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Sports InsiderNBA Players Who Have Been Guest Stars on The Simpsons.
July 27th 2007 12:14
(Image from wikipedia)
As an individual with an unhealthy obsession with The Simpsons, it is quite easy to get caught up in the fever that is currently gripping the globe in regards to everyone’s favourite, four fingered family from Springfield. Well, there is a movie out currently about Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and um, does the dog count as a kid? Oops, sorry, Maggie!
If you haven’t come to the realisation that the Simpson family is on the big screen, you must have been living in Waltons Mountain (this is in reference to the first President Bush who was so dense that he ripped The Simpsons and then got his in a later episode).
Oh, before you my dear reader make an outrageous assumption, this writer had to google ‘The Waltons’ in order to find out where they came from. However, it isn’t a stretch to say that their world is as about white bred as you can get.
So, yes, why are The Simpsons being talked about on an NBA dedicated page? Besides hoping for some free hits from potentially angry visitors to this page. Well, my dear and ever so inquisitive reader – a few NBA stars have been name checked by this excellent television series and it is about time they got some props.
Receiving a guest spot on The Simpsons is the equivalent of discovering a Willy Wonka golden ticket, and for many celebrities is a huge badge of honour. Disappointingly, though for the NBA, barely a baller has ever shared time with the yellow skinned family.
It is hard to believe that two significant pop cultural entities, such as The Simpsons and NBA haven’t had more of an intimate relationship, but hey, who are we to pass judgement on the
Magic pulls a Homer.
Magic Johnson was the first NBA player to feature on the show during the third season in the episode titled, ‘Homer Defined’. Hard to fathom that it was 16 years ago when this episode first aired on television and needless to say it was a gem.
Who could ever forget Homer almost causing a nuclear meltdown and getting lucky when he saves Springfield from disaster by deciding which button to push via eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Damn Rubik’s cube distracting Homer during his training!
Feted as a hero due to the most fortunate of circumstances, Homer is quickly found out as someone who is seen as a lucky simpleton, rather than a laudable genius, giving birth to the phrase “to pull a Homer”.
The Simpsons patriarch stupidity even gets recognition with a dictionary entry of “pulling a Homer” defining this turn of phrase meaning “to succeed despite idiocy”.
Laker great, Magic Johnson, was the first professional athlete to ever have a guest spot on the show and he managed “to pull a Homer” when during a game he slips, scores a miracle basket, then finally lands in the laps of several beautiful women.
Patrick Ewing garnered an appearance in the episode titled ‘Grift of the Magi’ but he didn’t utter a word.
Recently Dennis Rodman showed up as a guest star as well, but perhaps the most well known appearance from NBA players after Magic’s original turn, was when LeBron James and Yao Ming showed up in Springfield.
Titled, ‘Homer and Ned’s Hail Merry Pass’ in season 16, Homer is seen by the world dancing in an embarrassing manner which causes much grief. However, professional athletes Tom Brady, Michelle Kwan, Warren Sapp, and of course our two NBA stars want Homer to teach them how to dance.
Yao and Bron-Bron’s appearance on The Simpsons wasn’t as great as Magic’s cameo, but would still have been pretty cool nonetheless. King James even stated that his guest role on the show was “one of the best things I’ve done.” (Tucker, NY Post, 2007)
Today’s video is of football star Ronaldo's guest appearance on The Simpsons. This clip was far too sweet to pass up.
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