"Welcome to the Space Jam!"
LeBron James gave fans their first look at his new Tune Squad jersey for Space Jam: A New Legacy Monday, Aug. 17. The teaser was initially shared with the families of Akron, Ohio's I Promise School, which is supported by the 35-year-old basketball pro and the LeBron James Family Foundation, and then posted via the organizations' official social media channels.
"We want to give you all a sneak peek at our family member, our leader Mr. LeBron James in his very new uniform that he is wearing representing the Tune Squad that will be seen in the movie," Maverick Carter, who runs the companies Uninterrupted and SpringHill Entertainment with James, said in a video. "I hope you enjoy."
James gave a small shout-out via his accounts, as well.
"Tune Squad coming soon!!" the NBA star wrote. "Glad all my @ljfamfoundation and @ipromiseschool families got to see it first. Thanks for holdin it down my brother @mavcarter #JustkidsfromAKRON."
He also posted a Sports Illustrated picture of the character Lola Bunny rocking the same uniform as he went in for a slam dunk. "Helluva set up, Lola," he wrote. "I'll take it from here."
The jersey had quite a few design differences compared to the uniform Michael Jordan wore in the original Space Jam movie back in 1996.
For starters, James' uniform was bright blue while Jordan's uniform was white. James' uniform also featured a giant version of the Looney Tunes rings off to the side while Jordan's featured a smaller version of the symbol in the middle. In addition, Jordan wore the number 23, the same number on his Chicago Bulls uniform, when he helped Bugs Bunny and the crew face off against the Monstars. However, James wore the number six in the teaser. He sports the number 23 on his Los Angeles Lakers jersey.
The Space Jam sequel, which is being co-produced by Ryan Coogler, was announced in 2019.
"The Space Jam collaboration is so much more than just me and the Looney Tunes getting together and doing this movie," James, who is also a producer, told The Hollywood Reporter. "It's so much bigger. I'd just love for kids to understand how empowered they can feel and how empowered they can be if they don't just give up on their dreams. And I think Ryan did that for a lot of people."
The movie is scheduled to hit theaters next year.