The entire premise of Space Jam and the upcoming sequel, Space Jam: A New Legacy, revolves around the world of basketball, so the fact that the films star actual NBA players is no surprise. However, plenty of basketball players have jumped into the world of acting over the years outside of these movies.
In most cases, they tend to appear in films relating to the sport as it is their specialty, but a handful have also shown up in other roles, whether they be in dramatic, comedic, or action flicks. Some are memorable, while others have flown under the radar throughout history.
Conan The Destroyer (Wilt Chamberlain)
In 1982, the world was introduced to Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular Conan the Barbarian. It was his breakthrough role ahead of classics like The Terminator. The film was a success and spawned a 1984 sequel titled Conan the Destroyer, which aimed to be bigger.
One way to do that was to put someone on screen who actually looked larger than Schwarzenegger. Filmmakers opted for NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain, who famously once scored 100 points in a game and stood 7'1". He played Bombaata, a huge villain who Conan had to overcome and defeat in combat.
Grown Ups 2 (Shaquille O'Neal)
Shaquille O'Neal is easily one of the most charismatic players in NBA history. His personality is as large as his frame, so it's fitting that he has worked in plenty of movies over the years. O'Neal had starring roles in Kazaam and appearances as himself in Scary Movie 4 and Good Burger, just to name a few.
One of his funniest roles ever was in 2013's Grown Ups 2. In it, O'Neal portrayed Officer Fluzoo, the younger but physically imposing cop brother of Tim Meadows' character. Fluzoo was part of some hilarious scenes, but the best part was simply seeing O'Neal with an unflattering hairdo.
Eddie (Rick Fox, Mark Jackson, & More)
It doesn't get talked about much, but 1996's Eddie is actually a really fun basketball movie. The premise sees a diehard New York Knicks fan named Edwina (Whoopi Goldberg) become the head coach of the team, and she goes on to become a lovable leader for the guys.
Although it wasn't a hit, the film featured several real life NBA players. The most notable were Mark Jackson, John Salley, and Rick Fox as members of the Knicks. However, Larry Johnson, Dennis Rodman, and others showed up as themselves, while Gary Payton, John Starks, and a few others appeared as players on the street.
Uncle Drew (Kyrie Irving, Lisa Leslie, & Various Other Players)
Pepsi put out some online ads starring NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving disguised as an old man named Uncle Drew. The trick was that he'd get on the court and would school guys much younger than himself. In 2018, that was extended into a feature film named after the character.
In it, a streetball team manager named Dax (Lil Rel Howery) gets Drew to start a team to compete in a tournament. Drew recruits several other old men all portrayed by NBA players like O'Neal, Nate Robinson, Chris Webber, and Reggie Miller. WNBA star Lisa Leslie also shows up in an elderly disguise, while Aaron Gordon plays the team's rival.
The Perfect Score (Darius Miles)
Looking at the cast of 2004's The Perfect Score, it's interesting to see future stars. Erika Christensen went on to be one of the leads on Parenthood, while Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson have become huge blockbuster stars thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The other top-billed actor in the film was Darius Miles, who played for teams like the Clippers and Cavaliers during his NBA career. He took on the role of Roy, one of the students in the film who attempt to steal the answers to the SAT exam. Miles also appeared quickly in Van Wilder two years prior alongside then teammates Quentin Richardson and Michael Olowokandi.
Uncut Gems (Kevin Garnett)
Uncut Gems is the rare movie that features a basketball player as a somewhat exaggerated version of themselves. In this case, it was the right call, as Kevin Garnett brings an impressive quality to his performance in the 2019 film.
Uncut Gems follows Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a gambling-addicted jeweler. Garnett likes a rare black opal that Ratner has and uses it for good luck at games, even offering to buy it. Of course, Ratner's gambling ways get him in trouble at every turn and while Sandler's performance is phenomenal, Garnett more than holds up his end.
Airplane! (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)
This is really the first case of a basketball star stepping into the spotlight on the big screen. In 1980, Airplane! was released, and it still holds up decades later as one of the best comedy films ever made. The great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a memorable role in it.
Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, appeared as Roger Murdock, the co-pilot on the plane. There's an iconic scene where a kid points out that this massive pilot is indeed Abdul-Jabbar, breaking the fourth wall in hilarious fashion. The NBA legend reprised the role in a parody commercial and has shown up in many TV shows including New Girl and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Trainwreck (LeBron James)
One reason why fans have faith in Space Jam: A New Legacy is the fact that the lead role is played by LeBron James. One of the greatest NBA players of all time, James also showed that he has acting chops with his performance in 2015's Trainwreck.
Like Garnett in Uncut Gems, James played a much-exaggerated version of himself. He was cheap despite being rich and got overly excited about things like Downton Abbey. As a friend to Dr. Conners (boyfriend of Amy Schumer's lead character), James stole every scene he was in and matched the great Bill Hader for comedic timing.
Space Jam (Michael Jordan & LeBron James)
1996's Space Jam sees Michael Jordan, retired from basketball and playing minor league baseball at the time, return to the court in an unexpected way. He teams with the Looney Tunes to battle the evil Monstars in a game that audiences still love to this day.
Space Jam 2 will see James take over as the new teammate of the cartoon characters. However, they are far from the only real players in these movies. The original had Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and a few others, while the sequel is set to include Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson, Diana Taurasi, Anthony Davis, and Nneka Ogwumike.
He Got Game (Ray Allen)
Most of the time, an NBA player who appears in a movie is already a major star. That wasn't exactly the case with 1998's He Got Game, which featured Ray Allen in the lead role. Allen was only two or so years into a Hall of Fame career and wasn't yet a household name.
Allen played Jesus Shuttlesworth, the nation's top high school basketball player who must deal with the return of his estranged father (Denzel Washington), who was serving time in prison for accidentally killing Jesus's mother. The emotional drama sees Allen deliver a performance that was so good it makes people wonder why he never acted again.