LeBron James has proven himself to be more than a basketball GOAT, as he’s also a media mogul, who has produced both movie and TV productions. The reception to James’ entertainment-centric endeavors has varied, but one that’s still discussed today is his 2010 TV special, The Decision. Some may find this hard to believe, but James just revealed that a successor of sorts to that program is on the way (and soon). With that, a plethora of NBA fans have taken to social media to share some truly funny reactions.

What Is The Decision, And What’s The Deal With This Follow-Up?

Back in the summer of 2010, “King James” was in the position to make a major choice, as he reached the end of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers in July of that year. James’ next move received considerable attention and, amid the buzz, his business partner engineered The Decision, which was set up at ESPN. The 75-minute special featured a series of panel discussions and, nearly 30 minutes in, James ultimately announced his decision to join the Miami Heat.

That TV special earned high ratings, though many critics panned it, especially for the producers making fans wait so long for LeBron James to finally confirm his new team. While James has since expressed regret over how the show played out. However, James took to Instagram on Monday to share a teaser for a special called The Second Decision. At first glance, it seems that, like its predecessor, the show will have a sit-down-type of format involving James. Check out the clip below:

Yes, you read that correctly. The Second Decision is set to debut on Tuesday, October 7th at 12 p.m. ET. Since the reveal, there’s been speculation about what the show pertains to, with some even theorizing that it could be part of a promotion for Prime Video subscription holders. (James has a business partnership with Amazon, and Prime Day starts on Tuesday.) Yet there are others who believe 40-year-old James, who now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, is going to announce that the upcoming NBA season will be his last.

How Are Fans Reacting To The Second Decision?

NBA fans rarely ever hesitate to weigh in on a given subject, from the near-cancellation of Inside the NBA to Jimmy Butler’s Miami Heat drama. Upon the announcement of The Second Decision, users took to X to share their two cents. Most of the jokes center around retirement, while some others have quips pertaining to Amazon and other business deals:

• My GOAT about to retire and become a streamer. - @big_business_
• There's never been a better time to launch your second career as a YouTuber. - @MKBHD
• The Prime Day trolling is gonna be goat level 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 - @EmpireJeffTV
• This is 100% a mobile game or shoe ad 🤣 - @JoseLAL23
• Gonna be an ad for Chipotle, and he’s deciding between chicken or beef. - @futtywap

As funny as these comments may be, a part of me is truly tempted to believe this decision involves retirement. The past few years have seen LeBron James field (and dodge) questions about how much longer he’ll play. It’s honestly a bit surreal to think that he’s been in the league since 2003 and that a whole generation has never seen an NBA in which he isn’t an active player. He’s accomplished a lot over the course of his career as well – as he’s won four NBA Finals (complete with four Finals MVP awards), notched 21 All-Star appearances, 21 All-NBA Team selections and more. He’s also the highest scoring player in league history.

Several potential avenues are available for the Akron, Ohio native if he does decide to hang up his jersey. James – who’s the first active billionaire player in NBA history – has plenty of business ventures off the court. Given his acting career (in which he’s mostly played himself) he could even play characters in movies or TV shows like Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar before him. There’s also sports punditry, but I don’t see James becoming a streamer as some fans on social media suggest.

A part of me truly hopes there’s something substantial behind The Second Decision and that it’s not simply a publicity stunt tied to marketing or a prolonged piece of content. I remember watching The Decision years ago, and let’s just say fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice… Well, you get what I mean. Either way, like a moth to a flame, I’ll be watching to see what LeBron James – who’s arguably neck in neck with Michael Jordan in GOAT debates – has to say.

The Second Decision aside, get ready for the start of the NBA season, which officially tips off on October 21 amid the 2025 TV schedule.

It feels as though the debate regarding the basketball GOAT is as old as time itself at this point, and that debate typically involves players like Michael Jordan and LeBron James. For years now, there have been fans who’ve called Jordan the best player to ever set foot on the hardwood. However, given James’ accomplishments, some believe the (still-active) NBA veteran now surpasses “His Airness.” Charles Barkley was recently asked if James now sits above Jordan in the rankings, and I loved his cerebral answer.

62-year-old Charles Barkley spoke at the Rowan University Center for Sports Communication and Social Impact. While Barkley was taking questions, a fan asked if “King James” overtakes MJ as the basketball GOAT. The attendee – whose name was ironically, Jordan – based his question on the fact that James is now the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, ranks high in different statistical categories and has played more than 20 seasons among other distinctions. As seen on YouTube, Barkley laid out his answer as follows:

“Sir Charles” is known for dishing out blunt takes on basketball and non-sports-related topics. As funny and animated as he can be when sharing thoughts, Barkley is known to choose his words carefully on some topics. He makes a very good point in that the game is played a lot differently today and that rules have been instituted that have lowered the lack of physicality. As mentioned, The Last Dance (the Chicago Bulls docuseries that’s available with a Netflix subscription) shows how chippy games could get back in the ‘80s and ‘90s. With that, an athlete like Michael Jordan had to be quite strong to impose their will.

Of course, the now-40-year-old LeBron James is a physically imposing presence in his own right and has been highly regarded for how he’s been able to keep himself in shape. When it comes to how James compares to Air Jordan, Charles Barkley simply stated the obvious – that these are two players who competed in “different eras.” However, Barkley also shared his take on how James had an advantage over Jordan:

Barkley, who used to be friends with Michael Jordan, ultimately couldn’t convince the fan as. Because, when the former Phoenix Sun asked if he’d take Jordan, James or the late Kobe Bryant if he had to win a Game 7 matchup, the fan said James.

The ongoing GOAT discussion is honestly very interesting, and everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, of course. I still lean towards Michael Jordan being “the one,” but there are certainly arguments to be made for Lebron James and others. Ironically enough, years ago, Jordan shut down the GOAT talk surrounding him and the likes of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Given the times in which they played in their respective primes, he sees himself as parallel to those two.

More than likely, this debate regarding who’s the best basketball player of all time is likely going to persist. In my humble opinion, though, if it continues to spark positive discussions, including the one Charles Barkley had with the fan, I’m all for it.

The debate about who’s the greatest of all time (or GOAT) among basketball players typically comes down to two specific people: Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Clearly, both of them are legends and have had their respective impacts on the game. However, not everyone sees eye to eye on how “His Airness” and “King James” stack up against each other. I’m personally of the belief that Jordan is the one, and it seems Dennis Rodman is of that thinking, too. But there’s another legend Rodman gives credit to as well.

It’s no secret that Dennis Rodman has a major connection to Michael Jordan, as the two were teammates while playing for the Chicago Bulls. So Rodman had a front-row seat to Jordan’s iconic performances on the court. The hall of famer known as “The Worm” was recently asked about his ex-teammate and LeBron James while appearing on N3ON’s recent livestream, which is on YouTube. A fan specifically asked Rodman for his thoughts on Jordan or James being the greatest of all time, and he didn’t hesitate when answering:

The former Detroit Piston definitely isn’t the first person to have named “Air Jordan” the best of all time, and that’s completely understandable. Throughout his storied career, Jordan led the Bulls to six NBA Finals between 1991 and 1998, and the teams emerged victorious every time. On top of that, Jordan earned other accolades like five league MVP awards, 14 All-Star team selections, 10 All-NBA First Team selections and more. So it’s perfectly reasonable for Jordan to be tagged with such a major distinction.

I love that Dennis Rodman has no problem showering praise on players, and that especially appears to be true with those who competed with. Several years back, Rodman hyped up Scottie Pippen – another Bulls teammate – who he views as a friend. (Rodman has also expressed hope that Jordan and Pippen will reconcile after their feud.) All of that aside, though, Rodman also believes a certain Los Angeles Lakers icon should also be in the GOAT discussion alongside Jordan and LeBron James:

The late Kobe Bryant is still highly regarded as one of the most talented athletes to ever pick up a basketball. Bryant’s list of accolades includes five championship titles, 18 All-Star appearances and an MVP title among other honors. Despite all of that, I’d argue that Bryant – who was famously known as “The Black Mamba” – isn’t brought up within the GOAT conversation as often as he should be. While Rodman previously opined that Air Jordan was more driven than Bryant, his GOAT point still stands.

Of course, LeBron James does indeed deserve his flowers as well, given the championships, MVP awards and All-Star appearances he’s racked up. James is also the highest-scoring player in NBA history, having surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Still, I have to give the edge to Michael Jordan, as I think he had a unique mentality that helped push him beyond his peers. Dennis Rodman clearly recognizes Jordan’s skills, and I know he and I aren’t the only ones.

Hear more from Dennis Rodman as well as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and more by streaming the ESPN docuseries The Last Dance. The 10-part saga is available to stream with a Netflix subscription.

LeBron James is a legend on the court. He is still playing the sport at 40 years old, and he has put up an average of 24.4 points per game this season with over 10 triple-doubles. After 22 seasons in the game, he does not seem to be in any hurry to exit. But have all those field goals, free throws, and rebounds helped prepare him for a different kind of career? Intriguingly, somebody finally asked the NBA player about what’s next.

To date, LeBron has been in several movies acting opposite some of the arguably best contemporary comedic actors today. For example, if you have a Netflix subscription, you can catch him alongside Amy Schumer and Bill Hader in Trainwreck. For those with an HBO MAX subscription, see him opposite Don Cheadle in Space Jam: A New Legacy. LeBron has even hosted Saturday Night Live, so he’s not wholly inexperienced in Hollywood.

However, this basketball legend has only ever played himself, and I’ve wondered if he could take on the acting challenge of becoming another character. Recently, LeBron sat down with the THR and gave his thoughts on the matter.

In my opinion, LeBron has some on-screen chops. In Trainwreck, in particular, he shows flashes of his comedic abilities. He plays well opposite Bill Hader, especially during the ‘advice’ scene. I rewatched it and it had me laughing out loud again when he asked to ‘split the bill', which is 'better for [their] friendship.’

I agree with the NBA star that this character is already a heightened version of himself, and he seems to grasp what’s funny about the script and doesn’t take himself too seriously, and he might be just one of those athletes who is just (unintentionally) funny. However, I feel that LeBron will need the right kind of roles to step into someone else’s size 15 shoes. The athlete does seem open to it, though:

It seems like an acting career might be in the All-Stars' future, but who knows how far off that is, as I am sure he is going to want to stay in the league for a few more years. Especially now that he and Bronny are on the same team as a dynamic father-son duo. My guess is that a sports movie about them is going to happen in the not-too-distant future. Whether or not it will be one of the best sports movies made is yet to be seen.

We all know that Michael Jordon may be considered the GOAT of the NBA game, but LeBron is certainly a contemporary on that list. Still, he may be in the conversation as being one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but I think he has a really long way to go as an actor. If I’m being honest, he will likely never be one of the greats on screen, but I’d still like to see if he could be good.

Monday was a big night for many celebs, as the 25th BET Awards aired on the 2025 TV schedule, with artists like Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Doechii walking away with some of the night’s top honors. One of the highlights, however, was Jamie Foxx’s emotional speech when he received the Ultimate Icon Award and, afterward, he got some love from the king himself — LeBron James.

Jamie Foxx brought his daughters and sister (and several members of the crowd, no doubt) to tears with a hilarious but humbling speech that recalled his near-fatal 2023 stroke. Many in the audience at the Los Angeles awards show were on their feet for the duration of the 10-minute speech. And, if the trophy wasn't enough to validate Foxx’s title as an icon, this X post from one of the NBA’s greatest of all time certainly was, as LeBron James tagged him and wrote:

Jamie Foxx has voiced his respect for LeBron James on many occasions, and while the multihyphenate may boast an Oscar, a Grammy and a Golden Globe amongst his achievements, it’s still got to feel good to get shouted out by a man with four NBA championships. That’s especially true since this BET honor clearly meant so much to him and came at such a huge turning point in his life.

In addition to the Ray star, Mariah Carey, Kirk Franklin and Snoop Dogg also received Ultimate Icon awards, which recognize “decades of groundbreaking contributions to music, entertainment, advocacy, and community impact.” Stevie Wonder presented Jamie Foxx with the honor, and his acceptance speech is worth the watch:

If you managed to remain dry-eyed through that, let's just say I have concerns. Jamie Foxx gave love to his sister and daughters, commending them for how they supported him through his medical issues, and he spoke about how he’s turned his life around to embrace the second chance God gave him. He said:

The tribute to Jamie Foxx also included a musical number featuring artists including Babyface, Ludacris, Doug E. Fresh, Teddy Riley, T-Pain and Jennifer Hudson. Needless to say, the BET Awards went all out to pay tribute to one of the most enduring entertainers of our time.

In 2023 the now-57-year-old actor was hospitalized for an undisclosed medical issue, which was later revealed to be a stroke caused by a brain bleed. He has since recovered, returning to our screens on the 2025 movie calendar in projects like the fittingly titled Back in Action (available to stream with a Netflix subscription).

The trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs is certainly gaining a lot of media attention due to the accused being a famous rapper and media mogul. However, that’s not the only reason so many people are following the trial closely. Many of the charges surround exactly what took place at the often massive parties Diddy has thrown in the past, and many of those parties had a lot of major celebrities in attendance.

Now, Brad Pitt, as far as anybody knows, never attended one of Diddy’s White Parties, which made it that much more interesting when his name actually did come up during testimony at Diddy’s trial. His name is just one among many that have been mentioned, or likely will be, as the trial continues, so let's discuss why.

Celebrities Who Attended Diddy’s Parties

While many celebrities have been playing down their relationship with Diddy following his arrest, a lot of names had previously been connected to the rapper because we knew they went to his various parties. Jennifer Lopez once dated Diddy, and their relationship was originally confirmed when they were spotted at one of his parties together. Lebron James is another star who we know attended some of Diddy's parties in the past.

There’s been viral video of Kevin Hart in attendance at a Diddy party, and Ashton Kutcher has been asked, and avoided answering questions, about what went on at the parties in the past. If Brad Pitt had appeared at one of those parties, it honestly wouldn’t have been out of place. However, despite the fact that he didn't attend one, his name came up at trial for a very different reason.

How Brad Pitt’s Name Came Up At Diddy’s Trial

Brad Pitt came up during testimony this week by a former assistant to Diddy, who testified (via People) under the pseudonym “Mia.” Mia was with Diddy and his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura when they attended the 2012 Cannes Film Festival premiere of Brad Pitt’s movie Killing Them Softly.

Mia testified that Combs and Ventura were speaking in the theater when the rapper became agitated and began “digging his nails into her arms.” Diddy then allegedly told Ventura to leave, which she did, despite the fact that, in Mia’s words, “no one ever leaves in the middle of a premiere event.”

Interestingly, People reported at the time that Combs was in attendance at a party that Pitt threw following the premiere. So while Pitt never attended one of Diddy’s parties, the reverse is actually true.

The party was so long ago that Brad Pitt had only just become engaged to Angelina Jolie. At the time, it was reported that Combs had shared a drink with Pitt to congratulate him on this big moment.

Now, as we learn more about this situation and how it fits into Diddy's trial, we'll keep you posted.

When it comes to NBA players, Anthony Edwards is easily one of the most unique players in the entire league, and I’m not necessarily referring to his killer skills on the court. The 23-year-old Minnesota Timberwolves star also has a distinct personality marked by high energy and supreme confidence. Both attributes were on display when Edwards spoke to LeBron James and former U.S. President Barack Obama amid the 2024 Summer Olympics. That clip turned a lot of heads, and fans now have more thoughts since it’s going viral again.

Anthony Edwards and LeBron James are just two of the players featured in the docuseries Court of Gold (which is streamable with a Netflix subscription). During one particular episode, the U.S. Men’s Basketball team attends a reception with NBA fan Barack Obama. At one point, the former politician chops it up with Edwards, who declares himself “the truth” when prompted by Obama. The ex-POTUS then calls Lakers captain James over to get his take on the comments, and Edwards does not back down from his claim. Check it out:

It’s one thing to exude confidence, but it’s a whole other thing to prop yourself up while talking to a former president. This conversation is still as surreal as it was to me when I watched the show for the first time. As for why it’s going viral again, the Timberwolves and Lakers are currently locked in a first-round playoff series, with the former teaming holding a 3-1 lead, as of this writing. With the clip back in circulation, many shared their takes on “Ant”:

• He still needs to mature a bit but he’s quickly becoming must see tv - @OhioNakamoto
• Lol 😂 Ant would be talking crazy to Kobe too - @Abrantieosei25
• This kid confidence is unmatched[.] Love this kid - @onlyone_bob
• Ant ain't lyin...👏🏿💯 - @tbud4410
• That face when he got KD approval says enough. 💯 - @Sleex0

Some may disagree with just how headstrong Anthony Edwards is, but his talent is hard to deny. After being drafted with the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the shooting guard quickly made an impact on the T-Wolves, and he’s since been named to three All-Star teams and an All-NBA team. During the 2024 playoffs, he also led his team to the Western Conference Finals. On top of all that, Edwards has been spectacular during this recent series with the Lakers. LeBron James is certainly one of the NBA GOATS, but Edwards has the potential to be a legend as well if he remains on his current trajectory.

Anthony Edwards also follows in King James’ footsteps in another way, as he’s also dipped his toes into the world of acting. In the 2022 film Hustle, Edwards plays trash-talking basketball player Kermit Wilts and serves as a perfect heel. His performance was praised by critics, but Edwards doesn’t seem to have interest in any further acting work. With that, it would seem that any films and TV shows he appears in next will likely be unscripted fare.

He certainly shines during Court of Gold, which offers “full access” to several Olympic basketball squads. Director Jake Rogal not only captures the intensity of the competitions, but he also manages to humanize the players themselves. That’s Kevin Durant’s emotional interview about his love of basketball and even Ant-Man’s feelings on his professional prowess.

Unless something drastic happens, I imagine Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves will beat LeBron James and the Lakers in their series. That’s sure to add more fuel to Edwards’ claims that he’s “the truth.” Despite that, I’m still not sure I’ll ever get over the sight of him hyping himself up in front of Barack Obama with no hesitation.

While P. Diddy is facing several federal charges as he awaits trial, the embattled hip hop mogul is also at the center of more than a few lawsuits. Diddy’s legal team responded to the numerous suits – which involve claims of sexual assault, sex-trafficking and more – and denied the claims on behalf of their client. Now, someone else is suing the Grammy winner, who was arrested in New York back in September 2024. Jay-Z, LeBron James and other stars were mentioned in the suit and, now, their teams are issuing statements.

What Is Diddy Being Accused Of In This Latest Lawsuit?

The plaintiff in this particular case is Manzaro Joseph, who apparently crossed paths with Diddy – whose real name is Sean Combs – at a birthday celebration for the rapper’s son, King Combs. In the suit, which was obtained by TMZ, it was alleged Joseph also was drugged and “transported against his will” to the party, which was apparently held at Miami's Star Island in April 2015. Joseph also claims that at some point during the affair, he was paraded around while wearing a thong bikini bottom and black, leather mask.

Also, Manzaro Joseph claimed that early on during the event, he was dragged into the back entrance of a mansion owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Gloria supposedly asked that an ambulance be called after she saw Joseph in a “drug-induced stupor.” After Emilio allegedly waved off his wife’s concerns and moved with her to another area, Joseph supposedly was taken through a hallway, where he saw LeBron James. Per the suit, James – who was allegedly in a bath towel – saw Joseph and asked that something be done about him.

During the night, former porn star Adria English allegedly led Joseph to a spacious area in Diddy’s mansion, where he purportedly regained consciousness. It was there that he allegedly saw Jay-Z with wife Beyoncé, who asked, “Why is this half-naked white man with a cock mask standing here in front of me?” One of Diddy’s associates supposedly said that they were teaching Joseph a lesson regarding what happens to “snitches.”

Several defendants are named in the lawsuit, including Brendan Paul – an alleged drug mule of Diddy’s as well as Emilio Estefan and Adria English (who filed a sex-trafficking suit against Diddy in 2024). Manzaro Joseph is reportedly suing on the grounds of human trafficking and, in the aftermath of his filing, several reps are speaking.

How Did The Representatives Respond To The Latest Lawsuit Involving Sean Combs?

In a statement shared with TMZ, Brendan Paul’s lawyer, Brian Bieber, said the claims against his client were “are 100% false and literally impossible to have occurred.” LeBron James’ spokesperson denied the allegation against the professional basketball player as well. James was previously called out by UFC alum Brandon Goodwin for a past “Diddy Party” comment and, on the heels of this latest situation, his rep said the following:

As for Jay-Z and Beyoncé, they weren’t named defendants in this case either. However, Jay – whose real name is Shawn Carter – was named in a rape lawsuit, involving a woman he claimed to have been sexually assaulted by both men in 2000, when she was 13 years old. Carter vehemently denied the allegations and, by February 2025, the case was dismissed. As for this suit from Manzaro Joseph, Carter’s attorney, Alex Spiro, had this to say:

Additionally, a representative for Emilio and Gloria Estafan shared a statement. The person said:

Freak Off parties have been at the center of a number of suits facing Sean Combs. At these events, guests were allegedly treated to sex acts by women, who’d been weighed and coerced or hired to perform them. Combs’ Wild King Nights have also been discussed, with those events allegedly involving sex toys, drugs, copious amounts of baby oil and more.

