Directors Wanted Kobe Bryant and Joel Embiid in Uncut Gems Before Kevin Garnett Bagged the Role

Kevin Garnett was able to make his memorable big-screen debut as a fictionalized version of himself in 2019’s Uncut Gems. He plays a featured role in the film, as the plot revolves around his dynamic with Adam Sandler’s character, Howard Ratner. While in Philadelphia, Garnett visits a New York City jewelry store owned by Ratner in the Diamond District. There, Garnett becomes captivated by an Ethiopian opal that Ratner showcases. The narrative unfolds around Garnett’s performance in the series, his connection to the opal, and Ratner’s tumultuous, high-stakes personal life.

Garnett was lauded for his convincing performance in the film by both his audience and co-stars, but directors Josh and Benny Safdie revealed KG wasn’t their first choice to star in the critically acclaimed thriller.

In an interview with Vulture, Josh revealed that the first player they looked at was Amar’e Stoudemire because of his notoriety as a Black Jewish athlete and the effect that would have on the story. However, as time passed the directors were struggling to finance their project or find the right actor to play Ratner, prompting their agency to suggest casting up and going after Kobe Bryant for the role.

The suggestion originally didn’t make sense because the brothers were looking for an East Coast player, not a Los Angeles Laker, to star in the film for writing purposes. Safdie revealed they spent two weeks re-writing the script around Bryant’s character only to be informed that the Mamba had no interest in acting.

“Then our agents are like, ‘No, no, no. He [Kobe] doesn’t want to act anymore. He wants to direct.’”

The brothers then pivoted to a modern-day superstar Joel Embiid.

The Safdie brothers had decided they wanted a contemporary talent and planned to update the movie in the process. They were impressed by Embiid’s social media trolling before he even entered the NBA. They believed the Sixers’ big man’s sense of humor would fit perfectly into the movie.

“He [Embiid] could be interesting. He could play into the comedy of the film, because his humor is dry and droll.”

Embiid was informed of the role by his manager, but it never amounted to anything. In the end, it was his manager who ended up with a starring role in the film as manager Jenny Sachs.

Kobe Bryant prioritized directing over acting

Kobe Bryant may have declined a massive acting opportunity, but the late legend proved he wasn’t exaggerating about his interest in a different role. Bryant served as an executive producer for his critically acclaimed animated short, Dear Basketball in 2017.

The film originated as a heartfelt letter written by Bryant, where he reflects on his deep love for the game of basketball. In it, Kobe expresses gratitude for the sport that shaped his life, how it gave him purpose, and how it taught him invaluable lessons over the years.

The letter was later transformed into a short, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2018. Bryant unfortunately didn’t have the opportunity to dive deeper into his producing and directing talents, but the Mamba made his mark with this emotionally moving film.