40 popular athletes and celebrities who are massive gamers

In addition to being the best basketball player in the world, LeBron James is also a passionate gamer. The NBA star filmed a promotional spot for PlayStation in 2023, saying he's always "ready to get on the sticks." He also appeared in Netflix's Starting 5, where he spoke about enjoying a relaxing night with a glass of wine and Madden.

Patrick Mahomes is too good of a quarterback to give up football; however, the Super Bowl champ has revealed that if he didn't play in the NFL, he'd be an Esports player. When asked what his favorite game was during a chat with CharlieIntel, he went with a classic: Call of Duty.

It might be hard to believe, but Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill actually uses Madden to prepare the night before a big NFL game. "I feel like Madden has a good tell of how good players are," he said in a TikTok in 2023. "So, I just play [the game] the night before." 

Noah Lyles enjoys many things, including fitness, anime, and League of Legends. In fact, the Olympic champion has a massive desk with multiple monitors, custom keyboards, and wired mice for accuracy.

We know Naomi Osaka is a powerhouse tennis player, but did you also know she's a big gamer? In an interview with Vanity Fair, the Olympian said gaming allows her to free her mind. "... it is a great escapism for me as I have always been into gaming and fantasy-type storytelling," she said.

In addition to enjoying mental games like Rubik's Cube, Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik is a huge fan of video games, specifically Rocket League. In August 2024, the athlete shared a video of himself playing the video game online. After the clip made its rounds, fans saw Steve was not just good. He's great. In the game, Nedoroscik is a Grand Champion and in the top 1.7% of players. 

When Anthony Davis is not scoring buckets and snagging rebounds for the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA champion enjoys playing several different video games, including Call of Duty, Halo, Grand Theft Auto, and, of course, NBA2K. But don't get it confused. When he plays the latter, he doesn't play as himself because he finds it "weird."

Although it's been a few years since Cam Newtown has set foot on a football field, the NFL player still loves to play Madden in his free time. "I got two TVs, so I can have both a PlayStation and an Xbox going at once. When I’m finishing up one game, I can connect the other game up," he told Sports Illustrated. "People don’t really know that, but I’m really a nerd when it comes to getting good at a game. Madden brings out the nerd in me."

Believe it or not, Paul George of the Philadelphia 76ers has been "very good at video games" since he was a child. The Olympic gold medalist revealed more about his love for virtual gaming during an interview with the popular YouTube channel Built by Gamers.

The NBA isn't the only thing keeping Damian Lillard busy. When he's not putting the Milwaukee Bucks on his back or recording new music for his rap career, the 34-year-old told Sports Illustrated he's usually playing video games.

Some readers might be shocked to see that chart-topping singer Ariana Grande is a huge fan of video games. She has spoken about her love of virtual gaming in songs and interviews. In 2021, she said she loved Mario Kart and Sackboy. And her passion doesn't stop there. She's also teamed up with popular gaming studios to create custom packs for the online phenomenon Fortnite.

When Megan Fox isn't busy starring in blockbuster films and award-winning television shows, the actress prefers to relax with a nice video game. In 2021, she spoke about playing Mortal Kombat with her then-boyfriend, Machine Gun Kelly, and revealed she "crushed" him. "Like, destroyed him every time we fought. We did, like, 40-something matches, and I absolutely destroyed him every time."

Since Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson starred in a 2017 movie about a video game, it's not surprising to hear that he's a fan of them IRL. During a previous interview, the former WWE star said he loves Mortal Kombat and Madden.

I know what you're thinking. Spider-Man's favorite video game has to be ... Spider-Man. However, that's not the case for Tom Holland. In the past, he told fans that the game he enjoys most is the action-adventure series Unchartered. (He starred in the Uncharted film adaptation.)

We knew Beyoncé was a massive gamer thanks to the token she left her fans in an early 2024 Verizon commercial. But we can't forget that she's revealed her love for video games before. In 2019, she told Entertainment Weekly that in addition to "Wii games," the singer is a fan of Guitar Hero, Tetris, and BrickBreaker on the BlackBerry. 

If you're a fan of Vin Diesel, you likely already know the Fast and Furious actor is a big fan of playing video games during his free time, especially Dungeons & Dragons. He joked about his love and extensive knowledge of the game during a 2022 interview. "They thought I played D&D back in the '70s when it's just the basic D&D set. They thought I continued to play D&D when it became Advanced Dungeons and Dragons," he said.

Samuel L. Jackson might not be a massive lover of video games; however, he did voice the role of Office Tenpenny, the main antagonist in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. That has to count for something, right?

