
Will Ferrell is known for his comedic roles in Hollywood, but he has also pulled off some funny pranks in real life. Ferrell, who was a captain of his high school basketball team, has pulled off a few basketball-related pranks. In 2013, Ferrell, dressed as a security guard, pretended to escort Shaquille O'Neal out of an NBA game at the Staples Center. In another instance, Ferrell, while filming a scene for his movie Daddy's Home, accidentally hit a cheerleader in the face with a basketball during a Pelicans-Lakers game. Ferrell has also crashed the Golden State Warriors' warm-up session dressed as his character, Jackie Moon, from the basketball comedy Semi-Pro.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 2013 |
| Location | Staples Center |
| Disguise | Security guard |
| Target | Shaquille O'Neal |
| Film Promotion | N/A |
| Other Pranks | Cheerleader prank, crashing Warriors' warm-up |
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What You'll Learn

Will Ferrell throws Shaquille O'Neal out of an NBA game
Will Ferrell, the American actor, comedian, writer, and producer, is known for his comedy films and television work. Ferrell, a well-known Lakers fan, has witnessed the team's greats such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Shaquille O'Neal from the sidelines on several occasions.
In 2013, Ferrell pulled off a prank at an NBA game by throwing Shaquille O'Neal out of the Staples Center arena. Ferrell, dressed in a security uniform, pretended to be a security guard and managed to sneak into the game unnoticed. He revealed on the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce that his friends had given him the security guard outfit, which he smuggled into the building.
During the game, Ferrell stood up a few times during the breaks, unsure of what else to do in the security guard get-up. Then, someone tapped him on the shoulder and suggested that since O'Neal was ready to leave the game, Ferrell could throw him out. Ferrell agreed, and the two proceeded to carry out the prank. Ferrell escorted O'Neal out of the arena, and the two shared a laugh, with O'Neal finding the prank hilarious.
Ferrell later shared that he even received feedback from one of the heads of security for the Staples Center, who appreciated the "shout-out" to the security team, despite Ferrell's intention to poke fun at them. The prank was well-received and showcased the comedic genius of both Ferrell and O'Neal, who is also known for his pranks in NBA circles.
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Will Ferrell hits cheerleader in the face with a basketball
Will Ferrell, the American actor, comedian, writer, and producer, is known for his on-screen work as well as for occasionally pulling pranks in real life. In 2015, during halftime at a Pelicans-Lakers game in New Orleans, Ferrell, who was pretending to be drunk, hit a cheerleader in the face with a basketball. The cheerleader was an actress, and the incident was a scene from his upcoming movie, "Daddy's Home," in which Ferrell plays a mild-mannered radio executive who is determined to be the best stepfather to his new wife's children. Ferrell was filming the front part of the scene, in which the children meet Kobe Bryant, and then had six minutes left to film the scene in which he hit the cheerleader in the face with a basketball. He was later dragged out of the arena by security.
Ferrell recalled that the crowd was unaware of what was about to happen, and that some real security guards recognized him and let him continue with his prank. Ferrell has also pulled pranks at other sports games. For instance, in 2013, dressed in a security uniform, he threw Shaquille O'Neal out of a game at the Staples Center. Ferrell has said that he was later approached by one of the heads of security for the Staples Center, who told him that everyone appreciated the shoutout.
Ferrell has starred in several comedy films, including "Anchorman," "Elf," "Talladega Nights," and "Step Brothers." He has also taken on dramatic roles in films such as "Stranger than Fiction" and "Everything Must Go." In addition to his acting career, Ferrell has received several accolades for his work as a producer, including four Primetime Emmy Awards for the drama series "Succession."
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Will Ferrell dresses as Jackie Moon from Semi-Pro
Will Ferrell is known for his leading roles in comedy films and his work as a television producer. He is also known for his wild stunts in real life. In 2013, Ferrell pulled off a prank at an NBA game at the Staples Center. Ferrell, dressed in a security guard uniform, pretended to be a security guard and escorted Shaquille O'Neal out of the game. Ferrell revealed on the New Heights podcast with the Kelce brothers that the prank went off without a hitch, and even the security guards at the venue recognised him and let him continue.
