LeBron James may be trading out the hardwood for Hollywood after he retires from the NBA, as the living legend has hinted at making the jump to acting. 

James will turn 41 in the middle of the next NBA season, with his career having a few years left in it tops. Making moves to keep himself busy when that looming day comes is paramount.  

The Los Angeles Laker would not be the first from the sports world to be cast in major movies, as he has already dipped his toe into that world. 

James has previously hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ and was the star in the movie ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ – which flopped compared to its iconic predecessor. 

A full-time career in Hollywood would no doubt be lucrative for James, with interest from studios an unknown. 

‘If the scripts start to roll in and there’s an opportunity for me to do some acting and I have the time… I don’t mind looking at it and seeing if I can make it happen,’ James said to the Hollywood Reporter.

LeBron James may be trading out the hardwood for Hollywood after he retires from the NBA

James has hinted at a bold move to acting full time when his days playing basketball are done

Arguably the best trio of current sports stars to make successful transitions to film and television have all come from the world of professional wrestling in Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Dave Bautista, and John Cena. 

The Rock’s full-time professional wrestling career ended in 2004, with him making sporadic appearances inside the squared circle since. Bautista’s ended in 2010 with two brief returns since, before he starred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Johnson has solidified himself as one of Hollywood’s leading men over the last two decades, while Cena’s time in the mainstream spotlight has been a slower build, taking off in recent years. 

It is safe to say James has more mainstream popularity, due to the success of the NBA, and his longevity in sports, than any of those three did when their acting careers started. 

With James making his appeal to Hollywood studios, he now has time to figure out if the interest is mutual. 

James is under contract with the Lakers through the end of the 2026 season, where he would be an unrestricted free agent and come with a hefty price tag to keep playing.