LaMelo Ball’s Tuned GMC Hummer EV Takes After His Puma MB.01 Shoes, Is Nicer Than LeBron’s

Of course, there are levels to this “game”, and certain athletes tend to be flashier than others – different sides of the spectrum, if you will. Now, one of the flashiest we’ve seen has got to be Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball, who’s been featured on our website several times thanks to a multitude of custom rides, from Italian exotics to large luxury SUVs.

Remember his neon yellow Lamborghini Urus with the 1016 Industries widebody kit and those 24-inch wheels? That thing stuck out like a sore thumb, for better or worse. We’ve even seen the Hornets point guard match his Urus with his outfit when arriving for a game one time at the Spectrum Center.

Less vibrant but just as imposing was his blacked-out Rolls-Royce Cullinan, wearing Novitec’s Overdose widebody kit to go with a set of massive custom wheels by Vossen and a bespoke interior.

Let’s see, what else? Well, there was that red Ferrari F8 Tributo he brought to the arena one time (at least), which again matched his jacket and shoes, but the car appeared to be mostly stock, other than the tinted windows and massive black wheels.

Had enough? No? Good, because you ain’t seen nothing yet! None of those rides can even come close to this custom 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1, in terms of outlandishness. The vehicle was customized by Dreamworks Motorsports to embody the style of the Hornets guard's exclusive basketball shoes, the Puma x LaMelo Ball MB.01.

Visually, the first thing that strikes you will be that bespoke desert camo 3M wrap with vibrant orange topography lines – this was directly influenced by the features and colorway of the MB.01. Meanwhile, the door jambs were wrapped in a matching color palette and if you look closely, you’ll see some of LaMelo’s actual tattoos there.

The bespoke DW Forged wheels? They measure 24x12 and come with color-matched beadlock rings and HD bolts, while the Gladiator X-Comp tires should help this EV off-roader grip just about any surface like a champ.

Inside, you’ve got the full orange leather interior with LaFrance patterned Alcantara inserts, custom stitching and LED logos. There’s even a glass showcase in the center console that displays the MB.01 shoe, resting comfortably on a hardwood mini basketball court. There’s more Alcantara to be found on the dashboard, steering wheel and the center console, while gloss black accents add some much-needed contrast.

Other highlights for this truck include the custom-lit ‘Rare’ logos, a power-sliding bedcover, under-seat and dashboard-mounted LED accent lighting, plus multi-color underbody LEDs. This thing looks like a UDO at night, or Unidentified Driving Object. Yeah, just made that term up.

As for LaMelo himself, the 2023-2024 NBA season has just begun last week, and through his first two games, the Hornets star is averaging 17.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 9.5 apg in 32.0 minutes per game.

What about LeBron?

What about him? He’s doing fine, averaging 23 points per game in.. ohh, you meant what about him in reference to the Hummer EV. Right. Well, back in February of 2022, the Lakers star and arguably the greatest basketball player ever (I’d still give the edge to MJ), starred in one of GMC’s ads for the Hummer EV pickup.

A couple of months later, the Chosen One was already showing off his very own Hummer EV truck, featuring a special vehicle registration number that ended in ‘00006’, with 6 being his jersey number at that time – he has since switched back to no. 23.

The thing is, LeBron’s Hummer EV was 100% stock, whereas LaMelo’s is anything but, plus a lot more flamboyant, which many people probably wouldn’t like. Still, when it comes to making a statement on the road, LaMelo’s Hummer is head and shoulders above LeBron’s.