A brief history of Leonardo Dicaprio and sports
Today marks the 40th birthday of Leonardo Dicaprio – actor, producer, environmentalist, Oscar winner (oh wait…) and sports enthusiast. He’s frequently spotted at different sporting events, cozying up to a supermodel or hanging with his entourage. We celebrate his birthday with a roundup of his finest sports moments.
Basketball
Leo’s love for basketball dates back to his teenage years in the The Basketball Diaries, based on the memoir by Jim Carroll about his addiction to heroin. While Leo’s known to be a big basketball fan, the only footage we see of his on-court skills is this slow-motion drugged-up version:
Nowadays, he’s a regular at Los Angeles Lakers games. You can spot him courtside with his celebrity friends, usually sporting a college cap instead of Lakers apparel. Below are just a few in his fine, extensive collection.
Photo via Campus Media
Tennis
Uri Schanker/GC Images
Leo was among the many celebrity spectators at this year’s U.S. Open, though you wonder why he’s there when his past tennis appearances have proven less than exhilarating. Probably has something to do with the supermodel girlfriend.
Al Bello/Getty Images
Photo by PacificCoastNews.com
Golf
In 2004’s The Aviator, Leo looked dapper as Howard Hughes playing golf with Cate Blanchett’s Katherine Hepburn, who he can’t quite keep up with. Noble effort, Leo.
Hockey
Instead of their regular Lakers date, Leo and his pal Kevin Connolly caught the San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings playoff game.
Noel Vasquez/GC Images
Soccer
It’s a family affair when it comes to soccer. Leo became a fan after his godson convinced him to fly out to South Africa to see the 2010 World Cup.
In 2013, he attended the UEFA Champions League match in Paris with his mother, her boyfriend and Leo's BFF Lukas Haas.
E-Press/Goffphotos.com
He didn’t travel to Brazil for this year’s World Cup, but did host a viewing party on a $678 million yacht. Classic Leo (and frankly, kind of Gatsby-esque, no?).
