Five Famous Basketballers to Have Featured in Movies

Basketball is one of the most globally savored sports boasting millions of fans spread across South Africa and the planet at large. Indeed, famous basketball icons like Michael Jordan and Lebron James need little introduction.

The love of basketball spreads to the betting world as well. Massive earning opportunities exist on top bookmakers like Hollywoodbets, where you can stake on top basketball fixtures on your next Hollywoodbets Login.

Playing basketball professionally is demanding, but some of basketball’s biggest names have still managed to appear in movies.

Let us discuss some of them.

1. Michael Jordan

Even if you don’t watch basketball, you must’ve heard of him at some point. He’s the man many consider the greatest basketballer of all time. With Kareem Abdul-Jabar having many records, the battle of the GOATs (greatest of all time) remains a hot topic among fans.

MJ has won the NVBA title six times and was the MVP in six NBA Finals. He’s made the NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times and was a 24-time NBA All-Star.

MJ was so good that he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame twice in his career.

Although not in the class of Ryan Renolds, Michael Jordan is also a good actor. He appeared in the q996 live-action animation film Space Jam and” He Got Game” in 1998.

2. Shaquille O’Neil

Who doesn’t know Shaq? That tall, gigantic, and charismatic former talented professional footballer who once ripped the rim open with his dunk. He currently works as a sports analyst, and many people regard him as one of the best centers the game has ever seen. This claim is not far from the truth as Shaquille is a proud four-time NBA Champion and 15 times All-Star.

Shaquille’s acting career was one he should be proud of, considering that it wasn’t his field. He appeared in famous movies like Good Burger (1997), He Got Game (1998), Scary Movie 2, and most recently, Hubbie Halloween (2020). Shaq is also a man of music, and he released four albums in his relatively short musical career.

3. LeBron James

Lebron James is unarguably among the greates of all time, and he’s still very much at the top of his game. The 39-year-old has played at basketball’s top level for almost 20 years and has many accolades. He’s the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, smashing Kareem Abdul-Jabar’s long-standing record in February 2022.

LeBron is no new to the Hollywood industry and has starred in a few popular movies. He first cameoed in HBO’s 2009 series Entourage before appearing in a 2015 movie titled Trainwreck. His last appearance in a film was in “Space Jam: A New Legacy” in 2021, a sequel to the 1996 release.

LeBron mostly received positive reviews for his performance, especially on Trainwreck. We would be thrilled to see him go into full-time acting after retirement.

4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Many basketballers have appeared in famous movies, but Kareem Abdul-Jabar is one of the most popular. Not that his performance was Oscar-class or he appeared in many films, but his star power was massive. He was the NBA’s all-time leading points scorer before LeBron James broke the record in 2022.

Kareem Abdul Jabar has appeared in many movies, but his most popular one was in the 1980 movie, Airplane. Before that, he appeared in Bruce Lee’s 1972 movie, Game of Death. His scene in Airplane is one of the most famous cameos by a basketballer in history.

In the scene, he is a pilot, and a boy on flight remarks that he is Kareem Abdul-Jabar. However, Kareem falsely denied the boy’s claim and asked him to return to his seat. Over 40 years later, re-watching the scene still feels as wholesome.

5. Vince Carter

Vince Carter’s 22-year seasons in the NBA remain the longest anyone has ever spent. Despite spending that long and winning many other accolades, Vicne never won the NBA championship. He was an 8x NBA All-Star and won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 2000.

Cater appeared in many movies, mostly comedy, and entertained basketball fans. His most prominent appearance was in the 2022 film, Like Mike. The movie’s popularity among basketball fans is a huge reason it’s one of the most popular cameos by a basketballer.

Professional basketballers have global fanbases, and producers star them in movies to skyrocket their popularity among the sporting audience.

Movies are also a form of entertainment, and it’s not surprising that some of basketball’s biggest superstars have appeared in movies. These five players are basketball legends who’ve appeared in at least one movie.