- 5 weeks ago
From music icons to Hollywood legends and political figures, some celebrities show an unmatched passion for their favorite sports teams. Join us as we explore the fandom of stars like Jack Nicholson, Spike Lee, Snoop Dogg, and Rihanna, revealing how their love for sports goes well beyond the usual cheers and social media posts. This countdown celebrates their deep connections to teams and the cultural ties that fuel their loyalty.
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00:00Why are you the number one fan for the Lakers?
00:02Why am I the number one?
00:03What makes you the number one?
00:04Because I live in L.A. and I got a lot of free time.
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:09And today, we're counting down our picks
00:12for the biggest celebrity sports fans in the world.
00:15I dedicate this award to the Montreal Canadiens.
00:19We'll be back next year with a vengeance.
00:21For this list, we're looking at stars from music, film,
00:24television, and even politics,
00:26whose passion for sports goes way beyond casual fandom.
00:30Number 10, Rihanna.
00:32Most people associate Rihanna with record-breaking albums
00:36and billion-dollar beauty empires.
00:38But there's a side of her that often surprises fans
00:41outside the Caribbean,
00:43her deep, unshakable love for cricket.
00:53Growing up in Barbados,
00:55where cricket isn't just a sport but a cultural cornerstone,
00:59Rihanna absorbed a passion for the game early on.
01:02She's been spotted attending West Indies matches,
01:05especially during the 2019 Cricket World Cup,
01:08and has spoken openly about how the sport connects her to home.
01:11That's the superstar that he is,
01:12but I think my favorite has to be
01:14when he invited Rihanna to his birthday party
01:16in the middle of the World Cup.
01:17What a player.
01:18What a player.
01:19In a world where celebrity sports and fandom
01:21often feels performative,
01:23hers feels deeply personal,
01:25rooted in identity and heritage
01:27rather than brand deals.
01:29But I appreciate all the culture.
01:31I appreciate all of the sports.
01:34And I appreciate the vibe
01:37and being a part of all this celebratory situation.
01:40Number 9, Paul Rudd.
01:42They say that time heals all wounds.
01:45I'm a Chiefs fan.
01:49And I can tell you that two weeks is not enough time.
01:53Here's something that might actually surprise you.
01:55The guy who plays the charming, self-deprecating Ant-Man
01:58is one of the most genuinely devoted sports fans in Hollywood.
02:02Born in New Jersey, but raised in Overland Park, Kansas,
02:06Paul Rudd has been flying the flag for Kansas City sports
02:09long before it was fashionable.
02:11For the first time, my 15-year-old boy
02:15burst into tears, hugged me,
02:17and it was just the greatest thing ever.
02:19He's attended Royals games,
02:21celebrated their 2015 World Series win,
02:23and been an enthusiastic supporter of the Chiefs dynasty.
02:27We love you, Julie and Darby and baby.
02:30Go, Chiefs!
02:31Go enjoy!
02:32Rudd isn't the type to only post about his teams
02:35on social media and call it a day.
02:37He's put in FaceTime, appeared in local campaigns,
02:40and consistently shown that his Kansas City pride
02:43isn't some PR-crafted persona.
02:45It's the real deal.
02:47Well, let me ask you, I know a lot of people
02:48wondering where you're going to be partying tonight, huh?
02:51You don't know what to tell specifically.
02:53I'm going to be partying at my mom's house!
02:55Number 8. Barack Obama
02:57When you've held the most powerful office in the world,
03:00your sports allegiances get scrutinized
03:02just as intensely as your policies.
03:04Barack Obama has never shied away
03:06from declaring himself a proud Chicagoan
03:09through and through,
03:11and that loyalty extends firmly
03:13to the Bulls and the White Sox.
03:15In the West, it's a free-for-all.
03:16Clippers, Golden State, Spurs, Oklahoma, Houston.
03:21That's a tough lineup,
03:23so I wouldn't want to be battling it out.
03:25I'm glad my Bulls are over in the East.
03:26During his presidency,
03:28he hosted NBA champions at the White House.
03:30Obama was also frequently spotted
03:33filling out NCAA tournament brackets,
03:35a tradition that became something of a national event.
