Ten Athletes That Should Have A Biopic Made About Them

Yesterday, the trailer for the upcoming Queen front man Freddie Mercury biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, was released. There are plenty of other interesting people that could have a biopic made about their lives, but this list focuses on sports. The lives and careers of these ten people would provide epic athlete biopics.

 

Michael Jordan

Also announced yesterday was a 10-part documentary series from ESPN Films and Netflix featuring Michael Jordan. Even if ESPN has struggled lately, the documentary featuring MJ is a stone-cold lock to be amazing. There is still also plenty of room for a movie that focuses on Jordan, who is known as one of the greatest competitors of all-time. It could also get into Jordan’s love of gambling and his minor league baseball career.

 

Jim Brown

Many people still consider Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown the greatest football player ever, but frankly not enough people know about the legend. He’s an old-school person that is an extraordinary example for young athletes to follow. And Brown wasn’t just an athlete, as he was an actor and activist—and he certainly isn’t afraid to have thoughts of his own no matter what some people might say. Browns’ story is about greatness and respect.

 

Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain is another all-time great athlete that not enough people today recognize as being a legend. “The Big Dipper” was a truly unique, as he was a freak athlete that could basically do whatever he wanted in a 7-foot-1 frame. Chamberlain also played volleyball, wrote books, and acted. His 100-point game is a record that will never be broken, and it’s an event that could be featured in a biopic. There’s no video of it, so seeing the 100-point game play out in a Hollywood movie would be cool.

 

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

There have been some legendary boxers throughout history, and 50-0 Floyd Mayweather Jr. is right up there with all of them. “Money” Mayweather lives up to his moniker, as he’s amassed over $1 billion in career earnings from his huge pay-day fights. There’s been some controversy, too, including trainer switches which included his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr. Mayweather isn’t just a great fighter, as he is a businessman that knows how to make deals and big fights. Last summer’s fight with Conor McGregor is an event that’ll be talked about for quite a while, and it took a lot to set it up. It doesn’t hurt that Mayweather is a colorful character, either.

 

Ken Griffey Jr.

With five elite tools, Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the most prolific players in the history of baseball. Griffey is ten-time Gold Glove winner, a seven-time Silver Slugger, and he led the majors in home runs four times. There is nothing “The Kid” could not do. His story would have some downs as well, as Junior might have been on his way to setting the all-time home run record if he didn’t battle so many injuries in his career. The first-ballot Hall of Famer’s father, Ken Griffey Sr., was also a great player, and they became the first father-son to ever play in the same lineup. Griffey Jr. is one of six players in MLB history to play in four different calendar decades, so there’s a lot to work with.

 

Pete Rose

This would be very interesting, as Pete Rose is banned from Major League Baseball, which alone makes quite the story. As a manager (and potentially as a player-manager), Rose bet on Reds games, but never against his own team. On the field as a player, Rose played as hard as anyone, has the most hits in MLB history, and was a three-time World Series champion. A movie revolving around his playing career, managing career, and the betting controversy surrounding them would make for a great film.

 

Barry Bonds

One of the first things that comes to mind when thinking of the MLB’s all-time home run leader Barry Bonds is steroids. However, Bonds was already going to be a Hall of Fame player before he apparently started juicing. The steroid controversy would be a great focus for a Bonds biopic, which could give insight on the start of the steroid era as a whole. Bonds never actually tested positive for steroids, so that would be another underlying factor in the movie. But the focus would be on the steroid era and Bonds’ climb up the leaderboard.

 

Alex Rodriguez

The last two athletes on the list have had plenty of controversy surrounding them, and Alex Rodriguez is no different. A-Rod straight-up lied about his steroid use before finally admitting it in 2009. And he apparently used steroid “gummies” in the dugout during games, which is kind of hilarious—imagine seeing him eating some steroid gummy bears in the film. Rodriguez is otherwise a likeable guy, but many people don’t like that he cheated his way to hundreds of millions of dollars and opportunities that might not have been there if he did things the “right” way. Rodriguez’s post-playing career, which includes roles across a few major television networks and dating superstar Jennifer Lopez, would help make a Rodriguez biopic intriguing.

 

Babe Didrikson Zaharias

For most people, the least well-known person on this list is “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias—a true all-around sports superstar. Didrikson was a star in track and field, basketball, baseball, and golf. She won two goal medals and one silver medal in the 1932 Summer Olympics in track and field and then went on to win ten major championships in the LPGA. A biopic about her life would be very informative to the majority of Americans.

 

Bill Walton

No explanation is necessary if you’ve ever heard Bill Walton speak and give insight on life. The only trouble might be finding an actor that can actually pull off Walton as a character. Walton is an all-time great college basketball player that played for John Wooden, and he also won two NBA titles. Walton also dealt with injury issues throughout his career as well as personal issues that stemmed from the injuries; he also had a stuttering issue that he had to overcome as he became a broadcaster. Walton overcame the big challenges, which would make for an inspiring story in a biopic.