Which NBA stars have starred in Hollywood movies?

Cinema is an art that not only gives opportunities to professional actors and actresses who have studied acting for years, but it has also opened the doors for everyone to have a place in it. From amateurs in Night of the Living Dead (1968) to great superstars from other fields.

On this occasion, we are going to review the NBA players who have starred in or participated in small, walk-on or cameo roles in Hollywood films, since the North American scene promotes the show in every sense.

Michael Jordan in 'Space Jam' (1996)

The house starts at the bottom, so the list starts with the best. Michael Jordan, considered by many people to be the greatest legend of the NBA, had his appearance as a protagonist in ‘Space Jam’.

In it, action is mixed with science fiction and animated cinema, since Jordan co-stars in the film with the Looney Tunes. The film, which is partially based on the retirement of ‘23’ to switch to baseball, is already a classic.

LeBron James in ‘Space Jam: New Legends’ (2021)

The sequel to ‘Space Jam’ was supposed to star the player that Michael Jordan is compared to as the best in history. It wasn’t LeBron James’ film debut, as he had made cameos in films since 2008, but ‘Space Jam: A New Legend’ was his first leading role.

The move didn’t work out so well for him, as the film was panned by critics and didn’t gross much more than its initial budget.

Kevin Garnett in ‘Uncut Gems’ (2019)

It’s true that the former Boston Celtics player doesn’t star in the film itself, as this role is played by Adam Sandler, but Kevin Garnett has a transcendental role in the plot and we see him act as one more.

‘Uncut Gems’ is a spiral of violence and money that seems to never end, and when it does, it’s heartbreaking. Garnett has a lot to do with it, which is why he surprised everyone with his skills in front of the camera.

Juancho Hernangómez in 'Garra' (2022)

We can’t get rid of Adam Sandler even with hot water, but his extensive knowledge of basketball is reflected in his films. This time, the actor plays a Sixers talent scout and is on the trail of Bo, an amateur player with few resources.

He is played by Juancho Hernangómez, who currently plays for Greek side Panathinaikos. The Spaniard gave a good performance and received praise for it.

He told Variety how the part came about: “I never wanted to act, it wasn’t my dream. It’s still not my dream. My agent called me before Covid trying to get me to do an audition for the movie but I was focused on basketball at the time. I told him no for like five months. But then Covid hits, basketball stops and I have nothing else to do. I was in quarantine at my brother’s place and so bored. It was my sister who pushed me to do the audition.”

Ray Allen in ‘Bad Move’ (1998)

Ray Allen, one of the greatest three-point shooters in history, two-time NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist at Sydney 2000, starred in this sports drama alongside a cast of superstars.

The best known is Oscar winner Denzel Washington, who plays his father, a convict whose sentence could be reduced if he convinces his son to play for a specific university. One of many great films by Spike Lee (‘Do the Right Thing’).

As a visually entertaining sport, basketball is made for the big screen. There have been countless movies with story-lines based around the sport and its protagonists - some actually featuring players doing what they do best.

The Redeem Team documented USA Basketball’s journey at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The team’s shooting guard Dwyane Wade, who scored 27 points in the final, acted as executive producer explained, “Outside of winning and showing the world that we were still the most dominant, our other big challenge was changing the perception of what everyone thought about the NBA and USA Basketball.”