P. Diddy’s trial is set to begin on May 5, and he’s been charged with sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, racketeering, arson and other offenses. The rapper is currently awaiting the legal proceedings at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Only time will tell just how the trial plays out as well as the slew of lawsuits.

Move over, Drake and Kendrick Lamar, it looks like it's the NBA's turn to have a big feud. We've seen a lot of back-and-forth between Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James since their on-court confrontation in early March, and it continues to pull in other people. After Richard Jefferson got in the mix, the situation escalated drastically to the point that NBA commissioner Adam Silver is now discussing it.

The head of the NBA is now fielding questions about a feud between an ESPN pundit and one of its greatest stars of all time after Stephen A. Smith's latest response went viral and talked about Kobe Bryant's death, as well as LeBron's former teammate, Dwyane Wade.

Stephen A. Smith's Response To LeBron James Included References To Kobe Bryant's Death And Dwyane Wade

I don't think anyone expected Stephen A. Smith to keep quiet after LeBron James appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and took shots at him. What was surprising was what Smith said in response and how he brought other players into the conversation.

Here's just a snippet from his long rant on ESPN's First Take in which he talked about James allegedly skipping Kobe Bryant's funeral and Dwyane Wade's Hall of Fame induction ceremony:

These two particular comments drew a heavy reaction from the sports world, who added context to the situation. Multiple outlets reported at the time that LeBron James was in attendance at Kobe Bryant's Memorial service, despite no photos of the athlete.

Additionally, James missed Wade's HOF induction as it occurred two weeks after his son Bronny James suffered cardiac arrest, and Stephen A. Smith would probably know that because he was one of the many who offered condolences to the athlete after it happened.

This was all part of a long response that hit on everything from calling LeBron James a liar to claiming this is all tied to Michael Jordan. Stephen A. Smith closed by noting that his position at ESPN is secure, saying he signed a 5-year $100 million contract with the network. Hell, we might even see him team up with Charles Barkley next season when Inside The NBA joins ESPN, so I don't think his job is on the line for this.

However, the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, is now getting in on this conversation.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Shared His Thoughts On The Feud

After quite a personal attack, it was inevitable that the media would turn to NBA commissioner Adam Silver to get his take on the situation. Silver conceded he didn't know all the details of what was said, but wasn't a fan of what he's heard thus far (via @BrettSiegel):

While I assume Adam Silver isn't worried about this escalating to a point where LeBron James is dissing Stephen A. Smith during the Super Bowl halftime show, he made it clear this kind of feud is not something he wants to see. Smith is poking the bear here, and with incredibly personal attacks in this latest round, it seems possible that James will respond.

Stephen A. Smith appears on First Take on ESPN on weekdays at 10:00 a.m. ET. It's possible there might be more drama between him and LeBron James as the latter prepares for the NBA postseason, but we'll just have to wait and see.

There's a big feud mounting in the sports world as LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith continue to trade jabs in the weeks following an on-court confrontation between them. This time, the NBA legend took the beef to Smith's homecourt, ESPN, and he didn't hold back on dissing the First Take host.

To preface the situation for readers who may not know, LeBron James confronted Stephen A. Smith following a game on March 6th against the New York Knicks with what appeared to be a heated conversation. The moment went viral, leading Smith to acknowledge it on First Take and state that James took offense with his criticism of his son Bronny, who, years after a health scare, is also in the NBA.

LeBron was a guest on The Pat McAfee Show, which also airs on ESPN, and he called out the pundit during his interview for a number of things:

The words "relax" and Stephen A. Smith are like mixing oil and water, because he's made a name for himself for his hot takes and fiery personality. That said, even his fellow commentator Richard Jefferson has hinted that Smith needs to chill in regard to going toe-to-toe with LeBron James. This latest interview might be evidence that's true, as ESPN heavily promoted the hour-long interview McAfee got with the NBA star.

It's not a great look for a sports pundit to be in a feud with one of the greatest athletes of a sport, but it's territory that Stephen A. Smith is not unfamiliar with. He's never been shy about calling his shot, whether it comes to predicting if a player ends up being a bust or when Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift will get married. Hell, he didn't even wait for the interview to take another shot at LeBron, dissing the player in response to a clip shown from the interview:

I know people sometimes joke about Stephen A. Smith moving into politics; he has made a career out of winning arguments on television for many years. Now, after LeBron James' comments, I would imagine he'll have to respond to whatever Smith cooks up after the interview in postgame interviews later tonight.

Or maybe not, because Stephen A. Smith isn't above admitting when he is wrong. He apologized to Rihanna for posting about her Super Bowl halftime show. Given that, I think it's possible he'll throw up the white flag and apologize to James and the perceived insult toward Bronny James.

Beyond taking shots at Stephen A. Smith, LeBron James talked about a wide variety of things, including all the memes that have inadvertently made him one of the funniest players in the NBA. I was disappointed Pat McAfee and his crew didn't get to ask him about the bizarre "You Are My Sunshine" memes, but it's an interview worth watching for those who haven't seen it yet.

The Pat McAfee Show is on weekdays on ESPN, starting at noon. We'll see if LeBron makes any other appearances on the network going forward and what Stephen A. Smith will have to say about all of this.

Scottie Pippen has been making waves within the basketball world over the past few years. That’s been due to the pointed statements the former Chicago Bull has made about his ex-teammate, Michael Jordan. Aside from claiming Jordan ruined the game of basketball, Pippen also called him a “horrible” player. During a recent interview, “Pip” also claimed that neither Jordan nor LeBron James could be considered the NBA’s GOAT, as that title should go to Magic Johnson. Those remarks garnered an honest response from Carmelo Anthony.

The now-59-year-old, seven-time All-Star was recently a guest of Valuetainment Media’s Patrick Bet-David. During the chat, the former athlete spoke extensively about Michael Jordan, saying they “never were great friends” and that he would still win six championships without His Airness. While on the topic of titles, he voiced his take on Michael Jordan and LeBron James’ position in the pantheon of GOATS. Carmelo Anthony isn’t buying it, though, based on the appeal he made on his 7PM in Brooklyn podcast (which is on YouTube):

In 2021, Scottie Pippen revealed he wasn’t happy with The Last Dance – ESPN’s 10-part docuseries on the Chicago Bulls, which Michael Jordan’s production company had creative control over. Pippen claimed Jordan used the doc (which is streamable with a Netflix subscription) to elevate himself. From there, Pippen has critiqued his ex-comrade in different ways, even airing many of his views in his memoir, Unguarded. Interestingly enough, Pippen still said he’d play with Jordan again if given the opportunity.

The hall of famer’s supposed lack of consistency, as far as his views are concerned, is what seems to have Carmelo Anthony annoyed. He argues that Scottie Pippen’s take on GOATS fluctuates based on the conversations he’s engaged in. As for his feelings on Pippen not giving due to credit to his friend, LeBron James, the former Denver Nugget had blunt thoughts to share:

Scottie Pippen’s recent comments also drew the attention of Draymond Green. While he wasn’t as blunt as Carmelo Anthony, Green did question Pippen’s statements and theorized that he has unresolved personal issues with Michael Jordan. The last few years have seen others weigh in on Pippen’s critiques of Jordan as well. Charles Barkley clapped back at those comments, saying the former small forward was only talking a big game to sell his memoir. Former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy also called out Pippen for continuing to throw shade at MJ.

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen remain estranged, as they haven’t spoken since shortly after The Last Dance’s release. Meanwhile, it’s likely that fans will continue to argue over who the GOAT is but, personally, I have no problem saying Jordan and LeBron James could be mentioned in that discussion. Carmelo Anthony would likely agree, and I’m honestly eager to hear other b-ball veterans weigh in on this discussion.

Sean “P. Diddy” Combs’ arrest and the subsequent stream of lawsuits and federal charges he’s facing remain much discussed. As his legal woes play out, a number of celebrities have opted not to discuss Diddy. However, some A-listers are still being linked to him by the general public. LeBron James is now the latest, as a UFC fighter recently called him out for a past “Diddy party” comment he made. Now, a former Cleveland Cavaliers player is weighing in on the supposed link between Combs and James as well.

What Did LeBron James Say About Diddy And How Did Colby Covington Eventually React?

Four years ago, LeBron James participated in a livestream that involved P. Diddy. The recently resurfaced video, which was captured by DailyMail.com, saw the four-time NBA MVP hyping up the “Can't Nobody Hold Me Down” artist. A portion of the stream showed James specifically saying, “Hey, everybody know ain’t no party like a Diddy party.” Since this clip has been making the rounds again, fans across social media have seemingly been pondering James and Combs’ past interactions.

Just recently 36-year-old Colby Covington came to blows with Joaquin Buckley in the ring, and the latter came out on top. Ahead of that though, Covington participated in a press conference, which was shared to X by Championship Rounds. During the chat, the fighter shared some brutally honest thoughts about the NBA player long known as “King James.” The veteran mixed martial artist didn’t hold back while weighing in on James’ Diddy comment:

Colby Covington’s mention of the 39-year-old NBA icon leaving social media is seemingly a reference to a post shared by the Los Angeles Laker in November. At that time, the 20-time All-Star said he was “getting off social media for the time being” and told his fans to “take care.” The Shooting Stars producer has since returned to X and other social platforms, though his recent posts have steered clear of any mention of Sean Combs. Meanwhile, one fellow Cavs alum shared some thoughts.

How Brandon Goodwin Commented On The Supposed Connection Between LeBron James And Diddy?

NBA journeyman Brandon Goodwin took to X to share brief comments amid the discussion surrounding Sean Combs and LeBron James. Goodwin initially posted a brief message that read, “Lebron? Diddy?” Under that post, a fan opined that any connection between the two stars would make for “one of the craziest sports stories of all time,” with Goodwin responding, “the craziest.”

P. Diddy was arrested months after his homes were raided by the feds in connection to an investigation involving sex trafficking. At the time, 1,000 bottles of lubricant were recovered alongside documents and electronic devices. Diddy has been charged with alleged sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, racketeering, arson and more. His aforementioned parties – some of which are known as “freak offs” – have also been widely discussed. At the events, women were reportedly weighed and then hired or coerced into performing sex acts that were recorded.

At this time, Sean Combs’ sex-trafficking trial is set to begin on May 5, 2025. LeBron James, meanwhile, is continuing to play through the NBA season after missing two games due to reported personal reasons. Whether he’ll choose to respond to comments from Colby Covington and more remains to be seen.

All Saturday Night Live hosts have appeared "as themselves" in their monologue but things get really fun when they take allow themselves to be the butt of the joke in a sketch and appear as themselves. Not counting some of the jaw-dropping SNL cameos over the years, these are some of our favorite examples of a celebrity going meta at Studio 8H in a sketch from an episode that they headlined.

Brunch (Chris Hemsworth)

At first, in the Season 41 SNL sketch "Brunch," it seems that host Chris Hemsworth is playing a woman named Claire, who happens to be obsessed with the Thor actor until her friends begin to suspect that she is the Australian celebrity himself. They turn out to be correct when he reveals he wanted to make sure he was still one of the most desired Hollywood Chris' and the most desired Hemsworth.

Your Mom Talks To Megan Fox (Megan Fox)

One sketch from Megan Fox's sole hosting gig from SNL Season 35 sees the star of the Transformers movies appear as herself waiting for a friend of hers to get ready for a night out. During that time, she chats with Kristen Wiig as the friend's mother while she does laundry and has some eye-opening life advice to offer the actor.

I'm Just Pete (Pete Davidson)

For his return to Studio 8H as a host, Pete Davidson welcomed the opportunity to poke fun at his post-SNL career and personal life, most notably with a music video that quickly became one of the most popular sketches of Season 49. Set to the tune of the Oscar-nominated song "I'm Just Ken" from Barbie, the comedian channels Ryan Gosling's portrayal of the iconic doll (and dons his hairstyle) for a hilariously self-effacing ballad with blockbuster-level production design.

Little Focker Film Fan (Robert De Niro)

On his third appearance on SNL as a host, Robert De Niro stars in a sketch taking place on the set of 2010's Little Fockers, where meets a young boy named Keith (Bobby Moynihan) who is extremely excited by everything he sees, except for the two-time Academy Award winner. He even ribs De Niro for a few of his career misfires but, of course, goes crazy over receiving a page of the script, meeting a makeup artist, and when Ben Stiller, also playing himself, appears.

Why is Benedict Cumberbatch Hot? (Benedict Cumberbatch)

Everyone in this sketch, stars as themselves, including Beck Bennett, who sets up a game show in an attempt to understand why people find the night's host, Benedict Cumberbatch, attractive. It gives the Doctor Strange actor a chance to be self-effacing (comparing himself to the likes of a hammerhead shark and Sid the Sloth from the Ice Age movies) before his compliments toward Beck finally lead the SNL star to understand the English actor's appeal.

Meet The Family (Christopher Walken)

Everyone has their own Christopher Walken impression and most of the SNL cast, circa Season 33, had the opportunity to demonstrate their own right in front of the Academy Award winner. They play members of the host's family who reunite with him at a restaurant, discuss highlights of his career, and reminisce about their own lives together.

Friends (Matthew Perry)

Then Friends cast member Matthew Perry appears as Matt LeBlanc's character, Joey Tribbiani, for what starts a typical parody of the hit sitcom. It evolves into something more meta when Colin Quinn walks in as an overly flamboyant caricature of Chandler Bing, causing the host to unhappily break character and derail the whole sketch.

Ryan's Hometown (Ryan Gosling)

In 2015, first-time SNL host Ryan Gosling appeared as himself in a sketch set at a bar in Ontario, Canada, where he is being interviewed for a GQ profile. The interview is interrupted by the Drive star's childhood bully, Trevor (Kyle Mooney), who challenges him to perform a song from Dreamgirls, dance to Cathy Dennis' "Touch Me," and compare their muscular physiques before admitting that he misses the actor's presence.

United Way (Peyton Manning)

One of the funniest SNL sketches featuring a professional athlete is an SNL Digital Short framed as a United Way ad, featuring Peyton Manning spending the day with a group of children. Quickly, it becomes clear that this fictionalized version of the former Denver Broncos quarterback is the farthest thing from a good role model to the world's youth.

Old Lady Gaga (Lady Gaga)

Lady Gaga proved that she was totally game to make fun of herself when she hosted a 2013 SNL episode, which featured an entire sketch dedicated to mocking some of her most famous radio hits and iconic career highlights. It is set in a future where the world has forgotten about the pop star and her older self, desperate to find a fan, calls up her building's superintendent (Kenan Thompson), who at least can recognize "Empress Beyoncé."

Star Trek Convention (William Shatner)

Emmy winner William Shatner owes his career to the Star Trek franchise but you would think he was not so grateful with the way he treats fans in an SNL sketch from 1986. The Captain Kirk actor appears at a convention, where he urges a group of Trekkies to "get a life" instead of obsessing over the sci-fi TV show that he did "as a lark" back in the 1960s.

Hamm & Bublé (Jon Hamm)

After promoting "Jon Hamm's John Ham" in his first SNL hosting gig, Jon Hamm teamed with Michael Bublé (who was that night's musical guest) to introduce a new restaurant that serves pork and champagne. However, the crooner explains in his musical interstitials that he is being held captive by the Mad Men cast member and forced into helping him with this misguided and pun-fueled idea.

Point Blank (Wayne Gretzky)

The legendary Wayne Gretzky appeared as himself in a number of sketches, and proved to have some surprising comedic timing when he hosted SNL in 1989. One of the funniest moments sees the hockey star appears on a talk show that encourages viewers to call in to ask the guest something but none of the questions have anything to do with him or with hockey and are all people seeking advice for something obscure.

Easter Candy (Michael Keaton)

In 2015, Oscar nominee Michael Keaton appeared as a flamboyant, blonde-haired gentleman showing off the contents of his Easter basket, with help from Kate McKinnon as the seemingly imbalanced Portia. It is not until the very end of the deeply bizarre sketch that we discover the Batman actor has been portraying a highly fictionalized version of himself the whole time.

Bill Swerski's Super Fans (Michael Jordan)

NBA legend Michael Jordan plays himself in a few sketches from his sole hosting gig from 1991. One of the most essential highlights sees the Space Jam cast leader join the hosts of Bill Swerski's Super Fans in a cheer for his fellow Chicago Bulls while wearing hula skirts.

Steve Martin Wants More Money (Steve Martin)

When Five-Timers Club member Steve Martin returned to SNL for his then-record-breaking 14th hosting gig, the comedian starred in a sketch set backstage, where he demanded Lorne Michaels a pay raise. However, the producer insists that he go on or he could be replaced with the one person who was closest to matching his record at the time: Alec Baldwin.

Investigation Discovery Presents: White People Problems (Charles Barkley)

In one of the few SNL sketches starring Charles Barkley as himself with no relation to basketball, he is seen hosting a true crime docuseries. However, instead of covering murders or kidnappings, Investigation Discovery Presents: White People Problems discusses instances of caucasian people reacting angrily to situations that seem completely blown out of proportion to the Black people involved.

Chris' Bedtime Story (George Foreman)

In Season 20, George Foreman starred in a backstage-set sketch in which one-season SNL cast member Chris Elliott asks the host to read him a bedtime story so he can take a nap in his dressing room. We imagine that, if anyone else demanded such a request from the boxing champ in real life, it might not end well for them.

Elton John And The Royal Wedding (Elton John)

Most of the sketches from host Elton John's 2010 episode see the Grammy winner playing himself. One of the best SNL sketches featuring the musician sees him visiting the Royal Family, who reveal their nasty, conniving true selves to him behind closed doors.

Brian Diaries (Brian Williams)

A non-actor who still nailed it as an SNL host is Brian Williams, who actually portrayed several original characters throughout the show. However, the former NBC Nightly News anchor did play himself in a Digital Short offering an exaggerated account of his daily routine, which includes receiving a motivational message from Bono (also appearing as himself) while meditating.

Read To Achieve (LeBron James)

LeBron James made his true acting debut hosting SNL before portraying himself in Trainwreck convinced audiences he had talent off the basketball court. He also stars as himself in one sketch in which his attempts to film a PSA are repeatedly interrupted by an obnoxious PA (Jason Sudeikis) who cannot seem to throw the ball at the athlete correctly.

Garth Brooks Backstage With Tracy (Garth Brooks)

During his second hosting gig, Garth Brooks appeared in an SNL sketch taking place backstage at Studio 8H, where cast member Tracy Morgan voices his disparaging opinion of that night's musical guest, Chris Gaines. What the country music star does not disclose to the comedian is the fact that he and the rock singer are actually the same person.

Sugar-Frosted Anabolic Steroids (Fran Tarkenton)

SNL has poked fun at how professional athletes often endorse products on many occasions, such as when John Belushi played himself in an ad for a breakfast cereal that was literally chocolate donuts. In the 1970s, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton tried his hand at the topic with a sketch that sees him endorse a cereal that is literally just performance-enhancing drugs.

Fernando's Hideaway (Mr. T And Hulk Hogan)

When actors/professional wrestlers Mr. T and Hulk Hogan hosted SNL together in the 1980s, they mostly appeared as themselves throughout the show. The most esteemed highlight sees them as guests on a recurring talk show bit hosted by Billy Crystal as Fernando Lamas, who goes off script to acknowledge the Hulkster's bouncing pecs when he accidentally laughs in the middle of the segment.

Marvin PSA/Knockouts (Marvin Hagler)

No one through a knockout punch quite like Marvelous Marvin Hagler in his day, which served as the inspiration for a bit from his SNL hosting gig. He appears in a PSA to help prepare people for if and when they might be forced to oppose him in the ring.

Boston Teens: Ski Lift (Jonny Moseley)

Jimmy Fallon and Rachel Dratch used to star in a recurring SNL sketch as stereotypical Boston teenagers Pat Sullivan and Denise McKenna. One edition saw them share a ski life with Olympic Gold medalist Jonny Moseley, who acts as a referee when the couple gets into an argument.

Finnish Talk Show (Katy Perry)

Katy Perry's second time on SNL was also her first time serving as a host, during which she starred in a sketch in which the pop star appears on a talk show from Finland. She soon discovers that the host (played by Kristen Wiig) has employed an unusually thorough research team, allowing her to have a clip ready to fun for literally any topic that comes up.

Football Liar (Walter Payton)

One of Jon Lovitz's most popular recurring characters on SNL was the habitually dishonest Tommy Flanagan. One sketch sees him run into Chicago Bears running back (and that night's host) Walter Payton who ends up being just as big a liar as he is.

Sports Beat (Nancy Kerrigan)

After suffering an infamous attack which was later dramatized in 2017's I, Tonya, Nancy Kerrigan proved she had a sense of humor about it when she hosted SNL. One sketch sees the figure skater appearing on a talk show with other Olympians who endured much worse injuries than she did but would receive far less favorable treatment.

Tommy Flanagan: Drinking With The Jaggers Cold Open (Jerry Hall)

Tommy Flanagan talks up model Jerry Hall and tries to convince her that he personally knows Mick Jagger. It seems that the facade is compromised when the Batman 1989 cast member's boyfriend, the Rolling Stones frontman himself, appears but he ends up using the pathological liar as an excuse for his absence a previous weekend.

Michael Phelps Diet (Michael Phelps)

Like any committed athlete, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps consumes a high-calorie diet for the purpose of burning off those calories during practice in the pool. However, when he hosted SNL, he starred in a fake ad promising that regular people could indulge in the same diet without exercise, on to show that the results would be disastrous.

