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NBA stars have always been fans of several other sports apart from basketball. Wrestling happens to be of keen interest to many NBA athletes.
As a result, there have been plenty of instances where NBA players have made appearances on popular wrestling shows organized by the WWE. The two organizations - the NBA and WWE - go way back.
It's always an exciting sight for fans of both sporting events to see their favorite stars from both fields appear on the same show together. It's indeed one of the best crossovers when NBA stars make an appearance on WWE shows. A key reason behind that is NBA players participating in in-ring action as well.
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On that note, let's take a look at the top five NBA stars who have appeared on WWE shows.
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#5 Trae Young (most recent NBA star to appear on WWE)
Trae Young was the latest NBA star to make an appearance on WWE. Interestingly, he returned to the arena that absolutely hated him during the 2021 NBA Playoffs, the Madison Square Garden. Young led the Atlanta Hawks to a 4-1 first-round series win against the New York Knicks. He had multiple 30-point games during that series and also hit the game-winner in Game 1.
His beef with the Knicks fans saw him earn the nickname "Villain Trae Young." The Hawks point guard played no less than a villain in his debut WWE appearance. During a 10-man-tag-team match, Young attacked former WWE world champion Rey Mysterio.
The move ticked off fans in the arena as Young helped the "heel" team. He didn't get away with it, though, as the referee caught him in the act and eventually ejected him.
It was short but one of the most intriguing crossovers between the NBA and WWE. It will be interesting to see how fans at MSG react when Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks visit the arena next season.
#4 Lonzo Ball
The Ball family is one of the most popular families to be associated with the NBA. In 2017, Lonzo Ball, LaMelo Ball and LaVar Ball made an appearance in WWE. The segment was hosted by WWE superstar Miz on WWE's premier show, "Monday Night Raw."
The show aired in June 2017. The Ball family evidently had multiple promotions going on at the time. First was their brand, the "Big Baller Brand, " and Lonzo Ball being drafted in the first round by the LA Lakers. The show took place at Staples Center, the home court of the Purple and Gold.
It wasn't the best of segments, though, as it looked rushed and off-track. A verbal battle between LaVar Ball and Miz was the only highlight on the night. It seemed as if the part was even cut short after former WWE superstar Dean Ambrose abruptly entered the stage at the end.
#3 Karl Malone
Karl Malone's appeared on WWE multiple times. The most notable appearance was in 1998 when he wrestled in the ring for the Bash at the Beach pay-per-view event. Malone, a two-time NBA MVP, teamed up with pro-wrestler Diamond Dallas Page in a fight against wrestling legend Hulk Hogan and fellow NBA star Dennis Rodman, who were both part of NWO at the time.
Malone and Page lost that fight, but it was one of the most brutal in-ring fights an NBA superstar was part of in the WWE.
The second instance when Malone made an appearance in the WWE was in 2017 on Smackdown. He did not fight this time, though, and appeared after the end of the program to show his support for WWE star Bobby Roode.
#2 Dennis Rodman
As mentioned earlier, Dennis Rodman made an appearance in WWE alongside his NBA rival Karl Malone. The two even battled in the NBA Finals just a month before clashing inside a wrestling ring.
Rodman missed a practice session with the Chicago Bulls during the 1998 NBA Finals once to appear on a WWE show. He made his first appearance for the wrestling company in March 2017 alongside the legendary Hulk Hogan.
Rodman's first match was also in the 1997 Bash at the Beach pay-per-view event, where he teamed with Hulk Hogan in a tag-team match against Lex Luger and The Giant. Rodman and Hogan lost that fight. He then went on to make another appearance during the 1997 Road Wild event. He helped Hulk Hogan win the world championship during that stint.
The Hall of Famer then faced Karl Malone and Diamond Dallas Page in the 1008 Bash at the Beach event. Rodman's last fight was in 1999 at the Road Wild event against Randy Savage.
#1 Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal was a part of plenty of adventures outside of the NBA. Wrestling was also an avenue that he made sure to explore. Shaq made his first appearance for the WWE in 1994. He presented the world title to Hulk Hogan after he beat Ric Flair at the Bash at the Beach event.
His second appearance was in 2009 on Monday night Raw as a guest host. This time, Shaq was involved in an in-ring feud with the Big Show, which ended with the former LA Lakers man pushing the latter out of the ring.
Shaq's last appearance in the WWE was on the grandest stage of all, the 2016 Wrestlemania pay-per-view. He participated in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Shaq combined with The Big Show to choke-slam Kane.
Shaq eliminated one of the contestants before being thrown out of the ring along with The Big Show by the rest of the participants.
