Past and present NBA stars who love to golf

The legendary Bill Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty, winning 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career from 1956 to 1969. He took up golf while with the Celtics and has worked his handicap down to about an 11 as an 80-year-old. (Getty Images)

The NBA’s all-time leader in three-point field goals made, Ray Allen has won NBA championships with the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat. He’s got game on the course as well as the court, where he is reportedly a 1.6 handicap at TPC River Highlands, site of the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship. (Getty Images)

We couldn’t track down a reported handicap for Shaquille O’Neal, but from the looks of his jean shorts in this photo and the limited footage of his swing on the Internet, we’re going to guess it’s pretty high. Good thing The Diesel has four NBA championships, an MVP trophy, two scoring titles, 15 all-star selections and his current gig as an Inside the NBA analyst to fall back on. (Getty Images)

Widely regarded as the best to ever lace up the sneakers, Michael Jordan has never been shy about his love for golf, playing throughout his NBA career and into retirement, with a handicap hovering around 1. His Airness has hosted the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational since 2001, raising almost $7 million for charity. (Getty Images)

Boston Celtics great Larry Bird brings the same competitive fire to the course as he did to the court, where he won three NBA titles and three MVP awards. The Hick From French Lick was listed as a 4.1 handicap in recent years. (Getty Images)

Charles Barkley’s love-hate relationship with golf has been well documented, with much of it on Golf Channel’s Haney Project. While The Round Mound of Rebound has lost the painful-to-watch hitch that plagued his swing in recent years, we don’t think we’ll be seeing him on the pro tours anytime soon. (Getty Images)

Current Golden State Warriors floor general and constant three-point threat, Stephen Curry, is also a big golfer, showing off his skills at the 2013 American Century Championship in Tahoe, where he finished fourth. (Getty Images)

Dr. J is best known for his monster dunks and legitimizing the ABA before it merged with the NBA in the ‘70s. He was listed as a 14.9 handicap as recently as five years ago, and even owned The Celebrity Golf Club International outside of Atlanta until it filed for bankruptcy. (Getty Images)

Chris Paul is one of the NBA’s best point guards and is the unquestioned leader of an L.A. Clippers team that is loaded with stars. Although his handicap doesn’t show it ... yet, CP3 is an avid golfer and big fan of the PGA Tour. (AP Images)

The best basketball player on the planet hasn’t done much golfing in public, so we can’t say for sure how good or bad he is on the course. But the Heat forward did take a lesson in a recent Samsung commercial from comedian Kevin Hart and we think it’s safe to say, his swing could use a little work. Maybe once his playing days are over he’ll have more time to focus on the important things in life, like his handicap.