Believe it or not, there are NBA players who drive cheap cars!
NBA players earn a decent amount of money every season. For example, in the 2019/2020 season, the average annual salary of an NBA player was $8.32 million, and $9.37 million in 2022/2023.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that many NBA players drive expensive cars and live a lavish lifestyle. But there are professional basketball players that are comfortable driving cheap vehicles.
Even though their salary, seasons earnings, and net worth can afford high-end cars, you can still spot some NBA superstars in cheap rides.
The post highlights the top national basketball association players that drive cheap cars;
Top NBA Players Who Drive Cheap Cars
Despite earning millions of dollars every year, the following professional basketball players have stuck with driving cheap cars:
LeBron James
LeBron James counts among the top NBA players. In fact, some fans even liken him to the performance level of Michael Jordan. Besides registering impressive performance in the sport, LeBron has also garnered massive wealth from basketball.
You can’t talk about the wealthiest professional basketball players without mentioning LeBron James. And according to Forbes, the top NBA player’s net worth averages $1billion.
From such earnings, he can afford an expensive car. However, LeBron James drives a Kia K900 car. And a Kia K900 of 2019 model costs less than $60,000. But besides the Kia, the top NBA player also owns Hummer H1 (2006 model) and Bentley GT (2012 model).
Jimmy Butler
Having been picked by the Chicago Bulls in the NBA draft (2011), Jimmy has registered an impressive performance. Also, he has emerged NBA All-Star six times; 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2022. Besides earning millions from basketball, he has also participated in commercials with famous companies.
His earnings (48 million dollars) saw him rise to position 26 among Forbes’ top-earning athletes in 2022.
Even though he has garnered such an amount of wealth, he still appears in the list of NBA players who drive cheap cars. Often you can spot Jimmy driving a 2017 Toyota Sienna that retails at about $28,000.
Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard is yet another figure to reckon with in international basketball games. He has scooped the NBA All-Star title 5 times and the NBA champion twice.
The humble basketball player has earned over $170 million in the sport.
According to Forbes reports, Kawhi’s earnings average $39.4 million. From his net worth, he can afford expensive cars. But contrary to the public expectation, Kawhi Leonard opted to salvage his grandmother’s car.
Although the cost of repairing the 1997 Chevy Tahoe attracted a significant sum of money, Kawhi seems comfortable with the investment. That sets him apart from other players that spend lavishly on cars and houses.
Brandon Jennings
By moving from high school to professional basketball playing, Brandon was headed for greater heights of achievements. And after playing nine seasons in the NBA, Jennings earned millions before retiring following a left Achilles injury.
Having earned a significant amount of money from the NBA sport, his net worth has risen to over $16 million. His accrued earnings from the NBA can secure him fine cars. But for some reason, Brandon Jennings seems comfortable driving a 2010 Ford Edge.
So, considering his net worth and the car he drives, it’s no surprise that he falls in the category of NBA players still driving cheap cars.
Ron Artest
Ron Artest, also known as Metta World Peace, is a former NBA player with a successful career. He started playing the NBA games in 1999 and starred among the top defenders.
During his entire career, Artest scooped several titles and awards including, NBA 2010 champion, 2004 NBA All-Star, and Defensive Player of the Year 2004.
Following his impressive NBA career, Ron Artest has a net worth of about $40 million (by 2023). Most NBA players are known to ride high-end cars. However, that’s not the case with Ron Artest.
Instead of settling for costly cars, the former NBA champion can still be spotted driving a Hyundai Genesis. Interestingly the Hyundai Genesis was a gift from George Lopez- a renowned comedian.
Although the car’s retail price may be around $35,000, Ron probably still holds onto it since it was a gift. Also, its custom purple and gold hood colors make it very dear to him.
Zach Randolph
Zach Randolph has had a successful NBA career. During his career, he earned the NBA All-Star title twice between 2001 and 2019. Besides he has played for famous teams including Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, and New York Knicks.
During his 14-year professional career, Randolph earned about $140 million. Such an amount of earnings is more than enough to secure the NBA superstar a cool and luxurious ride.
Interestingly you can still find in his collection a Chevrolet Impala car.
Conclusion
Many NBA players such as Stephen Curry, Russel Westbrook, Dwight Howard, and Dwyane Wade, drive very lavish cars.
But for some reason, there are also wealthy NBA players that prefer cheap rides. Such players include Brandon Jennings, Jimmy Butler, LeBron James, Ron Artest, and Kawhi Leonard.
Even after earning millions of dollars every season, some NBA superstars drive cheap cars and live a low-profile lifestyle.
