Thunderstruck: Why was the Thunder's Kevin Durant chosen for a movie?

But how does Hollywood decide whether a great basketball player is a great fit for a movie role?

"With Kevin, it was really simple," Thunderstruck director John Whitesell said Sunday night at the movie premiere at Harkins Bricktown Theatre. "I love this guy as a basketball player — me being a basketball fan, but when you watched him be interviewed (in the NBA), and when a guy goes over and hugs his mom (Wanda Pratt) after the game, that's a guy people are going to like. That's what you need in a movie.

"You need a guy who is a star, who people are going to want to relate to and are going to care about. You want people to care that Kevin can't shoot (in the movie). If LeBron (James) can't shoot, I don't care. I'm happy. But if Kevin can't shoot, I'm sad. You're going to feel bad for him, what he's going through. That's a big part of it. His personality and who he is made me feel confident that we could make the movie with him."