Tennis Player Adoption (Andy Roddick)

To younger viewers, the 2021 biopic King Richard's depiction of Richard Williams' disciplinary coaching style of his daughters, Venus and Serena, must have been shocking. However, it was common knowledge when 2003 U.S. Open winner Andy Roddick hosted SNL and appeared in a sketch where Williams (Kenan Thompson) proposes to adopt the athlete as his son.

Ever since it was clear that authorities were interested in Sean “Diddy” Combs we have heard a lot of stories about the parties that the rapper threw. One person who knows quite a bit about those parties is professional photographer Selma Fonseca, who has been taking pictures of Diddy for two decades, and according to her, attended between 20 and 30 parties thrown by the star over the years.

While she never saw the alleged “freak-offs” that Diddy was reportedly running, which are at the center of the sex trafficking charges against him, she did apparently see quite a bit. Lots of other celebrities attended these parties, including LeBron James, who Fornesca says claimed nobody threw parties like Diddy. She told Fox News…

From Fonesca’s description, these parties certainly were crazy. There was plenty of food and drink, as well as ecstasy, which was the party drug of the day. While many who have spoken publicly admitted that Diddy's parties got wild, many are also claiming they never saw what's being alleged. Having said that, many of Diddy's famous friends are simply staying silent.

Interestingly, there were apparently a lot of children at the parties as well, as many celebs would bring their kids. However, there would come a point in the evening when Diddy would announce that kids needed to go, and at that point, things would start to get even crazier. She does confirm there were often sex workers at Diddy’s parties, and guests would get naked on a not-infrequent basis, but that’s as far as she goes.

While the photographer claims she was never witness to anything along the lines of the charges that Diddy is facing, she does say that she remained outdoors at these parties, as not everybody was allowed to go inside.

Fonseca is best known as the photographer who snapped a picture of Diddy and J-Lo kissing at one of Diddy’s parties in the Hamptons in 1999. The pair dated for a time, and Fornesca’s photo was the first evidence of the relationship, one that may get J-Lo involved in Diddy's legal issues today. She explained…

Whether there was anything illegal happening at this particular party or any of the others the photographer attended remains to be seen. Diddy is currently incarcerated as he was not granted bail following being charged.

It’s normal to get starstruck from time to time, as many can probably attest to having become a bit lightheaded on the rare occasions that they’ve crossed paths with major celebrities. Of course, that’s a feeling that’s not solely reserved for members of the general public. Notable stars can find themselves becoming somewhat overwhelmed as well. That was the case for Quincy Wilson, who recently put on an excellent display at the Summer Olympics in Paris. The gold medal-winning runner recently recalled what it was like meeting LeBron James during the opening ceremony.

Quincy Wilson had one of the most interesting stories of any Olympian at this year’s games (and I’m not just saying that because he’s a fellow Maryland native). At the age of 16, he managed to qualify for the Olympics, where he competed in the 4 x 400m relay. Given that he qualified, he’s now the youngest male Olympian in the history of American track & field. Chances are that anyone familiar with Wilson’s story may have been interested in meeting him amid the events in Paris. However, it sounds more like Wilson himself was filled with butterflies while amongst such great athletes.

The Bullis School student recently took some time to speak with NBC4, during which he reflected on his experiences in Paris, France. Eventually, he was asked about the photos he took with some of the basketball stars, who competed for Team USA, during the opening ceremony. The enthusiastic team gushed about getting to hang out with the ballers but particularly gushed about his interactions with “King James.” Not only did the young man get to meet the four-time NBA MVP, but there was another exciting layer to it as well:

So Quincy Wilson was not only able to meet the Los Angeles Laker but was also graced with the surprise that he actually knew his name. I’d imagine that that had to be a wonderful feeling. One can certainly understand why Wilson would be pumped to meet the man who’s been dubbed by some as (unintentionally) the funniest athlete of all time. The Ohio native is one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of sports, having won four championships, clinched the NBA scoring record and earned more accolades. In addition to the ex-Cleveland Cavalier, Wilson was also tweeted at by Magic Johson. He even met Jay-Z on a separate occasion and described the experience:

Believe me when I say that the young runner is far from the only public figure to ever be overwhelmed while in the presence of a celebrity. Earlier this year, Zendaya was a bit starstruck by Serena Williams amid the Hollywood premiere of Challengers. While filming the Harry Potter movies years ago, lead actor Daniel Radcliffe was somewhat intimidated by co-star Gary Oldman. Even Jeff Goldblum was “deeply starstruck” while collaborating with Cate Blanchett on Thor: Ragnarok. So, yeah, this awestricken feeling knows no bounds.

When it comes to Quincy Wilson, though, I’m just glad that he was able to have such a memorable experience at the Olympics. And he may have more major memories to make, as there’s a chance he may end up competing at the summer games in Los Angeles in 2028. If that happens, he may be more adept at rubbing shoulders with A-listers by that point, though I still wouldn’t be surprised if he gets a tad flustered if the right star comes his way.

You can relive the best moments from the 2024 Summer Olympics by streaming them with a Peacock subscription.

Sony has a summer hit on its hands with Bad Boys: Ride Or Die. The action comedy that reunites Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s Miami cops just had a great opening weekend at the box office, and now celebrities like LeBron James and Jamie Foxx are going out of their way to show support for one of the latest of the 2024 movies!

While Ride Or Die left critics split, the fourth Bad Boys movie has been tracking really well with moviegoers, with audiences rating it an A- on Cinemascore, for example. As it turns out, NBA legend LeBron James is one of the vocal fans of the movie too. As he wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter):

James made the comment on his social media in the light of the news that Ride Or Die made an impressive $104.6 million worldwide over the weekend, making it one of the most successful movies of the year already! Smith reposted the praise on his Instagram, adding the “🙏🏾” in reaction. Additionally, Jamie Foxx took some time to share a good word about the Bad Boys sequel on his own Instagram post while also sharing the successful numbers. Here’s what he wrote:

Smith and Foxx are friends in real life! Previously, Foxx supported his buddy when Smith released Emancipation by going to an early screening and hyping up the film as well. In the comment section, Smith penned this in response:

Will Smith has been doing the most as of late to get the word out for the newest Bad Boys movie, between going viral for surprising fans at a screening, to traveling all over the world to promote it as well. Martin Lawrence also reacted to Foxx’s kind words by saying this:

The Bad Boys movie looks like it will do pretty well for itself this weekend too amidst Pixar set to have the “biggest opening of the year” with Inside Out 2’s release, per Variety. The projections report the movie will still pull $28 million this weekend despite Inside Out 2 tracking at around $80 to $90 million.

For those hoping to see more Will Smith and perhaps even a fifth Bad Boys movie, the success of Ride Or Die is a great sign. Following the actor’s controversial Oscars slap back in 2022, it wasn’t clear if audiences would show up for the actor, but the masses are proving to say they are ready and happy to see Smith back in action again! He has too many real “ride or dies” to have a Bad Boys sequel go up and flop!

LeBron James must be used to the amount of attention he gets as an athlete, to the point that he can just ask people for help on how to stream X-Men '97 without anyone batting an eye. The NBA legend and part-time actor is no stranger to the weirdness that comes along with fame, but this latest trend on TikTok may be too much even for him. Now that North West has officially jumped on the bandwagon, we need to talk about how confused I am about this bizarre meme and why it has me so excited for the NBA playoffs.

Those who follow North West on TikTok might have been confused recently when she shared this video, which was a slideshow of photos of LeBron James to the song "You Are My Sunshine." The fact that West does not allow comments on her posts likely only made the situation more confusing, as those seeking context could not get it. For those of us who are perpetually online, however, this was a high-profile star acknowledging the bizarre trend that infiltrates a number of videos online with the following image and song found below:

The origins of the meme reportedly were that it was created by sports fans poking fun at the rabid fanbase of LeBron James who often praise or defend the aging superstar on social media. When the picture shows up in unsuspecting TikToks, the joke is driven further by users using the copypasta that begins with "Boy oh boy, where do I even begin? LeBron..." This is meant to once again poke fun at the fans of the athlete and the way some celebrate him on social media and speak as though they have some personal connection with him.

It's also worth noting that James is one of the most unintentionally hilarious athletes of all time, so a meme like this being attached to him is on brand. Whatever the reason for the meme may be, it began to slowly catch on, with even professional sports organizations like the Brooklyn Nets acknowledging it:

The crowd chanting in that video is not legitimate, but when the NBA postseason begins, it might very well be. The Los Angeles Lakers are currently the 10th seed in the West, and will need to escape the play-in tournament with two wins to officially make the playoffs. If they do, they'll be against the Denver Nuggets as the defending champions, which could be a rough matchup.

I could certainly see a scenario in which people are either ironically singing "You Are My Sunshine" to troll LeBron James during his upcoming matchups, or in support of him should he have a tremendous game to help his team. Let's not forget James is the all-time leading point scorer in NBA history after passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar last year, so the possibility of the latter happening even against a top contender isn't out of the question. If that happens, maybe we'll get one of the rarer remixes of this meme, which include the "UK Drill LeBron":

I wasn't kidding when I said it was confusing and weird, which makes it all the more hilarious that North West referenced it. The aspiring musician and child of Kanye West with Kim Kardashian is likely to rub shoulders with LeBron James or his family at some point, though who knows how closely he pays attention to the internet? James likes to share his thoughts with the world about classic movies and the game of basketball, but I'm not sure he'd acknowledge something as strange as this.

North West has been on social media, albeit with restrictions, for a while. Her mother, Kim Kardashian, has mixed feelings about it, but doesn't want to take away something that her kid enjoys just because of what she might see on the internet. So far, it doesn't seem to be a problem, though one has to wonder what the ten-year-old may discover, considering the headlines her father has made for lewd activities. For now, she's busy posting memes about athletes, which feels fun and harmless enough.

The 2024 NBA play-in tournament kicks off on April 16th through the 19th, so if you want to see if people will be singing at LeBron James, mark those calendars. I know I'll be watching, and while I'm a fan of another playoff-bound team, I'll certainly keep an eye on the Lakers should they overcome the odds to make a run and see if any more memes come from it.

The wait is finally over! X-Men ’97 is no longer one of the upcoming Marvel TV shows, as its first two episodes have premiered. There’s a lot of positive reception surrounding the revival of X-Men: The Animated Series, and it turns out that NBA superstar LeBron James is among the people who want to check it out. There’s just one problem: he doesn’t know where to find it. Can someone please help him figure that out?

King James shared that he was interested in watching the X-Men: The Animated Series continuation on X (formerly known as Twitter), having enjoyed the original show back in the day. Here’s what he posted:

You know what, everyone? We’ve got this. Mr. James, all you need is a Disney+ subscription to stream X-Men ’97. Following this two-episode premiere, the remaining eight episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays through to May 15. You’ll also be pleased to know that in addition to the show being renewed for Season 2, Season 3 is in development. So when you’re not scoring points for The Los Angeles Lakers, you can rest easy knowing X-Men ’97 is easily at your fingertips so long as you’re signed up for the Mouse House’s streaming service.

X-Men ’97 was announced to the public back in November 2021, and by the following July, the wider cast of characters, both new and familiar, was unveiled. Executive producer Brad Winderbaum told CinemaBlend that in order for the show to move forward, two things were needed: as many X-Men: The Animated Series cast members to return as possible and the classic theme song. Both those goals were fulfilled, although it apparently using the theme song wasn’t cheap.

Cut to this past February, the X-Men ’97 trailer dropped online, and among the highlights were Gambit charging Wolverine’s claws as they charged into battle, as well as Cyclops exclaiming “To me, my X-Men!” Supervising director Jake Castorena admitted to us he was “flabbergasted” by the positive fan reaction to the Wolverine/Gambit moment, and now interested parties can see which battle in which these two are pulling off that combo move. Fingers crossed that whenever LeBron James does start watching X-Men ’97, he’ll share what he thinks about the show on social media.

Even though X-Men ’97 has only just arrived, it looks like it’s on track to become one of the best Disney+ TV shows. Continue visiting CinemaBlend for more coverage on the Marvel series, and read through our 2024 TV schedule to learn what other programming is airing now and arriving soon.

Less pricey than those expensive cryotherapy treatments but more convenient than polar plunging oneself into a freezing ocean, ice baths have become a popular wellness go-to for the Hollywood A-list, from noted almond mom, vaginal-health guru and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow to professional athletes like LeBron James, Cristian Ronaldo and Naomi Osaka.

Ice baths are pretty self-explanatory: they're a form of cold therapy where a person submerges themself in a bath or vessel filled with ice or ice water for a limited duration of time. Though ice baths have risen in popularity among the rich and famous only recently, they've been utilized for centuries—in Scandanavian countries, for example, it's customary to follow up a hot sauna session with a plunge into a freezing cold pool— and the purported therapeutic benefits are numerous, from reducing muscle soreness to aiding in pain management to reducing inflammation. 

Though far brisker and (likely less) relaxing than those scenic outdoor baths and cushy indoor jacuzzi favored by other celebrities (that bath looks mighty balmy, JLo), it's clear that the demand for ice baths is heating up among showbiz's most notable names. Here are some famous folks who count themselves as fans, plus the health and fitness benefits they proclaim to gain from the cold-water immersion trend. 

Which Celebrities Are Big Proponents Of Ice Baths?

Lebron James

Ice baths seems to be gaining popularity across many disciplines in the entertainment industry, but cold-water immersion is probably best-known as a method of speeding up muscle recovery and reducing swelling and tissue breakdown for professional athletes. 

One of the true NBA GOATs, Los Angeles Lakers power forward LeBron James, has a long history with using cold temps for post-game recovery, from whole-body cryotherapy to waist-deep ice baths. Though he jokingly called the latter "borderline torture," per Business Insider, the basketball icon has regularly publicized his use of those glacial soaks after a grueling game on his Instagram. 

The Kardashian And Jenner Clan

It's not only pro athletes who seek out the bod-boosting benefits of cold plunges. Members of the Kardashian clan have famously adopted the ice-bath trend as a method of self-care, with sisters Kendall Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian and Kim Kardashian all seeking out the chilly services of Remedy Place, a "social wellness club" with locations in West Hollywood and NYC's Flatiron neighborhoods. 

The wellness center reportedly does house calls, which Jenner took advantage of with a portable Remedy Place ice bath at her own home in California. 

Big sis Kourtney apparently liked the at-home treatment so much she installed her own private ice bath at her Calabasas abode with husband Travis Barker, to the tune of $7,500, reports The Sun. She even hosted an entire ice-bath activation at her brand's Poolside with Poosh event, where the reality star and her famous siblings and friends were challenged to take a dip in a barrel bath filled with icy water.

Per The Daily Mail, Kim Kardashian initially didn't enjoy the frosty sensation, jumping out of the ice bath and jokingly dubbing herself "the weakest link" of the group. However, an Instagram video proves that the SKIMs mogul would later learn to love the benefits of ice bath, as she stopped into a Remedy Place location for an icy, full six-minute dip.

Madonna

Many popular musicians, whose bodies have to withstand exhausting touring schedules and high-energy, multi-hour live performances, have also adopted the practice as a conditioning tool. 

Her "Madgesty" herself, Madonna, has been one of pop music's most enduring and dynamic entertainers for decades, and the key to that longevity might just be in the singer's dedication to her physical fitness. Post-show ice baths are one element the 65-year-old performer famously includes in her wellness regimen to help soothe any aches and pains she might have from all of those hours of intense dance choreography. 

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga has long admitted to following in Madge's footsteps, and it looks like her self-care routine is no exception. Mother Monster maintains her own performance levels with a nightly post-show routine centered around a cold plunge. 

The singer broke down the post-show wellness routine she implemented during her Las Vegas concert residency, which includes what's called a "contrast bath," an icy bath alternated with a hot bath. Gaga wrote on Instagram: 

As physical therapist Lee Hanses explained to Allure:

The "Born This Way" singer has been candid about her struggles with fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that can cause widespread pain and tenderness throughout the body. In her 2017 Netflix documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two, the Oscar winner described the illness as a "cyclone of anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma, and panic disorder," so she could very well be utilizing the baths as much for their mental health properties as their physical benefits. 

Harry Styles

Harry Styles is also a big fan of a cold-water plunge, both out in nature and in the comfort of a private ice bath. The former boy bander has been regularly spotted by eagle-eyed fans taking frigid outdoor swims, such as at Vico Baths in South Dublin. He also has been known to employ an indoor cold plunge after getting offstage from his high-octane live performances, including his world-spanning Love on Tour gigs. He showed off his ice-bath set-up following a Cologne concert on his Instagram in June 2022. 

Lizzo

Styles' famous buddy Lizzo has also jumped on the ice-bath bandwagon, displaying her own outdoor cold plunge over on her TikTok: 

And, seeing as how she's explored nearly every wellness trend from dry brushing to oil pulling, it's not a surprise that wellness queen Gwyneth Paltrow also has a custom cold-plunge pool in her elaborate home spa in Montecito, California. 

Yet it is a surprise that, though Gwyn once sought out the "Iceman" expertise of Wim Hof to teach Goop staffers the benefits of cold therapy in her Netflix docuseries The Goop Lab with Gwyneth Paltrow, it's actually Paltrow's husband, Hollywood producer Brad Falchuk, who is the "obsessive cold plunger" in the family. 

What Do Kim K And Other Celebs Say About Ice Baths?

It's one thing to jump on a Hollywood trend, but it's another if that Hollywood trend actually works. And according to cold-plunging celebrities, they're really feeling the body benefits of ice baths. The Good Place star Kristen Bell has said that she seeks out ice baths for its help with "mental acuity and alertness throughout the day," with cold plunging shown to "increase dopamine concentrations by 250 percent." 

In the aforementioned TikTok, Lizzo hypes up the anti-inflammation benefits of ice baths, captioning the clip: 

Styles publicly touted the virtues of a cold-water dip in a 2022 interview with Better Homes & Garden: 

Tennis great Naomi Osaka has also exalted the restorative properties of ice baths, but like Gaga, she combines the practice with a warm bath following those intense matches. As she told Vogue, it "flushes the lactic acid" out of her system:

Though Kim K was initially scared of the frigid temps, she later said in that Instagram video that the cold isn't that bad "once you get past it":

As with any wellness trend, you're going to want to do your research before taking the plunge—literally, in this case. But if it's good enough for the world's best athletes and most popular entertainers, we're thinking there might actually be something to this ice-bath phenomenon. Grab the ice tray, we're ready for a dip!

Some of our favorite SNL hosts are not actors, but nailed it anyway. People who play sports for a living are certainly no exception. See for yourself by sifting through this collection of great Saturday Night Live sketches starring professional athletes, either as themselves or showing some unexpected comedic talent by disappearing into their roles.

Yankee Wives (Derek Jeter)

There are actually many great highlights from when Derek Jeter hosted in Season 27, such as his debate with Red Sox fan Seth Meyers over whether or not he “sucks” on Weekend Update. However, when the former New York Yankees shortstop dressed in drag to roast himself as one of the team’s gossiping wives, it became an instant SNL classic. 

Anal Retentive Fishing (Wayne Gretzky)

Legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky proved to be a great scene partner opposite the legendary Phil Hartman as his recurring character, Gene. Gretzky is far too patient with Gene as his “anal retentive” antics begin to cause issues with their fishing trip, especially when he does nothing to prevent a sea monster from puling the athlete into the water.

The NBA On TNT (Charles Barkley)

Former basketball player Charles Barkley is one of the few pro athletes to host multiple times because, quite frankly, he is just that good at it. Take, for example, the NBC sketch from his third SNL gig in which the Inside the NBA analyst is portrayed by Kenan Thompson while Barkley himself impersonates a sleepy Shaquille O’Neal.

Bill Swerski's Super Fans (Michael Jordan)

Before leading the Space Jam cast, former Chicago Bulls shooting guard Michael Jordan first tried comedy when he hosted SNL, in which he poked fun at his seemingly endless brand deals in the monologue. The night’s best moment, however, sees “da Air Man” don a hula skirt for a ritualistic dance with Chicago sports nuts played by Cheers cast member George Wendt, the late Chris Farley, and others.

SNL Digital Short: United Way (Peyton Manning)

An SNL Digital Short that does not star any Lonely Island members, but is regarded as one of the best, features Peyton Manning in a performance that proves he could have been a good cast member. The former Denver Broncos quarterback shows incredible commitment playing a downright terrible role model for children in a fake United Way ad.

Aquarium Repairmen (Jeff Gordon)

NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon plays a man who hires two repairmen (played by Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz), who address him as “a regular Jacques Cousteau over here” when he correctly names the breed of fish in his own tank. This turns out to be the first of many similar wisecracks in which they compare everything the dinner party guest say and do to a certain pop culture figure. It gets so out of hand, the goldfish don’t survive.

Read To Achieve (LeBron James)

Before LeBron James impressed audiences playing himself in Trainwreck, he shared the screen with Bill Hader in a sketch framed as a behind-the-scenes look at a PSA. The scene-stealer here, though, is Jason Sudeikis as a snarky PA who can’t seem to pass the current Lakers player a basketball the way he is asked to.

Touchdown At The Carnival (Tom Brady)

It’s nice to see an athlete with a storied track record like Tom Brady demonstrate that he has a good sense of humor about himself, just like he does in a sketch from when he hosted SNL in Season 30. The then-New England Patriots quarterback plays a carnival-goer who can’t throw a football inside a hole in the wall no matter how many times he tries.

