LeBron James Needs Stunt Double for Basketball Scenes in ‘Space Jam 2’

Lebron James may be the man bringing Space Jam back with a sequel to the 1996 smash hit, but he won’t be taking his skills to the court. According to a press release from Warner Bros., the four-time NBA MVP will be replaced by a “body double” during the basketball scenes of the movie.

Warner Bros. revealed on Wednesday that they had hired actor Sheldon Bailey to replace James during key parts of the movie. Interestingly enough, this is nothing new for the 6-foot-6-inch Bailey. According to TMZ, he has been James’ body double during advertisements for State Farm, Kia, and Nike. Additionally, Bailey played basketball for Florida International before becoming an actor.

As an actor, Bailey has been involved in a Nickelodeon comedy series called Game Shakers, where he played Ruthless, the sidekick of a rap superstar named Double G. Bailey has also had roles on Shameless, Castle, NCIS, and The Mindy Project. Although NBA fans likely knew him as a main character in the NBA2K video game series.

Prior to his acting career, Bailey played professional basketball, but it was not in the NBA. According to his IMDb, Bailey played in China, Taiwan, Ecuador, and domestically in the CBA and ABA Leagues. His work with the ABA is what ultimately brought Bailey to Los Angeles.

With James bringing a body double to the court for the movie, how will this affect other scenes? Space Jam 2 also features Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Will this trio also have body doubles, or will they do their own basketball stunts? Either way, there shouldn’t be any issues with ability to look authentic on the court considering that Bailey has experience of his own.

Space Jam 2 will be released in 2021. This will provide the perfect opportunity to watch James, Bailey, Bug Bunny, and the other stars in action. James just won’t be making any plays on the basketball court.