Despite training hard to be the best in their sport and achieving fame and success along the way, playing sports is not all these athletes do. Some are platinum-selling rappers, while others are also actors. But all of the legends on this list have one more thing in common: a true passion for cars. This passion today manifests itself in some of the greatest celebrity car collections out there.
Are you a fan of sports? If so, you might just find your favorite athlete on this list. So, stay with us as we go through the ten athletes who unify the world of sports and automobile with some of the most impressive car collections.
10 LeBron James
Regardless if you're a basketball fan or not, you've certainly heard of LeBron James. This NBA champion boasts four NBA MVP Awards, two Olympic gold medals, and apparently at least 13 cars in his personal collection. If you're the one who would never pin LeBron as a passionate car collector, think again. He's been stashing luxury and exotic cars in his collection ever since he was playing for the Cavaliers, and some of his most prized possessions include a $670,000 Lamborghini Aventador Roadster, the luxorious Maybach 57 S, the decadent Rolls Royce Phantom, and even a custom Ferrari F430 Spider specially modified to fit this 6'8 basketball star.
9 David Beckham
Though he first caught the public's eye due to his athletic prowess, becoming one of the most successful and prominent English soccer players, today you can see Beckham everywhere EXCEPT the soccer field. He's tried his hand at everything from acting to modeling to entrepreneurship; entertaining his passion for cars along the way.
Over the years, Beckham has accumulated one of the most impressive car collections you'll ever see, with literally dozens of models ranging from the sporty 911 Carrera S to the elegant Jaguar XJ to the luxurious Rolls-Royce Phantom.
8 John Cena
This WWE legend's career is showing no signs of halt. Landing numerous new movie and TV show roles, he's not only a household name but an internet meme as well. However, what many don't know is that Cena is true car enthusiast, with a strong passion for American muscle cars. In his garage, you'll find an exceptionally well-preserved collection featuring classics like the 1966 Hemi Charger, the 1970 Buick GSX, and the 1971 Plymouth Road Runner. Of course, there are a few modern machines in there as well, such as the 2006 Dodge Viper, a 2009 Corvette ZR1, and the 2007 Dodge Charger SRT-8.
7 Floyd Mayweather
Okay, this one might not be so surprising. We never see this boxing legend in the same car, and over the years, Floyd Mayweather has displayed a passion for hoarding only the most superb and lavish vehicles out there, with seemingly endless garage space to spare. In a 2015 ESPN interview, we hear Mayweather estimate his luxury car collection at a staggering $15 million. And frankly, this number seems like an underestimation, considering his Koenigsegg Trevita is valued at over $4.7 million. There are only two of these hypercars in the world, and Mayweather owns one of them.
But that's only the beginning, the boxer keeps three Bugatti's (including the new Chiron), the rare Aston Martin One-77, the ridiculous $3.5 million Pagani Huayra, and even the exclusive $3.2 million Ferrari Enzo (to name a few). And knowing Mayweather, we can assume he paid for all of these in cash.
6 KOBE BRYANT
During his 20 year basketball career, "Black Mamba" stunned his fans on endless occasions, from the epic head-to-head with Michael Jordan in 2003 to scoring 81 points in a single game. However, what many fans don't know is that this basketball legend is also a massive car nut. Over the years, he amassed a considerable collection of sports cars, road yachts, and even choppers.
Though, more than anything, his car collection displays a visible knack for exotic Italian makes, such as the Ferrari 458 Italia or the Lamborghini Aventador. However, it's easy to connect the dot's if you consider that Kobe spent a significant part of his life in Italy, which also provided him with a fluency in Italian.
5 CRISTIANO RONALDO
Ronaldo needs no introduction. Some call him the greatest soccer player in the world, With accomplishments that include 714 career goals, a myriad of UEFA world records, a European championship win, and a lifetime contract with Nike, the fact that he could easily afford his lavish lifestyle surprises no one. Like every athlete on this list, Ronaldo is clearly a car guy. However, his taste is not limited only to excessive hypercars. His multi-million-dollar collection allegedly includes 19 cars and features everything from the casual Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI to the ridiculously expensive Bugatti Chiron.
4 Shaquille O’Neal
Another retired basketball legend to make this list, Shaq left the sport after a marvelous 19-year run. He's still considered one of the best players to ever hold the ball, and his popularity is still in full swing. But, despite his frequent media presence, there are some things many fans don't know about Shaq. Like the fact that he's a famous, platinum-selling rapper and DJ? Or, perhaps, that this 7 foot 1, 330-lb giant is the owner of one of the largest celebrity car collections in the world? That's right, this rapper/basketball superstar owns at least 30 awesome cars. And although this collection displays no particular segment focus, almost all the cars have one thing in common: they had to be modified to fit Shaq.
A lot of these include beefy SUVs like the Hummer H2S, Jeep Wrangler, and Cadillac Escalade, while others are straight-out supercars like the Ferrari 355 Spider or the Dodge Challenger Hellcat.
3 Jenson Button
In 2009, Button won the F1 World Championship that cemented him among F1 legends such as Hamilton and Rosberg. This pro racer knows his way around cars, and his personal collection of 15 unique vehicles also proves he has great taste. You see, Button is presumably a huge Ferrari fan, despite never driving for the brand, and his most prized cars Ferraris are the F40, Enzo, and the classic 275 GTS Cabriolet. However, his carage also houses hypercars like the Bugatti Veyron and McLaren F1 as well as muscle cars like the 1970 Pontiac GTO. It's clear that his car choices were driven purely by passion and not an excess of cash.
2 Michael Jordan
Regardless if you're 9 or 90, if you haven't heard of Jordan, you've probably been living under a rock. Well, we're happy to report that the biggest name in basketball history is also a car fanatic. One with good taste at that. He's not the one to boast his wealth or fame, and his excessive car collection is purely a result of passion and appreciation of various different automobiles. Some of the cars that Jordan amassed in the last half century include an Aston Martin DB9 and DB7 Volante, A Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG, an rare SLR McLaren 722, a C4 and the new ZR1 Corvettes, and a trusty Range Rover.
1 Lewis Hamilton
Okay, we'd be surprised if this F1 legend didn't own at least a couple of impressive four-wheeled pets. The first car he purchased was allegedly a used Mini Cooper, which would go on to start a collection that would eventually boast as many as 15 superb vehicles. And we mean that; Hamilton is a rare owner of the legendary 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra - a car valued at over $5 million. Other mechanical masterpieces in his collection include the Mercedes-AMG Project One (worth close to $3 million), a 217 mph LaFerrari, and a Pagani 760 LH. All to heed his need for speed.