For those who love entertainment and sports equally, any instance where the two worlds cross over successfully is worth celebrating. Typically, when an entertainer tries their hand at professional sports, it does not go well. Vice versa, most of the time, when an athlete moonlights as an actor, it goes just as poorly.
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However, there have been ahandful of stellar performances by professional athletesthroughout the years that are not only good but serve to elevate the movie or TV show in which they appear. FromCarl WeatherstoKevin Garnett, these athletes are formidable players on the field and stage.
Carl Weathers — ‘Rocky’ (1976)
It may surprise some to learn thatCarl Weathersactually played linebacker for the Oakland Raiders in the early 1970s, several years before he found fame and adoration in the iconic role of Apollo Creed in the foundational classicRocky.
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Weathers is one of the more consistent athletes turned actors out there, having landed memorable roles in everything fromArrested Developmentto, most recently,The Mandalorian.But his portrayal of Apollo in the first fourRockymovies was so indelible the character created a spin-off series of films focusing on his son, Adonis (Michael B. Jordan).
Ray Allen — ‘He Got Game’ (1998)
Sharp-shooting NBA Legend Ray Allen, with no acting experience at the age of 22, carried this superb sports drama written by one of the great American directors,Spike Lee, while going toe-to-toe with arguably the best actor alive,Denzel Washington.
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The climactic father-son one-on-one game between Allen’s Jesus Shuttlesworth and his father Jake, is one of the best scenes in sports movie history, mainly because it captures an extended, unscripted sequence of Ray being legitimately incredulous with the fact that Denzel was managing to score on him.
Juancho Hernangomez and Anthony Edwards — ‘Hustle’ (2022)
The NBA is in a golden era of global popularity. It’s no wonder, with charismatic young stars likeJuancho HernangomezandAnthony Edwardsflourishing on the court and on the big screen to boot.Adam Sandler’sHustleis perhaps the most accurate movie ever made about the NBA lifestyle, and its believability is bolstered infinitely by casting actual NBA players in lead roles.
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Juancho is the beating heart ofHustle’s emotional core, and Ant delivers what is perhaps the most compelling sports movie antagonist from an Adam Sandler movie since Shooter McGavin.
Neymar — ‘XXX: The Return of Xander Cage’ (2017)
Does every last second ofXXX: The Return of Xander Cageooze more cheesiness than a double-stuffed enchilada? Yes. Do we care? No. Especially not when the movie opens with Brazillian footballer extraordinaireNeymar, kicking a napkin dispenser across the length of a Chinese restaurant and incapacitating a shotgun-toting robber in broad daylight. Not sinceShaolin Soccerhas anyone used soccer skills in a martial arts context to this level of artistry. Hat’s off to you, Neymar.
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Lebron James — ‘Trainwreck’ (2015)
The one and only King James can seemingly play any role: the greatest basketball player of the 21st century, a global sports and pop culture icon, and a convincingly charming and hilarious supporting performer in aJudd Apatowrom-com.
Lebron Jamesis startlingly natural and pointedly “un-theatrical” in the way that so many athletes who try to be funny are not. He recognizes the supplementary nature of his character and maximizes the humor of his limited time on screen. It’s also refreshing to see a superstar athlete be more than willing to make fun of themselves.
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Marques Johnson — ‘White Men Can’t Jump’
Marques Johnsonwas a five-time NBA All Star, but these days he is likely more often recognized for his role as all-time sore loser Raymond in the enduring classicWhite Men Can’t Jump. Raymond, a down-on-his-luck streetballer, who is so petty, that the prospect of losing $500 is cause for “…going to my car. Getting my other gun. Shoot everybody’s ass”. A fiery competitor, if nothing else, Raymond will live forever because of this movie.
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Kareem Abdul Jabbar - Airplane
The all-time NBA scoring champKareem Abdul Jabbaris perhaps the most renowned cinephile, bibliophile, and author to play in the NBA. In addition to his more highbrow tastes, Jabbar had an appreciation for absurdist comedy, given his standout appearance in the classic slapstick satireAirplane.
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Given that his nickname was the Captain being a passenger plane pilot seems like a natural fit for Kareem. He displays the stoic leadership qualities he possessed as a player, at least until the food poisoning hits him.
Kevin Garnett — ‘Uncut Gems’ (2019)
NBA hall-of-famerKevin Garnettonce famously proclaimed, “Anything is possible!” after his 2008 championship win with the Boston Celtics, but it’s unlikely even he could have ever anticipated being cast as himself in theSafdie brothers' manic sports-gambling dramaUncut Gems.
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Not only does Garnett land the plane on the deceptively difficult acting challenge of playing himself, but in his small but crucial role, KG conjures the same boiling cauldron of intensity that made him a feared opponent on the court and unleashes it on the screen.
Boban Marjanovic — ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum’ (2019)
NBA player and fan favoriteBoban Marjanovicmight not be the mightiest foeJohn Wickhas ever faced, but he’s certainly the biggest. Hoops fanatics everywhere were thrilled and surprised to see the 7'4 center appearing as a character who is decidedly more intimidating than his real-life persona. Boban’s exceptionally imposing physicality and surprisingly accomplished fighting prowess make his brief appearance in this third chapter memorable.
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