New Disney Movie (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson)

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson headlined many classic sketches on his path to joining SNL’s Five-Timer’s Club such as this pre-taped bit poking fun at Disney’s live-action remake trend and his role in the Fast and Furious movies. The wrestler-turned-actor plays a bulky Bambi who starts a war against the local hunting community in one of the most popular SNL sketches on YouTube.

Sincere Guy Stu (Joe Montana)

The "Sincere Guy Stu" sketch subverts the age-old trope of revealing what characters are really thinking in overhead narration. Unlike Jan Hooks and Phil Hartman’s blossoming couple, the sincere comments voiced by former San Francisco 49ers Joe Montana’s character, Stu, are actually an honest reflection of his true thoughts. 

Embarrassing Text Message Evidence Proves A Man's Innocence (Eli Manning)

Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning stars in a courtroom sketch as a murder suspect whose lawyer (played by Jason Sudeikis) presents a series of text messages the client sent on the night of crime as evidence. However, the obviously innocent defendant eventually chooses to confess just to put an end to what becomes an increasingly cruel roast of his desperate attempts at talking to women.

Fernando's Hideaway (Mr. T And Hulk Hogan)

Wrestlemania stars Mr. T and Hulk Hogan (who also appeared in Rocky III together) co-hosted an SNL Season 10 episode in which they predominantly play themselves, like this in edition of a recurring talk show sketch starring Billy Crystal as Fernando Lamas. What makes this particular bit a classic is when Crystal ad-libs a hilarious comment about how the Hulkster’s “little things” bounce when he laughs.

Football Liar (Walter Payton)

Jon Lovitz reprises his pathologically dishonest SNL character, Tommy Flanagan, who meets host Walter Payton playing himself at a bar. He spends the whole sketch trying to impress the former Chicago Bears running back with increasingly elaborate lies until the end when Payton starts to return the favor and even drops Flanagan’s iconic catchphrase, “That’s the ticket.”

Democratic Debate '88 (Carl Weathers)

While better known today as an actor from the Rocky movies or The Mandalorian, Carl Weathers once played professional football as a free agent in the early 1970s, according to The Washington Post. When Weathers hosted SNL in Season 13, he gave a killer impression of Rev. Jesse Jackson debating with other democratic presidential hopefuls like Dennis Miller as Gary Hart, who was portrayed by Hugh Jackman in The Front Runner.

Tour De Force (Chris Evert) 

Chris Evert’s Season 15 episode got a bit meta with a segment that, through backstage cutaways, shows cast members accusing showrunner Lorne Michaels of shamelessly exploiting the tennis champion’s limited range as a performer. However, I actually think she handled the sketch-within-a-sketch — framed as some coming-of-age musical drama — pretty well. I’m actually surprised she did not take up acting more regularly after this.

Sports Beat (Nancy Kerrigan)

Just a couple months after the attack against Nancy Kerrigan — which was later dramatized in 2017’s I Tonya — the figure skater hosted an SNL Season 19 episode that took multiple chances to address the incident. For instance, in one sketch, she appears on a sports-minded talk show with other Olympic medalists who also suffered horrific injuries, but — unlike Kerrigan — would only be met with more misfortune down the line.

Chris' Bedtime Story (George Foreman)

A Season 20 sketch sees Chris Elliott inviting himself into host George Foreman’s dressing room and asking him to read Goodnight Moon as a bedtime story. I must say, it takes a lot of guts for someone to present such a ridiculous request to a two-time heavyweight boxing champion.

Boston Teens: Ski Lift (Jonny Moseley)

This edition of the recurring “Boston Teens” sketch starring skiing champion, Jonny Moseley, appropriately takes place on a ski lift. The Olympic Gold Medal winner — who went on to host TV series like MTV’s The Challenge — plays a teen who gets caught in an argument between Pat Sullivan (Jimmy Fallon) and Denise McKenna (Rachel Dratch).

Teacher Trial (Ronda Rousey)

In this sketch, MMA fighter Ronda Rousey stars alongside Cecily Strong as high school teachers in court for their inappropriate relationship with a student (played by Pete Davidson). However, while on the stand, the student treats the questioning as more of a pat on the back as Kenan Thompson’s judge seems impressed and the mom (played by Kate McKinnon), understandably, watches in horror.

Science Presentation (John Cena)

In a sketch from Peacemaker cast member John Cena’s Season 42 episode, he actually stars as an athlete, but of a different sport than what he is known for. The former WWE star plays a college football player whose value to the team convinces the science department to assign him a presentation topic they know he can pass: bananas.

Michael Phelps Diet (Michael Phelps)

A faux ad promotes a diet similar to that of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, who typically eats about 12,000 calories per day. However, it scrapes past an important detail regarding the amount of laps in the pool that the Gold Medalist completes for practice before hinting at the dire consequences from skipping that step.

Tennis Player Adoption (Andy Roddick)

The Oscar-winning 2021 biopic, King Richard, dramatizes Richard Williams’ pursuit to turn his daughters, Venus and Serena, into tennis champions — a story SNL poked fun at when Andy Roddick hosted. This sketch stars Kenan Thompson as Williams, who approaches the 2003 U.S. Open winner at Studio 8H with a request to become his adoptive father.

Men’s Product (J.J. Watt)

Football players are known for wearing grease paint under their eyes to prevent glare during a game, but what if it doubled as a rejuvenating skin product? That is the conceit of a faux ad for Olay Eye Black, endorsed by then Houston Texans defensive lineman, J.J. Watt.

American Girl Cafe (Travis Kelce)

After winning the 2023 Super Bowl, Travis Kelce proved to have winning comedic skills when he hosted SNL. Arguably, his night’s funniest highlight is a sketch starring the Kansas City Chiefs tight end as a creepy middle-aged male dining at the American Girl Cafe with no one but his own dolls, Claire and Isabelle.

Investigation Discovery Presents: White People Problems (Charles Barkley)

Charles Barkley stars in an SNL sketch as himself hosting a true crime docuseries, but not one that focuses on murder, kidnapping, or anything of that nature. The show, White People Problems, discusses topics that may seem like an issue to Barkley’s caucasian guests, but are seen as dramatically blown out of proportion to the Black people who were involved.

Hawaiian Hotel (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson)

A sketch pairs Dwayne Johnson with Fred Armisen as Hawaiian natives who make a living playing music for guests of a hotel restaurant. However, they spend most of their shift talking down to the tourists and taunting them with their personal grievances.

Sugar-Frosted Anabolic Steroids (Fran Tarkenton) 

John Belushi once poked fun at star athlete endorsements with a faux ad for a breakfast cereal that was, literally, little chocolate donuts floating in milk. But when then Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton tackled the subject on SNL, he went the extra mile with a faux ad for a breakfast cereal that was, literally, anabolic steroids floating in milk.

Kelly Cola (Alex Karras)

Before he became known for movies like the hilarious Western parody, Blazing Saddles, and the sitcom, Webster, Alex Karras’ claim to fame was playing for Detroit Lions as a Defensive Tackle. In one of the best sketches from his Season 10 SNL episode, he plays a soda company CEO so intimidating he causes Billy Crystal’s character sweat profusely.

Simple Rappers (Deion Sanders)

A year after NFL star Deion Sanders released his hip-hop album, Prime Time, he starred in an SNL sketch alongside Tim Meadows and Adam Sandler as a rap trio, but didn’t do much rapping. All the group seems to do is shout out common hype phrases to an otherwise catchy beat before cutting themselves off with “Peace, we outta here!” after mere seconds.

Marvin PSA/Knockouts (Marvin Hagler)

The late Marvelous Marvin Hagler was famous for delivering quite a few knockouts in his day — a specialty he cleverly addressed when he hosted SNL. In a faux PSA, the boxing legend graciously explains how to handle a KO, courtesy of himself, in the event that you might become his opponent.

Little League Trade (Bob Uecker)

After legendary catcher Bob Uecker retired from professional baseball, he took up a successful career as sports broadcaster and actor on Mr. Belvedere and the Major League cast, to name a few. Thus, he was an absolute natural in a sketch from his SNL episode as a little league coach who treats his own son (played by Billy Crystal) the way he might a pro.

The Black Shadow (Bill Russell)

Former Boston Celtics center Bill Russell — who passed away in 2022 — stars in a parody of the coming-of-age TV sports drama, The White Shadow, that flips the script in a ridiculous, yet poignant, way. In this case, it is the predominantly white high school basketball team that must come to the aid of their Black, middle-aged coach (played by Russell) when he get himself into trouble.

Many pro athletes have surprised the world by showing they have a knack for performing and a great sense of humor. In the case of the all-stars above, most of them got that chance by hosting Saturday Night Live.

LeBron James is a world-class athlete, shrewd businessman and one of the funniest sports stars of all time. But aside from that, he's also a devoted parent to his three kids, who he enjoys watching movies with. He frequently posts about his children and seems to be incredibly supportive of them. That’s especially been true over the past several months, as his oldest son, LeBron James Jr. (or Bronny), prepares to play basketball at the University of Southern California. Unfortunately, it’s been reported that Bronny experienced cardiac arrest this week. He’s thankfully recovering in the hospital right now and, as he does so, Stephen A. Smith, Trae Young and more are reaching out. 

News of Bronny James’ medical incident broke on Tuesday, as Shams Charania of The Athletic took to X to drop it. The journalist shared a statement he received from a spokesperson for the James family. Apparently, the 18-year-old James suffered from the medical ordeal during a workout. The message reads: 

In the aftermath, a number of notable names have been showing their support for the teen. Outspoken ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith shared a sweet shoutout for the McDonalds’ All-American while also providing a brief update regarding what he’s heard about his status:

As mentioned, Atlanta Hawks phenom Trae Young was another notable figure within the sports world to react. The NBA all star kept his sentiment brief, but it was sweet nonetheless:

Chris Broussard, who covers professional basketball for Fox Sports, took to X as well to show love to Bronny James. He expressed well wishes by sending prayers to the athlete and his family: 

Comic book writer Rob Liefeld – a noted sports fan – also weighed in on the sad turn of events. He reshared Shams Charania’s post and provided a short response: 

Bronny James made a name for himself as a strong point/shooting guard during his high school years at Los Angeles’ Sierra Canyon. For that reason, he was highly scouted by universities across the country during the past few years. After much public speculation on the matter, James announced his commitment to USC in May. He’s already emerging as a notable public figure (which is a point that fellow NBA kid Marcus Jordan mentioned recently). Amid all the attention though, James seems committed to his athletic career, and LeBron expressed pride after his son signed to attend the school. In June, both Bronny and the school jointly shared this sweet post as well:

It’s unfortunate to hear that the teen has experienced such an ordeal, but there’s comfort to be taken in the fact that he’s no longer in the ICU. One can only hope that he continues to improve and gets the rest he needs. In the meantime, Stephen A. Smith, Rob Liefeld and a host of others will likely continue to send him positive vibes.

We here at CinemaBlend wish Bronny James and his family the best as he continues to recover. 

NBA fans continue to debate LeBron James' place among basketball legends like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, but one thing is clear: the man knows a thing or two about the sport. The NBA superstar is spending his offseason downtime catching up with one of Michael J. Fox’s greatest movies, the 1985 cult classic Teen Wolf, and he has some blunt thoughts about the scene on the court at the end of the flick. Honestly, it’s pretty hilarious. 

One of my favorite werewolf movies, Teen Wolf revolves around a teenager tackling school, social and athletic challenges. Although it has moments of campiness, it is a fun movie that doesn’t aim to portray the sport onscreen accurately. The former “Ohio Mr. Basketball” took to Twitter saying that the film's final game scene is one of the funniest he's ever seen. You can check out his comical post for yourself below:

Ouch! That's quite a criticism, especially considering the fact that he himself played basketball against CGI characters in Space Jam: A New Legacy.

James is referring to the scene in the iconic '80s film's climax, where Michael J. Fox's character, Scott, secures victory for his team by making two free throws. Interestingly, his rival from the opposing team, Mick, stands beneath the hoop, glaring at him. In reality, game rules prohibit players from positioning themselves under the basket during an opponent's free throw attempts.

Not everyone agreed with the 4-time NBA champion. Twitter user @redapples reminded the b-ball giant that there are far worse on screen depictions, like 2004's Catwoman, for example.  

Podcast host Tahir Johnson stood in complete opposition to the LA Lakers player. He commented with a hilarious hair-covered meme, which you can check out below:

Another user commented that this was a question they’d been pondering for some time. They wrote: 

Sure, Teen Wolf’s scenes revolving around hoops might have taken some dramatic liberties. However, still, for my money, the worst basketball scene in cinema is depicted in of my least favorite horror movies from one of my favorite franchises, Alien: Resurrection. There's nothing like seeing one of the greatest female action heroes being resurrected 200 years after her death to engage in some truly cringe-worthy one-on-none. 

Despite LeBron James' criticisms, Teen Wolf remains a quintessential '80s movie, though it may not have reached the same level of popularity as Fox's other '80s hit, Back to the Future. Interestingly, the campy werewolf flick was filmed before Marty McFly's time-traveling adventure, but released later to capitalize on Michael J. Fox's fame, which proved successful. However, it's well-known that the Family Ties alum was not skilled on the court, leading filmmakers to employ creative tactics. While this may explain some unrealistic depictions, it doesn't justify the movies baddy standing under the goal.

You, like LeBron James, can catch up with Teen Wolf and all its lousy b-ball scenes by streaming it with a Max subscription. Also, make sure to check out our 2023 movie release schedule to see what is coming to a theater near you. 

NBA fans will debate for decades whether or not LeBron James is the greatest of all time in the sport of basketball, but there may be one facet of the game that other notables like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan can never touch. Someone dubbed James the most "unintentionally hilarious athlete of all time" on Twitter, and after seeing the scores of videos that fans shared as evidence, it's really hard to deny. 

Months after LeBron James dropped an f-bomb on television after breaking the scoring record, he's being crowned as the most unintentionally hilarious athlete of all time. How does one go about being unintentionally hilarious? Let's check out Exhibit A on Twitter, in which a fan expressed her love for James as he sat beside her, ignoring the entire interview: 

Like, there's no way he doesn't hear this interview going on next to him! Why didn't he take a moment to acknowledge her during the interview? Sure, it's possible he was dialed into the game, but there was no need to look so stoic during this tender moment. It's hilarious the longer you watch it, especially if you watched without knowing he was literally next to her the entire time. 

Then there's the bizarre video he posted in the NBA bubble during lockdowns, which ended with the Lakers winning the championship. Before that, however, LeBron James' son teenage son Bronny uploaded a video to social media of himself smoking what appeared to be marijuana. James was unable to leave the bubble to address the issue with his son directly but posted this odd video playing the harmonica not long after: 

I don't know if the harmonica playing was supposed to be intimidating, but it certainly freaked me out! Still, what a bizarre video to put up when the world is watching to see how you react. This response is about as bizarre as the evening he decided to show his kids Interview With a Vampire. 

One thing that has been repeatedly stated throughout LeBron James' career is how he's remained free from controversy, unlike other stars. James has steered clear from scandals or even suggestions he's been disloyal to his wife, Savannah James. For example, here's a video of him going down the up portion of an escalator to stop some women from pursuing him:

That's the move of a true veteran right there. How in the world would someone think to do that in the moment? You have to applaud LeBron James for thinking on his toes, both on and off the court. 

You also have to applaud LeBron James for his willingness to compete. He'll take on anyone who steps up to challenge him, even children. James showed as much during pickup game with small children, where he slammed it home after a steal:

Absolutely no mercy, but what else should we expect from the guy who was hailed to be the next coming of Michael Jordan since he was in high school? LeBron James has lived up to the hype in that regard, but I think it's fair to say he's excelled when it comes to making us laugh along the way. 

LeBron James can even do this when he's trying to be cool. The basketball player is a lover of music but like all of us, has trouble getting the lyrics right to his favorite songs. That hasn't stopped him from posting videos on social media anyway and rolling with it: 

The NBA is truly better for having LeBron James in it, and we can only hope that when he retires, these off-the-court hilarious moments will continue. If we can't agree that he's the G.O.A.T. of basketball, maybe we can all agree he's the greatest at being unintentionally hilarious. 

Those looking to learn more about LeBron James would do well to use a Peacock Premium subscription to watch Shooting Stars. It's a movie fans of the star will appreciate, especially after hearing about the gift King James shared with the director. 

There’s a new basketball movie on the scene (or court?), and it’s called Shooting Stars. Streamable with a Peacock subscription, the high school biopic centers on LeBron James, Willie McGee, Dru Joyce and the rest of players who made up St. Vincent–St. Mary High School’s “Fab Five” from the late ‘90s to early ‘00s. James serves as an executive producer on the flick via his SpringHill Company production banner, which has been growing over the past several years. Veteran film, TV and music video director Chris Robinson was tapped to helm the feature as well and, as it so happens, he received an important “gift” from James while the project was in the works. 

It goes without saying that Chris Robinson had a major task ahead of him with the creation of this movie, which was adapted from the memoir of the same name written by LeBron James and Buzz Bissinger. James can be hands-on so, when I spoke to Robison during the Shooting Stars press junket, I inquired about how the athlete and businessman impacted production. Interestingly enough, the filmmaker revealed that he still hasn’t actually met the four-time NBA champion. Robinson still said, however, that James’ influence was still felt: 

So it sounds like even though the former Cleveland Cavalier wasn’t actually in the room with the director, he still had plenty of input. But the philanthropist more importantly gave him the space to breathe and carve out his vision. The ATL helmer definitely makes a good point in that it’s usually invaluable whenever a director is truly given their own space to work their magic.

That doesn’t mean that Chris Robinson wasn’t at all eager to rub shoulders with the future hall of famer, who broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record earlier this year. Later during our chat, Robinson admitted that he really wanted to meet the basketball great early on. However, as that feeling went away, he began to appreciate the “gift” that King James’ impact allotted him: 

Based on his comments, Chris Robinson certainly took full advantage of the “gift” he received while working on the sports movie. The resources that he had at his disposal are also a testament to the fact that LeBron James has touched so many lives. And in the world of cinema, he’s proving to be a true force as well whether he’s producing a Space Jam sequel or working with Adam Sandler on a basketball drama. One would think that James is pleased with Robinson’s work on Shooting Stars, as it’s a sweet tribute to him and his teammates. 

Check out Shooting Stars on Peacock now, and check out CinemaBlend’s schedule of 2023 new movie releases for details on other major titles. You can also read up on other great sports movies and how to watch them.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown, who was also a civil rights activist, sports analyst and actor, died on Thursday in Los Angeles, California at the age of 87. Amidst the news that the NFL legend passed away peacefully in his home with his wife by his side, other influential people such as former President Barack Obama, LeBron James and more have taken to social media to pay tribute to the man who has been named one of the best running backs of all time. 

Jim Brown’s wife of over 25 years, Monique Brown broke the news on the late football player’s Instagram account. She shared the following message that includes a sweet photo of herself kissing her husband on the forehead: 

Monique Brown wrote that while “to the world he was an activist, actor, and football star,” to his family he was a “loving and wonderful husband, father, and grandfather.” The wife of Jim Brown ended the message by writing  “our hearts are broken.” The married couple share two children together and Jim Brown additionally shared three children with his first wife Sue and three more daughters from three other relationships.

Among the thousands of comments posted to remember Brown, famed NFL coach Deion Sanders, who currently heads the University of Colorado Boulder’s team said this: 

Jim Brown was born on February 17, 1936 in St. Simons Island, Georgia to a professional boxer Swinton Brown and his wife Theresa. After playing football in high school and college, Brown joined the NFL in 1957 as part of the Cleveland Browns. His football team also took to social media to post this tribute: 

Obama also wrote on social media shortly after the news of the NFL legend's passing, additionally highlighting his activism. Brown was portrayed by Aldis Hodge in the 2020 film One Night In Miami which highlighted this element of his career during the Civil Rights Movement and is available to stream with an Amazon Prime subscription. Check out the former president’s comments: 

American rapper Flavor Flav shared a photo of himself and Jim Brown along with a message about the famed football star, and how he was his “mentor and hero.” Check out the photo: 

Additionally, Michael Douglas paid tribute to Jim Brown as well, calling him “one of the greatest players in NFL history.” While the actors never worked together, Jim Brown was in various movies over the years including the iconic Tim Burton movie Mars Attack! and the Stephen King adaptation starring Arnold Schwarzenegger The Running Man. 

NBA legend LeBron James also called Jim Brown a “hero” in a post that shared what the late football player meant to him and how proud he was to call him a “friend.” Here’s the post. 

Across eight decades, Jim Brown had an incredible life that puts him among athletes who should get their own sports documentary series. Amidst his passing and as an outpouring of love online pays tribute to him, CinemaBlend forwards our condolences to Jim Brown’s family, friends and fans as they mourn the loss of a sports legend. 

It’s been three weeks now since Jamie Foxx was first hospitalized, for an as yet unclear medical complication. For a long time, little was known about what happened and what the Django Unchained actor’s status actually was. However, following Foxx’s first public social media post since being hospitalized, fans and friends of the actor are sending the actor well wishes for a speedy recovery, now that recovery is seeming more likely.

Social media has been flooded by both those that consider Jamie Foxx a friend, and those that are simply big fans of the actor's body of work. While there’s still a lot we don’t know, and so there’s still a real concern for the actor’s health, there are a lot of people pulling for him.

