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The latest NBA season has come to a close, so it’s a perfect time to take a look back at some great NBA player movie cameos! Feverishly popular, NBA stars have been a staple of tinseltown since the 70s and there doesn’t seem to be a slow-down anytime soon.
NBA players are some of the most famous and recognizable in the sports world due mainly to the popularity of the sport, and how much exposure the players get. Unencumbered by helmets and heavy gear, coupled with the amount of minutes they spend on a basketball court, NBA players are extremely recognizable making them ideal for some movie cameo love.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar – Airplane
There’s been decades old debate as to whose the GOAT (Greatest of all time) NBA player. But there is no question as what the GOAT NBA movie cameo is! From the kings of the movie parody (Jim Abrahams) and the (Zucker brothers Jerry and David), came the 1980 comedy classic Airplane. Still the NBA All-Time leading scorer, (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) delivered one of the funniest scenes in film history with this hilarious sequence.
Playing a pilot named Roger Murdoch, he gets put on the spot and accused by a young boy of actually being the NBA legend and not the character he’s playing in the film, Abdul-Jabbar totally breaks character is a meta moment, before meta was a thing. The last comedic straw was when the kid disparages the player by telling him his dad says he doesn’t really try, except in the playoffs. Visibly triggered, Abdul-Jabbar grabs the kid, breaks character and defends his NBA play like only the GOAT can.
Kevin Garnett – Uncut Gems
Uncut Gems is without doubt, Adam Sandler‘s best dramatic performance ever! Playing a high-end jewelry store owner who’s also an obsessive and compulsive gambler that keeps making one mistake after another, the film is a living embodiment of stress and anxiety all leading to a truly shocking climax. Weaving nicely into the movies narrative, NBA perineal all star and Champion (Kevin Garnett) wasn’t the first choice to play this role, but when the time came to film, their original choice (Joel Embiid), was entrenched in the NBA regular season.
Garnett’s small but pivotal role is the catalyst that sets in motion the final act of the film. Visiting Sandlers jewelry store, the superstitious Garnett becomes obsessed with a gemstone he’s shown that he believes will give him the “power” to have an amazing performance at his next playoff game. A game which by the way, actually happened. You can learn about the nightmare the filmmakers went through to find an actual game that fit into their story on the DVD commentary.
Charles Barkley & Bill Laimbeer – Hot Shots
In an awesome “look, and you’ll miss it” moment, NBA stars Charles Barkley and Bill Laimbeer pop up in one of the funniest films of the 90’s. Another parody from the team behind Airplane, Hot Shots was a blockbuster hit in 1991 and cemented Charlie Sheen as a comedy star.
The two NBA legends show up for only a few seconds, but it’s a genius gag! In true movie parody style, a simple light push descends into an all out bar brawl with glasses smashed, chairs broken and for no reason whatsoever, Barkley and Laimbeer are shown brawling each other too, poking fun at their infamous on court fight from only a season ago.
Boban Marjanović – John Wick 3
NBA fans around the world are all familiar with Boban Marjanović. A 7 foot 3 Inch Serbian born NBA star who really stands out in a crowd. Coupled with that his infectious and friendly demeanor, its no surprise that Hollywood came calling. Before trying to convince Adam Sandler that he was in his early 20’s in Netflix’s Hustle, Boban was tapped to join the cast of John WIck 3 as a monstrous, “Dantes Inferno” quoting hitman looking to cash in on the 40 million dollar bounty sitting on Wicks head.
A knock down, drag out fight scene ensues between Keanu Reeves and Boban in the tight corridors of a library, adding a real claustrophobic feel to the fight, culminating with our dog defending hero besting his foe with brut force, cunning skill and a creative use of literature.
Hakeem Olajuwon – Heaven Is A Playground
There’s a hardly ever mentioned basketball flick from the early 90s called Heaven Is A Playground that has quite the backstory. Based on the book of the same name, this film was meant to be released in the early 80s with a then unknown Michael Jordan set to play the main role, but by the time filming actually started, his Airness was a superstar and ended up dropping out of the project, replaced by future NBA player Bo Kimble.
It’s about a coach and a lawyer who team up to give urban high school basketball talent a shot at getting into college. In his only ever film appearance, 2 time NBA champion and league MVP Hakeem Olajuwon shows up briefly to school a bunch of arrogant show boaters about what it takes to play against the big boys.
Shaquille O Neal – CB4
CB4 is a 1993 comedy, made in the same hilarious style as mockumentary classics like This Is Spinal Tap. Rap Group CB4 explode out of perspicuity to become the biggest selling artists of all time while at the same time “poisoning” the youth and culture on America. At its essence, it’s a parody of mega rap group N.W.A. and their meteoric rise to fame.
While some of the jokes might be dated by today’s standards, the sequence with NBA Super Star and then Rookie Shaquille O’Neal is one of the funnier scenes. Playing himself, he’s part of a montage of celebrity cameos commenting on CB4, which also included Halle Berry, Flava Flav, Ice T and original N.W.A. member Ice Cube.
Multiple Players – Forget Paris
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After Harry met Sally, Billy Crystal embarked on another rom-com adventure with Forget Paris. A criminally underrated gem of the genre. Starring alongside Oscar winner (Debra Winger), Forget Paris boasts quite a few NBA cameos as Crystals character is an NBA referee who’s unlucky in love.
There really are too many to mention, but the highlights are Charles Barkley having a tantrum, David Robinson being reminded how lucky he is, Reggie Miller “gesturing” to Spike Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar getting ejected in his fair well game. Just great stuff here for NBA fans and an awesome movie all around too.
Lebron James – Train wreck
Ok, now technically this is more than just a regular cameo, but NBA champion and league icon Lebron James is just too good in this small role to simply ignore. Trainwreck is a 2015 comedy written by and starring Amy Schumer and the brilliant Bill Hadar playing a surgeon for professional sports stars. It’s an above average Rom-com that really swings for the comedic fences when Lebron shows up playing himself.
There are 2 real stands out scenes! Hadar and James hilariously argue over whose paying for lunch, the Doc or the “soon to be a Billionaire” James, followed by an amazing interaction between the 2 on a basketball court going one on one, where James just can’t seem to lower his competitive urges and fire. Great stuff from the King indeed!
Jimmy Butler – Office Christmas Party
NBA star Jimmy Butler is quite the character. Going from the last first round pick in the NBA Draft in 2011 to one of the most bankable players in the League, Butler was always destined to be a special player. Set in the city of Chicago, Office Christmas Party is about a celebration that gets a little bit out of hand. The filmmakers were looking for a Chicago based professional athlete to play themselves, so they reached out to Mark Wahlberg, who in turn got in touch with his good friend Butler.
Speaking about the cameo in an interview, Butler said “He called me and he was like, ‘Yo, you want to be in a movie?’ I’m thinking it was going to be with him,” Butler said. “He was like, ‘Yeah, a buddy of mine is looking for you, like somebody that plays in Chicago.’ Because the role was based in Chicago. So I got to be myself, which was the easiest part to play.”
