8 Slam-Dunk TV Cameos From NBA Superstars
Basketball season is almost here, and with that comes the prospect of NBA players guest starring on our favorite TV shows. Sure, nine times out of ten, these cameos turn out awkward and stilted — but that can still be funny, right? (Especially when the NBA player is a foot taller than all the other actors.)
With Shaquille O'Neal guest starring on Fresh Off the Boat this week, we’re looking back at eight memorable TV guest spots from NBA players through the years. Note: We can’t vouch for the acting ability of these NBA greats… but we can’t vouch for the basketball skills of most TV actors, either.
1. Shaquille O'Neal, Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Big Diesel has a long history of TV guest spots to his credit — not to mention big-screen classics like Kazaam! — but our favorite is this 2001 episode of Curb, where Larry David sat courtside at a Lakers game and accidentally tripped Shaq. Laker fans, of course, immediately blamed Larry for injuring their star player, but it turned out to be a blessing; no one wanted anything to do with Larry, so he got out of a few social obligations he was avoiding anyway. Plus, he made it up to Shaq by bringing him a VHS (!) set of Seinfeld to watch in the hospital, so it’s all good.
2. Kevin McHale, Cheers
Between this and Shaq on Curb, NBA stars should probably invest in extra injury insurance before appearing on a sitcom. The Celtics great agreed to be a ringer for Sam’s basketball team when they faced off against hated rival Gary’s Olde Towne Tavern, but he ended up getting hurt while Sam tried to run up the score. Bonus: Woody declaring McHale’s teammate Larry Bird a “doofus” for being from French Lick, Indiana. Not like those geniuses over in Hanover!
3. Detlef Schrempf, Parks and Recreation
Indiana loves its basketball, so it makes sense that the Parks and Rec gang welcomed a number of NBA players over the years. The best of the lot, though, was former Indiana Pacer Detlef Schrempf (a three-time All-Star!), who made a number of visits to Pawnee. First, he was the big celebrity guest in Season 2’s “Telethon,” then he returned for Season 3’s “Li'l Sebastian” when Tom and Jean-Ralphio hired him just to hang out at the Entertainment 720 offices and shoot hoops. Detlef effortlessly blocking Jean-Ralphio’s shot without even leaving his feet? We could watch that on a loop for hours.
4. Magic Johnson, The Simpsons
Even NBA Hall of Famers aren’t on their game every night. Good thing Homer Simpson lent his name to this phenomenon in this Season 3 episode, saving the nuclear power plant by accident and coining the phrase, “to pull a Homer.” (Which the dictionary defines as “to succeed despite idiocy.”) The slang made it all the way to the NBA, where Magic slipped on the court and still scored, declaring: “Looks like I pulled a Homer.” Kind of like the Lakers did the past couple years… without the success.
5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Full House
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is a familiar screen presence; we’ll never forget his fantastic role in Airplane as a co-pilot who is definitely not Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Back in 1995, Kareem stopped by Full House to serve as celebrity referee for a basketball fundraiser and help Uncle Jesse work on his jump shot. But as you can see from this game footage, Jesse… was still pretty terrible. Have mercy, Kareem, and declare this game over already.
6. Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, Portlandia
Yes, Portland is home to a bunch of eco-conscious hipsters — but it’s also home to the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers. And those worlds collided when bookstore owners Toni and Candace gave the Blazers dance squad a feminist makeover. In the locker room after a loss, Toni and Candace tried to convince the Blazer players (including All-Stars Lillard and Aldridge) to get in touch with their feminine side — and told them Candace used to date Michael Jordan. Well, okay, not that Michael Jordan. (We’ll get to him in a bit.)
7. Isiah Thomas, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
When Will Smith dozes off in class, what does he dream of? Schooling Detroit Pistons great Isiah Thomas on the basketball court, apparently. Here, Will dreams of himself stuffing Isiah’s shot and even flying high for a dunk. Of course, Isiah Thomas is pretty short by NBA standards (just 6-foot-1), so he’s just about the only NBA superstar Will Smith could stand toe-to-toe with. Let’s see him bring that weak stuff with Bill Laimbeer in the paint!
8. Michael Jordan, Saturday Night Live
And we wrap up with the best basketball player of all time, in one of the funniest SNL athlete appearances of all time. A definite highlight from Jordan’s 1991 hosting gig was his visit with “licensed nurturer” Stuart Smalley, who gave His Airness some affirmations to boost his self-esteem: “I don’t have to dribble the ball fast, or throw the ball into the basket.” Michael Jordan trying not to laugh while looking in the mirror and repeating Stuart’s brainless platitudes… that’s a first-ballot Hall of Fame TV moment right there.
