"You got a billion dollars and you can't get a custom car?" - Cuttino Mobley says Yao drives a Range Rover he barely fits in
"You got a billion dollars and you can't get a custom car?" - Cuttino Mobley says Yao drives a Range Rover he barely fits in originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Cuttino Mobley and Yao Ming played together for two seasons with the Houston Rockets from 2002-2004, during which time they developed a friendship that would continue long after their NBA careers were over.
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During his recent appearance on Paul George's Podcast P, Mobley revealed that he often goes to Shanghai to spend time with Ming, either on business or pleasure. Cuttno recalled one time when he spent his birthday with his good buddy, and Yao picked him up in a car he didn't look comfortable in.
"I would hang with Yao for a few days in Shanghai. He comes and gets me in a Range Rover. This boy's knees… I'm like, 'You got a billion dollars and you can't get a custom car?' Both his knees up his ears. And all I'm thinking about is the crash. I'm nervous as a** in that car. I sweat for goodness, dog," Cuttino explained.
Maybe Yao was fine in a Range Rover
Mobley did not say when this incident happened, but in 2013, Ming talked about driving a Range Rover in China because he wouldn't fit in cars. During that period, Land Rover produced a new Range Rover model with bigger legroom.
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"The first, and arguably the most welcome addition to the Range lineup, is the long-wheelbase version, which tugs the rear wheels aft nearly eight inches to increase rear-seat legroom by 5.5 inches. Those who opt for this option will have the choice of a bench seat for a trio of passengers or a pair of bucket seats split by a center console. Take the latter layout, and the seats can recline up to 17 degrees, which is eight degrees more lying back than is available in the standard-wheelbase Range Rover," per Car and Driver.
Based on this, Yao's Range Rover likely had just enough space for him, but not comfortable enough for Mobley to see. Still, it would not have hurt the Chinese legend to build a customized car, just as the late Wilt Chamberlain did when he satisfied his dream to drive a sports car by making his own — The Searcher One.
Wilt's supercar cost $750,000 in 1986, which would translate to around $2.1 million today. That's a hefty price to pay, but although Yao isn't the billionaire that Cuttino claimed, his reported net worth of $160 to $180 million, depending on which website you're looking at, would be more than enough to pay for it, if he wanted to own one.
Related: "I don't think I should defend myself anymore, I'm done with that in my life" - Allen Iverson on why he's had enough trying to defend his public image
Yao once owned a customized BMW
Ming had customized a car before when he was still playing in the NBA. During a stopover in Hong Kong in 2007, he fell in love with a BMW 7-series sedan and ended up buying one from a Houston car dealer. And because Yao would not fit in the driver's seat, he had it customized by Long Island car shop Unique AutoSport.
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The project included lowering the car's body by four inches and moving the front seat by 18 inches. It also included extending the steering column and re-wiring the vehicle, which, according to shop owner Will Castro, were the complex parts of the job.
"Doing all this wasn't too easy since we couldn't chalk up anything like a tailor," said Castro.
"It was particularly difficult to put in all the new wiring and to machine the steering column. That meant getting in and out of the car a thousand times and putting in special wiring because of the fiber optics. But it now works beautifully," he added.
After two and a half weeks and a cost of $30,000, Castro personally delivered the car to Yao's Houston home. When he gave the 7'5'' center an after-sales call a couple of months later, all Ming told him was, "Great job" and "It works."
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Aside from fitting in the driver's seat, Yao's issue with driving was that he couldn't see the traffic lights. But that issue was solved after Castro's crew lowered the car floor.
"Before, he couldn't see the traffic lights through the windshield because he was looking above the glass. But now, sitting four inches lower, he saw everything perfectly," he concluded.
Related: Cuttino Mobley breaks down why Yao is by far the most influential international player in NBA history: "He didn't come as a bust"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
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