Playing in the NBA has bigger benefits than just the lucrative contracts. While brands chase the top stars with rewarding endorsement deals, basketball players also get the opportunity to feature in Hollywood films. Keep reading to learn about the greatest NBA players who have appeared on the big screen.
One of the greatest players ever to play the game, Michael Jordan, has appeared in a few movies, while Lakers star forward LeBron James co-owns a production house, SpringHill Company. Both superstars played lead roles in the action/animated movie series “Space Jam.”
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan, the six-time NBA champion and the all-time richest athlete globally, is strongly linked with the American entertainment industry. From being featured in Michael Jackson’s 1992 song “Jam” to appearing on TV shows, Jordan has done it all off the court. The Bulls legend starred in films like the 1996 Space Jam and 1998 sports drama “He Got Game.”
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LeBron James
LeBron James, the first active NBA player with over a billion dollars in net worth, has been producing movies under his SpringHill Company banner. The four-time NBA champion has played a lead role in “Space Jam: A New Legacy” and appeared in 2015 rom-com Trainwreck. In 2009, he also made a cameo in the TV series, “Entourage.”
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Kyrie Irving
The Dallas Mavericks star guard, Kyrie Irving, donned an old man’s disguise in an anti-ageist comedy, “Uncle Drew.” The 2016 NBA champion, who played Uncle Drew, began his pursuit of rounding up his former team, which had former NBA players disguised as elderly players. The 2018 movie also features Shaquille O’Neal, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson, and Lisa Leslie.
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Shaquille O’Neal
Apart from appearing in Kyrie Irving’s Uncle Drew, Shaquille O’Neal, who recently bumped into viral “Hawk Tuah” Girl, played a 5,000-year-old genie in the 1996 comedy Kazaam, 1997 sci-fi Steel, and Scary Movie 4 in 2006. The four-time NBA champion is also popular for playing music at festivals and shows under his alter ego, DJ Diesel.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the all-time leading NBA scorer before LeBron James broke his 34-year-old record in 2023, appeared in many Hollywood films during his career. The 7’2” former Milwaukee and Los Angeles center made headlines with his role in the 1978 film Game of Death, starring Bruce Lee. In the 1980s, he was featured in three films, including Airplane! (1980), Ask Max (1986), and Troop Beverly Hills (1989). He also appeared in the second season of the TV series Dave.
In addition to these superstars, Spanish forward Juancho Hernangomez, who played in the NBA from 2016 to 2023, appeared in Hollywood actor Adam Sandler’s Hustle. The 2022 sports drama, co-produced by LeBron James, features NBA stars like Anthony Edwards and Boban Marjanovic. The list doesn’t end here, as many NBA stars have acted in TV shows and films.
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