Last weekend, LeBron James announced that the highly anticipated sequel to “Space Jam” would begin filming this summer. Then, on Thursday, SpringHill Entertainment announced the release date for “Space Jam 2,” which will feature James as the film’s star.
Considering his status as one the greatest players of all time, if not the greatest of all time, it came as no surprise that James was cast to take over for Michael Jordan alongside the Looney Tunes. The real question is what other NBA stars are going to star in the movie alongside James? Specifically, which players are going to get their talent stolen by the Nerdlucks to form the second Monstars?
The easy answer to that question is the famous banana boat crew, which includes James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul. To fill the last roster spot, it’s reasonable to assume James would call up his old friend Chris Bosh, who James won two championships with during his time with the Miami Heat.
While they would be all be fine choices from an on-screen standpoint, they wouldn’t make much sense for the Nerdlucks, who will be looking to inherit the skill and elite athleticism from players in their prime. With the exception of Paul and James, who are under contract with their respective teams through 2021, all the aforementioned players will be retired.
That said, it’s entirely possible that a driving plot point in the film will be James battling with the decision to retire or keep playing. By the time the movie is released, James will be 36 years old with a player option he can decline. For our purposes, we’re going to assume that isn’t the case, even if it’s likely.
That brings us back to our original question: Whose skills will be used to form the next Monstars? Let’s discuss.
From a pure height standpoint, Isaiah Thomas makes a ton of sense to fill in for the role Muggsy Bogues played in 1996, but James could look at a few taller and more prominent names to fill out his point guard position, including, but not limited to, Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook. Could you imagine Nawt with Curry’s jump shot, or Irving’s handles or Westbrook’s athleticism? That’s the start of a scary team.
At the two guard, James Harden seems like the natural choice, but Klay Thompson deserves to be on the big screen. He is one of the more naturally funny players in the NBA, and it also means that there’s a small chance Mychal Thompson would be in the movie. For that reason alone, Klay deserves serious consideration.
Filling out both forward spots would likely be Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin. Griffin’s prime will almost certainly be well behind him by the time this movie is released, but like Thompson, he was made to star in a big budget, Hollywood movie. Plus, he’s already done some work alongside the Looney Tunes.
Durant’s limbs already look otherworldly, so picking him is a no-brainer, but for that same reason, Giannis Antetokounmpo should get a look.
Last but not least, we have the center spot, which could be flooded with superstar talent by the time “Space Jam 2” is released. Not only will current All-Stars like Karl-Anthony Towns, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic get consideration, but rising stars like DeAndre Ayton, Myles Turner and Kristaps Porzingis.
However, my gut tells me it will be Anthony Davis. I mean, why wouldn’t LeBron include at least one of his teammates in the movie? That could stir up some drama in the Lakers’ locker room.
But who do you think will make up the Monstars in “Space Jam 2”? Will there even be Monstars? Let us know in the comments below!
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