03:38You know, get boiled peanuts and watch the night game,
03:40and me and my friends,
03:42it is when we were 9, 10 years old, 11 years old,
03:45we'd run out and try to grab the rosin bag
03:47at the end of the game.
03:48His love for the Bulls
03:49stretches back to the Michael Jordan era,
03:51and his Southside roots
03:53anchor his allegiance to the White Sox.
03:55These aren't convenient affiliations.
03:57They're a genuine part of who he is.
03:59A huge, exciting, and embraced sport.
04:06And part of it is that anybody can play.
04:08You need a hoop and a basket.
04:11Number seven, Eminem.
04:13Detroit Pride runs through everything Eminem does,
04:16from his lyrics to his lifestyle,
04:18so it tracks perfectly that his sports fandom
04:20is just as fiercely loyal.
04:22Detroit don't get a whole lot of Hollywood Indians,
04:25but tonight, we have a shot.
04:28And when we get our shot,
04:30well, you know what comes after that.
04:33The rapper has been a consistent supporter
04:34of both the Lions and the Red Wings,
04:37two franchises that have tested the patience
04:39of even the most loyal fans.
04:41The Lions, historically one of the NFL's
04:44most tortured franchises,
04:46would break a lesser fan,
04:47but not Marshall Mathers.
04:49So the Lions sadly lost,
04:50but they did get their hometown hero,
04:52and as a fellow Michigander,
04:54I can say we'll absolutely consider that a win.
04:57His dedication mirrors the blue-collar resilience
04:59that defines Detroit itself.
05:02The Red Wings, meanwhile,
05:03gave him plenty to cheer about
05:04during their Stanley Cup-winning dynasty years.
05:07Whether things are going well or not,
05:09Slim Shady stays in the corner of his city's teams.
05:12I don't ever make a prediction on the Lions
05:15because I don't ever want to jinx it,
05:16but I'm such a diehard Lions fan,
05:18like, to the core.
05:20So, yes, they'll win.
05:23Number six, Courtney Cox.
05:25Not every celebrity sports connection
05:27gets the headlines it deserves.
05:29And Courtney Cox's passion for Alabama football
05:31is one of the most underrated on this entire list.
05:35On game day, an Alabama actress
05:37will root for the tide on the Rose Bowl jumbo screen.
05:39Go, Alabama!
05:41This is a first look at the message
05:43from Birmingham native Courtney Cox.
05:45Born in Birmingham, Alabama,
05:47Cox grew up in a state where college football
05:49isn't a pastime.
05:50It's practically a religion.
05:52She has spoken about her love for the Crimson Tide
05:54on multiple occasions.
05:56Cox has also been spotted at games in Tuscaloosa,
05:59fully immersed in the atmosphere.
06:01I don't know why I could have answered all my problems
06:03just by sitting right up there.
06:04I just want to go see it.
06:05No, no.
06:05For those unfamiliar with the culture
06:07of Southern college football,
06:08it's hard to overstate how consuming it is.
06:11Cox doesn't need a script or a camera
06:13to bring that enthusiasm out.
06:15The Alabama faithful know their own
06:17and she's unmistakably one of them.
06:2042 to 21, like the turkey, Ross is done.
06:25See, it's no surprise that you're winning
06:26because you have to pick first
06:27so you got the better team.
06:28You're so pathetic.
06:30Why can't you just accept it?
06:31We're winning because I'm better than you.
06:33Number five, Viggo Mortensen.
06:36Born in New York to a Danish father
06:37and an American mother,
06:39Mortensen spent formative years in Argentina,
06:42developing a fierce attachment
06:43to San Lorenzo de Almagro,
06:45a football club from Buenos Aires.
06:48Other teams he follows include England's Fulham,
06:51Spain's Real Madrid,
06:52Turkey's Besiktas,
06:54and multiple international squads.
06:56And also when you called me the first time,
06:58we just talked about soccer for half an hour
07:01before even talking about the film
07:03and I knew it was one of the good ones.
07:05His love for the NHL's Montreal Canadiens,
07:08meanwhile, runs very deep.
07:10After all, a fun fact for you,
07:12Mortensen wore a Canadiens jersey
07:14underneath his costume
07:15when he played Aragorn
07:16in the Lord of the Rings franchise.
