20 athletes who have doubled as reality TV stars

Former Los Angeles Lakers player Lamar Odom appeared on several seasons of Keeping Up With the Kardashians before starring in his own show, Khloé & Lamar. Years later, the NBA champion competed on a season of the CBS show "Celebrity Big Brother."

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum starred in Season 1 of the Netflix docuseries Starting 5. Throughout the show, Tatum opened up about his family life, including his relationship with his son and mother, and showcased his journey as an elite athlete. 

Like his NBA peer Tatum, LeBron James also appeared in Season 1 of Starting 5. Months later, he was center stage in the streamer's docuseries "Court of Gold," which showcased the men's US Olympic basketball team's journey to the gold medal game in 2024. 

After his NFL career, Eric Decker and his wife Jessie tried something new by starring in their own docuseries, Eric & Jessie: Game On, which ran for three seasons from 2013 to 2017.

Odom wasn't the only NBA player to lie, cheat, and steal on Celebrity Big Brother. Former Lakers player Metta Sandiford-Artest also appeared on the show, although he came in 8th place after a less-than-stellar performance. 

Ryan Lochte, too, has appeared on Celebrity Big Brother. Before that, he had his own show, What Would Ryan Lochte Do?, and recently completed stints on The Traitors and Worst Cooks In America. 

Olympian Lolo Jones not only competed on Big Brother but also appeared on MTV's The Challenge franchise. In 2023, she made a surprise appearance on Celebrity Name That Tune. 

Sanya Richards-Ross, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, joined the cast of  The Real Housewives of Atlanta, where she shared her life as a wife, mother, and entrepreneur. During her time on the show, she gave viewers a closer look at how she balanced her athletic legacy with her family and business ventures.

Kroy Biermann went from NFL fields to reality TV drama when he appeared on The Real Housewives of Atlanta with Kim Zolciak-Biermann, and later became a central figure on Don’t Be Tardy. On both shows, he was portrayed as the laid-back counterbalance to the surrounding chaos.

Carmelo Anthony popped up on La La’s Full Court Life, offering brief but notable glimpses into his relationship with his wife La La Anthony. Rather than taking center stage, his appearances played more like cameos in her story.

While he didn't love his time in front of the cameras, former NBA star Juan Dixon spent eight years on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Potomac. 

Reggie Bush appeared on Keeping Up With the Kardashians  during his relationship with Kim Kardashian, making his debut in the early seasons of the series. 

Scottie Pippen supported his ex-wife, Larsa, on earlier episodes of The Real Housewives of Miami. While his appearances were limited, the NBA champion is forever cemented in Bravo history. 

Did you know Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski added a reality show to his resume in 2020? While it wasn't the traditional docuseries that some of the other athletes on this list had, he made a splash on the Fox competition show The Masked Singer. 

The second season of Netflix's Starting 5 featured Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James Harden, and Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. Although his storyline starts strong, it finishes on a sad note, highlighting Haliburton's season-ending injury during Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

During his time on the Netflix series Quarterback, Cincinnati star Joe Burrow went on about his love of fossils. “When aren’t fossils on your mind?” he said during the show. “They go back millions of years. That’s sick.”

Odom and Bush aren't the only athletes who garnered even more attention after appearing on Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Former Dallas Mavericks player Kris Humphries also stole 15 minutes of fame after marrying Kim on the show and divorcing 72 days later. 

WWE Divas Nikki and Brie Bella put their villainous personalities on display on E!'s Total Divas before joining forces on their family show Total Bellas. In 2025, Nikki returned to the unscripted world in Season 4 of The Traitors. 

Ahead of the 2024 Summer Games, Noah Lyles showcased his journey to the Olympic stage in the Netflix reality series Sprint. 

Amon-Ra St. Brown showed the world that he was just as entertaining to watch on reality TV as he is on the field. In the Netflix show Receiver, the NFL star opened up about his ultra-rigorous schedule and the grueling physical demands of life in the league.