PHOTOS: ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 26 Cast to Include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adam Rippon, and Tonya Harding
Competitive dancing show’s first athletes-only season premieres April 30 on ABC
April 13, 2018
Sorry, actors, musicians, reality stars, politicians, comedians, and astronauts —“Dancing With the Stars” has unveiled its latest cast of competitors and this time only athletes are invited.
The all-star lineup for Season 26 of the ABC show features 10 famous sports figures, including NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, U.S. Olympian Adam Rippon, NFL Pro Bowler Josh Norman, and infamous former figure skater Tonya Harding, portrayed recently by actress Margot Robbie in the Oscar-winning biopic “I, Tonya.”
Athletes have generally fared well on previous seasons of “Dancing With the Stars,” but this new cycle which has been shortened to only four weeks marks the show’s first athletes-only season.
Kareem, to be fair, has appeared in his share of films, but the 70-year-old basketball legend is best known for his time on the court and even decades after retiring he remains the leading scorer in NBA history. He will be paired with Lindsay Arnold, the dance pro who took home Season 25’s Mirrorball Trophy alongside actor Jordan Fisher.
The other athletes set to take a turn on the dance floor are silver medal-winning U.S. luger Chris Mazdzer, softball star Jennie Finch Daigle, retired New York Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon, figure skater Mirai Nagasu, and recent gold medal-winning U.S. snowboarder Jamie Anderson.
“Dancing With the Stars” Season 26 premieres April 30 on ABC. Check out more pictures of the pairings (below).
