NBA: 30 NBA players you forgot acted in movies or TV shows – Larry Johnson
Larry Johnson was selected first overall in the 1991 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, and less than a year later he was throwing down slams in the Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend. That was how Johnson approached everything: relentlessly and above the rim.
That’s how he showed up in his TV appearance too. Anyone alive in the early 1990s was likely a fan of the sitcom Family Matters. Steve Urkel, the nerdy lead character of the show, needs a partner for a street basketball game after his best friend Eddy dumps him for a better partner. The result: Estelle recommends one of her friends, “Grandmama”.
That friend turns out to be a 6’6″ elderly woman (6’10” with the hat) played by none other than Larry Johnson. Johnson, fully bedecked in a floral dress, a gray wig and some sneakers, dominates the competition, including throwing down alley-oop passes from Urkel.
This brings up so many questions. Why did the show land on Larry Johnson? Did they go through 30 other NBA stars before someone agreed to do it? Why did Johnson agree to put on a dress and wig for his television debut? In what way does that elevate his popularity or sell basketball shoes? It’s baffling, but in the end it resulted in a wildly entertaining episode with some legit basketball moments.