07:22I think this will do nicely.
07:25The talented actor has also publicly shown support
07:28for the New York Mets,
07:29the New York Giants,
07:30and even the Collingwood Magpies
07:32from the Australian Football League.
07:34And I started to see this sport
07:36and it was Montreal Canadiens.
07:37It was their heyday, the 70s.
07:39So I started watching them play
07:41and they had the same colors as my soccer team
07:44and the fans are pretty rabid.
07:47Number four, Will Ferrell.
07:49Comedy's most lovably unhinged performer
07:51turns out to bring that same unrestrained energy
07:54to his sports fandom.
07:55Will Ferrell is a co-owner of Los Angeles FC,
07:58an MLS side that arrived with serious ambitions
08:01and quickly became one of the league's
08:03most prominent clubs.
08:04This is big.
08:05LA FC.
08:06LA FC.
08:07LA.
08:08FC.
08:10LA.
08:11FC.
08:12LA.
08:15It doesn't end.
08:17His involvement goes well beyond writing a check.
08:19He's been consistently visible at matches,
08:21celebrating goals with the kind of unbridled joy
08:24you'd expect from Ron Burgundy himself.
08:26You'll be seeing a lot of me.
08:28I'm not going to practice every day.
08:31Probably once a month.
08:33But it should be good.
08:37His passion for the LA Kings adds another dimension.
08:41Ferrell has been a visible ringside presence for years.
08:44Ferrell seems to genuinely understand
08:46that sports fandom, at its best,
08:48is communal, loud, and a little ridiculous.
08:51And he leans into all three.
08:53What are you as an owner?
08:54I am...
08:55Exacting with your coach, or what?
08:57What do you think?
08:57I am...
08:58I am at...
08:59Of the ownership group,
09:01of the adult table at the ownership group,
09:03I'm at the kids' table.
09:04Number three, Snoop Dogg.
09:06Steelers Nation.
09:09It's that time again.
09:12The season is here.
09:14This one genuinely catches people off guard every time.
09:18Snoop Dogg, the Long Beach rap legend,
09:20is a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan.
09:23His love for the black and gold runs deep,
09:25and he's made no secret of it across interviews and social media.
09:29I was a little kid playing football,
09:30and I just wanted to be a Steelers.
09:32I just loved the way that they played,
09:33and I grew up loving them.
09:35And as I became older, I fell more in love with them.
09:38But the real curveball?
09:39Snoop is also a part owner of Swansea City,
09:42a Welsh football club competing in England's football system.
09:46Whether he's rapping about touchdowns
09:48or tweeting support for a club based in South Wales
09:50or Scotland's Celtic,
09:52Snoop approaches sports fandom
09:53with the same effortless confidence
09:55he brings to everything else.
09:56It's unexpected, it's eclectic,
09:58and somehow it's completely on brand.
10:01It's like a family reunion, you know what I'm saying?
10:02You're having a softball game,
10:03and your uncle's striking out,
10:04and your grandma throwing bad pitches,
10:06but you still win the game.
10:07You're like, you know what?
10:08We're still a family.
10:09We're gonna be all right next time we see each other.
10:10Grandma can pitch.
10:11I'm worried.
10:12Number two, Spike Lee.
10:14Few relationships between a celebrity and a sports team
10:17are as dramatically passionate,
10:19publicly intense,
10:21and occasionally contentious
10:22as the one between filmmaker Spike Lee
10:24and the New York Knicks.
10:26Lee has occupied his famous courtside seat
10:28at Madison Square Garden for decades.
10:31And I used to see,
10:32grow up watching Jack Nicholson
10:33at the world's most famous forum,
10:36and I said,
10:38Lord,
10:41I said,
10:42I want to sit where Jack is still.
10:45So you can only imagine Lee's emotions
10:47when the Knicks won the NBA championship.
10:49He's not the only one delighted,
10:51as Adam Sandler is well known for being a fan.
10:54I was saying to my wife,
10:55I think this is going to be the highlight
10:57of our sporting career.
10:59Another famous face for the Knicks
11:01is Ben Stiller,
11:02who's developing a documentary about the team.
