National Basketball Association

He can laugh all the way to the bank

Published Aug. 19, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

Sam Gardner

J.R. Smith signed an extension with the New York Knicks last month that could earn the reigning sixth man of the year as much as $24 million over the next four seasons, so you’ll have to forgive him if he’s basking in extravagance these days.

How do I know he’s feeling indulgent, you ask? Well, for starters, he’s been driving around New York City in a $450,000 armored truck.

Or that’s according to the New York Post, anyway, which says that Smith was riding around in a Gurkha F5 — a vehicle best known as the truck The Rock drove around Brazil in the movie Fast Five. Beyondthebuzzer.com subsequently reported the vehicle belongs to some friends of his from the rap group SBOE, but how will Smith ever go back to his previous ride after cruising in such style.

Here’s one below, because I know you’re wondering:

According to the report, Smith parked the car on the street outside Catch — a seafood restaurant in the city’s Meatpacking District — while he dined inside. As someone who could rarely find street parking for an economy-sized rental car in the City, I’m curious how exactly that happened — but that’s neither here nor there.

And just like Smith is hardly the first athlete to receive preferential parking, he’s also not the first to cruise around in an over-the-top whip.

Shaquille O’Neal has had several custom cars — each new one one-upping the last in its outrageousness — including this ridiculous truck from his time in Phoenix:

Before he played in Brooklyn, Joe Johnson drove around this truck. But good luck parking that on the streets of Park Slope:

LeBron James certainly has a fleet of cars, and they’re all likely extravagant, but this all-white 2010 Camaro SS is pretty rad:

LeBron’s Heat teammate, Chris "Birdman" Andersen reportedly drives this monstrosity, which I’m sure is great on gas:

NFL star Chris Johnson recently filmed himself driving his buddies around in a Maybach — but before he was driving that, he would roll around downtown Orlando, Fla., in this eyesore. I can confirm it because I’ve seen it with my own eyes:

Darren McFadden rocks a similar, apparently Hulk-themed Buick on 32s:

In the baseball world, new Dodger Brian Wilson is going to have to find a place to park this 1964 Coupe Deville on the streets of LA:

There’s certainly a stark difference between that and Felix Hernandez’s tricked-out custom Range Rover:

I could go on and on, but I think my point is clear. When it comes to professional athletes and their vehicles of choice, there aren’t many Alfred Morrises out there, and excess is everything.