A professional basketball player is undoubtedly a part of the entertainment industry. However, for some pro hoopsters, the basketball court doesn’t offer quite enough of the spotlight. Basketball players are generally more likely than baseball or football players to make a leap into other areas of entertainment. Indeed, why limit yourself to dribbling and shooting a ball if you feel you have much more to offer? Here are a few NBA players and the side careers they chose to further integrate themselves into entertainment.
1.) Shaquille O’Neal- Shaq has dubbed himself quite a few names and pseudonyms. He calls himself Shaq Diesel, The Big Cactus, The Big Philosopher, etc. Shaq has also supplanted himself into the entertainment industry like no other. Shaq has done a number of movie roles in his career, generally playing in a kids movie or action film. He has also recorded several rap albums in his career and fashions himself as much more than just a basketball player.
2.) Allen Iverson- Iverson had a very successful NBA career and is known as one of the greatest scoring little men of all time. He also put out a studio rap album titled “Jewelz” and has also recorded verses for mix-tapes and on other rappers tracks.
3.) Ron Artest- While occasionally doing some rapping of his own, the forward for the L.A. Lakers also has another career in the entertainment industry. He serves as a producer for a female R&B singing group. He is also a creator of his own reality television show titled “The Call Me Crazy” based on his reputation as an unstable basketball player.
These are just a few of the NBA players who have made a crossover leap into other areas of the entertainment industry. There are many others who have either rapped, hosted, or served as analysts to broaden their appeal in entertainment.