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NBA players throughout the years have evolved into global sensations. As a result, many players from different eras have had projects outside of basketball due to their popularity.
Many have participated in filming commercials for various brands, while a select few have either made guest appearances for TV shows, movies, or even YouTube videos with some notable content creators.
"Saturday Night Live" is a comedy show that was established in 1975. Since then, "SNL" has invited a plethora of well-known personalities from different industries to host the show. With that in mind, many athletes, including NBA players, have had their fair share of experience hosting the show. So, who exactly has stood in the spotlight to entertain people in New York?
NBA Players who've hosted Saturday Night Live
Here are the four players who have done so:
#1 Bill Russell
Bill Russell made appearances in four different skits throughout the show, featuring a parody of the then-popular show "The White Shadow" that "Saturday Night Live" writers dubbed "The Black Shadow".
The NBA legend then appeared in another skit where Bill Murray played a cheesy lounge singer at a USO show while playing the role of Master Sergeant Evander Williams.
In another farce, the two icons took turns playing themselves while Murray assumed the role of a naive talk show host. Russell made his last appearance on "SNL" in the show's last skit as a customer in a store selling clothes for Big and Tall Men.
#2 Michael Jordan
In a September 28, 1991 episode of Saturday Night Live, Michael Jordan made an appearance.
Public Enemy served as the musical guest at the time. Jordan's monologue was especially famous, as it included snippets from adverts for products for women's hygiene and XXX pornography that MJ could have sponsored.
#3 LeBron James
On an "SNL" episode that aired on September 29, 2007, LeBron James made his first appearance in the comedy scene.
James isn't really known to be the best actor, but everyone could tell that he had fun doing it. Fast forward years later, LBJ came out with "Space Jame: A New Legacy," which featured his mediocre acting.
#4 Charles Barkley
According to Essentially Sports, Charles Barkley is the only player to appear on "SNL" in more than one episode.
He made his first appearance back in September 25, 1993 before making subsequent appearances on January 9, 2010, January 7, 2012, and finally on March 3, 2018.
The "Chuckster" is known for his antics as an "NBA on TNT" host, making his numerous "SNL" appearances fitting.
