Who are the 10 best athletes to star in a movie?

There are countless professional sports players who have made cameos in movies, TV shows, and everything in between.

We recently posted our Top 10 Athlete Cameos in Movies, but it got us thinking: How many athletes have played a lead role in a movie? In that sense, how many players who are in the Hall of Fame of their respective sport have starred in a movie?

We take on the task of answering this question, diving into movies from the past few decades and ranking the 10 best athletes to star in or play a leading role in a movie.

While there are some obvious choices near the top, there are also some surprising names making our list, and more are on the way. FOX Sports analyst and Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Johnson will join Marshawn Lynch on the big screen in a new film titled “Love Hurts,” premiering February 7.

Did your favorite athlete make the list? Let’s take a look:

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10. OJ Simpson – “The Naked Gun”

“The Juice” plays the role of Detective Nordberg, a police officer who simply doesn’t know how to do the right thing. His character provides constant comic relief throughout the film, such as slipping on a wet surface and falling overboard while trying to bust a drug operation on a boat. The main character, Frank Drebin (played by Leslie Nielsen), constantly protects him throughout the film, and the final scene hilariously ends with Drebin accidentally pushing Nordberg’s wheelchair down the stadium stairs and throwing him onto the field.

9. Bob Uecker – “Major League”

Sometimes if you try to fail, you succeed… or at least that was the case for Cleveland in the “Big Leagues,” when a season-wasting effort to move a team to Miami ultimately ended in an Eastern Division championship. of the American League. And legendary Milwaukee Brewers play-by-play announcer and former MLB catcher Bob Uecker is there at every stage of the race, calling Cleveland games. Additionally, the film produced Uecker’s iconic “just a little bit off” line.

In this 2006 romantic comedy starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker, Bradshaw plays Al’s father Tripp (McConaughey), a 35-year-old man who still lives at home. Al and his wife recruit Paula (Parker) to get Tripp to move in, since she got her friends’ son to move out. She thinks it will be an easy job based on her previous experiences, but quickly realizes that it will require some work. Bradshaw has several funny lines throughout the film and plays the role of the loving and concerned father very well. The end of the film involves Al and his wife coming up with a plan to get Tripp and Paula back together after a fight, and the two forgive each other. Bradshaw’s character gets her empty nest and the two love birds sail off into the sunset.

7. Kevin Garnett – “Uncut Gems”

“KG” was really amazing in this movie and is integral to the plot. Howard, played by Adam Sandler, is a jewelry store owner with a serious gambling addiction. Garnett stops by the store one day and is in love with a black opal that Howard bought with the goal of reselling it to pay off his debts. He convinces Howard to let him keep the opal for the night, as he believes it will bring him good luck in their next playoff game, and even allows him to keep his 2008 NBA Championship ring as collateral. Garnett has a sensational game and delays giving it back to Howard, who also made a fortune betting on the Celtics star. The film ends with Garnett finally purchasing the Opal and Howard making a final bet for him to come out in another playoff game, successfully winning the bet before a shocking turn of events in a crazy ending.

“Ant” absolutely thrived in his role in another Adam Sandler sports classic, playing a cocky draft prospect named Kermit Wilts. The story revolves around Bo Cruz, played by Juancho Hernangómez, a Spanish prospect that 76ers scout Stanley Sugerman (Sandler) finds while in Spain with the intention of scouting another player. He convinces Cruz to play in a showcase for NBA Draft prospects, where he is dominated by Edwards’ character. His trash talk in the movie is elite and truly villainous, not to mention his out-of-this-world dunks and actual basketball skill.

Cruz and Wilts face off again in the film at the draft combine, where Wilts makes comments about Cruz’s mother and daughter to get into his head and ultimately cause him to lose his composure and leave the court. You end up really hating Wilts, which is a hallmark of how well Edwards played the role of the villain.

5. Mike Ditka – “Kicking and Screaming”

Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall star in this comedy with Ditka playing himself: a tough baseball coach looking to win. Ferrell plays Phil, the son of Buck (played by Duvall), and the two coach separate little league football teams. Phil inherited the worst team in the league, which his son is on, while Buck has the best team.

In an effort to win, Phil recruits Ditka to help turn the team around, who turns out to be not only his neighbor, but also Buck’s archrival. Ditka rigorously trains the team in some hysterically funny scenes and brings in two Italian guys who lead the team to the finals. He also introduces Phil to coffee, making him an overbearing (albeit hilarious) coach. The nice thing about this role is that Ditka played himself and it was perfect.

4. Jim Brown – “The Dirty Dozen”

Brown plays Private Robert Jefferson in this 1967 war film, one of twelve convicts recruited for a dangerous World War II mission. He is a former football player convicted of murder who joins the group as part of a deal to earn his freedom. Brown’s character was very similar to his identity on the football field: powerful, disciplined, but calm. Arguably his most memorable scene is when he plants explosives in a German officer’s bunker to help execute the team’s plan. Brown thrived in this role, and it is often considered the film that sparked his Hollywood career, as the Hall of Fame running back starred in more than 20 films from the late ’60s to the mid-’80s.

3. Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway – “Blue Chips”

If Pete Bell, played by Nick Nolte, was going to win in the college game, he knew he was going to have to turn to the dark side of college recruiting. And upon receiving help from reinforcements, Bell organizes a dynamite recruiting class with sweet benefits for them and their family, featuring Neon Boudeaux (O’Neal) and Butch McRae (Hardaway). Boudeuax and McRae helped them win a thrilling home opener, with Bobby Hurley serving as point guard for the visiting team. Of course, Bell was sent off after revealing the reinforcement in the post-game press conference, but he praised his team’s performance on the home court.

2. Ray Allen – “He’s Got Game”

In this basketball classic, Denzel Washington plays Jake Shuttlesworth, the father of Jesus Shuttlesworth, played by Ray Allen. Allen is a star high school basketball recruit, and Jake is in prison for accidentally killing his wife years earlier, but the governor offers him an early release if he can convince Jesus to play for his alma mater, “Big State.” . . Throughout the film, Jake tries to convince Jesus to commit, but is unsuccessful, as Allen’s character is still upset about losing his mother. In the end, the movie ends with Jake challenging Jesus to a one-on-one for his freedom, and the NBA star, of course, wins and shows off his basketball prowess in the process. Despite this, Jesus decides to commit to the Great State, but to no avail as the governor lied about his promise the entire time. Jake is sent back to jail, but he releases his anger anyway and wishes the best for his son.

1. Michael Jordan – “Space Jam”

In 1996, the world was in danger, when the “Monstars” agreed to play the “Looney Tunes” in a basketball game. If the latter lost, they would become entertainment material and their planet would be nobody. Fortunately, Jordan answered the bell when asked to play for the Looney Tunes, who pressed for help. After a brutal first half, the Looney Tunes rallied and Jordan led them to victory in the final moments. Jordan, Bugs Bunny and their friends defeated the Monstars to save their planet, of course, with the help of Bill Murray and Wayne Knight, among others.

Honorable mentions:

• Lawrence Taylor – “Any Given Sunday”
• Shaquille O’Neal – “Kazaam”
• Alex Karras – “Fiery Saddles”
• André the Giant – “The Princess Bride”
• Cam Neely – Dumb and Dumber 1 and 2 and “Me, Myself and Irene”

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