In another instance, Ferrell, dressed as his character Jackie Moon from the 2008 basketball comedy Semi-Pro, crashed the Golden State Warriors' warm-ups before they took on the Los Angeles Clippers. Ferrell, 54 at the time, wore a sweatband and a Flint Tropics jersey as he warmed up with the team. The fictional team from the comedy film is coached and owned by Moon. Warriors coach Steve Kerr revealed that Ferrell's appearance was planned and that it was a natural fit as Klay Thompson, a player on the team, is a fan of the movie and has dressed up as the character for Halloween.
Ferrell has also pulled off pranks during filming for his movies. During filming for the 2015 movie Daddy's Home, Ferrell pretended to be drunk and launched a basketball into a cheerleader's face during halftime at a Pelicans-Lakers game in New Orleans. The cheerleader was an actress and Ferrell's character in the movie is a mild-mannered radio executive who tries to be the best stepfather to his new wife's children.
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Will Ferrell's basketball game is weak
Will Ferrell is known for his comedic on-screen roles and his wild real-life stunts. However, one prank during a basketball game highlighted his weak basketball skills. During a Pelicans-Lakers game in New Orleans, Ferrell was filming a scene for his upcoming movie "Daddy's Home". He was supposed to attempt a half-court shot but instead threw the basketball and accidentally hit a cheerleader in the face. Security swiftly dragged a "drunken" Ferrell out of the arena.
Ferrell's weak basketball skills were also on display during a prank at an NBA game at the Staples Center in 2013. Ferrell, dressed in a security uniform, escorted Shaquille O'Neal out of the game during a break. Ferrell recalled that he stood up a couple of times during the breaks, unsure of what to do, when someone tapped him on the shoulder and suggested that he throw Shaq out of the game. Ferrell agreed, and the two had a good laugh about it afterward.
Ferrell has a history of sports-related pranks, such as crashing the Golden State Warriors' warm-ups in costume as his character Jackie Moon from the basketball comedy "Semi-Pro". While it is clear that Ferrell enjoys a good prank, his basketball game is weak and may indeed need some work.
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Will Ferrell's wild Buddy the Elf moment
Will Ferrell, the American actor, comedian, writer, and producer, is known for his leading roles in comedy films and his work as a television producer. Ferrell has received various accolades, including six Primetime Emmy Awards, a British Academy Television Award, and two Golden Globe Award nominations. Ferrell has starred in several comedy films, including Elf (2003), Anchorman (2004), and Step Brothers (2008).
In one of his wildest stunts, Ferrell dressed up as his drinking-and-smoking Buddy the Elf character during a hockey game. Ferrell explained that he had sneaked into the game by wearing a security guard outfit that his friends had given him. He said that he had sneaked into the building and pretended to be one of the security guards, and the stunt went off without a hitch.
Ferrell's Buddy the Elf moment was not his first prank at a sports game. In 2013, he pulled a prank at an NBA game at the Staples Center by throwing Shaquille O'Neal out of the game. Ferrell, dressed as a security guard, escorted O'Neal out of the game, and the two shared a laugh about the prank.
In another incident, Ferrell accidentally hit a cheerleader in the face with a basketball during a Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans game in 2015. The incident was part of filming for his upcoming movie, "Daddy's Home," in which Ferrell plays a man who creates chaos in his ex-wife's life after she remarries.
Ferrell has also crashed the Golden State Warriors' warm-ups by dressing as his character Jackie Moon from the 2008 basketball comedy "Semi-Pro." Ferrell's appearance during the warm-ups was planned in collaboration with Warriors coach Steve Kerr, and the actor wore a sweatband and a Flint Tropics jersey.
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Frequently asked questions
Will Ferrell threw Shaquille O'Neal out of a basketball game at the Staples Center in 2013. Ferrell was dressed as a security guard and was recognised by some of the other security guards, who let him continue with the prank.
Ferrell was given the idea by someone who tapped him on the shoulder and said, "You know, during the next break, Shaq’s ready to leave the game. If you want to throw him out, we’ll throw him out of the game."
Ferrell found the prank hilarious, saying, "I go, 'Shaq, do you know how extraordinary that is that you’re allowing me to throw you out of an NBA basketball game?' He was like, 'Are you kidding me?'"
No, Ferrell did not face any consequences for the prank. In fact, one of the heads of security for the Staples Center told Ferrell, "I have to tell you, everyone appreciated the shoutout. All the security people appreciate the shoutout."











































