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‘Even though I was playing myself, I wanted to get into character’: Lakers’ LeBron James reveals his mindset while acting for the new Space Jam movie

Advait Jajodia
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'Even though I was playing myself, I wanted to get into character': Lakers' LeBron James reveals his mindset while acting for the new Space Jam movie

LeBron James broke down what kind of effort it took for him to become a believable, good actor for his role in Space Jam 2.

For the past 18 years, LeBron James has been entertaining the league and millions of fans. His unique style of play and very loveable personality makes it easy for people to be fond of him.

Hate him or love him, one can’t deny how enjoyable it is to watch James. Now, LBJ has decided to switch it up and take his basketball talents behind the screens, by entertaining us now with his acting skills.

Last year, King James revealed to the world that he would be starting in the new “Space Jam: A New Legacy”. With the hype created around the sequel, this movie is easily one of the most anticipated movies to be released this year. Adding on to his fully-stocked resume, James can also add ‘actor’ in it.

James revealed what his approach to acting was despite playing himself. He explained how he wanted to dive into the character. He also added:

“I wanted to dive into the character, even though I was playing LeBron James. And if there were times where I needed to be emotional, I wanted to dive into that.”

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‘Whatever the situation demanded, I wanted to become that’: LeBron James on his acting

One of the big reasons this movie has a crazy hype is because of the insane fan-following of LeBron James. There is nothing, on the court, that LeBron hasn’t achieved in his 18 years. Foraying into a new field, would, of course, be something challenging even for the King.

The fact that King James had to be ‘coached’ to play himself, sounds a bit silly. But, in the acting industry, especially when it’s your first big role, it has to be taken seriously. LeBron was open to being coached and moulded into a fine actor by the experts. The 17-time All-Star explained:

“If there were times where I needed to be more outspoken or funny or whatever the case may be, I wanted to become that. It was fun to be able to be coached. Just like in the NBA, I like to be coached by my coaches. I was the same way on set, either from Don or from Malcolm, and just tried to tap into some things that maybe, like you said, surprised me as well.”

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Knowing how talented LeBron is, he’ll definitely ace his role. The movie, set to release on July 16, 2021, will surely be a great one to watch. On the court, the 36-year-old has been playing on a fantastic MVP level. He hopes to lead his Lakers team to their back-to-back championship.

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia

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Advait Jajodia, a seasoned NBA journalist, has had a passion for the game for over a decade. His journey from admiring Kobe Bryant's precision to being in awe of Stephen Curry's long-range mastery instilled a profound understanding of basketball. With a background as a two-time National-level player, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood to offer insightful analysis. Over three years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 21-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 3,350+ articles.

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