20 Outrageous Athlete Rides

Wise investments?

Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Athletes don't ever think about the rainy days. They don't care about saving. For the most part, they purchase what they want when they want it, and we're not just talking about giant beds and shark tanks. Like us, many athletes have slight infatuations with the cars and other rides that they drive. Of course, however, they make a lot of money, and we don't, so the vehicles they're purchasing are large, overbearing, loud, and unnecessary. As opposed to, you know, the Ford F-150s and used Pontiac Grand Ams that we drive. Scoff and gawk at the ridiculous these guys have built and bought with these 20 Outrageous Athlete Rides.

Mike Tyson

Ride: Lamborghini Jeep LM002, 1986

The words Lamborghini and SUV don't exactly click together for most people. But between 1986 and 1993, 328 such vehicles were manufactured in the form of the Lamborghini LM002. Among its many famous owners (including Sylvestor Stallone, Tina Turner, Pablo Escobar, Muammar Gaddafi, and Uday Hussain) was Mike Tyson. On his way to going bankrupt after earning over $140 million during his career, the powerful boxer added this white Lambo off-roader to his expensive garage collectibles. Certainly not the most economical vehicle, the LM002 rolled on some expensive 345/60/17 Pirelli Scorpion Zero's, and it had a 76-gallon fuel tank, which only allowed for 460 miles of travel before hitting "E."

Marion Barber

Ride: Chevrolet Impala, 1971

Marion Barber of the Dallas Cowboys seems to be in need of a return on his investment on this 1971 Chevy Impala, which he spent $130,000 building with all the trimmings, including 24-karat gold rims and a suede interior. In 2011, the running back put the souped-up ride on eBay, where it elicited bids amounting to less than he put into it. (Asking price was $82,998.) We guess "The Barbarian" lives by the 2 Chainz motto: "It's mine, I spend it."

Andrew Bynum

Ride: Nissan GT-R, 2000

Former Los Angeles Lakers Center Andrew Bynum is a known car fanatic who customizes all his vehicles at Platinum Motorsport in Los Angeles. Back in 2009, he was pushing this Nissan GT-R, which boasts 580HP engine. The 7-footer's ride was equipped with a WALD aerokit, frog lights, and a unique, but high-quality bumper, all of which sit on 22-inch matte black agetro rims. We don't know what will stick out more in Cleveland, this car or his weird-ass hair styles.

Willie Green

Ride: Lamborghini Diablo, 1999

During Super Bowl XXXIII, the Denver Broncos' Willie Green was seen zooming around in this Lamborghini Diablo. In a rare moment of frugality for all the athletes on this list, Green never actually purchased the $300,000 vehicle, but instead simply rented it for 30 days at a price of $1,900 a day. In recent years, he's been seen driving a Dodge Ram. We're also willing to bet he saved a ton of money on his car insurance by switching to Geico.

Rob Dyrdek

Ride: Campagna T-Rex, 2007

Skateboarder and reality TV star Rob Dyrdek always breaks out some serious toys on his MTV show "Fantasy Factory," and the Campagna T-Rex cycle-car is no exception. Constructed by Canada's Campagna Corporation, the three-wheel, two-seater T-Rex, which is classified as a motorcycle, has been on the market since the early '90s.

This low-to-the-ground, open vehicle can reach speeds of 157mph, and it goes from zero to 60mph in 3.5 seconds. The ballpark price for these badass street-legal wheels is $54,000. If you've watched Rob's show, particularly season one, you know he loves to drive rides like these around the office. If only we had slightly wider hallways ....

Shaquille O'Neal

Ride: Chevrolet G1500, 2001

Like many athlete cars, this customized Shaqmobile ended up on the market recently. Shaq is one of the biggest basketball car collectors ever, as he has an extremely close and personal relationship with the owner of West Coast Customs. They'll do anything for him. If that means a conversion van with Louis Vuitton interior, Superman logos everywhere, an air ride suspension, 20-inch wheels, a 100x100 HD projector and an XBOX, then that's what they'll do.

