12 Athletes We'd Have Over for Thanksgiving Dinner

I don't know about you, but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday each and every year, as it's a time to house some food, spend time with family/friends and fall asleep on the couch to football all day long.

As great as it is sitting around the table with those who matter the most to us, it might be even better if we had the chance to invite some of our favorite athletes along, too.

That's why I thought of a group of athletes who would bring some entertainment to the table this Thanksgiving—so I hope they take this article as their official invite to the Dimengo household.

Joel Embiid

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By no means a superstar—even if he was taken with the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NBA draft—what makes Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid so appealing to have over for Thanksgiving is his wit and humor.

While the former Kansas Jayhawk star hasn't even appeared in an NBA game yet, he has made a few headlines thanks to his hilarious tweets and Instagram photos, which would be a nice break from all the stress of cooking dinner and doing dishes during Thanksgiving.

Although he claims to have grown up a bit, if there's a kids' table to sit at, Embiid would be at the head of it.

P.K. Subban

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Not only one of the biggest trash-talkers in the NHL but also one of the most talented, too, Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban has a soft spot in him that would be cool to see around the Thanksgiving dinner table.

I mean, that's the perception of a guy who donated $10 million during the offseason to a children's hospital, so sitting back and seeing what ol' Uncle P.K. brought along as a gift for everyone would be interesting.

Plus, if there's a fight over the last dinner roll, Subban would be a good person to have on my side to make sure I claim it.

Maya Moore

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I don't know, maybe having a three-time WNBA champ and, arguably, the best women's baller on the planet over for Thanksgiving would be dope as hell, don't you think?

What Maya Moore has accomplished since coming into the league as the No. 1 overall pick by the Minnesota Lynx in 2011 has been absurd, as she has gone to four All-Star Games, won a league MVP and, oh yeah, hoisted the title trophy three times in those four campaigns.

Moore is successful on the court, so I have a good feeling that she would be a nice addition to have at Thanksgiving for her amazing stories. Who knows, maybe she can make a mean pumpkin pie, too?

Bryce Harper

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What's Thanksgiving without a total bro who, oh yeah, happens to be the NL MVP after a 2015 season that saw him post career highs in a number of different offensive categories?

More than just the future of baseball, Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper also happens to have a personality that would blend well with some of the other athletes around the table on Thanksgiving.

No doubt joining the aforementioned Joel Embiid at the kids' table, Harper would crack jokes and be sophomoric all day long—and it'd be hilarious to see.

Plus, well, this conversation would happen, for sure:

Me: "Hey Bryce, do you want another piece of turkey?"

Bryce: "That's a clown question bro."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

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I don't know what it is about him, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic has the whole Rodney Dangerfield, "I don't get no respect" shtick down perfectly, as he often is the forgotten man in the conversation about the top soccer player in the world.

He might not be Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, but Zlatan certainly thinks he is, and his temper and brash attitude would be fun to have around for Thanksgiving because, well, everyone needs that annoying person who complains about everything!

Ibra would yell about how dry the turkey is and how his mashed potatoes taste better than the ones being served, and then troll everyone in perfect fashion.

LeBron James

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As if I weren't going to have the most popular athlete on the planet on this list. What, are you loopy from all the gravy or something?

LeBron James isn't only the best baller in the world, but he also happens to be, arguably, the funniest, as he's cracking jokes with teammates and poking fun at himself.

As great as James is, he's extremely humble and one hell of a motivator, so I'd let him go ahead and say the pre-meal prayer for his encouraging words, and then let him work the room by splitting time between the kids' and adults' tables.

Marshawn Lynch

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He's one of the most interesting and misunderstood athletes in recent memory, and Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch also happens to have a personality that's pretty funny as long as there isn't someone shoving a microphone in his face to get a quote from him.

With Lynch—who's nursing an injury that could cost him the rest of his 2015 season, so be keen on eating Skittles—it would be interesting to see what type of dessert the five-time Pro Bowler could whip up.

When it comes to eating turkey and mashed potatoes, Lynch is surely, "All 'bout that action, boss."

Novak Djokovic

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Not only is Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic a 10-time Grand Slam singles champ and one of the most likable guys on the ATP Tour, but he's also one of the strangest, who has some hilarious habits that would be interesting to hear about on Thanksgiving.

Djoko may get a lot of strange looks from other guests around the table anytime he opens his mouth because what he's saying is so absurd, but he would provide plenty of laughs, too.

While some of his weird habits include only drinking warm water and, yes, even eating grass, Novak Djokovic would be a joy to just observe during a big meal such as Thanksgiving dinner.

J.J. Watt

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There might not have been an athlete who had a more entertaining and enjoyable summer than Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, who saw himself traveling all over the place.

Not only would hearing his stories be cool, but Watt has an electric personality that would instantly make everyone in the room forget about the hustle and bustle that Thanksgiving often brings by simply showing up.

There are a plus and a minus to having Watt over for the holiday, though. The positive is that he'd be a great person to have bust through busy lines on Black Friday the next day. The negative would be the copious amount of grub that this dude would house, which means you should get ready to cook a lot before he shows up.

Jordan Spieth

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Other than Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, there might not be an athlete who enjoyed more success in his sport this year than Jordan Spieth, who, at just 22 years old, won two major titles in 2015 to cap one of the best PGA seasons ever.

Like the aforementioned LeBron James, Spieth seems to mix humility with an unmatched competitiveness and would probably be the guy who cooks the turkey, serves the food and then washes the dishes because he's just that nice.

Other players on tour might have more of a personality than Spieth, but he's the guy I'd want to have tell stories about his rise to fame in the past year to go with the other athletes at this Thanksgiving dinner.

Floyd Mayweather

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Some may disagree with having Floyd Mayweather Jr. over for Thanksgiving, but, come on now, you can't say that he wouldn't be entertaining to spend an entire day with!

Whether it was running his mouth about something ridiculous or being the person who brings over the most expensive bottles of champagne ever because, you know, he's worth hundreds of millions of dollars, spending Thanksgiving with Money Mayweather would be an absolute trip.

In fact, screw coming to my house for the holiday, seeing the lavish lifestyle that he leads, I'd suggest he hosts so we can do Thanksgiving first-class.

Rob Gronkowski

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Ah, yes, Rob Gronkowski.

Is there any athlete on the planet more entertaining and full of childish enthusiasm than the New England Patriots tight end? Nope.

Gronk might not be the person I would trust with cooking the main course, but I'm sure he could toss a few sides together to contribute in some way. Hell, even if he couldn't do that, just having him sit down and joke with everyone would be good enough.

Something in me thinks he would want to bring his mom's special souffle, though.