As of this publication, we are officially back into The NBA season. Oh sweet relief, does it feel good to have basketball back in our lives. There is just something electric about the game that is impossible to ignore. When a good game is on, you feel deeply invested in every last decision, every spontaneous play that can shift the game from favorable to your worst nightmare in a matter of seconds. Considering how uncertain this whole year has been, any idea on how The NBA Restart will go is a foolish thing to contemplate. You may have some idea, but so many variables need to be considered when figuring out just how things will go.
While most of these athletes can be called charismatic on the court, there is one thing that is often true: they’re not always the best entertainers. Whereas basketball requires certain physical skills, nuance is not always their strong suit, making any transition into careers of music or acting a lot more difficult than you’d think. It requires a charisma that most don’t have. They’d be grateful to have a walk-on cameo in some lowbrow comedy and call it a day. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it doesn’t speak for the promise of their post-careers.
That is why it feels like a good time to look at the few who have exceeded their expectations and became genuine stars on the screen. Even if it’s for one movie, you can’t help but buy into their personalities and what they bring to their roles. Some of them are complicated deconstructions of their identity while others are buffoonish takes on athleticism. Everyone has their own take on film, and these are the few that I personally think have provided something worthwhile when the camera was on.
To be clear, I haven’t seen every movie starring an NBA star. I haven’t seen selected works of players like Dennis Rodman or John Salley, so this list is more selective. Still, these are ones that make me believe that this genre of filmmaker is a tad underrated. They may not totally change the game, but their ability to add their own spin makes you appreciate their willingness to try. While few of these are masterpieces, they’re still worth checking out if just for their oddities.
1. Kevin Garnett (Uncut Gems, 2019)
On one hand, Kevin Garnett is not giving a particularly nuanced performance. All he had to do was pull from his personal experience to capture the essence of his character Kevin Garnett. Whatever is fiction feels real because what he brings to the role has a raw honesty that bleeds with archival and juxtaposed video. You buy into every one of his obsessions, his commitment to possessing the titular gem, believing that it will bring him good luck. He has the most centered and profound depiction of an athlete at the height of his powers, using his antagonism like he would on the court. He’s selective on his attacks, and when he strikes it’s downright brilliant.
While many would argue (myself included) that this is a powerhouse vehicle for Adam Sandler, you shouldn’t ignore Garnett’s use within the text. It’s sparing, only ever popping up in key moments to remind Sandler of his financial ruin. He observes this man on a downward spiral and begins to see something foolish in himself as well as those who get rich off of his back: betting recklessly on NBA games. It fills them with life. It gives them a deeper meaning that is clearly vapid and unrealistic.
It all culminates in a scene where Garnett confronts Sandler in his office, ready to confront him about the gem. It’s the “This is how I win” moment that is one of Sandler’s most haunting moments. Garnett doesn’t need to say much. All he needs to do is observe, and his acting has some of the strongest emotional restraint from any athlete-turned-actor. As the audience’s P.O.V. into this warped story at this moment, you couldn’t express your frustration better. He’s just trying to win a basketball game, realizing that he’s gotten in deep with a psychopath. All he can do is play his way out with an amazing performance that deserves more recognition. It not only elevates with a captivating performance but also sets the bar for how to satirize your own identity to forward subtext.
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Airplane!, 1980)
There are endless ways that Airplane! has withstood the test of time, with so many jokes-a-minute that it holds up to rewatches. While many would praise the performances of actors like Leslie Nielsen as career-making roles, it would be difficult to not mention someone who took the film to another level. The Lakers star by every right was an incredible player on the court, inventing the skyhook and leading the team to championships. On camera, he proved to be for The NBA what Alex Karras and Bubba Wallace were for The NFL: a genuinely compelling comedic actor.
It’s also one of the most subversive performances in NBA crossover history. Starting as a semi-serious role, it slowly unravels as his co-pilot character gets interrogated by a lucky kid invited to the cockpit. Suddenly it’s clear how aware Airplane! is of being a movie (which is V-E-R-Y). Abdul-Jabbar does everything to avoid revealing his true identity. In between Peter Graves’ comments about gladiator movies, he’s trying to keep his cool as the kid becomes more agitated, even criticizing his playing abilities. As you can guess, this leads to the fourth wall break to end all fourth wall breaks.