How Fans Of Jamie Foxx Have Responded

As an actor who has appeared in superhero movies and Quentin Tarantino films and who has won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Ray Charles, there are a wide variety of fans that Jamie Foxx has cultivated over the years. It seems that every role of Foxx’s is somebody’s favorite and several fans are supporting Foxx on Twitter by drawing attention to their personal favorite of his films.

Still other fans are simply pointing out the incredible width and breadth to his entire career. Even if you don’t consider yourself a major Foxx fan, there is probably at least one of his movies that you love simply by virtue of the fact that he has done so much over the years. And fans hope that there will be many more opportunities to see him shine. 

Foxx was busy filming a new movie with a recently unretired Cameron Diaz when this “medical complication,” as it has been called, occurred. The staus of the movie itself without Foxx is murky at this point. It’s still largely unclear what exactly happened, whether he was injured or was afflicted by some internal malady. But whatever the issue, seeing Foxx post publicly indicates that he is on the mend and that certainly has fans happy.

Of course, if those that are simply fans of Jamie Foxx are happy he’s doing better, one can only imagine how those that actually know him are feeling.

What Friends Of Jamie Foxx Are Saying

In the era of social media it’s easy to feel like you have a closer relationship with a public figure, but Jamie Foxx certainly has friends who are very much personally invested in their friend’s health struggles. Fellow Oscar winner Viola Davis posted a picture of herself with Foxx that included a statement that the world needs Foxx in it.

LeBron James is, his team probably hopes, focused on the ongoing NBA playoffs, but the Los Angeles Lakers star took a moment to give a shoutout to Foxx, who he called his brother.

One of Jamie Foxx’s most vocal friends since his hospitalization has been Nick Canon. The two are close enough that Canon says Foxx has asked him to do an important favor, though he has not yet revealed what that is.

We certainly all hope that Jamie Foxx does have a speedy recovery and is able to get out of the hospital soon. We will likely learn more about exactly what happened to him soon. Until then, his friends hope to see him again and the rest of us hope we get to see hm back on the screen before too long. 

Following his sole outing as Johnny Storm, a.k.a. The Human Torch, in 2015’s Fantastic Four, Michael B. Jordan got a second bite at the proverbial superhero movie apple when he played Erik “Killmonger” Stevens in 2018’s Black Panther. This marked his third collaboration with director Ryan Coogler, with the two of them having previously worked on Fruitvale Station and Creed together, and let’s not forget he also later made a surprise appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. So naturally Coogler knows Jordan pretty well, so when he compared the actor’s career to that of athletes Tom Brady and LeBron James, you can be sure he knows what he’s talking about.

With Michael B. Jordan being listed as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023, Ryan Coogler wrote the entry dedicated to him. Before going into how the actor made his directorial debut with the 2023 new movie release Creed III, and how his frequent collaborator’s “best work is still to come,” the filmmaker had this to say:

Although a lot of moviegoers may not have learned who Michael B. Jordan until movies like Fruitvale Station, Fantastic Four and Creed came out, as Ryan Coogler noted, he’s been acting since 1999, with his earliest credits being guest spots on the TV shows The Sopranos and Cosby, followed by his film debut in 2001 with Hardball. By the following year though, he starred recurring on The Wire on Wallace, and then he played Reggie Porter Montgomery on All My Children for three years. Factor in his roles on Friday Night Lights and Parenthood, mot to mention various guest appearances on other shows and pop-ups in movies, and there’s definitely no question that he’s been paying his acting dues longer than Tom Brady and LeBron James have respectively been playing football and basketball. It’s also a reminder of how good the man looks for age 36.

Fortunately for Jordan’s fans, he has plenty of other projects coming up, although none of them have been specifically dated yet. In January, it was announce that Rainbow Six, the sequel to Without Remorse, is finally moving forward, and he’s also still attached to projects like Wrong Answer, Methuselah, and a remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. Additionally, plans are in motion to not just make Creed IV, but flesh out the franchise with various spinoffs, although it’s unclear if Jordan would be involved in all those.

If you missed out on seeing Creed III in theaters, it’s now available to watch on VOD, while those who’d like to re-experience Michael B. Jordan’s quick appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever can do so with a Disney+ subscription. As for Ryan Coogler, he’s involved as a producer in a number of projects on the way, including the upcoming Marvel TV shows Ironheart and untitled Wakanda series, as well as Regina King’s Bitter Root film adaptation.

It took nearly 40 years for it to happen, but someone finally broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record. LeBron James managed to accomplish the monumental task, surpassing the basketball great’s 38,387-benchmark just a few weeks ago. Abdul-Jabbar was incredibly gracious about the major sports moment, presenting James with a ball and making a speech in his honor. Though his record has been surpassed, the former Los Angeles Lakers big man still stands among the NBA’s GOATs. The cerebral athlete and activist had quite a career, but he actually believes he could’ve played longer had he been in today’s basketball league. 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is lauded as a basketball player for a number of reasons, with one of the biggest being his longevity. He played 20 stellar seasons in the NBA, during which he earned six championships, 6 MVP awards, the previously mentioned scoring record and more. So it may be surprising to hear that the 19-time all-star believes he could’ve played even longer and been more effective. He made this argument during an interview with ClutchPoints and explained the logic behind it:

The basketball legend appears to believe that a higher emphasis on “load management” and player care has contributed to NBA stars having longer careers. Some may not see how an aircraft may directly affect a player’s performance, but it’s actually quite straightforward. Chartered flights, while still scheduled, don’t necessarily require that a person get up incredibly early in the morning. If you’re an athlete, that theoretically gives you more time to rest. Also, as the Airplane! alum would also mention during the interview, it can be uncomfortable for large men like himself to squeeze into the seating provided by commercial flights. You can see his interview in its entirety below: 

It’s also fascinating to hear Kareem Abdul-Jabbar share anecdotes about the game of basketball and all things related to it. He’s dropped keen thoughts on the feud between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal during their Laker days and divulged some details about his own relationship with former teammate Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Additionally, Abdul-Jabbar is a pop culture junkie, who doesn’t mind sharing honest thoughts on Avatar: The Way of Water or even Stranger Things Season 4, which had gripes about. (And don’t even get me started on the brutally honest feelings he has about HBO’s Winning Time.)

Though he’s carved out a niche for himself as a respected media pundit, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will firmly be remembered for being a basketball player – and one of the NBA’s most durable ones at that. Even though he believes he’d have had a longer playing career with today’s amenities, I still say a number of today’s competitors could still learn a thing or two from him when it comes to staying healthy. After all, you have to be physically fit and mentally sound in order to score over 38,000 points.

You can learn more about the sports giant by streaming Kareem: Minority of One using an HBO Max subscription.

Few would deny that LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen. Expectations were high for him when he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers at 18 years old, but he more than lived up to the hype. He’s made history time and time again but, last night, he accomplished what may be the biggest feat of his career. After months of anticipation, James finally broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387-point scoring record, a stat that stood for nearly 40 years. After hitting the impressive mark, James shed tears and dropped an f-bomb in front of Abdul-Jabbar – and there’s video of the entire address. 

The Los Angeles Laker claimed the hallowed record at the tail end of the team’s matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. King James solidified his place in the history books with a smooth fadeaway over Kenrich Williams. The star’s family and friends were all present to witness the feat alongside NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. After the end of the quarter, Silver, Abdul-Jabbar and James took to center court for a ceremony that saw the 75-year-old vet hand a basketball to his successor. James’ tears were flowing before he gave the speech with the aforementioned f-bomb. You can see the moment in the video above.

LeBron James has dropped f-bombs in relatively cheeky ways over the years, but this one was prompted by raw emotion. I can’t even fathom what he must’ve been feeling at that moment. There’s always talk about who the true NBA GOATS are and, while many will continue to have their opinions, there’s no denying that James has only further cemented himself amongst them. As you’d expect, plenty of fans took notice of the major accomplishment, including a few celebrities. With that, Charles Barkley, Stephen Curry, Rihanna and Drake all paid tribute to James in a video shared by Bleacher Report. Take a look:

Such kind responses are truly the icing on the cake for what was an incredible night. And on top of that, the game was attended by Denzel Washington, LL Cool J, Dwyane Wade and more, according to USA Today. A congratulatory message from President Joe was also played during the proceedings. Though the Lakers couldn’t pull out a win against the Thunder, I doubt too many fans were focused on that detail last night.

After that game, LeBron James officially has 38,390 points, per NBA.com, and it’s fair to assume that he’ll add to that number quite a bit before he calls it a career. Though he’s 38, he’s still playing at a high level and could easily remain in the league for at least another few years. During that time, basketball aficionados will likely continue to analyze his game and specifically compare him to the great Michael Jordan. For many, the jury is still out on who’s the most dominant (and who had the most impressive Space Jam victory). They may even discuss whether James’ bald look was as fresh as MJ’s. But it's clear that James has Jordan – who’s No. 5 on the scoring list – beat in this regard.

Of course, this record is still a reminder that LeBron James is reaching the end of his tenure on the court. For those who’ve grown up watching him, it’s hard to imagine a world in which he’s not playing basketball. But the businessman is already jumping into other ventures like film production. Aside from Space Jam: A New Legay, he’s produced other flicks and is even working on a high school biopic centered on his experiences.

It’ll be exciting to see what he does down the road but, right now, let’s just join him in celebrating this moment. There’s no way of telling whether King James’ new record will ever be broken one day but, just like he’s proven to us over the years, anything is possible.

For insight into the future hall of famer’s early days, stream the documentary More than a Game using an Amazon Prime Video subscription. You can also see him and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers, which is available to Hulu subscription holders.

Out of the innumerable amount of cinematic genres and subgenres that exist these days, the “party movie” is one that I never would have expected to see inspire any remakes or reboot. However, out of the many great party movies from over the years, I suppose the most likely candidate for such treatment would be the most quintessential title of them all — House Party.

Years after director Reginald Hudlin’s star-studded, 1990 comedy classic inspired four sequels, a full-fledged reimagining of the self-explanatory plot is being released in theaters with some grade-A talent behind the scenes — including “Old Town Road” video director Calmatic at the helm and Atlanta writers Stephen Glover and Jamal Olari penning the screenplay. There is just as much talent in front of the cameras in one of the biggest 2023 movies, too, as we will explain in our breakdown of who plays whom in the new House Party cast, along with a reminder of where you may have seen them from.

Tosin Cole (Damon)

As Damon — one of the two cash-strapped party hosts at the center of the House Party remake — we have Tosin Cole, who last played a hard-partier in the British 2021 comedy, Pirates, but first gained prominence in his native United Kingdom with roles on the coming-of-age TV dramas The Cut and Hollyoaks in the early to mid-2000s. He would go on to star in movies like the Idris Elba-led 2014 drama, Second Coming, but began to make a name for himself in American mainstream cinema the following year when he joined the Star Wars movies universe as Resistance pilot Lt. Bastian in The Force Awakens.

His more prominent sci-fi role, however, is Ryan Sinclair from his 22 episodes of the British cultural phenomenon Doctor Who, during which he time he also played Phil in the 2019 period romance, The Souvenir, and follow-up, The Souvenir: Part II, two years later. In 2022, Cole did a pair of timely dramas for both the small and big screen — namely when he joined producer Michael B. Jordan’s 61st Street cast and played civil rights activist Medgar Evers in Till.

Jacob Latimore (Kevin)

Playing Damon’s party co-host is Tosin Cole’s co-lead in the House Party cast, Jacob Latimore, who has some previous experience with remakes and reboots, having appeared in 2018’s modernized Superfly, and episodes of Apple TV+’s revival of the sci-fi anthology Amazing Stories, and Netflix’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre cast in 2022. After rising to fame as a teen hip-hop sensation, he made his acting debut alongside the One Tree Hill cast in a Season 7 guest role and made his film debut alongside Hayden Christensen in 2010’s Vanishing on 7th Street. 

After putting his musical talents to use on the big screen in 2013’s Black Nativity, he had back-to-back hits the following year with Ride Along and the first of the Maze Runner movies, repeated that pattern in 2016 with Sleight and the Will Smith-led drama, Collateral Beauty, and, in 2017, starred in Kathryn Bigelow’s harrowing historical drama, Detroit. While playing Emmett Washington on Showtime’s The Chi, Latimore starred in Netflix’s 2019 coming-of-age comedy, The Last Summer, and appeared in Like a Boss with Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne.

Karen Obilom (No Character Name Provided)

Also appearing in the House Party cast is Karen Obilom, who actually just made her feature-length film debut in 2021 with the Netflix original rom-com, Resort to Love, opposite Christina Milian. By then, she had already began appearing on one of the most popular modern DC TV shows, Doom Patrol, in the recurring role of cybernetic war veteran, Roni Evers.

Before then, she had also landed a starring role on the BET original drama, Games People Play, and, in 2022, went on to star on the Hollywood-set dramedy, Send Help, for the streaming service AllBlk. The early years for Obilom’s career predominantly consisted of short films and guest appearances acclaimed series like NCIS: Los Angeles (as well as its New Orleans-set counterpart) and Insecure.

Scott Mescudi (No Character Name Provided) 

Another House Party cast member who also has experience in the music business is Scott Mescudi, who, also like Jacob Latimore, made his acting debut on One Tree Hill, which marked the first time the rapper, also known as Kid Cudi, played himself. He would do this again in 2017’s Killing Hasselhoff, in the technophobic comedy Jexi, and Bill & Ted Face the Music — the long-awaited third installment of the sci-comedy franchise — after first playing a completely fictional character in HBO’s How to Make It in America cast. 

After Mescudi made his feature film debut in 2013’s apocalyptic drama Goodbye World, he went on to star in movies like 2014’s adaptation of the Need for Speed video games, Adam McKay’s Oscar-nominated satire Don’t Look Up, and one of the best horror movies of 2022, X. He is known on the small screen for a recurring role on Westworld, a starring role on HBO Max’s miniseries We Are Who We Are, and for Netflix’s animated musical comedy special, Entergalactic, which he also created.

D.C. Young Fly (No Character Name Provided)

Yet another House Party cast member who also has experience in the music business (among other various avenues of the entertainment industry) is D.C. Young Fly, who, also like Scott Mescudi, has played himself before — namely in his 2016 acting and feature film debut #DigitalLivesMatter. He would follow that up with the star-studded holiday comedy Almost Christmas, Mario van Peebles’ action thriller Armed, Netflix’s The Trap, and the 2019 sequel to the stoner movie favorite, How High.

Some of his most notable TV credits include guest appearances and recurring roles on MTV’s Scream: The Series, Grown-ish, American Soul (as Sly Stone), Disney+’s Proud Family revival, and 80 epodes of Wild ’N Out. Fly’s other feature-length credits 2020’s 2 Minutes of Fame and She Ball and writer, director, and star Nick Cannon’s 2021 holiday flick, Miracles Across 125th Street.

Andrew Santino (Peter)

While Andrew Santino — who plays LeBron James’ neighbor, Peter, in House Party — has no experience in the music business, he stars as someone who does on FX’s Dave — namely Mike, the best friend and manager to Lil Dicky’s fictional self. After making his acting debut in 2008’s Henry Poole is Here, he became a featured prankster on 2012’s revival of Punk’d, made guest appearances on such notable TV comedies as The Office and Arrested Development, and starred in the unaired pilot for the original gender-swapped HIMYM spin-off, How I Met Your Dad, in 2014 — the same year he did land a starring role on the short-lived comedy, Mixology.

After leading another short-lived comedy for Yahoo! called Sin City Saint in 2015, he landed a starring role on Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here, played a The Room cast member in The Disaster Artist, and played a cop in Netflix’s 2018 action-comedy Game Over, Man!. His other Netflix original credits include the Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Hart-led buddy comedy, Me Time, and his recently released stand-up comedy special, Cheeseburger.

LeBron James (Hologram LeBron James)

As you can infer from our mentioning of LeBron James in the previous section, the NBA superstar does appear in the House Party cast as a holographic version of himself. In fact, most of the remake — which the athlete also produces — takes place mostly at his home, where the titular gathering is thrown in secret by our protagonists.

This actually marks the latest of many times that James has played a fictionalized version of himself that includes guest appearances on TV shows like The Simpsons, Entourage, and SpongeBob Squarepants and starring roles in movies like 2015’s Trainwreck — one of the best performances by a celebrity as themselves — and Space Jam: A New Legacy, which he also helped produced. He also tried his hand at not playing himself by voicing a yeti named Gwangi in 2018’s Smallfoot.

Also making a cameo (as seen in a brief moment from the trailer) are the stars of the original classic, Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin — better known collectively as hip-hop duo, Kid ’N Play. See what sort of roles they play in the new House Party cast by checking out the remake for yourself in theaters now.

It may be 2023, but this year’s movie schedule already features a throwback to the 1990s. Or rather, a reboot, as director Calmatic has updated the 1990 cult classic House Party in a new film of the same name that was produced by LeBron James and stars Tosin Cole and Jacob Latimore — along with plenty of celebrity cameos, including the NBA great himself. The reviews are in, and critics have a lot to say about the new House Party, with most of them appearing to be in agreement that this was more of a miss than a slam dunk.

The ”movies that take place during parties” plot has often proven to be a successful jumping off point, and House Party gives us the leading duo of Kevin (Jacob Latimore) and Damon (Tosin Cole) as recently fired house cleaners, who recognize the opportunity to throw a big party at the mansion of one of their recent clients, LeBron James. Let’s see what the critics have to say about the hijinks that are sure to ensue, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of House Party. Our own Eric Eisenberg rates the movie 2.5 stars out of 5, saying Latimore and Cole have great chemistry, but the film’s inconsistency overall is frustrating and disappointing. He continues: 

IndieWire’s Jude Dry grades the movie a C+, saying Jacob Latimore has leading man potential if given better material, but overall he and Tosin Cole aren’t able to carry the movie amidst a bevy of celebrity cameos. The critic says: 

Owen Gleiberman of Variety is one of several to opine that Kid Cudi steals the show as an exaggerated version of himself, but as far as the movie overall, the critic says the remake lacks the innocence and comedy of its predecessor. From the review: 

Frank Scheck of THR agrees with the previous sentiment, also saying the new version of House Party lacks fun. The critic lists the movie’s various shenanigans to point out that “none of this, and I mean none of this, proves remotely funny.” The review continues: 

Luke Y. Thompson of AV Club gives the movie a grade of C+ as well, saying that while it’s not as bad as LeBron James’ previous nostalgia project Space Jam: A New Legacy, it lacks the charm of the 1990 flick. This critic does find more humor than some of the others, though, saying: 

If House Party sounds like a party movie you want to check out for yourself, you can do so starting Friday, January 13, when it arrives in theaters. In the meantime, if you want to relive the original, 1990’s House Party is just one of the best Black-led movies on HBO Max right now, so be sure your HBO Max subscription is up to date. 

LeBron James has long been the target of jokes centered around his hairline, and they’ve only picked up in recent years as his hair has begun to thin. (Even Richard Jefferson once roasted him over it.) However, fans won’t be able to take those humorous jabs at him moving forward. That’s right, James has officially (and finally) gone bald and, in doing so, he follows in the footsteps of NBA GOATS like Michael Jordan. Of course, in the aftermath of the reveal, a number of people took to the Internet to share thoughts on the athlete’s new look. 

The Los Angeles Laker took to his Instagram story this week to share a photo that shows him sporting a shaved head. The snapshot, in which the 37-year-old athlete can be seen smiling, also featured several laughing emojis and one of an old man. It didn’t take long for social media to take notice, and one Twitter seems to be overwhelmed knowing that the star has finally accepted his destiny by getting the cut: 

Seeing the photo for the first time is a bit jarring, but the bald look honestly suits LeBron James. One aspect of this change that many seem to be putting emphasis on is the fact that James now becomes yet another one of the league’s great players not to have hair. Basketball fans have long-discussed the number of great players who shaved their heads over the course of their careers. In the tweet below, you can see some of the others who sported the baldy:

Legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal are among the most notable hall of famers to have shaved their heads, the person that probably comes to mind first for most people is Michael Jordan. The Chicago Bulls icon’s pristine head is one of his signature features, so much so that some may not even remember that he had hair during his early years in the league. One might wonder how the jovial Jordan might respond to his Space Jam counterpart’s head, and NBA Memes spoofed a reaction using The Last Dance:

Jokes aside though, many have argued that – like Michael Jordan – once someone cuts their hair, they reach a new statistical plateau in their playing careers. There’s no proven correlation between baldness, mind you, but many stars have indeed reached new heights after getting their heads shaved. With that, one user jokingly made a prediction:

The odds of the basketball great performing such a feat are pretty slim but, based on history, I wouldn’t scoff at the idea of him ramping things up on the court this season. It’s true that the Trainwreck alum did decide to go bald later than some of his predecessors, but he’s proven that he still has plenty of fuel in the tank.

Check out LeBron James in action when the NBA season kicks off with his Lakers taking on the Golden State Warriors on October 18. In the meantime, you can see James when he appears on the documentary series Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers, which can be accessed with a Hulu subscription. He’ll also appear on The Redeem Team, and that can be streamed on October 7 using a Netflix subscription.

