John McEnroe has carved out a second career with self-deprecating appearances playing himself on “30 Rock” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” not to mention a number of Adam Sandler movies, an inexplicable turn as the narrator of “Never Have I Ever” and a steady stream of commercials. He’s in that Charles Barkley/Terry Bradshaw/Shaquille O’Neal zone of ubiquitous former athletes who maintain a high level of celebrity. Some of their younger fans might not even know how great these guys were back in the day.
In the autobiographical documentary “McEnroe,” available on demand now before premiering on Showtime on Sunday, we’re reminded of McEnroe’s dominance on the court — as well as the antics that earned him a reputation as a brat who polarized the tennis world. Bellowing “YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS” at umpires, partying at Studio 54, playing guitar with Keith Richards and Chrissie Hynde, involved in a tumultuous marriage to actress Tatum O’Neal and infuriating the old guard with his rebellious antics, McEnroe was one of the most famous athletes in the world in the 1980s — and all those distractions aside, he became one of the most dominant figures in the history of tennis.