11:04Mariska Hargitay's passion for the Knicks
11:06winning the championship
11:07was more intense
11:08than marrying her husband, apparently.
11:10Speaking of the Knicks,
11:11this week,
11:12Hoda sat down with super fan Mariska Hargitay
11:14and talked about her appreciation for the team.
11:17Finally,
11:17another delighted celeb
11:18was Timothee Chalamet,
11:20who is an avid supporter of the Knicks.
11:21Let's f***ing go.
11:23I don't even know where camera's going.
11:24OG, I love you, OG.
11:26Before we unveil our top pick,
11:28here are a few honorable mentions.
11:30Jay-Z.
11:31An overall sports enthusiast,
11:33Jay-Z's especially passionate
11:35about the Los Angeles Clippers.
11:37You know,
11:37I gotta get a picture.
11:38We're Beyonce and this J.
11:39And I look up and-
11:41Here's the deal.
11:41What we were talking about there,
11:43I was like,
11:43I was not cool.
11:45Hi,
11:45hi,
11:46I just wanted to miss myself.
11:48Rod Stewart.
11:49A devout football fan,
11:50Stewart cancelled a gig
11:52to watch Scotland
11:52at the 2026 World Cup.
11:54So we want him to get through
11:56to the next round
11:57and I'll die happy,
11:58man.
11:58That'll be great.
11:59So,
12:00come on, Scotland.
12:01Go on, boys.
12:01No Scotland,
12:02no party.
12:04Tim McGraw.
12:05With a dad who played for them,
12:07McGraw has a deep love
12:08of the Philadelphia Phillies.
12:10They had the strike zone
12:11divided into 32 sections.
12:14Booney said,
12:14I could call a number
12:15out of any of those 32 sections
12:18and any of his junk
12:19or anything you saw.
12:20He said,
12:20I could close my eyes
12:21and catch him with tweezers
12:21and he'd be right in the right spot.
12:23Jenna Fisher.
12:24The Office star
12:25is well known for her love
12:26of the NHL team,
12:27the St. Louis Blues.
12:29Great Blues lookalike cam today,
12:30the Office theme
12:31and look who's here.
12:32Yeah,
12:33that looks like Pam Beasley
12:34because it is.
12:35Justin Timberlake.
12:36A childhood obsession
12:38with Brett Favre
12:39led Timberlake
12:40to be a Green Bay Packers fan.
12:42Who's the reason
12:42I became a Packer fan
12:43when I was growing up
12:45in Memphis,
12:46we didn't,
12:47you know,
12:47we didn't have a team
12:48and Brett was,
12:49you know,
12:50he sort of represented
12:51the South
12:53and, you know,
12:55he was like a superhero.
13:01Before we continue,
13:02check out this single
13:03from Current,
13:05EDM Transform.
13:06Check out the full track
13:08and album below.
13:18There is a courtside
13:20and then there is
13:21Jack Nicholson's courtside.
13:23For decades,
13:24no image was more synonymous
13:26with Los Angeles Lakers basketball
13:28than that grinning,
13:29sunglasses-wearing Hollywood legend
13:31seated just feet
13:32from the action.
13:41Nicholson has held
13:42Lakers season tickets
13:43since the early 1970s,
13:46witnessing championships,
13:47heartbreaks,
13:48and everything in between.
13:49His presence at the Staples Center
13:51became genuinely iconic.
13:53Coaches acknowledged him,
13:54players fed off his energy,
13:56and cameras sought him out
13:57like clockwork,
13:58which wasn't hard
13:59since he was consistently there.
14:01Mr. Bryant,
14:02I wonder if you'd mind
14:03signing an autograph for me.
14:05Sure, sure.
14:06So nice to see a man
14:07with dignity
14:08will actually sign an autograph
14:09and go on television.
14:11Throw in his deep passion
14:12for the New York Yankees,
14:13and you have a celebrity sports fan
14:15operating at a level
14:16that is quite simply
14:17in a class of its own.
14:19We're ready for baseball
14:20here at Yankee Stadium.
14:23Jack Nicholson?
14:29Are there any other
14:30celebrity sports superfans
14:32that we missed from the video?
14:33Let us know in the comments.
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