He’s just another wacky cog in this brilliant machine, but it’s impossible to forget Abdul-Jabbar’s work in the story. As the film barely holds together its logic, so does his character. Even the way he descends from a suit-and-tie co-pilot to being dragged out unconscious in his Lakers uniform. It’s a sight gag that you’ll love, even if you’ve never watched a Showtime Lakers game. For the longest time (and arguably still), this is the definition of how an athlete should do a cameo. It’s confident, absurd, but most of all entertaining. Isn’t that what the game’s all about?
3. Ray Allen (He Got Game, 1998)
Odds are that if you think of a celebrity who follows sports closely, you’ll either think of Jack Nicholson (The Lakers) or Spike Lee (The Knicks). As someone who sits on the sidelines of most games, Lee clearly has a passion for the sport that has been reflected throughout most of his career. He’s done commercials with Michael Jordan. He’s gotten into notorious feuds with Reggie Miller. If anyone feels likely to bring out a great performance from an NBA star, it would have to be him.
He Got Game features one of Denzel Washington’s best performances as a former convict father doing everything to fix his relationship with his son. As a gifted athlete, his son is being looked at for potential drafting. The story follows Ray Allen as he looks at the different places, being lead to question what it means to be a Black man who may sell his soul away. As a gifted athlete, Allen has enough talent to make the game scenes pop. He’s also decent enough to hold his own opposite Washington, delivering a provocative drama that asks so many questions crucial to The NBA’s identity.
It’s a loving story, but it’s also one that recognizes the difficulties of being young and naïve, unable to fully make your own decisions. Everything may be a trap, and your father’s notorious past proves to be a whole set of issues. With so many things holding Allen back, it’s a miracle that he captures a nuance that makes an emotionally rich experience, leading to one of Lee’s better realized joints.
4. Kyrie Irving (Uncle Drew, 2018)
Laugh all you want (that’s kind of the point), but this Pepsi-sponsored movie manages to be a halfway decent comedy about basketball. Featuring a ridiculous amount of cameos, it’s an endearing love letter to the athletes of yesteryear clashing with the newer generation. Sure this is mostly Kyrie Irving in old man make-up saying goofy things, but it works as this oddball creation that perfectly subverts the image of old people. As cheap as it is, it’s fun to watch him dribble a ball with his ashy white hair and aging posture, proving that he’s still capable of some talent.
Sure, it’s a gimmick. But if we’re being honest it’s one of those that has fun with its premise and never admits to being anything greater. You just get this old man who can really play ball doing an awesome job. Even if it’s arguable that Irving has many years ahead to win championships, it’s good to know that he’s able to fit into these oddball roles, making you able to laugh and relate to the struggles of aging in equal measure. Also, it’s just a good enough excuse to see him playing.
5. Michael Jordan (Space Jam, 1996)
Is this the best or worst thing to ever happen to Looney Tunes as intellectual property? Depending on who you were when Space Jam came out, that answer can be varied. Still, nothing spoke to the star power of Michael Jordan than his ability to shift into the role of family entertainment while lampooning his own career. Featuring subplots about playing baseball and recognizing your ability to overcome struggles, it’s an enjoyable story about one of basketball’s greatest legends. LeBron James is trying to get the franchise going again, proving how much influence this one film had not only for Jordan but the Chuck Jones creations that have continued to endure for generations.
With that said, it’s arguable that Jordan is only a small reason why this movie sticks in the zeitgeist. The premise is arguably more interesting and the wacky jokes overwhelm any acting talent that he has. He’s not the worst, but this is one of those examples where audiences are more drawn to the athlete than the story. It’s not going to change the world, but it serves as decent entertainment. This is likely a good reason why Jordan is one of the few athletes to get away with this type of movie in their career.
There’s likely to be dozens more that I forgot. The fields are wide open and there’s a good chance that there’s even more on the horizon. So long as film remains a viable medium, it’s difficult to not want to throw the camera over to a quick and memorable cameo, asking us to remember why we worship athletes. Not all of them are capable of starring in masterpieces, but every now and then they’ll bring out something great in their work that is worthy of exploring. Few of these names can be considered prolific, but that only means that their decisions are much more interesting because of that.
Who are your favorite NBA stars turned actors? Did I forget any major one?
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