Thereโs a rich tradition behind professional athletes turning their training arrival into a primetime opportunity to flaunt what theyโve got. Former NBA player Antoine Walker of the Boston Celtics once drove his Ferrari to a workout for a cheeky flexโฆ only to draw the ire of competition junkie Michael Jordan (no introduction necessary). The latter was reportedly so unimpressed by Walkerโs attempt to achieve alpha dog status, he returned the gesture in kind by arriving in a different Ferrari each day for the next week of workouts โ and in matching Jumpman sweatsuits, no less. Fast forward to a slightly more modern context, the closest anyone has come to reaching an MJ-level training arrival flex is Neymar Jr with his beauty of a personalised Mercedes-Benz helicopter.
Letโs turn the clock back a little here. The year was 2019. A time when a measure of optimism still lingered in the air as opposed to โ oh I donโt know โ bushfire ash and COVID-19 particles? After recovering from a metatarsal injury that prevented him from playing for three months of the 2018-2019 season, the Paris Saint-Germain talent reported for international duty with the Brazil national team ahead of that yearโs Copa America tournament. But instead of hitting the pitch in one of his numerous supercars, or even calling upon the services of a chauffeur, Neymar descended onto the Granja Comary sports complex โ located in Teresopolis, Brazil โ by way of Mercedes-Benz Airbus H-145 helicopter.
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With his initials โNJRโ emblazoned on the tail, according to German publication Bild (translated):
โThe helicopter is 13.64 metres long and 3.95 metres [tall] โ and can reach speeds of up to 150 MPH / 241km/h. The specially furnished VIP lounge was designed by Mercedes. It has space for 11 people.โ
Airbus H-145 helicopters house a twin-engine capable of travelling 351 nautical miles / 404 standard miles / 650 kilometres on a full tank. Additional reports indicate both the sleek, midnight black paint job and logos featured on the interior seating of Neymarโs skybird are direct nods to the international footballing superstarโs favourite superhero: Batman. Fun fact: he actually has a back tattoo of The Dark Knight alongside what appears to be the Andrew Garfield-era Spider-Man.
Aside from the Mercedes-Benz Airbus H-145 helicopter in question โ which reportedly set him back a casual โฌ13 million / AU$20.3 million โ Neymar Jr has also been known to traverse the globe in his Embraer Legacy 450. After allโฆ if you donโt own a private jet worth approximately โฌ12.2 million / U$19.1 million, are you even really a pro ball player?
Now read all about Formula 1 superstar Max Verstappenโs $15 million private jet โ and how itโs proof you really can have it all at 24 โ via the article here.