A decade ago, Manti Te’o was in the headlines as a national joke and disgraced sports figure, after it was learned that his girlfriend — who had supposedly died on the same day as his grandmother and whose memory he dedicated his senior year of Notre Dame football to — had never existed. For the past couple of weeks, the former NFL linebacker’s catfishing story has been making the news again, but this time for a completely different reason. Netflix delved into the story in its documentary Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist, and its reception has been massive, even eliciting some kind words from NBA star LeBron James. 

Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist has resonated with a lot of people, and given new context to what the Notre Dame student-athlete went through in 2012 and 2013. Manti Te’o spoke out about the overwhelming response he’s received, thanking everyone for sharing their own stories and sending love to him and his family. It looks like even King James found time for a viewing of the doc that has remained one of Netflix’s top movies since its August 16 premiere, because on August 27, LeBron James tweeted: 

The two-part Untold docuseries has gotten a lot of attention from fans, as well as a large contingency of the sports world, who remember reading and talking about the Manti Te’o hoax 10 years ago. In early 2013 when Deadspin broke the story, LeBron James was en route to his second-straight NBA Championship with the Miami Heat. Even so, there’s no way he would have been able to avoid this story, as the “fake girlfriend” didn’t just transcend football; it reached audiences far outside of sports. Along with James’ uplifting message, the 18-time NBA All-Star included emojis of a salute, prayer hands, a raised fist, and a crown.

The show of support for Manti Te’o — from LeBron James and the public in general — is a big deal, considering the amount of flak he took after the scandal was exposed. The linebacker fell victim to a catfishing scam, in which he thought he was in a long-distance relationship with a woman named Lennay Kekua during his college years. Lennay was not a real person, but rather an identity made up by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo. 

Little was known at the time about catfishing; Nev Schulman’s documentary Catfish had just come out a few years earlier in 2010. The general consensus was that there was no way someone could be fooled into a years-long relationship with a fake person. For that reason, many people thought Manti Te’o must have been in on the scam, riding the tragic story of his girlfriend's death to becoming a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and an all-but-guaranteed first-round selection in the NFL Draft. Instead, Te’o was named one of America’s Most Disliked Athletes, and then lost millions of dollars when he fell to the second round of the draft. 

Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist — and people like LeBron James spreading the word — is helping to shine the light on what really happened, and hopefully bring some healing to Manti Te’o. New episodes of Netflix’s Untold documentary film series are released each Tuesday. Be sure to also check out some of the best True Crime documentaries on Netflix right now, as well as the 2022 Netflix Movie Schedule. 

What’s Kourtney Kardashian latest scheme to get pregnant with Travis Barker? Did Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn get secretly engaged? The answers to these and similar questions have no direct bearing on most of our lives, yet we continue to be fascinated by what the “It” celebrity couples are up to anyway. A new study has crunched the numbers on our (or should I say my…) fascination, with Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively and Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson as some unsurprising entries among the most Googled couples. However, the No. 1 couple overall probably isn't who you'd think it was.

The study conducted by DC Jewellery used five specific factors in its methodology in order to rank the top 10 celebrity couples in the world: combined search volume, combined Instagram and Twitter followers, how long they have been in their relationship and how long they have been married. The idea was to gauge the public’s invested interest in them against their success/longevity as a couple. Each duo then garnered a “celeb couple score,” and based on their averaging system, a certain NBA player and his wife dunked the coveted lead position: LeBron and Savannah James. See the full couple rankings here:

• 10. Melissa McCarthy & Ben Falcone (6.21)
• 9. Lisa Kudrow & Michael Stern (6.31)
• 8. Jessica Alba & Cash Warren (6.56)
• 7. Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel (6.62)
• 6. Elsa Pataky & Chris Hemsworth (6.82)
• 5. Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds (6.87)
• 4. Tom Brady & Gisele Bündchen (7.13)
• 3. Ellen DeGeneres & Portia De Rossi (7.18)
• 2. Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson (7.38)
• 1. LeBron James & Savannah James (7.79)

So, the winner is LeBron James and his high school sweetheart Savannah Brinson, who got married back in 2013. Truth be told, their marriage isn’t as in-your-face as some of the other “competitors,” which is why we’re so surprised. Not to mention, Brinson (now James) isn’t a high-profile actor or athlete to help bolster their standings in these kind of analytics.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, for example, are both performers in their own rights and are constantly making headlines for their sarcastic jokes at each other's expense (which explains why they were the No. 1 in terms of most Google searches). And what we know of Tom Hanks is that he’ll make his opinions quite clear where Lightyear without Tim Allen is concerned or about any fan who dares to knock into his wife Rita Wilson. The study showed that Hanks and Wilson have lasted longer than all the rest on the list, too – and no kidding, because they just celebrated their 34th anniversary together.

LeBron James was seemingly able to add this new personal accolade to his long list of professional accomplishments – which includes two Gold Olympic medals, four NBA MVP awards and four championship rings – due to the huge numbers that his name puts on this kind of scoreboard. The 37-year-old father of three and his wife have more than 120 million followers across both Twitter and Instagram, most of which coming from the power forward. They also have generated over 70 million Google searches between them, per the study. But if that wasn’t proof enough that the James are #CoupleGoals, then just note that the NBA champion’s self-produced high school biopic (which will presumably document the couple’s own origin story as well) is heading to Peacock Premium subscribers in 2023. Who else in this list can claim that their real-life love story will soon part of a major motion picture? I’ll wait...

A lot of other celebrity couples made some noise in the study, just not in the numero uno relationship spot. Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham and Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick came in second and third respectively for the longest-lasting couples (after my man Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, of course). The two couples who got married the quickest? Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and Elsa Pataky and Chris Hemsworth, who all wed after less than a year of dating. And Taylor Swift and her rumored husband-to-be, Joe Alwyn, blasted everyone out of the water for most social media followers.

All in all, though, we must admit that these kind of rankings need to be taken with a grain of salt. The study indicated that celebrities without data for certain categories were removed outright so as to create a “level playing field.” This seemingly accounts for why the likes of Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson or JLo and Ben Affleck were nowhere to be seen, despite their relationships (and frequent engagements) almost always being a hot topic.

Alas, there can be only one King (and Queen). And King James retains his crown...

Adam Sandler is stepping away from the comedic roles that made him so popular and reconnecting with his dramatic side in his upcoming movie on Netflix. He’s also tapping into his basketball fandom, as he joined forces with LeBron James to produce the sports drama Hustle. Sandler stars as Philadelphia 76ers scout Stanley Sugarman, who has dreams of coaching, and is working to get overseas player Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangómez) recruited to the NBA. Critics have screened the movie, so fans will have a better idea what to expect when Hustle becomes available to Netflix subscribers on June 8. 

The Saturday Night Live alum has impressed audiences in his dramatic roles before in films including Punch-Drunk Love, Reign Over Me, and Uncut Gems, making Adam Sandler’s dramatic renaissance in Hustle pretty highly anticipated. It doesn't hurt that he has a cast full of talent alongside him in Queen Latifah, Robert Duvall, Ben Foster, and a number of NBA players. Let’s take a look at how the critics enjoyed the movie, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of Hustle. Eric Eisenberg rates the movie with 3 stars out of 5, saying the script doesn't stray too far outside the generic sports movie formula, but the direction and characters make up for it to the point that maybe all of Sandler's movies should be related to basketball:

Chris Evangelista of SlashFilm rates the movie 6 out of 10, saying it's charming, even though it doesn't bring anything new to the world of sports drama. Jeremiah Zagar's direction is surprisingly energetic, and real-life NBA player Juancho Hernangómez has a stiff awkwardness that works for his character:

David Ehrlich of IndieWire grades Hustle a B, calling the dramedy "affecting," and "immaculately made." It may not be the strongest of Adam Sandler's forays into drama, and it may not be the best redemption story ever told, but this review says its confidence puts it firmly in the game:

The reviews are all praising the direction of Jeremiah Zagar, which, along with the likeability of the main characters, seems to be making all the difference in what could just be another run-of-the-mill sports redemption story. Robert Abele of The Wrap is among those critics who also hopes to continue to see Adam Sandler evolve away from "minor-league comedy boorishness." He wrote: 

Owen Gleiberman of Variety calls Hustle a "heart-in-the-throat basketball drama" that succeeds in part because of the real-life NBA players, but also because of the authenticity that Adam Sandler brings to the role of Stanley Sugarman:

It seems like Adam Sandler lived up to the expectations of the critics. If you’re excited to see him in this dramatic basketball movie, you don’t have to wait long or go far. Hustle will be available for streaming starting on Wednesday, June 8 on Netflix. Be sure to check out our 2022 Movie Release Schedule to see what movies are coming soon to theaters.

ESPN has lost more than a few notable names over the last several years. 2021 alone saw the departure of Maria Taylor as well as the surprising exit of longtime anchor Kenny Mayne. Another familiar name that fans are sure to know is Michelle Beadle, who worked for the widely watched sports news network from 2009-2012 and 2014-2019. She’s since claimed that LeBron James once tried to get her fired from the Disney-owned company during her tenure and, now, she’s sharing more details about why James allegedly wanted her removed. 

Michelle Beadle initially made these allegations against LeBron James in December 2021. The TV personality, who co-hosted NBA Countdown with (the now-removed) Paul Pierce and others during her second ESPN stint, claimed James had someone at the network that he wanted to see hosting in her place. At the time, she also insisted that James’ business partner, Maverick Carter, would act coldly towards her whenever they encountered each other. Beadle dove back into the topic while appearing on The Sessions with Renee Paquette and asserted that the NBA champion was upset with her because she criticized a certain TV special he was a part of:

The Decision, as sports fans more than likely remember, was the 2010 ESPN special in which LeBron James announced that he’d be leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers and “taking his talents” to South Beach to play with the Miami Heat. The program generated high ratings for the network but was heavily admonished by sports pundits and general fans. This was particularly due to the prolonged reveal of James’ actual decision. 

Michelle Beadle went on to share more thoughts on the Space Jam: A New Legacy headliner during the chat. After chastising the way he conducts himself, she summed up how she views him overall, and she didn’t mince words:

During the conversation, the sports journalist also said that she did take the alleged firing attempt personally, asserting that “[James] wanted me fired, he tried to do that.” She also insisted that others have reached out to her, claiming that “that kind of shit was happening to them, too.”

As of this writing, LeBron James has not publicly commented on Michelle Beadle’s accusations. It’s also worth mentioning that Beadle doesn’t view this alleged situation as the biggest annoyance she experienced while at ESPN. Judging by this new interview, she seems to be relieved that her apparent experiences with the network and James are behind her.

To many, Adam Sandler is an actor, comedian and producer, but his loyal followers likely know that he’s also a massive basketball fan. He's a skilled player, who's hooped it up with some of the NBA's best and has even played with fans on occasion. With this, he’s been channelling that love into some of his projects over the past few years, specifically The Safdie Bros.’ Uncut Gems, in which he starred alongside hall of famer Kevin Garnett. Now, Sander is prepping the release of his newest basketball film, the Lebron James-produced Hustle. And based on the first trailer released by Netflix, it’s definitely not a comedy. 

The film centers on Adam Sandler’s Stanley Sugerman, a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, who dreams of becoming an NBA head coach. The weary sports devotee spends his days searching for potential talent in different parts of the world. And in his travels, he happens upon a young man named Bo Cruz (portrayed by actual NBA professional player NBA player Juancho Hernangómez) in Spain. The troubled athlete (who’s also a father) shows true potential on the court, and Stanley seems set on getting him to the states so that he can enter the draft.

As you’d expect, the road to professional sports glory isn’t going to be easy for the two, as they must both overcome the hurdles that come with professional sports. There’s also the matter of their family obligations, which can be marred by the demands of the sports industry. And based on what we see here, Stanley’s relationship with his wife, Teresa (played by Queen Latifah), has suffered in some respects as a result of his work.

There have been plenty of underdog sports movies over the years, but it’s hard to deny just how compelling this film looks. Director Jeremiah Zagar, a Philadelphia native, seems to have taken great care in depicting his hometown and emphasizing the basketball grind, if the trailer is any indication. Zagar also has a talented cast sitting on his bench, as Adam Sandler, Juancho Hernangómez and Queen Latifah are joined by Robert Duvall, Heidi Gardner, Kenny Smith, Anthony Edwards and real-life 76er Tobias Harris. It’s an eclectic mix of characters but one that I wouldn’t cast doubt upon.

Another aspect of this that I find exciting is the obvious: it marks yet another dramatic role for Adam Sandler. The star has made us laugh plenty of times through iconic comedies like Happy Gilmore, The Waterboy and Billy Madison. However, let’s not forget that he’s also more than held his own in dramas like Punch-Drunk Love, Reign Over Me and Spanglish. It’s always great to see him flex his dramatic acting muscles, and I hope he continues to do it more of these kinds of projects moving forward.

Hopefully, we'll be able to chalk up Hustle as a win for the sports movie genre. It has the necessary pieces to be successful, but we’ll just have to wait and see and if it ends up grabbing the #1 spot. On Netflix’s Top 10 trending list and not in this year’s NBA Draft, I mean.

Hustle debuts on June 8, so be sure that you have a Netflix subscription so that you can check it out. Also be sure to take a look at CinemaBlend's schedule of upcoming movies for 2022.

Sports fans have not been left wanting when it comes to docuseries. In the past few years alone, we’ve seen the Michael Jordan-centric project The Last Dance and Tom Brady’s Man in the Arena, both of which earned positive reviews and strong ratings. And more recently, They Call Me Magic, a four-part program focusing on the legendary Los Angeles Laker, has dropped. It’s clear that sports documentary series aren’t going away anytime soon and, with that, there are several iconic athletes who should get projects of their own. 

Now, some of the people we’re going to discuss have had television specials or films that have tackled aspects of their lives. However, they’ve yet to have multi-part shows that cover their professional and personal lives in great detail and, most importantly, feature the subjects themselves candidly telling their own stories. There are some truly interesting personalities within the world of sports, and fans would certainly love to see them reflect on their journeys. So let’s jump in and discuss the legends who deserve their own docuseries: 

Jim Brown

Most would agree that Jim Brown is one of the greatest athletes America has ever known. The retired fullback was a standout football player at Syracuse University (also competing in basketball, track and field and lacrosse) before being drafted into the NFL by the Cleveland Browns. From there, he went on to win numerous honors, including three league MVP awards and multiple Pro Bowl and All-NFL selections, which helped land him in the hall of fame. Of course, he was also a noted civil rights activist during the ‘60s. And to top it all off, he also achieved fame as a movie star after his playing days were done.

The now-86-year-old icon has lived quite a life, one that certainly deserves to be covered in a docuseries. Said show could tackle his life as a professional athlete, his activism and more. I’d personally love to get some additional insight into his acting career as well. I mean, come on, you all know you want some behind-the-scenes Mars Attacks! stories.

Wayne Gretzky

There are few names that stand out like Wayne Gretsky’s does. Sure, it’s unique on its own, but the prolific hockey player’s array of accomplishments, like his numerous medals, broken records and NHL honors, are what really give his name its bite. I know what you’re thinking and, yes, the man, who’s considered to be the greatest to ever play the sport, has had a documentary. But he could still use a multi-episode series in which he discusses his exploits in greater detail. 

So what could that project cover? Well, there’s his childhood in Canada, his effect on the game of hockey (see the Gretsky rule) and the notorious 1988 trade that sent him from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. There’s a lot of material, which could certainly fill multiple installments of a series.

Barry Bonds

Yes, Barry Bonds has become somewhat of a polarizing figure in the sports world, but there’s still no denying that he’s one of the greatest baseball players to ever step up to the plate. A 14-time MLB All-Star and 12-time Silver Slugger Award winner, he holds numerous honors, including the record for most career home runs at 762. It’s definitely clear that he’s proven himself as a stellar athlete, but his work on the baseball diamond isn't the only reason he’d make a good documentary series subject. His life off the field would also be a major draw. 

Most are likely aware that Barry Bonds became embroiled in a steroids scandal that rocked the baseball world in the 2000s. Said situation is what essentially kept him from being elected to the sport’s hall of fame. A series could allow Bonds the chance to share his thoughts on the subject as well as other controversies like his failed reality TV show and the highly publicized books that have been written about him. Combine these topics with his on-field heroics, and you’ve got an intriguing tale.

Dennis Rodman

Seriously, who doesn’t want to dive into the mind of Dennis Rodman? We got a taste of the eccentric former power forward’s life in The Last Dance but now I’m ready for more. Though many remember him for his wild hairstyles and off-court antics, we must also keep in mind that he was a rebounding machine and a key part of both the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls’ championship teams. His role in securing those titles is part of the reason why he’s immortalized in the basketball hall of fame today. 

There’s so much that can be covered in a Dennis Rodman docuseries, from his struggles with poverty and homelessness as a youth to his rise as one of the NBA’s finest. And of course, it has to tackle his “extracurricular activities.” (His mid-season trip to Vegas with the ageless Carmen Electra is only the tip of the iceberg.) I really hope this one happens and, if not, I’ll just have to settle for the movie Phil Lord and Chris Miller are making.

Alex Rodriguez

It’s honestly surprising that there’s yet to be a documentary centered on baseball legend Alex Rodriguez. (Well, there’s 2018’s Screwball, but that’s a different kind of doc.) Rodriguez’s résumé pretty much speaks for itself, as it includes 14 All-Star selections, three American League MVP awards and a World Series title, among other things. He’s surely one of the most gifted athletes the public has ever seen and is definitely deserving of his own docuseries. 

A-Rod’s upbringing is very interesting, as he’s the son of Dominican immigrants and spent a portion of his childhood living in the Dominican Republic. A series could tackle that along with his illustrious career. His storied (and controversial) run with the New York Yankees, would also be a major point of interest. And maybe, just maybe, we can get some insight into his highly publicized romance with Jennifer Lopez (which ended in a breakup).

Venus and Serena Williams

There’s probably not a single sports fan who hasn’t at least heard of Venus and Serena Williams. The sisters took the tennis world by storm as youngsters and have since earned numerous accolades. The pair are considered the two greatest athletes to ever play the game, which is why they've already received both a documentary and a feature film (Will Smith’s Oscar-winning King Richard) based on their lives. Serena did have a solo series, Being Serena, which focused solely on her pregnancy, marriage and return to tennis a few years ago. However, we've still yet to get a definitive series headlined by both that focuses on their entire bodies of work.

Their story is one that many know by now, but it would still be great to see them discuss their careers in depth in a definitive series. Their upbringing in Compton and their rise to top of the tennis ranks is certainly interesting enough to warrant such a production. I’d also love a deeper look into how the two manage their various brands and endorsements.

LeBron James

After The Last Dance, I’m sure basketball fans are eager for LeBron James to get his time in the sun. Next to Michael Jordan, James is widely regarded as the greatest player to ever step on a court. He’s accomplished a number of feats over the course of his career, which make him more than worthy of the praise he gets. Multiple NBA championships, MVP awards, All-Star selections and scoring records are just a few of the big-ticket accomplishments he has. 

Though aside from the accolades, he’s also simply an interesting individual with a compelling story. A docuseries could focus on his early life in Akron, Ohio, where he was raised by his single mother. Within his playing career, one of the biggest subjects that would surely be discussed is his highly publicized decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers (the first time) and the backlash he received. He could also address claims that he “ruined” the game of basketball. 2008’s More than a Game did a masterful job of covering his early years, but plenty has happened to the Space Jam: A New Legacy lead since, prompting the need for a new production.

There are surely plenty of others who deserve their own documentary series, in which they can regale viewers with their stories, but these are certainly some of the biggest. One can only hope that such projects will happen sooner rather than later. 

While you wait for movement on those, you can stream both The Last Dance and Man in the Arena with a Hulu subscription. And They Call Me Magic is available to check out with the use of an Apple TV+ subscription.

By now, it’s more than evident that motion pictures don’t simply dwell in movie theaters these days. Many of them also go directly to the streaming realm and are enjoyed in the comfort of one’s home. Many studios have been shifting their release approaches to match this model, including Universal. Since the onset of the COVID pandemic, the company has already sent a few features to Peacock while simultaneously giving them theatrical releases. But now, the studio is sending LeBron James’ high school biopic and three other films right to the digital platform. 

Peacock announced this week that three Universal Pictures productions are set to stream exclusively on the service as originals in 2023. This move stems from a previously reported deal between Universal and the streamer in which the former produces movies exclusively for the service. The first on that list is the aforementioned Lebron James-centric flick, titled Shooting Stars. Produced by the Space Jam: A New Legacy headliner’s SpringHill Company, the feature focuses on his high school years as a phenom in Akron, Ohio, which is where filming is reportedly taking place at this time. 

That film will be joined by Praise This, which comes from Girls Trip producer Will Packer. The feature stars Grammy nominee Chloe Bailey as a new member of a community church who helps the congregation shift its musical approach while pursuing her own musical career. Also, joining the streaming lineup is John Woo’s The Killer. The Face/Off director hasn’t directed American films in a while, so this latest outing should be a nice treat for cinephiles. 

Together, Universal and Peacock appear to be doing their best to ensure that cinematic content is plentiful within the world of streaming. It makes sense when you think about how the cinematic landscape is continuing to evolve. In a statement, Kelly Campbell, who oversees Peacock and Direct-to-Consumer and International for NBCUniversal, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration:

The streaming service got a big-leg up last year when the studio behind franchises like Jurassic World and Fast & Furious opted to license its films to NBCUniversal’s streamer instead of HBO Max. So this year alone, fans can expect to see upcoming movies like Minions: The Rise of Gru, Nope and Halloween Kills on the platform. And when these originals drop next year, the platform should be in a prime position to succeed. 