Thomas Jones

Ride: Ferrari 360 Modena Spyder, 2004

Kansas City Chiefs running back Thomas Jones wanted to add some extra flare to his orange Ferrari 360 Modena Spyder, and he had his initials "TJ" carved under the hood. Further implementing his personal swag on the Ferrari, Jones had matching orange rims installed to compliment his new ride. Jones is known for his lavish car collection, including his customized Rolls-Royce Phantom and Range Rover.

Dwyane Wade

Ride: McLaren 12C Spider

The 12C Spider is an absolutely incredible car. We know, we've driven one on a track. It's practically just as capable as the hardtop version ... but you can take the top off. We would kill for one of these $250,000 cars, but thanks to Dwyane Wade, we know that we don't have to go that far. We just have to win a couple NBA championships and live in Miami. Then we'll get two of them for free like Wade did from The Collection, the local luxury car dealer down there.

Joe Johnson

Ride: Ford F-650 Super Truck XUV, 2008

Guard Joe Johnson isn't big, but his Ford F-650 Super Truck XUV certainly is. After purchasing the big-body whip in 2008, the Little Rock native received a lot of attention for his behemoth mode of transportation. The player who at one point in time made more than Kobe Bryant dropped more than $200,000 on his Ford truck, lacing it with three flatscreen TVs, a seat that converts into a bed, and a train horn, along with front and back cameras. Johnson was inspired to get the 200-gallon-tank ride when he saw Shaq's own super truck.

Alfonso Soriano

Ride: Hummer H2, 2005

This is not a promo vehicle for the Smurfs 3D film. This is what Alfonso Soriano bought with part of his eight-year, $136 million dollar contract with the Chicago Cubs. The all-blue-everything Hummer H2 looks like it was hooked up by Xzibit himself, with a colossal speaker system in the SUV's rear and the outfielder's name emblazoned on a chrome plaque on the front hood. Unfortunately for some unlucky chap, Soriano recently sold this beast.

Chad Ochocinco

Ride: International, 2010

Back in 2010, ever-newsworthy football star Chad Ochocinco sent out a Twitter picture of his birthday present to himself. The truck, which was valued at $100,000, was not a Ford or a Chevy, but entirely custom-made International and dubbed the "Ochocinco Truck." Chad drove the truck into work that day where the Bengals were eliminated by Darrelle Revis and the Jets, who held No. 85 to just two catches and 28 yards. The vehicle drew attention from the game's commentators, who were puzzled at the wide receiver's shiny new toy.

Darius Miles

Ride: Pontiac Grand Ville Convertible, 2007

Since his days on the L.A. Clippers, playing alongside Lamar Odom (the first time), Darius Miles wasn't one to shy away from showing off. Darius garnered an audience off the court with his customized Pontiac Grand Ville Convertible. He juiced up the car with hydraulics, big body rims, and--the most oddly excessive alteration of all--an airbrushed mural of a naked woman and Benjamin Franklin on the dollar bill smoking a joint. Although kids aren't ripping Darius Miles posters out of magazine's and hanging them up on their walls anymore, the baller who went straight to the pros from high school ensures that he's nobody's role model.

William Gallas

Ride: Mercedes-Benz SLR McClaren, 2009

For most stuntatstic athletes, it's their chains that provide the bling. But that's not the case with former Tottenham Hotspur defender Willliam Gallas. The French national, who made his bank playing in soccer's English Premier League, may have been stripped of his captain status during the 2008-2009 season, but no one has been able to strip their eyes off of his chrome-plated Mercedes-Benz SLR McClaren. Once labeled as the fastest convertible in the world, the McLaren can go from 0 to 60mph in just 3.6 seconds, and it boasts a maximum speed of 207mph. The price for such a strikingly efficient vehicle: $535,000.

Tiger Woods

Ride: "Privacy" yacht, 2004

In 2004, Tiger Woods purchased a 155-foot-long mega-yacht as a wedding gift for his then-wife Elin Nordegren. A floating symbol of wealth, the $20 million "Privacy" is built out of material based on a fiberglass composite. Amenities include an eight-person Jacuzzi, two Vespa scooters, two kayaks, three SeaDoos, and a fitness center.

