Kobe, Embiid were considered for Garnett's role in 'Uncut Gems'
Warning: Video contains coarse language
Kobe Bryant, Joel Embiid, and Amar'e Stoudemire were among those considered for Kevin Garnett's role in the 2019 Adam Sandler-led drama "Uncut Gems," according to directors Josh and Benny Safdie.
In an interview with The Ringer, the brothers explained how they rewrote the scrip with Bryant in mind before being told the former Los Angeles Lakers star wasn't interested. They then considered Embiid, but the filming schedule conflicted with the NBA season.
"It was Joel Embiid for a very long time," Josh said (segment starts at the 30-second mark). "Joel made sense for the themes of the movie. It's about this Ethiopian opal that gets smuggled into the city and this African player was basically going to reclaim it and it was going to empower him.
"And then the schedule pushed into the season, we couldn't use an active player anymore. Actually, Joel's manager plays Kevin's manager in the movie - Jenny Sacks, who's awesome."
"Uncut Gems" marks the first feature film role for Garnett, who also made an uncredited appearance in the 1994 college basketball drama "Blue Chips."