NBA stars have been appearing in video games since the early 90s, which is no surprise when you take into consideration their star power on and off the court, as well as how popular has basketball become.
Simply put, NBA players are extremely iconic making them ideal athletes to endorse products. Here are five popular basketball players from the NBA who has appeared in non basketball video games.
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Epic Games have made their bread and butter introducing numerous crossover characters to Fortnite Battle Royale, but one of the most unlikely additions to the game is Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis who received his own Fortnite skin in 2022.
4. Dennis Rodman
Chicago Bulls most eccentric star Dennis Rodman was the inspiration for one of the weirdest fighting game characters ever, Zack from Dead Or Alive. He even ended up voicing him in Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball.
3. Shaquille O'Neal 
NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal has invaded every aspect of pop culture, from becoming a rapper to starring in his own video game Shaq Fu in 1994, for the Snes and Genesis.
While his fighting game didn't set the world alight, it eventually became a cult classic and received a spiritual successor in 2018, despite critics calling it one of the worst games of all time.
A less known fact is that Shaq also made a cameo appearance in the mixed martial arts fighting game UFC Undisputed 2010 as a hidden character.
2. Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is the most influential basketball player of all time, so it's hardly surprising that along with dominating the NBA and selling sneakers like hot cakes, he also starred in his own video game in 1994.
Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City is a Metroidvanian-esque platformer for the Super Nintendo which has MJ tossing basketballs at horrific creatures to rescue his teammates from a mad scientist.
Years later the NBA legend would collaborate with Fortnite in 2021 to promote his sneakers, but it wasn't until golf sim PGA Tour 2K23 that Mike once again appeared in a non basketball video game as a playable character (along with Steph Curry).
1. Lebron James
Lebron James is arguably the greatest player ever and an influential individual on and off the basketball court. So it's hardly surprising that in 2021 Bron received his own Fortnite skin.
However Lebron's most fun video game cameo yet is Multiversus, which sees the king duking it out with well-known Warner Bros characters in a nonsensical brawl for all.
No other video game allows you to fight with King James, who throws down with a basketball. And although Lebron doesn't voice himself, John Eric Bentley (who also voices Barret Wallace in FF7 Remake) does a great job of imitating the goat of basketball.