LeBron James, a 6-foot-8 high school senior who is expected to be the No. 1 choice in the N.B.A. draft in June, is driving a new $50,000 sport utility vehicle. The Ohio High School Athletic Association says it wants to be sure the vehicle was a legitimate gift from his mother and not from an outsider.

An Ohio athletic association bylaw says an athlete loses amateur status by ''capitalizing on athletic fame by receiving money or gifts of monetary value.''

The vehicle is a pewter-colored Hummer H2 made by General Motors. James's version has three TV's and a hookup for computer games. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that James, who turned 18 on Dec. 20, received the vehicle as a birthday present from his mother, Gloria. His mother was said to have financed the purchase with a car loan.

James and his mother live in public housing in Akron, Ohio. Asked how she could secure such a loan, a person with knowledge of the family's situation who spoke on condition of anonymity said, ''LeBron James is collateral enough.''