Tiger initially purchased the yacht when it was only 70 percent complete, so that he could dictate specific custom touches to the final product. Due to Tiger's troubles and subsequent divorce, Elin returned "Privacy" to him because she wasn't keen on paying the $2 million annual upkeep for the yacht. Tiger put it on the market for $25 million.

Scottie Pippen

Ride: Gulfstream II private jet, 2002

Hall of Famer and six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen has compiled a long list of bad business investments over the years. One of those investments was a $4.3 million Gulfstream II jet he bought in 2002. Apparently, Scottie had been taking so many charter flights to and from Portland while playing for the Trail Blazers that in 2002 a pilot convinced him it would be a good idea to invest in his own private jet.

After the aircraft had already been purchased, it was revealed that necessary repairs on the engine costing roughly $1 million had gone unnoticed due to a missed inspection. Rather than pay for repairs, Pippen grounded the plane and sued his attorney for $8.2 million. It wasn't until a couple years ago that Pippen was finally awarded $2 million for the fiasco surrounding a plane that it appears he never took on a flight.

Latrell Sprewell

Ride: "Milwaukee's Best" yacht, 2001

Although a major part of a late-'90s New York Knicks team that made it to the NBA finals, Latrell Sprewell will always be best known for losing control and choking his coach, P.J. Carlesimo, while playing for the Golden State Warriors. Fast forward to post-basketball, and Sprewell again lost control, but this time of his finances, due in part to an Italian-made, 70-foot-long private yacht that he purchased for $1.5 million. Sprewell named the yacht "Milwaukee's Best," after his hometown.

But in 2007, a bank foreclosed when Sprewell failed to pay the boat's mortgage. Sprewell, who was also dealing with a foreclosure of his Milwaukee county home at the time, managed to sell the yacht at auction for $856,000. He still owed the bank nearly $500,000. The irony of the four-time all-star's financial woes is that he had turned down a three-year, $21 million contract extension from the Minnesota Timberwolves at the start of the 2004-2005 season, claiming, "I've got my family to feed," as though the amount wasn't enough to keep food on the table.

Jared Allen

Ride: Cadillac Coupe Deville, 1969

This is one of our favorite athlete cars from one of our favorite athletes. Jared Allen is an absolute freak on the field, and he's got a hilarious personality that is demonstrated by this old-school Caddy. The '69 has an awesome set of horns to match that mullet of his.

Michael Jordan

Ride: Gulfstream IV private jet, 1991

Throughout his storied career, as arguably the greatest player in NBA history, Michael Jordan, aka "His Airness," consistently dominated when taking flight to the basket. In his life after basketball, Jordan still manages to make his mark in mid-air with his multi-million dollar Gulfstream IV private jet. Bearing the colors of MJ's alma mater (UNC), this not-so-ordinary-looking plane is adorned with the unmistakable Jumpman logo on its rear fin and the inscription "N236MJ" on the engines. This symbolizes Jordan's jersey number and six world championships.

Mario Balotelli

Ride: Camo Bentley Continental SuperSports

We've gone on and on and on about Balo's antics, so when he showed up one day riding around in a camo Bentley, it really wasn't a shock. We were more surprised that he had the nice selection of a SuperSports Continental rather than a GT. The new model SuperSports (es?) have more than 600 horsepower and can get to 60 in less than 60 seconds. Too bad that's still not fast enough to get him away from the cameramen.

Greg Norman

Ride: "Aussie Rules" yacht, 2003

Ranked as the world's No. 1 golfer for more than 300 weeks, Greg Norman put the spoils of his winning streak on blast with this $70 million yacht, named "Aussie Rules." The yacht holds diving gear for 30 people as well as a decompression chamber. A Nitrox mixing panel was also on board to properly mix gases for almost any type of dive. Smaller boats for fishing expeditions were also kept on board, along with a rescue boat and four WaveRunners.

Also found on "Aussie Rules" is a home theater, dining room, and Jacuzzi. The company that built the massive watercraft sold it to the elite golfer "at cost" in the hopes that his ownership would translate to profitable PR. Unfortunately, the company ended up losing money. Mr. Norman, however, enjoyed the boat just fine.