Another Jumanji star who enjoys gaming is Jack Black. In fact, his deep love for the hobby drove him to create a YouTube channel, JablinskiGames, where the iconic actor posts several videos, including a few of him playing popular titles like Lego Star Wars.

This former Disney star might not be much of a gamer these days, but in 2007, that's all Zac Efron could think about. His favorite game at the time was the military science title Halo. He was actually spotted in 2007 at a midnight launch of the game's third edition.

When Drake isn't creating chart-topping hits, the "Find Your Love" singer is playing Fortnite in the studio with his boys and on Twitch with popular streamers like Ninja.  

Gordon Hayward used to be a popular NBA player, but he has also made a name for himself in the gaming world. His love for games like Fortnite, League of Legends, and Halo led to his collaboration with HyperX, a gaming brand that offers headsets, keyboards, and microphones. They teamed up to release a limited-edition bundle featuring headsets and sneakers with the basketball player's logo.

If Devin Booker's spot in the Call of Duty commercial didn't prove gaming is one of the NBA player's favorite pastimes, I'm not sure what else could.

This Minnesota Timberwolves center is also another NBA player with a deep passion for Call of Duty. In his free time, Karl-Anthony Towns enjoys streaming his wins on Twitch and YouTube.

If you've kept up with Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson over the years, then you already know the former NFL wide receiver plays games ... at least that's what his previous girlfriends have said. However, he loves virtual video games, too. According to him, he's "the best FIFA player in the [United] States." 

NFL fans discovered JuJu Smith-Schuster was a big gamer when he showed off his impressive Fortnite skills during his record-breaking Twitch stream with Ninja, Drake, and Travis Scott.

Yes, we know Xavier Woods is an entertaining force inside the WWE ring. But we can't forget that he's an even more epic gamer. Like his peers on this list, the 38-year-old streams some of his best gaming moments on his YouTube channel, UpUpDownDown. (Is that a cheat code?)

NBA star Jeremy Lin is a huge DOTA player. Years ago, he admitted he plays the game several times a week—even during the busy season.

Like some of his buddies on other teams, NBA star Ben Simmons loves a good game of Call of Duty. He even streams some of his sessions on Twitch when he can!

Kyler Murray loves Call of Duty almost as much as he loves playing in the NFL. His passion has driven him to stream some of his gaming sessions and defend himself against some of his biggest critics.

Can you tell Call of Duty is the go-to video game for several professional athletes? In addition to that classic title, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps enjoys playing PGA Tour and FIFA. Next, they need to make a decent swimming game so the retired athlete can snatch a new crown.

Snoop Dogg loves a fun extracurricular activity ... if you know what I mean. When he's not busy sparking up or hanging with his bestie, Martha Stewart, the beloved rapper is streaming video gamers online. His passion actually runs so deep that he once called EA Sports, Microsoft, and Bill Gates out by name in a video posted to his social media. What can I say? You can't interrupt the man's stream.

Henry Cavill isn't just a regular gamer. The Netflix star takes his virtual gameplay so seriously that he once built his own PC to take his online gaming to the next level.

Daniel Craig doesn't talk much, so his favorite video games to play in 2024 are unknown. However, this throwback photo of the Knives Out actor playing a PSP back in the day proves he takes his interactive entertainment seriously.

Matthew Perry from Friends loved playing video games on his Xbox 360. The late actor once shared that he played Fallout 3 so often that he experienced tendonitis, leading him "to go get injections in my hand."

Mila Kunis has never been shy about her love of video games. She once told Jimmy Kimmel that she loves World of Warcraft so much that she spends hours playing against others. In fact, she revealed during a YouTube interview that her agent logs onto the game to contact her.

Serena Williams may not be a huge gamer these days; however, she has admitted in the past that she's a fan of old-school games like Punch-Out! and Duck Hunt.

Thanks to her son, Halloween actor Jamie Lee Curtis has become a huge fan of games like Street Fighter and League of Legends.

Kim Kardashian is more than just a millionaire socialite. She's also a gamer, and in 2012, she posted on X/Twitter about her excitement for the Call of Duty: Black Ops game. "The graphics look crazy!" Imagine how they look in 2024, Kim!

It could be easy to think Jessica Alba is only a fan of the Nintendo Switch because they pay her to promote the console. However, the actress has spoken publicly about her love of the company and their classics, including the Wii.

Not only has Rosario Dawson been open about her love for video games, but she's also advocated for female gamers worldwide. Thanks to her, users were able to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 with a female lead character.