Athletes have repeatedly tried their hand at other ventures outside of sports. The most popular choice by far is acting. One of the more successful athlete-to-actor transformations is WWE superstar Dwayne 'The Rock" Johnson. Johnson began his acting career playing his father in a cameo appearance on That '70s Show, before joining the Fast and Furious franchise.
In addition to wrestlers, basketball players often become involved in the movie industry. The players would either star as themselves or pursue acting professionally. Now whether they were successful or not is up to the viewers. Can basketball players perform well on-screen and on the court?
10 Michael Jordan Has A Net Worth Of $1.6 Billion
Michael Jordan was the powerhouse for the Chicago Bulls throughout the '80s and '90s. Jordan played basketball like no one had ever seen before, inspiring the creation of Nike Air Jordan shoes. Jordan starred as himself in the 1996 film Space Jam, a live-action animation crossover with Looney Tunes. The film was set when Jordan first retired from the NBA in 1993, until he returned to the organization in 1995 after an attempt at baseball.
Jordan assisted Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes gang in a basketball match against evil aliens. Other basketball stars like Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Bird, and more made cameo appearances in Space Jam. Jordan starred in the docuseries The Last Dance in 2020, and a remake of Space Jam, titled Space Jam: A New Legacy, was released in 2021.
9 Dennis Rodman Had Many Ventures Outside Of Basketball
Dennis Rodman was known as the eccentric bad boy of the NBA, because of how often he provoked fights with players and referees, and his tattoos and piercings. Surprisingly, Rodman developed a friendship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un in 2013 and even fought in a wrestling match with Hulk Hogan.
Along with other crazy antics, Rodman starred in two films in the late '90s, Double Team and Simon Sez. He received three Razzie awards for his performance. Overall, Rodman has remained a controversial figure throughout the years.
8 Rick Fox Had An Extensive Acting Career
Rick Fox played with the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers in the '90s while pursuing a career in acting. Fox actually earned a bachelor's degree in Radio, Television, and Motion Pictures from the University of North Carolina. He retired from basketball in 2004 and focused more on his acting career.
Fox developed a lengthy list of acting credits over time, but one of his more notable appearances was a cameo in the 2003 Disney film Holes as Clyde 'Sweetfeet' Livingston. Fox was also the owner of the esports franchise Echo Fox until 2019.
7 Blake Griffin Played A Small Role With Big Names
Blake Griffin went down in history as one of the University of Oklahoma's most decorated basketball players. Griffin began his professional basketball career with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2009. Griffin was awarded Rookie of the Year in 2011, after missing the previous season due to a knee injury.
He played a minor role in the 2017 comedy The Female Brain. The Female Brain also starred prominent names in the industry, like Sofía Vergara, Cecily Strong, and James Marsden. The Female Brain was about the examination of differences between the male and female brain.
6 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a lengthy basketball and acting career. Abdul-Jabbar was first drafted to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969 and finished with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played a total of 20 basketball seasons during his career.
When Abdul-Jabbar played for the Lakers in Los Angeles, this was the prime opportunity for him to discover what acting was all about. He was the co-star of martial arts superstar Bruce Lee in the 1972 film Game of Death, and played a co-pilot for the 1980 comedy film Airplane! Abdul-Jabbar appeared later in shows like Full House and Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.
5 John Salley Starred Alongside Will Smith
John Salley played for various NBA franchises, but first started with the Detroit Pistons in 1986. Salley was actually the first player to win a basketball championship in three separate decades. Salley had his first role in the 1995 buddy cop film Bad Boys with his co-star, Will Smith.
Salley played the computer geek Fletcher, who helped Smith's character solve cases for the Miami Police Department. Salley later reprised his role for the sequel, Bad Boys II, in 2003. A spin-off TV series was even released in 2019 that featured Salley.
4 Ray Allen Was Applauded For His Acting Performance
Ray Allen was first drafted to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1996, but was quickly traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He signed a $6.2 million contract with the Bucks, and then a whopping $70.9 million extension in 1999. Allen increased his net worth when he co-starred alongside Denzel Washington in the 1998 Spike Lee film He Got Game.
Allen played the role of Jesus Shuttlesworth, whose father (Denzel Washington) is in prison. The governor persuaded Shuttlesworth to play for the governor's alma mater in exchange for a reduction in his father's prison sentence. Allen was ultimately praised for his performance in the film.
3 Kevin Durant Acted And Wrote Articles
Kevin Durant began his NBA basketball career when the Seattle SuperSonics drafted him in 2007. When the team relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder, Durant played 8 years with them. This 3-time Olympic gold-medalist wrote articles and took pictures for The Players' Tribune, a new media platform founded by former MLB player Derek Jeter.
In addition to writing and photography, Durant starred in the 2012 comedy film Thunderstruck. Thunderstruck follows a high school student who magically received Durant's basketball abilities when Durant signed a basketball for him. The film received mixed reviews, and Durant hasn't acted in a movie since.
2 Shaquille O'Neal's Films Were A Flop
Shaquille O'Neal, better known by his nickname 'Shaq' and his towering stature of 7 feet, was drafted by the Orlando Magic in 1992. Shaq is a spokesperson for Papa John's pizza and one of the best centers in the NBA first. He tried his hand at acting in 1994 for the basketball drama Blue Chips.
O'Neal later appeared in the 1996 fantasy film Kazaam, which was released the same year as Jordan's Space Jam. However, Kazaam was nowhere near as successful. O'Neal played a 5,000-year-old genie who granted three wishes for a 12-year-old boy. The film grossed $19 million from its $20 million budget.
1 LeBron James Starred In The Space Jam Remake
Whether LeBron James or Michael Jordan is the better basketball player has been debated for over 15 years. James had his initial NBA start with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. James was awarded the NBA Rookie of the Year Award that season, the first Cavalier ever to do so. James began his acting career with a cameo appearance in the HBO series Entourage.
He then starred as himself in the 2015 Judd Apatow film Trainwreck, before his lead acting role in Space Jam: A New Legacy. The reviews for Space Jam: A New Legacy were mixed, and fans were disappointed because Michael Jordan didn't make a cameo.