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3 other occasions the NBA and pro wrestling worlds intertwined

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Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball's appearance on the June 26 episode of "Monday Night Raw" alongside his over-the-top-father LaVar and younger brother LaMelo was a fun segment for what it was, although it was far from the first time we've seen basketball and professional wrestling cross over to that degree.

Some of the biggest names in NBA history have stepped inside the squared circle in the past, with some even going as far as competing in actual matches.

Here are three instances where the NBA and pro wrestling worlds collided:

The Worm vs. The Mailman

When World Championship Wrestling was still in existence, the name of the game was trying to dethrone WWE in the ratings, which meant bringing in popular figures from sports and entertainment to draw eyes toward the product.

The "Bash at the Beach" pay-per-view at San Diego's Cox Arena back in 1998 was headlined by a tag team match featuring "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan and Chicago Bulls enforcer Dennis Rodman against the duo of Diamond Dallas Page and Utah Jazz star Karl Malone. This came less than a month after Chicago knocked off Utah in six games to complete their second three-peat and become champions once again.

While Rodman and Malone weren't exactly polished in-ring technicians, the two had the basics down enough to help the nearly 24-minute contest avoid being the unmitigated disaster it easily could have been. There were some hiccups and botches sprinkled throughout, but it was still a captivating watch.

Shaq makes presence felt at WrestleMania 32

Being at a WrestleMania was always on Shaquille O'Neal's bucket list, and at AT&T Stadium in front of a record crowd of over 100,000 screaming fans just last year, The Big Aristotle had his giant moment.

With Desiigner's "Panda" playing him down to the ring, O'Neal revealed himself to be a surprise entrant in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, coming face to face with a superstar as large as he is in the 7-foot, 400-pound Big Show.

Their short-lived interaction was supposed to be a building block toward a one-on-one bout at the following year's WrestleMania. However, the lines of communication between Shaq and WWE eventually broke down following several creative changes, resulting in the dream match being squashed.

Raw is LeBron

LeBron James' professional career was barely a week old, yet at the time of his ringside appearance at "Raw" on Nov. 3, 2003, the newly minted star of the Cleveland Cavaliers was already on top of the world.

While he never got physical - nor did he even step between the ropes - James was very much a major talking point on the program, taking pictures of the likes of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin with his flip phone throughout the show.

He was even afforded the opportunity to go backstage and mingle with a number of the superstars, who were likely just as fascinated by him as he was of them.

As we've seen recently, James' love of wrestling still carries on to this day, with The King have been spotted donning shirts featuring The Undertaker - who got to interact with the Cavaliers in the hallways of Quicken Loans Arena last October - and The Ultimate Warrior.

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