Following Shooting Stars, Praise This and The Killer, one can only imagine what else Universal Pictures has planned for the service. But regardless, be sure that you have a Peacock Premium subscription so that you can check films out as they arrive. And if you already have it, know that there are 20+ great movies to watch on Peacock right now.

We all love a good cameo by a celebrity appearing as themselves for a brief, but fun, little moment. However, what I have always found more amusing is when a famous person portrays themselves in a more prominent starring role from a movie, or in a TV guest appearance that serves as the main focus of that episode (or episodes), or even as the lead of the whole story. With Nicolas Cage playing himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, we wanted to take a look at our picks for some more of the best performances by athletes, musicians, or actors who played themselves.

Neil Patrick Harris (Harold & Kumar Movies)

Future How I Met Your Mother cast member Neil Patrick Harris was still best known as the star of Doogie Howser M.D. when he stole the show in the 2004 stoner comedy classic Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle as a highly dramatized version of himself. The Emmy nominee would reprise the role in two sequels that more heavily blend the actor’s reality with increasingly absurd fiction, including getting kicked out of Heaven by Jesus in A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas after he was previously gunned down by prostitutes in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. 

Cate Blanchett (Coffee And Cigarettes)

Every vignette in Coffee and Cigarettes - Jim Jarmusch’s 2003 anthology of short films starring celebrities as themselves - is gold, but Cate Blanchett leads one of the more unique and thought-provoking of the bunch called “Cousins.” The segment is, additionally, one of the most profound testaments of the two-time Oscar winner’s chameleonic talent, as she makes it so easy to forget she is playing both herself and her brunette relative, Shelly, who struggle to relate to each other while catching up in a hotel lobby.

James Van Der Beek (Don’t Trust The B**** In Apartment 23)

In 2012, James Van Der Beek made his big return to TV as a series regular on Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 in a role very close to his heart: James Van Der Beek. The actor brilliantly pokes fun at his post-leading the Dawson’s Creek cast career and predicts his future Dancing with the Stars stint as the famous best friend of Krysten Ritter’s Chloe - the title character of ABC’s short-lived, but much-acclaimed, comedy.

Bill Murray (Zombieland)

Most people would consider Bill Murray’s surprise appearance in Zombieland to be one of the greatest cameos of his career (and there are several incredible examples to choose from). However, with only four other characters in the main cast of the classic 2009 zombie comedy, I think we can justifiably count the Oscar nominee’s iconic, hilariously dead-pan portrayal as his post-apocalyptic self as a starring role despite lasting mere minutes. 

Keanu Reeves (Always Be My Maybe)

Another example of a relatively brief appearance that still earns the right to be called a starring role occurs in 2019’s Always Be My Maybe when Marcus (Randall Park) is shocked to learn that his childhood friend (and crush), Sasha (Ali Wong) is dating none other than Keanu Reeves. The John Wick star pulls no punches in his partially improvised portrayal of a wonderfully absurd version of himself in the Netflix original rom-com, in which, during a restaurant double-date, he shows up wearing glasses with no lenses and asks the waiter for a dish that plays with “the concept of time.”

Heather Langenkamp (New Nightmare)

After playing Nancy Kerrigan in two Nightmare on Elm Street movies made her one of the top Scream Queens of the 1980s, Heather Langenkamp would give, arguably, her best performance in the franchise when she returned - not as Nancy, but as herself - in 1994’s New Nightmare. The cleverly meta thriller, in which the actress is taunted by a demon assuming the appearance of Freddy Krueger, also stars fellow horror icon Robert Englund as this new take on the iconic villain and himself as well as writer and director Wes Craven.

The Beatles (A Hard Day’s Night)

The cinematic phenomenon of famous musicians offering a fictionalized peek into their lives off-stage (such as Nick Cave in 2014’s quasi-documentary 20,000 Days on Earth or Foo Fighters in the horror-comedy Studio 666 more recently) arguably began with The Beatles. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr exhibit solid comedic timing and profound athleticism while running from a swarm of screaming fans in 1964’s A Hard Day’s Night - the first of a number of dramatized films the Fab Four made together.

LeBron James (Trainwreck)

Pro basketball star LeBron James has portrayed himself onscreen several times and most recently in 2021’s Space Jam: A New Legacy - a sequel to the hit Michael Jordan/Looney Tunes collaboration from 1996. However, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Small Forward received the most acclaim of his acting career so far for playing himself in Trainwreck - star and writer Amy Schumer’s 2015 rom-com which depicts him and Bill Hader’s “sports doctor to the stars” as best friends.

Stan Lee (Mallrats)

Before his heartbreaking death in 2018, Stan Lee perfected the art of the cameo by appearing in countless Marvel movies. One of his first and most prominent acting gigs (for which he was actually mentioned in the opening credits, too) was as himself in Kevin Smith’s 1995 Clerks follow-up, Mallrats. The comic book icon makes you a “true believer” in his acting ability when he shows up for a couple of scenes to give comic book-obsessed Brody (Jason Lee) some much-needed relationship advice. 

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

It is no secret among die-hard Seinfeld fans that Jason Alexander’s deeply neurotic and troublesome character, George Costanza, was heavily inspired by the personality and life experiences of co-creator Larry David. On his follow-up to Seinfeld - the long-running, HBO original comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm - David has earned several Emmy Award nominations for playing a version of himself who makes George look like a saint, burning bridges with Hollywood heavies and alienating friends and average bystanders at every turn.  

Kate Winslet (Extras)

Star and co-creator Ricky Gervais’ Hollywood satire Extras is chock full of amazing celebrity guest appearances, but Kate Winslet made a damn good case to be considered the funniest in the Emmy-winning comedy’s history. The British Titanic star is seen playing a nun on the set of a film about the Holocaust (which she admits she agreed to star in purely to win an Oscar, having not yet won for The Reader) before later proving herself to be a master in double entendres when offering fellow extra, Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen), phone sex tips.

John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich)

It is a bit rare for an actor to appear in a movie as him or herself while also playing the title character, but 1999’s Being John Malkovich - from from writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze - is also a rare kind of movie, and in many ways, too. The two-time Oscar nominee is understandably shocked and frightened by the discovery that a Manhattan puppeteer (John Cusack) has been using a magical portal to be able to take a walk in his shoes for 15 minutes at a time in this wildly creative comedy.

Bruce Campbell (My Name Is Bruce)

Another rare example of an actor playing themselves in the titular role of a film is Bruce Campbell in My Name is Bruce, which is also the last film the B-movie icon directed himself. Campbell is hilarious in the 2007 horror-comedy as a boozy, washed-up version of himself who is forced to channel his iconic Evil Dead character, Ash Williams, in order to defeat a demon wreaking havoc on a small town in Oregon.

Oprah Winfrey (30 Rock)

Another example of a memorably, and often awkwardly, hilarious guest appearance on an acclaimed TV comedy is Oprah Winfrey on Season 3 of 30 Rock. Liz Lemon (star and creator Tina Fey) is delighted to find the larger-than-life media mogul seated next to her on an airplane and cannot help but seize the opportunity to received a dose of wisdom, but who could really blame her for that?

Kevin Garnett (Uncut Gems)

As much as I agree that Adam Sandler deserved greater awards attention for his lead performance in the relentless 2019 thriller Uncut Gems, I think we should be more angry at the fact that former NBA player Kevin Garnett received no awards attention at all. I would go so far as to say I’m glad the Safdie Brothers did not get the athlete they originally wrote the part for (the Knicks’ Amar’e Stoudemire) because Garnett is electrifying as himself (circa 2012), whose interest in a rare opal sets off a series of increasingly dire circumstances for the Sandler as self-destructive jeweler, Howard Ratner.

The This Is The End Cast

The whole point of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s 2013 directorial debut This is the End is to watch the entire cast (including Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, and many, many more) as hilariously exaggerated versions of themselves who struggle to endure the Apocalypse and a merciless barrage of gags at their expense. Highlights also include an excruciatingly vain (and demonically possessed) Jonah Hill; a lewd, coke-snorting Michael Cera; an axe-wielding Emma Watson; and Channing Tatum employed by a cannibalistic Danny McBride as his sex slave.

You've got to love seeing a famous person let loose and introduce a different, completely fictional side of themselves to the world on screen. I cannot wait to see more examples of actors playing themselves in the future.

Among the many great movies that take place during parties, the definitive crown jewel of the bunch would have to be the aptly titled House Party, directed by Oscar nominated filmmaker Reginald Hudlin and starring hip-hop duo Kid ’N Play. New Line Cinema – who produced the original – have apparently taken the acclaim to heart and have made a reimagining of the classic 1990 cult comedy for a new generation that has become one of the most anticipated 2023 movies since. The following is our list of all the essential, confirmed facts there are to know about the House Party remake so far – starting with a mention of when this party is getting started.

The House Party Remake Comes To Theaters January 2023

When the House Party remake was first announced, it was set to be released as an HBO Max exclusive. However, after David Zaslav took over as CEO of Warner Bros. – which New Line Cinema is a division of – following the company’s merger with Discovery, the comedy became one of many films given a theatrical release after originally being developed for the streaming platform. 

According to Deadline, House Party will hit theaters over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend or, to be more specific, on Friday, January 13, 2023. Originally, the film was set to premiere on the 2022 movies schedule when it was still an HBO Max exclusive.

The Remake Is, Technically, The Sixth House Party Movie 

In case any further clarification was needed, 2023’s House Party is an entirely new, modern reinterpretation of the original and not a sequel. However, if we were to count it as part of the franchise, this would be the sixth installment of a series spanning more than three decades – a few of which are the best Black-led movies on HBO Max right now.

Following the release of 1990’s House Party, Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin, a.k.a. Kid ’N Play, would reprise their roles from the original hit in two sequels – the college-set House Party 2 in 1991 (in which Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell from the classic ‘90s sitcom, Martin, return) and 1994’s House Party 3, which is set during Kid’s bachelor party. The duo did not return for the straight-to-video House Party 4: Down to the Last Minute – instead starring R&B trio IMx (née Immature), in 2001 – but would make a special appearance as themselves in 2013’s House Party: Tonight’s the Night, which (according to Level’s Medium blog) is the closest we have had to a House Party remake yet, but not quite in a complimentary sense.

The House Party Cast Includes Jacob Latimore, Tosin Cole, And More

As a split-second shot from the new House Party trailer reveals, Kid ’N Play are appearing in the remake. However, the lead duo this time is British actor Tosin Cole from Doctor Who and Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Jacob Latimore from Netflix’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel and Showtime’s The Chi. As Deadline reported in July 2021, Latimore was brought in to replace Jorge Lendeborg Jr. after he left for personal reasons.

Co-stars in the House Party cast include comedian Andrew Santino of FX’s Dave fame, Allen Maldonado from the Straight Outta Compton cast, Shakira Ja’nai Payne from Netflix’s All Day and a Night, Tamera Kissen (who had a recurring role on BET’s Real Husbands of Hollywood), and musician and actor DC Young Fly. Also, Kid ‘N Play are not the only celebrities set to make cameos as the trailer reveals the likes of Snoop Dogg, ‘Lil Wayne, Emmy winner Lena Waithe, and fellow Dave cast member Gata are appearing, too.

LeBron James Is Producing The House Party Remake

Also seen in the trailer making a cameo as a holographic version of himself is LeBron James, whose own mansion serves as the titular house in the House Party remake. Not to mention, the NBA superstar is producing the movie, after having previously put in a surprisingly good performance as himself in Trainwreck in 2015, and reprising that role in 2021’s Space Jam: A New Legacy, which he also helped produce with his own SpringHill Company.

As Deadline mentions, The Los Angeles Lakers’ Small Forward also shares a producing credit with Reginald Hudlin, who made his feature-length debut as a writer and director with the original House Party after starting out with shorts and music videos. He would go on to work with Eddie Murphy on 1992’s Boomerang, was nominated for an Oscar for producing Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained in 2013, and directed the late Chadwick Boseman in Marshall as the titular groundbreaking lawyer, Thurgood Marshall, in 2017. 

Music Video Helmer Calmatic Is Directing The House Party Remake

The House Party remake will also be the feature-length directorial debut for someone else who got their start helming music videos. According to Deadline, Calmatic (née Charles Kidd II) signed on to direct the comedy in September 2019, not long after getting noticed for his video for the chart-topping Lil Nas X/Billy Ray Cyrus collaboration, “Old Town Road.” 

The incredibly popular, visually impressive musical short would also earn Calmatic an MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction and a Grammy for Best Music Video. Perhaps his cinematic eye is just what the House Party remake needs to look especially fresh.

Atlanta Writers Stephen Glover And Jamal Olori Penned The House Party Screenplay

I think there is a good chance that the House Party remake will have no problem also being funny, given who handled the script. In 2018, Stephen Glover and Jamal Olori were tapped to write the film, as The Wrap confirmed in February of that year.

In addition to being the brother of Donald, Glover is best known for his Emmy-nominated and WGA Award-winning work writing some of the best episodes of Atlanta, which aired its series finale in 2022. Olori has received the same accolades for the FX dramedy and also worked with Donald Glover previously on his 2018 SNL hosting gig and the Amazon original film Guava Island.

At this point, I am convinced that we might be in for the best House Party movie (or party movie in general) since the original. We will let you decide when the remake comes to a theater near you.

There have been plenty of things happening within the sports world as of late, though a situation that’s truly captured fans’ attention is the one involving former Chicago Bulls players Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. In his new book, Pippen aired blunt thoughts on his teammate, even going as far as to say that he “ruined basketball.” Many, both basketball devotees and former players, have been debating the comments. But amid this discussion, it’s possible that another (more contemporary) one could be brewing. This is due to the fact that NBA alum Iman Shumpert claims former teammate Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James did the same thing – in his own way.

When Scottie Pippen accused Michael Jordan of messing up the game, his logic was that His Airness encouraged aspiring players to stop focusing on team basketball. Pippen says that once Jordan came onto the scene, players wanted to handle the ball themselves a bit more. Iman Shumpert, fresh off his history-making Dancing with the Stars win, thinks former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James has had a different kind of impact, though. And it has more to do with the formation of superteams: 

Before LeBron James decided to take his talents to South Beach in 2010, it wasn’t unheard of for NBA teams to have stacked rosters. Many of those teams, however, were arguably built through the draft as opposed to massive trades and signings made by the front office. James’ decision seemed to mark the beginning of a new era in which players (in their primes, no less) became heavily focused on joining forces with other marquee names. And as Iman Shumpert argued during his appearance on the Bootleg Kev podcast, it’s made some fans more conscious of the business moves that are made, for better and for worse. 

Despite making those claims about King James, the DWTS alum’s comments are not nearly as pointed as Scottie Pippen’s. He actually went on to shower some serious praise on the man who led their team to a championship in 2016:

Fans have varied thoughts on who the true basketball GOAT is but, in most instances, Michael Jordan and LeBron James are at the forefront of the discussion. Few would argue that both are two of the greatest to ever step onto a court. Both have contributed to the game in major ways, so determining the best can be tricky. 

To Iman Shumpert’s point, though, the Ohio native is very business savvy, just as the Chicago Bulls phenom was years ago. Both players have established powerful brands, which span both the sports and entertainment worlds. For instance, James is working on a basketball drama with Adam Sandler. And it was arguably his influence in the second realm  that allowed James to land his lead role in Space Jam: A New Legacy – a sequel to Jordan’s original 1996 film, of course. (It’s even hard for some to compare their performances in the movies.)

As time goes on, fans are sure to keep weighing whether their contributions to the game outweigh any perceived negatives. And it’ll be interesting to see what other current and former players have to say on the matter.

With Space Jam: A New Legacy, director Malcolm D. Lee and producer/star LeBron James were able to reintroduce the Looney Tunes to a new generation of viewers. And at the same time, the creatives were also able to inject the film with a plethora of iconic Warner Bros. characters. The lengthy list of returning faces includes fan-favorites like Danny DeVito's Penguin, Jim Carrey’s The Mask and even Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. Pulling off such a task wasn’t simple, as you’d probably imagine. Now, we have a better idea of how the film’s crew was able to revive the lovable film staples. 

The bulk of the film’s Warner Bros. cameos come into play during the decisive basketball game between LeBron James and Bugs Bunny’s Tune Squad and Al-G-Rhythm’s Goon Squad. Notable faces like IT’s Pennywise and the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. are among those who fill the stands to watch the event. The “Second Quarter: Teamwork” featurette found on the home media release of Space Jam: A New Legacy sheds light on the process of bringing the characters back to life. Makeup department head Howard Berger was particularly excited about being able to take a crack at some of WB’s legendary characters: 

That team was incredibly invaluable for such an ambitious production. Howard Berger went on to reveal just how many extras he and his collaborators had to apply makeup and prosthetics to, and the process of getting it done sounds grueling:  

Applying makeup to just one actor can be a lengthy process, so the idea of doing so for numerous extras sounds like an almost impossible task. But Howard Berger and his colleagues seemed to have gotten the job done effectively and had fun while doing so. Thanks to their efforts, audiences were treated to a nice bit of nostalgia as they watched the movie. They got to enjoy the classic antics of the Looney Tunes and take a stroll down memory lane with some movie night staples. 

Space Jam: A New Legacy is now available to own on Digital HD, DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. 

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LeBron James has been compared to Michael Jordan every step of his career. It's kind of hard not to, given his accomplishments on and off the court and the fact that he recently starred in the Space Jam sequel. We can talk rings, achievements and unfair contracts for star supporting roles until the cows come home, but when will we discuss what really matters? We don't talk about the quality of each all-star's win in Space Jam and Space Jam: A New Legacy, respectively, and we really should.

I've come up with five categories to rate LeBron James and Michael Jordan's respective victories in their Space Jam movies, and I believe I've found a way to determine who had the better quality win between the two. Obviously I'll be tackling spoilers from both Space Jam and Space Jam: A New Legacy, so keep that in mind before diving in!

The Stakes Of The Game

Michael Jordan: Michael Jordan was sucked into the Looney Tunes world to prevent Bugs Bunny and the gang from being sent to be the attractions of alien Mr. Swackhammer's theme park Moron Mountain. Mid-game, Jordan introduced another wager that offered himself up as an attraction to the theme park, but only if the Tune Squad lost. In a world where the Monstars won, Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes would be kept on Moron Mountain, and multiple NBA stars would be unable to resume their former level of talent.

LeBron James: Al G Rhythm sucked LeBron James and a considerable chunk of internet viewers into the Warner Bros Serververse, where they'd all be doomed to spend all eternity if the Goon Squad emerged victorious over the Tune Squad. Oh yeah, and the Looney Tunes would be deleted from the server permanently. Al G Rhythm was legitimately going to murder the Looney Tunes, which is debatably worse than keeping the tens of thousands of living people in attendance stuck in a digital hellscape for all eternity.

The Winner: LeBron James

Looking at the big picture here, way more people would be impacted by the stakes in Space Jam: A New Legacy than the original. You can't understate the insane loss of people worldwide who would forever be lost in the Warner Bros digital catalog compared to the Looney Tunes and Michael Jordan being sent off to a theme park in space. Sorry to say this to MJ, but I think it's pretty obvious LeBron's win was far more substantial given all that was at stake in comparison.

Quality Of Opponents

Michael Jordan: The Nerdlucks needed NBA talent fast, and they found it in some pretty reliable players. The Nerdlucks used the mojo of Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Shawn Bradley and Muggsy Bogues, and played some real hard-nosed basketball. It's hard not to given the hard-nosed style of '90s basketball play, This is a formidable lineup that would've taken out any lineup of Jordan's Bulls in a 7-game series, and of that, I feel rather confident.

LeBron James: Al G Rhythm and Dominic James' Goon Squad utilized motion capture Dom took from Damian Lillard, Diana Taurasi, Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, Nneka Ogwumike, but ramped them up with monster modifications. Then Rhythm convinced Dom to modify his own in-game attributes and make himself a much better basketball player than he was in real life. Without a doubt, these superstars, paired with their unique abilities, were forces to be reckoned with on the court.

Winner: Michael Jordan

Let's be honest, as good as Dom's game was, it didn't emphasize basketball fundamentals. He didn't really need superstar NBA talent for those characters because they used very little of their skillset during the game in Space Jam: A New Legacy. You can't say that with Space Jam, where the Monstars brutalized the Tunes to the point that they were barely able to withstand the slam and jam style for an entire game. I think if the Monstars and Goon Squad squared off in an actual basketball game, even with powers, the Monstars would walk away victorious. Therefore, they are the superior opponents.

Quality Of Teammate Support

Michael Jordan: The Looney Tunes got dominated in the first half against the Monstars, I can't dispute that. With that said, they still had Michael Jordan on their team, and after a half-time pep talk and some trickery, they stepped it up. The Tunes went about some of their classic antics in the second half, and that was a key reason the Tune Squad got back in the game in Space Jam. Again though, they had Michael Jordan, who got it done in the end.

LeBron James: Space Jam: A New Legacy's big match is basketball within a video game, so the rules are somehow looser than they were in Space Jam. With that said, it's more than fair to say that LeBron James was more of a detriment to his team at the start, as he stressed fundamentals as opposed to silliness. It wasn't until he stepped aside and let the Tunes do their thing that they got back in it, and together, they brought their team to victory.

