Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has made his mark on the silver screen in recent years, starring in films such as “Space Jam: A New Legacy” and making cameos in “Trainwreck,” “House Party” and “Smallfoot.”
The veteran forward is also a big movie buff in his own right, as he revealed in a recent appearance on “Letterboxd” alongside comedian Kevin Hart.
When asked to name his Mt. Rushmore of all-time favorite movies, James picked “Goodfellas,” “Coming to America,” “Gladiator” and “The Godfather Part I & II.” The basketball star clubbed the first two parts of “The Godfather” as one movie, arguing that they need to be viewed together in one sitting to truly appreciate Mario Puzo’s plot.
LeBron James Explains Picks
James explained why he picked “only classics” as his four films, all of which received both critical and commercial acclaim, besides scores of Academy Award nominations.
Meanwhile, Hart stunned James and viewers by picking four odd choices in the form of “Soul Plane,” “Paper Soldiers,” “Think Like a Man” and Ride Along 1 and 2,” two of which he starred in. The comedian’s picks prompted James to remind him that the question was about “classic” films, not their own work on the silver screen.
While James has maintained a similar list in recent years, he included “Friday” and “Wedding Crashers” when asked to name his five all-time favorite movies in 2022.
Furthermore, he named a completely different list during a conversation with Denzel Washington, as pointed out by Comic Basics.
An Evolving List
“Fans were particularly interested in LeBron’s selections, which offered a different perspective from a previous discussion he had about favorite movies starring Denzel Washington,” wrote Hrvoje Milakovic, before highlighting James’ earlier picks.
“At that time, James initially listed “Man on Fire” and “He Got Game” as clear favorites. For other films, he hesitated, mentioning “Remember the Titans” and “John Q,” before recalling “Training Day,” the film that earned Washington a Best Actor Oscar. “Who could forget about him? Alonzo. Of course. So, there’s so many. So many.”
The writer recalled James facing criticism for his earlier list.
“That earlier list drew mixed reactions from fans, some of whom called it “terrible.” This time, his choices were received more positively, as they focused on classic films known for their cultural and cinematic impact.”
James, who turns 41 in December, is entering his record-breaking 23rd NBA season, surpassing the previous record set by Vince Carter, who played 22 years in the league. Despite his age, the Lakers star is still viewed as a top-10 player, having made the All-NBA Team in the 2024-25 season, after averaging an impressive tally of 24.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists at 51/38/78 shooting splits. James was also in consideration for an All-Defensive Team, as he was consistently the team’s best overall defender.
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