Acting Like Ballers (NBA.com)

11.01

NBA Entertainment League 5 tipped off Sunday, November 4 at an undisclosed location in Los Angeles. The NBA-run entertainment industry basketball league, invitation-only and closed to the public, saw 150 of Hollywood’s hottest actors, musicians, and execs don authentic NBA uniforms for the beginning of the league’s fifth season.

League veterans returning this season, include: Ice Cube, Breckin Meyer (Rat Race), Scott Speedman (Felicity), Brian McKnight, Michael Rapaport (Boston Public), Woody Harrelson (Will & Grace), Bill Bellamy (The Brothers), Don Cheadle (Traffic), Frankie Muniz (Malcolm in the Middle), Ashton Kutcher (That 70’s Show), Coolio, Donald Faison (Scrubs), Steve Harris (The Practice), Donnie Wahlberg (Band of Brothers), Orlando Jones (Evolution), John Witherspoon (Friday), Dean Cain (Lois and Clark), Anthony Anderson (Big Momma’s House), Morris Chestnut (The Brothers), Simon Rex (Jack and Jill), and DB Sweeney (Hardball).

With roster spots a hot commodity in the industry each season, newcomers to the league this year, include: Sean Patrick Thomas (Save the Last Dance), Danny Masterson (That 70’s Show), Adam Carolla (Loveline), Ray Liotta (Hannibal), Wes Bentley (American Beauty) , Eddie Kaye Thomas (American Pie), Robert Patrick (X-Files), Matthew Lillard (She’s All That), Lorenzo Lamas (Air America), Josh Hopkins (Ally McBeal), Eric Etebari (Witchblade), Vincent Laresca (K-PAX), Michael Vartan (Alias), James Lafferty (Emeril), Neal McDonough (Band of Brothers), Wayne Duvall (The District), Henry Simmons (NYPD Blue), and Dylan Kussman (The Way of the Gun).

Though the league boasts a number of former college players, this season there are two particular ringers. Nicky McCrimmon from the WNBA’s World Champion Los Angeles Sparks has joined Breckin Meyer, Scott Speedman, and Ashton Kutcher on the league’s Dallas Mavericks squad. Trisha Stafford-Odom of the 3-time World Champion Houston Comets, is teaming up with Frankie Muniz, Danny Masterson, and Jason Behr (Roswell) on the Detroit Pistons of the NBAE League.

In addition to the league on Sundays, NBAE League players hit the road over the last year to play satellite games for charity. In March, the NBAE League played at America West Arena in Phoenix, raising money for the Phoenix Suns charity. In April, the league played a tour of games for American troops stationed in and around Seoul, Korea. NBAE League charity games were recently played in Las Vegas and here in Los Angeles, benefitting the NBA’s Reading is Fundamental community program and the WNBA’s Breast Health Awareness initiative, respectively.