by Rory Sloane
However, the two industries have shown interdependence over the years. What are the odds that someone can switch from acting to sports and vice versa? We take a look at some of the big NBA names that became actors.
Rick Fox
He is a Canadian-Bahamian actor, businessman, and former basketball player. Rick played for the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers before switching to acting. He also played for the North Carolina Tar Heels during his college days. Fox also played for the Canadian national team during the 1994 FIBA World Championships and in 1990 he earned a bachelor’s degree in Radio, Television, and Motion Pictures while at the University of North Carolina. His first appearance on TV was in the Blue Chips movie in 1994, while he was still part of the Western University basketball team.
He started out with minor roles in movies such as Eddie, He Got Game, and Resurrection. Rick has also appeared in more than 35 different TV shows in his entertainment career.
His recurring role in Oz, a prison drama, where he played an ex-athlete convicted of rape, can be described as his best performance. Fox appeared on 11 episodes, spread across four seasons. His performance can be described as memorably dark and gritty for a charismatic person.
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. is another basketball star who turned to act. His star started to shine while playing for Connecticut Huskies at the University of Connecticut for three seasons. His NBA professional career was with the Milwaukee Bucks. He played 82 games for the Bucks and won several awards. He is also a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
He Got Game was his first major movie where he acted alongside Denzel Washington. Ray Allen (Jesus Shuttlesworth in the movie) plays a one-on-one game against his father, Denzel Washington (Jake). The scene is emotional as Allen tries to beat the man who killed his mother. Allen also appeared in Harvard Man in 2001 as Marcus Blake. He was also among the stars in Pepsi Max adverts dubbed “Uncle Drew.”
Dennis Rodman
This NBA Hall of Fame member took a career turn to join acting. He played for different teams such as Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, and Los Angeles Lakers in his NBA days. He started as a defensive player where he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award twice and earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors with seven teams before becoming a forward.
1997’s Double Team movie was Rodman’s first shot at Hollywood. The basketball star was paired with an action star, Jean-Claude Van Damme in the action-comedy film. Rodman played an arms dealer role while Jean-Claude Van Damme acted a spy role. In 1999, Rodman was featured on Simon Sez alongside comedian Dane Cook. His film career also involves the feature Soldier of Fortune, Inc in 1998.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is one of the iconic NBA figures who started his basketball career as a freshman for North Carolina Tar Heels. He won many awards during his basketball career, including six NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. His professional career kicked off in 1984 when he joined Chicago Bulls.
Michael Jordan starred in the Space Jam movie where he leads his team to compete against aliens. In the movie, his arm stretches half the basketball’s court length and scores the winning basket. A lot of documentaries have also been created for this NBA star.
Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is a professional basketball player who has also featured in various movies. He played for the Texas Longhorns while at the University of Texas. He was picked as a 2007 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics to kickstart his professional career. He was just 19 years old during his first game and scored 18 points. The SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008, and the team was renamed Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant had his breakthrough from 2008-16 and even won the NBA’s youngest scoring champion award.
The Real MVP: The Wanda Pratt Story shows the story of Wanda, Durant’s mom, and the close relationship she has with her son. Durant has also been involved in producing films such as The Boardroom, which used to air on ESPN.
Basketball has a wide following, and you always find its games featured on Bovada. Films, on the other hand, have proven a great source of entertainment. However, basketball is not the only sport that has created great actors.
