Madrid after a great performance in the league.
It has folding fabric which takes 20 seconds to lower and could be done when driving 30 MPH. It has a 5.2 liter V-10 engine that produces 540hp.
The cost of the car is $270,000; that's nothing right? His other car collections are a Audi R8, and a Porche Cayenne. Ramos is another example of an athlete who makes millions and loves to spend it on his car collection.
7 Cheaped Out: Ryan Kerrigan
He's an outside linebacker for the Washington Redskins making millions playing football in the NFL. He got a five year $58 million contract in 2014. He also won several awards at Purdue University. Kerrigan is a three time Pro Bowler and has spent his entire career so far with the Washington Redskins. He was drafted in the first round in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Redskins. However he likes to stay humble and rents an apartment in Reston Va. He also got a Chevy Tahoe for himself. The Tahoe is an SUV type which is plenty of space and has him blending with the rest of the average American citizen. Maybe someday he'll upgrade.
6 Stunning: C.J. Wilson
Wilson has been in the MLB since 2005. He played for the Texas Rangers and for the Los Angeles Angels. Wilson played for the Rangers from 2005 to 2011 and the Angels from 2012-2015. He signed a five year $77.5 million contract with Los Angeles. . His car is a Hyperblurple McLaren and an top notch car, from the exterior to the interior.
The car was Wilson's dream car and always wanted it since he was a kid.
He wrote a blog post on jalopnik.com talking about the first time he saw it. "Seeing the entire car in person for the first time was pretty hilarious. The paint color from MSO is unlike anything I've ever seen on another car."
5 Cheaped Out: Mitchell Trubisky
Trubisky was selected second overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2017 NFL Draft. He will be earning $30 million over the next four years. However he's driving like a kid who just got out of college. Bears general manager Ryan Pace even had Trubisky drive from North Carolina to Chicago. He didn't drive in a nice car, but he did drive a 1997 Toyota Camry. That was his grandmother's car.
Now going into his second season, Trubisky has no plans on changing his ride.
Seems like he is content with the Toyota Camry and he'll get something better when he makes his millions playing football.
4 Stunning: Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal could afford any car he wants and it's easy to see how he earned so much money in his NBA career. He won championships with the Lakers and the Miami Heat. His career lasted from 1992-2011 from the Lakers to the Boston Celtics. He has a net worth of $400 million. He's put much of his cash into his rides. He has a Ferrari and an Escalade. The rims of the Escalade has 26 inch chrome rims, and also low profile tires. Besides the luxury cars, he bought a Ford F-250 and made it his own. It has aluminum wheels. Shaq also owns a Dodge Challenger with unique red headlights. Shaq has made millions and has earned his way to buy some nice cars.
3 Cheaped Out: Kawhi Leonard
Leonard has a five year $90 million contract with the San Antonio Spurs which is up next year. He'll then likely earn close to a max contract. With all the awards he's gotten and the money he would rather drive simple and live a simple life. Leonard is a two time All-Star an NBA Champion and a NBA Finals MVP.
With his millions though he would still rather drive his 1997 Chevy Tahoe around everywhere.
According to GQ.com he drove the Tahoe during his high school days and is quoted saying "It runs, and it's paid off." His car is only six years younger than Kawhi. Maybe someday he'll upgrade to something better, especially when he's traded out of San Antonio.
2 Stunning: Mariano Rivera
Former New York Yankee pitcher Mariano Rivera was probably one of the greatest pitchers in Yankee history and certainly the best closer in baseball history. His pitches were always confusing hitters and struck out a lot of hitters. He drives a Ferrari 812 Superfast. With the millions he made he can afford any car he wants. The Ferrari 812 started being produced in 2017. It has a 6.5-liter and a V-12 engine and the most powerful engine currently in the market. Also has a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. The engine has a top speed of over 221 mph and a 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds. Also Rivera could throw a pitch from 0-60 on the baseball field when he was playing.
1 Cheaped Out: Daniel Norris
Daniel Norris is a pitcher and making millions playing baseball. However until recently, he had been choosing to live in his van (he's since moved to a studio apartment). He pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays and currently for the Detroit Tigers. The van is a 978 Volkswagen Westfalia microbus the same microbus in "Scooby Doo" He said: “I knew after I signed with the Blue Jays that I was going to get a Volkswagen van, It was my dream car."
He also named the microbus "Shaggy." He added solar panels, a bed, and only a few other things. Norris even had his own mini kitchen in the van and cooked his own meals in there.