Space Jam, released in 1996, brought NBA royalty Michael Jordan, Larry Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, and Muggsy Bogues to the same set. These elite athletes bonded while shooting the film, but once, Larry Johnson was the subject of a rather embarrassing incident because of his haircut.
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During an All The Smoke podcast appearance in front of a sold-out New York City crowd, Johnson recalled how actor TK Carter helped him when the barber on the Space Jam set gave him a funny haircut.
The former New York Knicks star wanted to maintain the blend in his fade and wondered if the Italian barber on the set could accomplish the complicated task. After pondering the issue for ten days, he trusted the barber to get the job done.
However, instead of a fade, the barber gave him a bowl cut, which left Johnson red-faced in embarrassment. It sent Michael Jordan into splits while also tickling Charles Barkley’s funny bone.
However, actor TK Carter, who was providing acting lessons to them on the set, came to LJ’s rescue. He immediately took him to a barbershop near the set to shield Johnson from further embarrassment. Larry Johnson recalled,
“I turned around and had a bowl cut around my [head]. This was a bowl, bro…I went to my trailer…cuz they was waiting on me…I ain’t never seen Michael Jordan like this. He was on the floor. They was giving it to me. But this dude TK Carter, looked at me and said, ‘Come on LJ’ and took me to barbershop right down the street and in 15 minutes, dude blending me.”
This incident points to the light-hearted vibes on the set of Space Jam. The comic nature of the movie aligned with the spirit on the set too. It remains the most popular basketball-related movie to this day.
Space Jam played a huge part in expanding MJ’s fame
Space Jam brought a unique combination of sports and cartoons into the cinema world. The movie was a combination of the cartoonish Looney Tunes and Monstars characters with live-action NBA characters playing a part.
This creative liberty paved for the famous Michael Jordan scene where he slams home a game-winning dunk by stretching his hand all the way from the free-throw line. The scene was drmatic with MJ being surrounded by his opponents, the Monstars.
Such a premise would naturally appeal to kids who could enjoy both hoops and cartoons in a single place. This brilliant marketing tactic further increased Jordan’s reach among kids and made the movie a blockbuster.
Apart from that, the movie also brought immense financial returns. It earned over $250 million, making it the highest-grossing basketball film ever. Jordan was able to build on this fame and add it to his growing brand at the time.
