Getty Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony
NBA free agent, Carmelo Anthony may not have joined his friend, LeBron James and the Los Angeles this season, but he might team up with James in Space Jam 2.
According to multiple reports, James is having trouble recruiting NBA stars for “Space Jam 2.”
LeBron James’ Space Jam 2 trailer was supposed to happen like this… – t.co/0uoWyfcGtd
Syracuse.com writer, Geoff Herbert suggests that Anthony, a former basketball star at Syracuse could help him out.
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that James and Warner Bros. are facing a surprising complication for the long-awaited sequel to Michael Jordan’s 1996 movie with Bugs Bunny: Sneaker contracts. Since the original film is based on the iconic “Hare Jordan” commercial by Nike, players who have shoe deals with different companies may not be available, including Steph Curry (Under Armour) and James Harden (Adidas).
‘Melo could certainly help him out, as he’s sponsored by the Air Jordan brand, and he appears to be available. Anthony hasn’t played in the NBA since the first month of the 2018-19 season when he appeared in 10 games for the Houston Rockets; the Rockets traded him to the Chicago Bulls, who waived him.
Anthony is also a longtime friend of James and they were teammates for two gold medal-winning Olympics. ‘Melo also has acting experience, appearing in “Sons of Anarchy,” “Nurse Jackie” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.”
Carmelo Anthony has not played NBA basketball since November.
LeBron James’ Space Jam 2 is still going on as scheduled, I’m told this afternoon.
A 10-time NBA All-Star, Anthony signed with the Houston Rockets this summer after clearing waivers in a trade that shipped him from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Atlanta Hawks.
Anthony has averaged 24 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3 assists in his career with the Thunder, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets.
Space Jam 2 is the sequel to the Michael Jordan starred Space Jam that starred Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Daffy Duck and names in sports and Hollywood like Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Muggsy Bogues, Bill Murray, Danny Devito Shawn Bradley and Larry Bird.
Syracuse.com notes that other stars have turned down the project for different reasons:
- Milwaukee Bucks star and 2019 NBA MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, aka the “Greek Freak,” told ESPN that he turned down a role in “Space Jam 2” because “I don’t like being Hollywood.”
- THR reports Kevin Durant, despite being Team Nike, isn’t interested because he’s pursuing his own Apple series “Swagger.”
- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst says other players have turned down James because “you put me in the movie where you’re the star, I’m going to be the one you’re dunking on.”
LeBron James confirmed during NBA All Star Weekend that he and his SpringHill Entertainment would begin filming the project this summer.
In September it was announced that Black Panther director Ryan Coogler signed on to produce the Space Jam sequel. Terence Nance will be directing the film, in which James is set to star.
One retired NBA player has put in his bid to be in the film: Charles Oakley. “I would love to do it,” Oakley told me in February.
“I love the part with Mike, it was just great. I would love to be around him for a week or two.”
“Being in Space Jam 1 and seeing how things went, you would never know what would happen while you were doing Space Jam,” Oakley told me.
“We got to play basketball everyday on the court, and it was so much fun.”
Oakley is also friends with James and said it too guts to re-make the iconic Space Jam film. “I’m glad he was tough enough to do it,” he said.
“I don’t know why he would do something Mike did, but you gotta do what make you go”