NBA Legend Being Rumored For ‘DWTS’ All-Athlete Season

In the closing minutes of the live finale of Dancing With the Stars, hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews told viewers that they will return in 2018 for a four-week, all-athletes edition of DWTS.

The network going with a shortened four-week mini competition instead of a full season could be a risky move, but it could also be a schedule-saving gamble, considering ABC will be the new home for American Idol in March 2018, but DWTS pros seemed on board with the never-before-done concept.

One name that keeps coming up: Kobe Bryant.

Longtime pro Sharna Burgess, who took Indy Car driver James Hinchcliffe to second place last fall, was the first to put his name out to the masses.

Burgess said she would love to see Kobe do the show, or Shaquille O’Neal, but noted, “I’m going to need three foot platforms to dance with that guy!”

The pro dancer added, “We’ve never actually had a golfer, what about Tiger Woods? [Also] someone who was from the winning Super Bowl team [and] someone that wins gold at the Olympics.”

It was Bryant’s former team member — and contestant on DWTS — Derek Fisher who told TooFab.com that the recently-retired Laker legend loves the program.

“He loves the show. He and the family watch it,” Fisher said. “[Producers] should at least try and call him!”

In past seasons, numerous sports stars have competed — and triumphed — in the ballroom: Former NFL stars Emmitt Smith, Hines Ward, Donald Driver, and Rashad Jennings each won their seasons; Olympic gold medalists Apolo Anton Ohno, Kristi Yamaguchi, Shawn Johnson, Meryl Davis, and Laurie Hernandez all danced away victorious; and auto racing driver Hélio Castroneves has also taken the top spot.