Michael Jordan’s “Cameo” In ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Is a Hilarious Let Down

Yes, Michael Jordan is in Space Jam 2, but no, it’s not former NBA superstar and star of the 1996’s Space Jam movie, His Airness, Michael Jeffrey Jordan. Instead, it’s Michael B. Jordan, the sweet-faced actor known for his roles in Black Panther, Creed, and Friday Night Lights. And while you might be waiting for the real Michael Jordan cameo in Space Jam: A New Legacy to come after that little joke, unfortunately, you’ll have to keep waiting: Michael Jordan the basketball player is not in Space Jam 2.

That said, the Michael B. Jordan cameo is actually pretty funny. Here’s how it goes down: It’s halftime in the basketball game against Don Cheadle, and LeBron James and the Tune Squad are down by a thousand or so points. This sucks not just because LeBron James hates to lose, but because if he doesn’t win this game, he’ll be stuck in the Warner Bros. server-verse forever. And his family, friends, and fans will all be stuck there, too. And also the Looney Tunes will be deleted forever. No pressure!

LeBron and the Tunes are demoralized, but Sylvester the Cat promises he has a miracle up his sleeve—he found Michael Jordan in the crowd! LeBron lights up, hope in his eyes. Jordan’s iconic theme song music swells. The smoke machine hazes up the room. The Tunes all eagerly watch as those all-too-familiar Nike shoes step forward and reveal… Michael B. Jordan from Friday Night Lights, standing not at 6 feet 6 inches, but a measly 6 feet even.

“C’mon, man,” scoffs LeBron. “That’s Michael B. Jordan! The actor?”

“It’s been 25 years,” Sylvester says sheepishly. “I thought he aged gracefully!”

Michael B. Jordan attempts to salvage the awkward moment by treating the tune squad to a classic Friday Night Lights pump-up speech: “Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose, you hear me!”

But he doesn’t quite have the same magic as his former on-screen coach, Coach Taylor, because LeBron cuts him off with a slashing motion across his throat. With that, Jordan exits, and thus ends the Michael Jordan cameos in Space Jam 2. If you’re holding out for a Space Jam 2 post-credits scene with His Airness, don’t waste your time—all you’ll find is some audio of Porky Pig saying, “That’s all, folks!”

IS MICHAEL JORDAN IN SPACE JAM 2?

No. Apparently, Space Jam: A New Legacy did not even pursue a cameo with the OG Michael Jordan, according to an interview with producer Sev Ohanian. Ohanian told Entertainment Tonight, “I mean, M.J. has his own legacy with this film. It’s always been nothing but love between him and this film.”

In that same interview, director Malcolm D. Lee said, “I have spoken to Michael Jordan but not about this.”

It’s possible that Jordan may have shut down that conversation before it even began. But Ohanian said he was thrilled with the Michael Jordan cameo they were able to get. “Look, if you’re gonna have a Michael Jordan in your movie, you’re gonna want Michael A. Jordan, right? The Jordan,” he said. “But if you have the opportunity to have this incredible joke that’s 25-plus years in the making, how could you not? It was the perfect, looniest addition to the film, and honestly, I just can’t wait to be in the theatre and watch audiences experience it live.”

He continued, “It’s an amazing way to play homage to M.J. [and] make sure that audiences know how much he matters to us and to this film and these characters.”

Oh, well. Maybe M.J. will get another shot at a cameo if they ever make Space Jam 3.

Watch Space Jam: A New Legacy on HBO Max