Winner: LeBron James

This may be controversial, but I think the fact that LeBron James was able to identify his own weakness in the game makes what he achieved with the Tune Squad much greater in comparison. I've seen enough of The Last Dance to know that Michael Jordan would not have let those Tunes forget one second of that game if they lost and stress that he had nothing to do with the fact they're on Moron Mountain. In this specific instance, I credit James for being the better team leader and admitting he was wrong to the Looney Tunes.

Best Celebrity Cameo

Michael Jordan: Space Jam has a solid number of celebrity cameos, though none are as prominent as Bill Murray's late-game arrival as Michael Jordan's teammate. Murray's arrival in the final seconds of the game is absolutely ridiculous, but at the same time, it's awesome because he's just as useful as 90% of the Looney Tunes on the court. He's ultimately there to feed Jordan additional confidence and just be a warm body on the court to help Jordan seal the game.

LeBron James: Space Jam: A New Legacy sprung on a once-in-a-lifetime joke and managed to get Michael B. Jordan to make a brief appearance in the movie for a fake-out Michael Jordan arrival in the sequel. Without exaggeration, it's the stand-out joke of the movie, and I don't think anyone will ever be able to top it when attempting to make comparisons between the two famous Michael Jordans.

Winner: Michael Jordan

Look, no matter which cameo you like more, it all comes back to Michael Jordan. Bill Murray is a comedy icon, and his mere arrival in Space Jam was a massive accomplishment on its own. The Michael B. Jordan joke may be better, but without Michael Jordan, the joke falls flat. Therefore, I have to give this one to Jordan.

Best Buzzer Beater

Michael Jordan: With seconds to go on the clock, Michael Jordan rushed up to half court knowing what he had to do. He scaled the body of a fallen Monstar for added height, and from half-court, he attempted to slam the ball in the basket. Of course, the Monstars tried to hold him back, but MJ merely extended his arm beyond the realm of what's possible and slammed it in. This is why he's great.

LeBron James: LeBron James also had the ball in his hands in the final seconds of his game against the Goon Squad, and also went for the dunk. Al G Rhythm went up and tried to keep LeBron from scoring, but thanks to a double jump ability from his son Dom James, Lebron was able to slam it home and put Rhythm on a poster.

Winner: Michael Jordan

I can't express enough how lackluster LeBron James' final shot in Space Jam: A New Legacy was, especially when that game overall was far more over the top than Space Jam. You just can't argue that what James did was quite as great as Jordan's half-court dunk game-winner, and I'll take that to my grave.

With the results tallied, I have Michael Jordan as the winner in a 3-2 decision against LeBron James. Space Jam: A New Legacy has its merits, and Lebron James did the world a huge solid saving thousands of people from the WB Serververse, but you gotta give it up to Michael Jordan. He's the GOAT in this debate, and I'll hear nothing different on the matter.

Of course, all opinions are welcome, so sound off in the poll below on who you thought had the more impressive win and check out Space Jam: A New Legacy while it's still on HBO Max. Do you agree MJ's win is the best, or Lebron's? Wherever you fall, be sure to let us know!

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Space Jam: A New Legacy is, in part, a nostalgic ride into the ‘90s classic many of us grew up loving and, in another sense, it’s a journey through Warner Bros.' vast library of franchises and classic properties. The live-action/animation hybrid film had LeBron James and the Looney Tunes venturing to places like Hogwarts, Casablanca and the world of DC comics. Oh, and apparently there was more to the Game of Thrones sequence too, and it would've provided another costume change for James.

Space Jam 2’s costume designer, Melissa Bruning, had the challenge of not only bringing to life these memorable worlds in the Warner Bros. ServerVerse but fitting them to a 6’9" basketball sensation as well. When speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she shared that LeBron James was even fitted for full Game of Thrones armor, but it didn’t make it into the final film:

Because of LeBron James' height, Warner Bros. couldn’t just go into the archives and pull out Jon Snow’s outfit from the HBO hit (Kit Harrington in comparison is 5’8"). They had to actually construct him a suit of armor for the film and when the film ended up being edited, it didn’t even get a cameo. Anyway, look at James’ Westeros fit:

He most certainly cannot play basketball in that! It sounds like it was a fun project for the costume designer to have LeBron James wear costumes for a number of beloved franchises but, as she shared, it’s also the “most challenging project” she’s ever done, too. Working on Space Jam: A New Legacy also meant creating new jerseys for the Tune Squad and costumes for characters from It, A Clockwork Orange, Wizard of Oz and so forth, who stand on the sidelines of the final game.

Space Jam: A New Legacy premiered in theaters and HBO Max last month and is now at $124 million worldwide, as studios attempt to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The movie also premiered on HBO Max and will be available on the platform until August 15. You can sign up for the service using this link to watch Space Jam and other Warner Bros. movies and television shows.

Although we’ll never see LeBron James in action in the Game of Thrones armor, winter is coming once more! HBO is currently developing two new spinoff projects from George R.R. Martin's popular fantasy world, along with House of the Dragon, which is set to come out sometime next year. We'll keep you updated about those details here on CinemaBlend.

Now you’ve seen what Disney can do when it translates its beloved animated characters to live-action with blockbusters such as Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, but when Warner Bros went for it to bring back the Looney Tunes for Space Jam: A New Legacy, wow did they pull all the stops. The sequel to 1997’s Space Jam is packed with references from the studio’s vast library of franchises including Harry Potter, DC comics and Game of Thrones.

Space Jam: A New Legacy may have bothered critics for leaning into the branding of it all, but come on, seeing the Looney Tunes play basketball on the Warner Bros ServerVerse was a ton of fun too. Let’s talk about the wildest movie references from WB movies that surprised us over the course of the movie:

LeBron Being Sorted As A Hufflepuff

The Harry Potter movies had a major presence in A New Legacy as the Wizarding World was seen with an entire planet devoted to it in the Warner Bros ServerVerse. Considering how big the franchise is to the studio, this isn’t wild in and of itself, but seeing a cartoon LeBron James being sorted into Hufflepuff certainly was. Come on, the basketball legend is either a Gryffindor or Slytherin. You cannot convince me James is a Hufflepuff especially after Al-G pointed out how much he’s switched teams over the years to his movie son.

LeBron As The Robin To Bugs’ Batman

Of course if Warner Bros is going to show off their IPs, DC Comics had to make their way into the movie, but one way the filmmakers decided to do it is especially clever. Cartoon LeBron James is placed in a Robin costume in the sidecar to Bugs Bunny’s Batman in a funny nod to basketball fans often calling a team’s star the Batman and their co-star Robin. Space Jam is Bugs Bunny’s show and by the end it is clear the Looney Tune is the movie’s MVP. Sorry LeBron!

Lola Bunny Being Recruited By Themyscira

Another fun DC reference came in the form of the reintroduction of Lola Bunny, who is seen hanging out in Themyscira with Wonder Woman and about to complete a challenge with her Amazons. It’s a far cry from the original Lola Bunny who gets Bugs all flustered when she stops at the court to join the Tune Squad. All the focus is more on Lola’s appearance in the ‘90s version where A New Legacy has the character being recognized more for her skills.

Foghorn Leghorn As Game Of Thrones’ Daenerys

As Space Jam: A New Legacy goes along, the Looney Tunes fill a number of famous roles from Warner Bros franchises and the filmmakers definitely went for the unexpected. For example, I would not have thought of Foghorn Leghorn first to dress up and say “Winter is Coming” as the Queen of Dragons Daenerys Targaryen but here we are.

Granny And Speedy Dodging Bullets Matrix Style

Space Jam: A New Legacy did an inspired job at bringing Granny into modern times with some seriously kick-ass moments. Between downing a martini at halftime and dressing in Matrix gear with Speedy to get us nostalgic about the 1999 science fiction film, she was stealing the spotlight a lot in the movie. The Granny-Matrix crossover is just purely wild the more we think about it and definitely a hilarious highlight among A New Legacy’s WB references.

Rick And Morty Dropping Off The Tazmanian Devil

Alright, so we expected some popular Warner Bros movies to pop up throughout Space Jam: A New Legacy, but Rick & Morty? Now that was a shocker. The animated series is an Adult Swim show, but that network is owned by Warner Media, making it an off color cameo, but very much another WB reference. The adventurers were seen dropping off Tazmanian Devil to Bugs Bunny as the Tune Squad forms.

The Droogs From A Clockwork Orange Standing Court-side

A New Legacy didn’t forget to mention some of the studio’s classics either, with The Wizard of Oz and Casablanca among the movies being referenced. But in an especially odd choice in the film, A Clockwork Orange’s Droogs can be seen in the audience of the big basketball game cheering on the Goon Squad during the movie. The characters in Stanley Kubrick’s movie are violent fellows who sexually assault a woman in front of her decapitated husband in the 1971 movie. The characters’ inclusion has in fact caused some backlash, especially after Pepe Le Pew was cut from an appearance.

Elmer Fudd As Austin Powers’ Mini-Me

Another perhaps dated reference Warner Bros decided to include in Space Jam, perhaps for its adult viewers is a segment where we venture into the world of Austin Powers. During the short sequence, Elmer Fudd replaces Verne Troyer to appear as Mini-Me in a bit of a deepcut Warner Bros IP moment in the movie. It’s another funny gag we just didn’t see coming.

Al-G Quoting A Denzel Washington Line From Training Day

Yet another one for the parents and adults in the crowd came when Don Cheadle’s villain Al G. Rhythm dropped a famous line from 2001’s Training Day. In the final quarter of the basketball game when LeBron’s movie son switches over to the Tune Squad, Al-G joins the game with a more advanced character for them to beat. He references the line “King Kong ain’t got shit on me,” which Denzel Washington’s character says in the Warner Bros crime drama. It’s funny because King Kong is literally in the audience watching the game during the moment.

Wile E. Coyote As A War Boy In The Mad Max Scene

The Looney Tunes in Mad Max attire, too? Yeah, that happened! Bugs Bunny and LeBron James find Wile E. Coyote and his pal Road Runner in the setting of Fury Road with Coyote as a full on War Boy during the sequence.

All in all, there’s so many easter eggs to beloved movies in Space Jam to count. Next time you watch the movie in theaters or HBO Max, really pay attention to the audience during the big game because it’s flooded with more we didn’t get to.

It’s game time for the Tune Squad with the recent release of Space Jam: A New Legacy, and the fan consensus is in! After 1996’s Space Jam inspired an entire generation to believe they can fly with Michael Jordan’s role alongside the Looney Tunes, the sequel is here and it’s time to get into what audiences thought about LeBron James entering the Warner Bros ServerVerse to save the world.

Space Jam: A New Legacy was panned by critics, who called it out for being too capitalist as it swayed between branding the Lakers player and referencing Warner Bros properties. That being said, A New Legacy was No. 1 at the box office last weekend and incited some seriously hyped reactions from fans this past week. Here’s what those people are saying about the new Space Jam movie:

There Was A Major Divide Between Audiences And Critics

Every once in a while, a movie comes along that creates a complete divide between critics and audiences, and Space Jam: A New Legacy is one of those movies. As a whole, reviewers shared a lot of hate toward the Warner Bros film, with CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell calling it “a soulless, two-hour commercial” in his review. Those aren't the thoughts shared in many social media reactions, such as this one:

The Twitter user called the movie “FUCKING AWESOME,” citing their love for seeing the different cinematic universes within the Warner Bros ServerVerse. They were really into it! Another fan of the movie boasted that they tuned into the flick four times already, including two trips to the movie theaters within the movie’s release day:

Many audiences went into Space Jam: A New Legacy expecting the movie that critics did not enjoy to disappoint them, but instead found themselves defending it. As one fan shared, he felt critics were too tough on a movie aimed a children and a simply good time:

Of course, we’ll have to next get into why fans were really loving it specifically too. For one, they really loved the commercial aspect of the film that perhaps critics look down on when grading a movie.

People Loved The Space Jam: A New Legacy Cameos And References

The Space Jam sequel throws out cameo after cameo and reference after reference, and according to many of the movie's fans, they were big dunks to the enjoyment of it. One popular cameo that had them talking on social media was Rick and Morty’s appearance in the film when they drop off the Tasmanian Devil:

Another one that had people talking big talk about Space Jam: A New Legacy was the reference to Mad Max, which had Wile E. Coyote dressing up like a War Boy. It was one of many sequences that crossed over the Looney Tunes and LeBron with other Warner Bros movies:

Another person walked out of Space Jam: A New Legacy believing the film had the best cameos of all time, and there certainly was a lot:

One major one involved Michael B. Jordan appearing for a halftime bit that had audiences believing that the basketball Michael Jordan would come and join the Tune Squad. Given that the game took place inside the Warner Bros server, there was a lot to play with as far as references and cameos go. For a lot of people, it delivered.

Fans Of The Original Couldn’t Help But Compare Notes

Of course, lots of movie fans were going into Space Jam: A New Legacy with a longtime love for the original film. Oftentimes sequels like this are difficult to pull off due to the nostalgia that comes with a property like Space Jam. Overall, there’s been cases made on both sides about how people felt about A New Legacy. This one was jumping for joy:

Whether or not you like Space Jam: A New Legacy might have to do with what the original meant to you. For many fans, it didn’t quite score enough points to be better than the 1996 movie starring Michael Jordan:

Others, however, found themselves aboard the New Legacy train, as they found themselves admiring the LeBron version over the movie that started it all. It’s high praise:

There you have it! It really might come down to what your opinions are on Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James, or if you’re more into 2-D animation or the 3-D big-budget extravaganza that A New Legacy is.

Fans Have A Lot Of Thoughts About LeBron James

Speaking of LeBron James, what did fans think about the Lakers player taking the stage after Michael Jordan for the sequel? Don’t worry, there were a lot of thoughts about the basketball player’s role in the film too. While the movie gave the star a lot of compliments and marketing as the G.O.A.T, some fans were pleasantly surprised that James’ role wasn’t without some shots being thrown at his own ego:

There are a few moments in the movie where the dialogue kind of makes fun of the player. For one, during the Warner Bros meeting in the beginning, he calls making a movie that is essentially a Space Jam pitch terrible, and later in the film, Don Cheadle’s Al-G makes fun of James' history of moving teams. On the lighter side of things, fans got some laughs in about his performance:

The movie also got people talking about the depiction of LeBron James in some more random ways, such as that bedroom he had in A New Legacy:

There were fans who gave LeBron a hard time for his acting, but others really felt he was an improved presence to the original. Check out what this fan had to say:

As a whole, Space Jam: A New Legacy is a polarizing movie. It’s not exactly a slam dunk given many comments, but it also brought a lot of joy to fans since its release. Now it’s your turn. Did you like Space Jam: A New Legacy? Vote in our poll below!

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Spoilers from the brand new Space Jam movie can be found in this story, so if you haven't caught it yet, keep that in mind.

If you’ve seen the recent Space Jam: A New Legacy, which is currently the number one movie at the box office, then you’ll know that there is one joke in particular that pretty much steals the entire movie that involves Michael B. Jordan. Well, the audience is not the only people who love that brief cameo. In fact, Michael B. Jordan himself recently shared a “milestone” photo from the Space Jam: A New Legacy set to celebrate the hilarious moment in the movie.

In the film, the Tune Squad is down by several points by the Goon Squad, and everything feels pretty hopeless. But that’s when Sylvester says that he has a secret weapon during halftime. Michael Jordan’s famous entrance music plays, and Daffy starts rattling off facts about the legendary basketball player, only for the reveal to be that it’s actually Michael B. Jordan (Emphasis on the B.) and not his Airness. Michael B. Jordan hams it up in the scene, and in a recent photo on his Instagram page, he shows just how proud he is of his presence in the movie.

I think this is really cool. Being a fan of the original Space Jam I wasn’t head over heels in love with everything about this new movie, and neither, apparently were the critics (Or even the original film’s director, for that matter). That said, even I had to say, “What!? No!” before laughing when this moment happened. And then I had to explain who Michael B. Jordan was to my kids, since that joke went way over their heads.

In fact, a lot of the jokes from the film went way over their heads. There are references galore in this film, and my kids had no idea what The Matrix was, or why Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner are in some strange, post-Apocalyptic world (He’s in a reference to Mad Max: Fury Road, you see). In that way, Space Jam: A New Legacy often feels like it’s more for adults than for kids, and I had to keep explaining where this joke comes from, or where that joke comes from for almost the entire movie.

I’m just glad that I had the opportunity to watch it on HBO Max, because otherwise, I would have had to spend the whole movie with my ear bent down to my kids’ lips at the movie theater trying to explain all the references that are thrown in here. That’s not to say that my kids didn’t like the movie. In fact, my kids wanted to watch it a second time, and I was the hesitant one since I wasn’t the biggest fan of the film. My kids have since now seen it two more times, and they just skip past all the scenes that they find boring.

Yet, one scene that I constantly make sure they don’t skip through is the Michael B. Jordan moment, because hey, even I find that part funny. But what did you think? Did you like that Michael B. Jordan cameo? Sound off in the poll below!

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The original Space Jam is one of those movies that a generation of young people, for whatever reason, truly embraced. It's fondly looked back on by many, which is a big reason why the idea of making a Space Jam sequel was around for a long time-- and it was something fans wanted to see years before it ever happened. Now the new Looney Tunes basketball movie is here with LeBron James, and fans seem to embracing the new film well enough. Although one person who is apparently quite unimpressed with it is Joe Pytka, the director of the original Space Jam.

Joe Pytka's criticism is multifaceted and extensive. TMZ quotes the director, who primarily directed music videos and only has one other feature film on his resume beyond Space Jam, as saying that Lebron James simply isn't the star that Michael Jordan was in the 1990s. While they're both great basketball players, Jordan's celebrity extended beyond basketball in a way that James' does not.

The director also has some structural issues with the film. He feels that the supporting NBA cast of the original, including Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and even Bill Murray, had more to do in the original Space Jam and that the equivalent supporting players in A New Legacy are largely afterthoughts. He also reportedly feels that the plot of the original movie was better because it was tied to Michael Jordan's actual life and his return to basketball following an attempt to find success in Major League Baseball, where the sequel doesn't have that same connection to LeBron.

Joe Pytka is even critical of A New Legacy's use of Bugs Bunny. He actually calls what the new movie does with the character "heartbreaking." Pytka says the new movie's Bugs has no connection to the classic version of the character, which is something he says was very important when making the original film.

And finally, he finds the soundtrack to Space Jam: A New Legacy "insignificant" and there's certainly no argument that the soundtrack to the first film became an absolute classic.

Certainly, this laundry list of grievances cover all the ways that Space Jam: A New Legacy is different than the original Space Jam. At the same time, I'm not sure the ways that the first movie handled all these items is inherently better than the sequel's choices. A New Legacy may not not have a plot that's directly tied into LeBron James' personal life, but it does have a story with messages and themes it wants to convey that an audience can still appreciate. Bugs Bunny may be something of a fresh take on the character, but for a younger generation that has grown up not seeing Bugs on TV every Saturday morning, that probably isn't that big a deal to the movie itself.

The original Space Jam wasn't exactly warmly embraced upon its release, and now it's seen as a classic by many. And so, time will have to be the judge if Space Jam: A new Legacy truly lives up to its predecessor.

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As a cinematic event like Space Jam: A New Legacy approaches the court known as the weekend box office, there are critics and cynics alike that don’t think it’ll go anywhere. Yet, what was previously written off by some as a nostalgic cash grab that brazenly served as an HBO Max commercial has taken the top spot at the box office. It’s all thanks to the fans, and star LeBron James isn’t afraid to throw shade at the haters with this momentous news for his big time legacyquel.

Taking to Twitter to celebrate Space Jam: A New Legacy’s upset over Marvel’s proposed second weekend of Black Widow fever, King James put it all out there in a simple, two word statement. Honestly, when the numbers speak for themselves, you don’t need to say much. Embracing brevity as the soul of wit, LeBron James released this message out into the world:

Obviously, when you’re a player with a reputation like LeBron James, the victory dance is a very important part of the game. It’s doubly integral when something like Space Jam: A New Legacy vaults over the doubts that some cast upon it, only to dunk on those who said it’d never last. Though not everyone on the home team is celebrating in such a boastful manner, as Space Jam: A New Legacy director Malcolm D. Lee joined in the celebration with this very thankful message:

Between an A- on CinemaScore, which has been known at times as a place that suffers no cinematic fool, and an estimated $32 million opening weekend, Space Jam: A New Legacy seems to look like it’s done the job it set out to do. Now all that remains is to see how the film does over the next couple of weeks, and whether or not Warner Bros decides if this is the last dance for Space Jam, or if the music’s only started on another game.

Just when the world thought that Space Jam: A New Legacy wasn’t destined for greatness, Lebron James, Malcolm D. Lee, and the entire cast and crew pulled up a victory. When you really think about it, it’s only a move that could happen in the Space Jam universe, where the normal rules of the game don’t seem to apply. So whether your a fan, a hater, or somewhere in-between, you have to at least grant this cinderella story of victory to the Warner Bros team.

Whether you’ve already seen it, or still need to slam and welcome yourself to the jam, Space Jam: A New Legacy is currently showing in theaters. It is also available on HBO Max, for the first 30 days of the film’s release, and only with the ad-free subscription plan. So if you want to enjoy this looney new tune in the comfort of your own home, check out the latest subscription offer that can make that happen in a flash!