10 NBA Players We'd Love to See on "Dancing with the Stars"

Earlier tonight, the cast of ABC's new season of Dancing with the Stars was announced. Representing the professional athletes this fall are U.S. women's soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo and Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest.

Ever since premiering in 2005, the show has taken celebrities and paired them with professional dancers in a competition showcasing various forms of dance. More often than not, a professional athlete is featured on the show. In the third season, the winner was former Dallas Cowboys running back Emmit Smith.

Though I am not a fan of the program, Artest being on it could be enough for me to tune in. Besides his quirky personality, the man's 6'7", 260-pound frame will look massive compared to the slim woman with whom he will be partnered.

In fact, thinking about it now, there are multiple past and present NBA players who would be great contestants on Dancing with the Stars. Here are 10 who could surely garner tremendous ratings for the show.

No. 10: Kevin Love

Kevin Love broke out last season when he averaged 20.2 points and a league-leading 15.2 rebounds per game. At 6'10", his presence on the show would be, well, grand.

On top of that, Love is no stranger to show business. His uncle is Mike Love, a singer for the Beach Boys. Considering how he grew up with connections to the entertainment industry, along with his breakout season last year, the Minnesota Timberwolves star is no stranger to the spotlight.

More importantly, Love has exhibited his goofball side this summer in tremendous fashion. In poking fun at the NBA lockout, he appeared in this faux commercial with some of his fellow NBA stars. With his sense of humor, he would be a perfect contestant.

No. 9: Carmelo Anthony

Once he was traded to the New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony immediately won the fans over not just on the basketball court, but also by making a cameo on Saturday Night Live.

It is now time for him to take another step forward in that industry and become a cast member on DWTS. Given how he is a native New Yorker, you know he's got some moves.

More importantly, his wife is former MTV and VH1 personality La La Vazquez. This woman clearly knows music and has expressed interest in doing the show before. Given those two facts, it's a safe bet that Anthony himself is no slouch on the dance floor.

No. 8: Shawn Bradley

OK, so the odds of Bradley being on DWTS or any other reality show are slim. Still, it could be argued that putting a 7'6" former NBA center on the show would cause ratings to skyrocket. Not many people know who Bradley is, but his size alone would be enough to make people tune in to the program.

More importantly, Bradley isn't any stranger to show business. He appeared in the movie Space Jam with fellow NBA players Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing and appeared on an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger.

He may not be what most call graceful, but Bradley would sure be entertaining to have on the show.

No. 7: Steve Nash

Personally, I would like to see Steve Nash on DWTS for a few reasons, the most important being that he is my favorite player.

Yet all basketball fans will agree that Nash has a charisma about him unlike that of any other player in the NBA, let alone in professional sports. He may make some flashy plays on the hardwood, but he is very quiet and humble away from the game.

That being said, he would be an interesting contestant to have on the show. His graceful finesse on the court and good footwork would make him a front-runner from the start, but he would handle his performance with class. Even if he blew the competition out of the water, Nash would take the judges' praise with class and not get big-headed about it, all while flashing that million-dollar smile of his.

No. 6: Dirk Nowitzki

Fresh off a championship season and with the NBA lockout in full swing, Dirk Nowitzki needs something to do. He'll play for his native Germany in the Eurobasket tournament, but that only goes until mid-September. Considering how the lockout is expected to last well beyond that, DWTS could be an option worth exploring.

Like his former teammate Nash, Nowitzki has this charisma that just sets him apart from other professional athletes. Despite being his team's star player, he is always one to give his teammates their due credit.

More importantly, Nowitzki would 100 percent embrace the hilarity of his presence on the show. Say he was paired with Julianne Hough, who is 5'4". For those who don't follow basketball, Dirk Nowitzki is seven feet tall.

He has a great sense of humor, a winning personality and would just have fun throughout the entire experience.

To get an idea of how much fun the man known as "Dirty Dirk" is, watch the video above.

No. 5: Walt "Clyde" Frazier

Currently a color commentator for the New York Knicks, Walt "Clyde" Frazier has won over the current generation of fans with his...er...interesting choice of suits and his poetic broadcasting style. What many don't know is that Frazier was one of the best guards of his time, spending 13 seasons in the NBA with the Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers.

So what about that makes Frazier someone we would want to watch on DWTS? Well, to be blunt, the man is badass.

In his prime, Frazier was easily the NBA player with the most swagger. He would arrive at every game dressed in a loud and flashy suit with an equally flamboyant hat to go with it all. If he were on the show, he would take the outfits worn to a whole new level.

WIth his soft-spoken confidence and ability to surprise everyone, there's no denying that Frazier has some moves mixed with that swagger. Put him on the show!

No. 4: Muggsy Bogues

Seeing as how I've already mentioned one of the tallest men to ever play in the NBA, it's only fair that we give the game's shortest player the same attention.

Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues, at 5'3", spent 14 seasons in the NBA and was actually a pretty decent player despite being at a great disadvantage compared to his much taller contemporaries.

Much like Shawn Bradley, Bogues would be a good choice to have on DWTS simply for the ratings. He isn't a household name but could easily gain a huge fanbase if he performs well on the show.

More importantly, for someone his size to last that long in the NBA, he must have some moves.

No. 3: Shaquille O'Neal

Long considered one of the most fun-loving individuals to ever play the game, Shaquille O'Neal would be absolutely perfect for DWTS.

Besides his tremendous size at 7'1" and well over 300 pounds, Shaq is one of those guys who is a total goof and embraces it fully. Anyone who has seen some of the commercials he has done can attest that he is simply hilarious.

The man is no stranger to the spotlight, having headlined films like Steel and Kazaam. Both were box office bombs, but to kids growing up in the 1990s who worshipped O'Neal, these two flicks were candidates for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

On top of that, Shaq is retired now and will become a studio analyst for NBA on TNT once the lockout is over. What better way to kill time than to do the show? If he can recreate this performance, even better.

No. 2: Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley could be an entertaining addition to the cast of DWTS on two different levels. Not only could he be a contestant, but he could also be one entertaining judge.

Let's discuss him as a contestant first. While Barkley was one of the game's best and toughest players in his prime, he was never exactly what one would call graceful. He had a stocky build at 6'6" and 252 pounds, a build that has grown extensively in retirement.

Thus, call me a cold person, but watching him do dances like the waltz or the cha-cha would just be a riot.

Yet I think that Barkley could be equally beneficial to the show as a judge. Just imagine him addressing host Tom Bergeron after a subpar performance by one of the pairs:

"That tango was TURRIBLE, Tom. Just plain TURRIBLE. The execution was off," etc. You get the idea.

With a true underdog label attached to him from the get-go, along with what would be some surely entertaining commentary, Sir Charles would be reason enough for me to tune in to DWTS.

No. 1: LeBron James

Love him or hate him, LeBron James is one of the NBA's most iconic players, if not the most iconic.

After becoming a star for the Cleveland Cavaliers and making the city fall in love with him, James slapped them all in the face and signed a lucrative contract with the Miami Heat last summer. In an instant, he went from being one of the most beloved to the most hated player in the league.

This label is why James is a perfect candidate to be on DWTS. Miami fans would watch to support him, but others would have different motives. People all around the world would take the time to watch LeBron on the show solely for the purpose of witnessing him potentially fail. Even if they hate the show itself, they would watch simply because it would be LeBron possibly making a fool of himself.

If the higher-ups at ABC are looking to up ratings for the show, they need look no further than this man. With a swagger about him that makes some seethe, along with being a household name, James is a perfect candidate to be on the program.