LeBron James may be making a 'super' electrifying decision in helping GM bring back his old car
The SUV that got the L.A. Lakers superstar in hot water may be mounting a comeback
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LeBron James may have a new endorsement deal for a car that created controversy when he was a high school basketball star — and has been off the road for a decade.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar signed on to star in a Super Bowl LIIIV commercial designed to help resurrect the Hummer, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
General Motors shut down the brand in 2010.
The twist in this revival is that the new vehicle will be an all-electric pickup version, a far cry from the macho gas-guzzling, four-wheel-drive car that James drove back in 2002.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM | GENERAL MOTORS CO. | 57.01 | -0.62 | -1.08% |
James' old Hummer — the 2003 H2 — was a given to him by his mother on his 18th birthday. But she had to take out a $50,000 loan. At the time, the 3-ton SUV sold for $48,455, according to AutoTrader.
James’ H2 was not a standard “off the lot” purchase, though. It featured televisions, a video game console and a custom sound system, none of which sat well with the Ohio High School Athletic Association, which says gifts to athletes cannot exceed $100.
James eventually lost his remaining eligibility at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, however, not because of the Hummer, but for accepting a replica Chicago Bears NFL jersey and a retro Washington Bullets jersey. (That NBA team is now called the Wizards.) The decision by the OHSAA was moot, as James declared four days earlier he’d enter the NBA draft.
While the Hummer began its life on the road in the 1980s as a military vehicle, the new model will lean into the growing trend of carmakers going electric. Ford’s upcoming 2021 Mustang Mach-E is an example: It sold out months before its tires ever hit the road.
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The reported General Motors’ Super Bowl spot would be the company's first in two years. In 2017, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton starred in an ad highlighting a new branding campaign for GM's Buick cars.
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General Motors declined a request for comment from FOX Business but Automotive News reports the new SUV will debut next year, possibly under the name “Hummer by GMC.”
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The company pulled in $147 billion in U.S. revenue in 2018.
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