Harden's Adidas deal makes his involvement in the Nike-centric Space Jam 2 nearly impossibleNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
NBA All-Stars Stephen Curry, James Harden and Kevin Durant "likely won't join" LeBron James in the cast for "Space Jam 2," and that fact has "more to do with sneaker contracts and the film's script ... and less to do with James' ability to enlist" fellow players, according to Tatiana Siegel of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Nike is "essential" to the "Space Jam" franchise. Sources said that this makes the involvement of Under Armour endorser Curry and Adidas athlete Harden "nearly impossible." Durant is a "key member" of Nike's roster of endorsers, but he is "pursuing his own Hollywood efforts, including an Apple series, 'Swagger,' based on his life." The "Space Jam" sequel will "rely less heavily on a Dream Team of hoops luminaries" than the Michael Jordan-led '96 film, which featured more than a dozen NBAers (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 4/10). In Cleveland, Joey Morona notes Giannis Antetokounmpo "turned down the chance to appear in the long awaited sequel because it would require him to miss two weeks of private workouts" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 4/11).
