NBA players are inspirational figures, making them personalities that anyone can look up to. Given their inspirational stories about their journeys, it isn't surprising that Hollywood is cashing in by putting their stories on the big screens.
But while casting actors to portray these NBA players can be on point, this isn't always the case. Here's a look at the 10 worst actors that portrayed real-life NBA players.
Jamie Jones – Len Bias
It was a short and powerful scene that reminded everyone how a great talent like Len Bias passed away due to heart complications as a result of cocaine intoxication just days after he was drafted by the Boston Celtics. While the scene was powerful and well-executed, Jamie Jones simply looks more like NBA player Caron Butler rather than Len Bias.
Ral Agada – Thanasis Antetokounmpo
There's no question that Rise gave us a good glimpse of Giannis Antetokounmpo's journey to the NBA. The movie cast first-time actors Uche and Ral Agada to portray the Antetokounmpo brothers.
Given that Ral didn't really have any prior acting experience while also being cast without any thought of taking a career in acting, there's no doubt that Ral should have plenty of room for improvement.
Jett Howard – Carmelo Anthony
Shooting Stars gives basketball fans a glimpse of LeBron James' younger days. While the casting for LeBron James was quite spot on, however, the same couldn't be said for Carmelo Anthony. Although Jett Howard was a respectable player in real life, he looks nothing like Melo.
Wes Brown – Pat Riley
Glory Road is by far a legendary basketball film. In the movie, the lone NBA player from the rival Kentucky squad was Pat Riley. In the film, he was played by Wes Brown. While he only played a limited role in the film and it was a decent portrayal of Riley, there's no question that Winning Time's Adrien Brody is a much better fit.
Michael Jace – Michael Jordan
Some Michael Jordan fans will remember the drama Michael Jordan: An American Hero. Here, Jordan was portrayed by actor Michael Jace. However, similar to what Ben Affleck admitted in making the movie Air, Jordan's personality is just too big to be portrayed by anyone.
The same thing can be said about Jace's portrayal of Jordan. Furthermore, it certainly doesn't help that Jace was later on charged with second-degree murder.
Dwayne Adway – Dennis Rodman
Bad As I Wanna Be: The Dennis Rodman story is a television film that shows the biography of five-time NBA champion Dennis Rodman. Given his controversial nature on and off the court, his personality surely should interest many basketball fans. However, Rodman could have chosen a better actor than Dwayne Adway, who was way too small to portray him.
Laurence Fishburne – Doc Rivers
Laurence Fishburne is a great actor who has appeared in several blockbuster hits such as The Matrix, Contagion, and John Wick: 4. However, even the greatest actors can be an imperfect fit to pull off a real-life person.
Talking about the television series, Clipped, Fishburne even confessed that he didn't even know who NBA champion coach Doc Rivers was. Furthermore, the build and looks just don't match at all.
David Opegbemi – Draymond Green
Speaking of Clipped, the production seemed to have winged the casting process. Any of the viewers will agree that David Opegbemi and Draymond Green don't look like each other at all. However, given Green's popularity around the world, it was certainly difficult to cast someone who could perfectly encapsulate the Warriors forward.
Austin Scott – Blake Griffin
In relation to the series, Clipped, there's no doubt that the production also did a terrible job in casting the actor for Blake Griffin. It's worth noting that Blake Griffin is currently without an NBA team. At the same time, he's had some acting credits to his name, having the former NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion play himself would have been a smarter choice.
Malik Akil – Stephen Curry
Although Stephen Curry only appears briefly in the show Clipped, it was enough time for fans to see how wrong the production team was. In such a short sequence, the team didn't have to get someone who could shoot as well as Curry. In fact, they only needed to get someone who looked like the best shooter in the world.
Unfortunately, Malik Akil was nowhere near Curry's looks. Given how much HBO's Winning Time nailed their casting, Clipped was atrocious at best.
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