You’ve seen the search results. Maybe you were scrolling through TikTok or deep-diving into a Reddit thread when you saw the name: Jennette McCurdy basketball player. It sounds like one of those weird Mandela Effect things, right? You remember her as Sam Puckett, the fried-chicken-loving sidekick on iCarly. Or maybe you know her now as the New York Times bestselling author who wrote that book with the bright pink cover.
But a basketball player?
Let’s get one thing straight immediately. Jennette McCurdy is not, and has never been, a professional or collegiate basketball player. Honestly, at 5-foot-2, she’d have a bit of a hard time guarding the rim in the WNBA.
So why does everyone keep searching for this?
The confusion isn't just a random glitch in the internet's collective memory. It stems from a very public, very weird, and very short-lived relationship she had with an actual NBA giant. If you’re looking for the "basketball player" version of Jennette McCurdy, you’re actually looking for the story of how she ended up dating Andre Drummond.
The Twitter Romance That Started It All
Back in 2013, the internet was a different place. Andre Drummond, who was then a rising star for the Detroit Pistons, started a campaign to get Jennette’s attention. He used the #WCW (Woman Crush Wednesday) hashtag relentlessly. Every week. Like clockwork.
Jennette eventually noticed.
She wasn't even a sports fan. In her 2022 memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, she admits she had to Google him just to figure out who he was. She saw a guy who was 6-foot-11, incredibly talented, and—most importantly to her at the time—interested.
They started flirting on Twitter. Then they moved to FaceTime. Finally, they met in person. The photos of them together were a viral sensation because the height difference was almost comical. It looked like a photoshop job, but it was real life.
Why the "Basketball Player" Tag Stuck
Because their relationship was so tied to the NBA world, the two names became linked in Google’s algorithms forever. When you search for "Jennette McCurdy basketball," you aren't finding her stats or her jump shot. You're finding the digital footprint of a week-long fling that the internet refuses to let die.
It only lasted about a week. Maybe ten days if you’re being generous.
What Really Happened with the Breakup?
This is where it gets kinda messy. Jennette didn't just disappear quietly after the breakup. She went on Pete Holmes’ podcast, You Made It Weird, and spilled everything.
She was blunt.
She talked about how the first kiss "sucked." She mentioned there were no sparks. She even described a scene where Drummond got down on one knee to ask her to be his girlfriend after just a few days, and she felt pressured to say yes because people were watching.
Drummond didn't take it lying down, though he tried to stay "mature" about it. He posted a Vine (RIP Vine) saying, "Sometimes you gotta live and learn by the mistakes you make."
Then things got darker.
Shortly after the podcast, some racy photos of Jennette leaked online. Many fans immediately pointed the finger at Drummond, assuming it was "revenge porn" for her trashing his kissing skills. Drummond denied it. Jennette later clarified she knew exactly who leaked them, and it wasn't him.
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Jennette McCurdy’s Actual Athletic Background
If she isn't a basketball player, does she have any sports DNA?
Sorta.
- Karate: She actually holds a brown belt. This is probably why she was so convincing as the muscle on iCarly. She could actually move.
- Figure Skating: She did this as a kid, though it was more of a hobby than a career path.
- Dance: Like most child stars, she had years of training, but it was all geared toward the "triple threat" industry standard.
She has spent most of her life in front of a camera or behind a keyboard, not on a court. The idea of her as an athlete is mostly just a side effect of her proximity to the NBA for one weird month in 2013.
The Career Shift You Should Actually Care About
While people are still googling her basketball connections, Jennette has moved lightyears away from that version of herself. She quit acting. She’s very open about the fact that she hated it.
She’s a writer now.
Her memoir didn't just sell well; it changed the conversation around child stardom and parental abuse. She’s focused on directing and writing scripts that have nothing to do with sitcoms or professional sports.
The Takeaway
If you came here looking for a scouting report on a point guard named Jennette McCurdy, you won’t find one. She’s a 5-foot-2 powerhouse of a writer who once dated a guy who happens to be a rebounding leader in the NBA.
If you want to understand the real Jennette McCurdy, stop looking at her dating history from a decade ago.
Next Steps for the Curious:
- Read her memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, to understand why she walked away from the fame that led to the basketball player rumors in the first place.
- Check out her podcast archives (Empty Inside) where she talks about the transition from being a "personality" to being a person.
- Watch her short films if you want to see where her actual talent is heading in 2026.