Plans to make a Space Jam sequel starring LeBron James were released earlier this month… Will any Miami Heat players make a cameo?
News about a Space Jam sequel got the internet buzzing earlier this month.
It came as no surprise that new Los Angeles resident, LeBron James, will play the lead role in the movie.
What is (presumably) yet to be determined is… which other NBA players will play a supporting role?
More specifically, will any Miami Heat players make an appearance?
If the plot of the sequel is similar to the original, then we can expect to see some tiny aliens steal the talent of five unsuspecting NBA players to become the Monstars.
The five players that had their talent stolen in the original movie were Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and Shawn Bradley.
We can see that, aside from Muggsy Bogues, the aliens in the first movie looked for players with size and strength. This was most likely to compensate for their own stature. If that story line remains the same in the sequel, there are a couple of Heat players that might be targeted.
The current Heat players that most closely fit the Monstars profile are Hassan Whiteside and Bam Adebayo. Both are physically imposing big men, that can make an impact on both ends of the court.
Of those two players, Whiteside probably has a better chance to make an appearance in the Space Jam sequel; this is largely due to name recognition.
Adebayo may end up having a better career in the NBA, but he has no where near as much clout as Whiteside. And when it comes to the movie industry, personal brand outweighs career potential.
Does Whiteside have what it takes to catch the attention of the Monstars though?
There are plenty of candidates that are competing for the two or three roster spots reserved for big men: Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Anthony Davis, Boogie Cousins, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan will probably all be considered.
(There is a possibility that given how the past two seasons ended, James will influence the plot of the movie and make the Monstars take the talent from the starting five of the Golden State Warriors. Honestly, I would be all for that. I think that would make a great plot.)
Whiteside would make the short list of big men candidates for the Monstars, but he is certainly behind some other star players. However, he has some time to strengthen his case and move up the list.
Production will not start until next summer at the earliest. That means Whiteside has an entire NBA season to improve his game and ostensibly audition for this movie.
The improvements that would help his case the most would be his perimeter defense and offensive game.
Whiteside has been a consistent rim protector over the past few seasons, but he has been much less effective on defense when he has to leave the paint. His offensive production has also been lacking at times.
If Whiteside can show improvement in those areas and become a more well-rounded player, he will have a good chance at being selected by the Monstars in the Space Jam sequel.
Maybe once the Monstars steal his talents, they can hack his social media accounts and subtweet James or call him out on Instagram and Snapchat.
Maybe that is how the conflict between the Monstars and Looney Tunes starts in this movie.
Are you taking notes, Terence Nance and Ryan Coogler?