An NBA superstar’s popularity is no different from that of a celebrity actor in Hollywood. So, when the world of sports and cinema collide, fans get classics like Space Jam, Hustle, Uncle Drew, and He Got Game.
Over the years, basketball players have done cameos in many movies, but some performances have stood out from the rest.
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So, here is a look at the 10 best performances by NBA stars in movies.
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10. Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal has been on the silver screen many times in his career. However, the four-time NBA champion arguably put out his best performance in 1996’s Kazaam.
Shaq played the role of a genie who spawns from a magic boombox to give a child three wishes. While the movie is, at best, a decent watch, the Lakers icon’s performance stands out.
It has a rating of 3.2 on IMDb and is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
9. LeBron James
LeBron James is one of the most recognizable names worldwide. He tried his hand at acting by taking up mostly comedic roles in his cameos in Trainwreck in 2015 and in House Party in 2023.
The four-time NBA champion’s first movie as a main lead was Space Jam: A New Legacy, released in 2021. James played a fictional version of himself, who teams up with Looney Tunes to defeat an AI basketball team.
The film has an IMDb rating of 4.5 and is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
8. John Salley
Four-time NBA champion John Salley made his film debut in 1995 with Bad Boys. The former Pistons star played the role of Fletcher, a prison inmate who makes a deal with Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) for his hacking skills.
Salley’s part in the movie is more of a cameo than a starring role. However, his performance was worthy of being one of the best of his career.
Bad Boys is rated 6.8 on IMDb and is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video with a Sony Pictures Stream subscription.
7. Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is the biggest superstar that the NBA has ever produced. So, when he showed off his acting chops in 1996’s Space Jam, the whole world wanted to witness the six-time champion’s skills in front of a camera.
Jordan played himself in the movie and delivered a good performance. He teamed up with Looney Tunes’ Bugs Bunny and other characters to defeat a basketball team of aliens.
The movie is rated 6.5 on IMDb and is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
6. Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving started his acting career by playing an elderly character, Uncle Drew, in Pepsi Max commercials. The character became popular with fans and received its own movie in 2018, giving Irving his movie debut.
The film follows Dax (Lil Rel Howery) on his journey to find Uncle Drew, played by Irving, to help his streetball team win in a tournament.
The movie has a 5.8 rating on IMDb and is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
5. Julius Erving
Julius Erving started his acting career in The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, in 1979. The former NBA champion played the role of Moses Guthrie, a player playing on the Pittsburgh Pythons. Guthrie cannot seem to win games, but a supernatural force one day turns the team.
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh is a classic basketball story in which a poor team comes back and surprises the fans. Erving’s performance is praiseworthy because of the way he portrays Guthrie.
The movie has a rating of 5.4 on IMDb and is available on Apple TV.
4. Juancho Hernangómez
Former Nuggets player Juancho Hernangómez made his acting debut in 2022’s Hustle. He played the role of Bo Cruz, an unknown basketball player from Spain with great potential. An NBA scout, Stanley Sugerman, played by Adam Sandler, scouts Cruz and prepares him for the NBA draft.
Anthony Edwards makes a cameo in the movie as the antagonist Kermit Wilts.
The movie has a rating of 7.3 on IMDb and is available on Netflix.
3. Ray Allen
Two-time NBA champion Ray Allen made his movie debut in Spike Lee’s He Got Game in 1998. The former Heat star played the role of Jesus Shuttleworth, the basketball star son of Denzel Washington’s Jake.
Allen finds a balance between being himself and the character he played. He portrayed his love of basketball while keeping the character’s inner conflict on display.
He Got Game has an IMDb rating of 6.9 and is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
2. Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett made his Hollywood debut against Adam Sandler in 2019’s Uncut Gems. The Celtics icon plays a fictionalized version of himself in the crime thriller. He becomes a major component in gambler Howard Ratner’s (Adam Sandler) high-stakes bet.
Garnett delivered a stunning performance in the movie, conveying the character’s sense of entitlement and superstitions.
The movie has an IMDb rating of 7.4 and is available to stream on Netflix.
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a resume that extends long into the basketball and cinema worlds. The six-time NBA champion has had cameo appearances in The Game of Death, The Man from Atlantis, Diff’rent Strokes, and The Stand.
But his performance in Airplane!, released in 1980, is arguably his best on-screen work. The Lakers legend’s role as co-pilot, Roger Murdock, is a classic.
The movie has a 7.7 rating on IMDb and is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
Edited by Rhythm Bhatia
