Last week, we learned that LeBron James was struggling in his efforts to get some fellow NBA superstars to join him in "Space Jam 2."
On Tuesday, we found out that one of those superstars is Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who reportedly declined an offer to be in the movie.
Are Steph Curry and/or Kevin Durant potentially big-screen bound? Don't count on it.
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SIGN UP HERE The latest news comes from Tatiana Siegel of The Hollywood Reporter:
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that fellow All-Stars Stephen Curry, James Harden and Kevin Durant likely won't join James on the celluloid court. But that has more to do with sneaker contracts and the film's script — the latest version is being penned by Black Panther's Ryan Coogler and Searching's Sev Ohanian — and less to do with James' ability to enlist high-profile ballers.
In fact, Warner Bros. is responsible for roping in talent, not James. As to why shoes matter, Nike is essential to the Space Jam franchise. The 1996 first film was based on the "Hare Jordan" commercial directed by Joe Pytka, who also helmed the feature. That makes the involvement of Curry (Under Armour contract through 2024) and Harden (Adidas) nearly impossible, sources say.
Durant, though a key member of Team Nike, is pursuing his own Hollywood efforts, including an Apple series, Swagger, based on his life.
If Durant was truly considering teaming up with LeBron on the Lakers this summer, it wouldn't make much sense for him to say no to this movie.
Additionally, the moral of the story, as always, is that you shouldn't mess with companies like Nike and Under Armour. They are powerful.
Remember when Curry promised Bill Simmons of The Ringer that there are absolutely "adverserial relationships" in the NBA?
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It sounds like he was telling the truth.