LeBron 'Extremely Nervous' about Living Up to Jordan in Space Jam Sequel

Cast members Lebron James, Don Cheadle, Ceyair Wright, Harper Alexander, Sonequa Martin-Green, Director Malcolm D. Lee and singer John Legend pose as they attend the premiere for the film Space Jam: A New Legacy in Los Angeles, California, U.S. July 12, 2021. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Cast members Lebron James, Don Cheadle, Ceyair Wright, Harper Alexander, Sonequa Martin-Green, Director Malcolm D. Lee and singer John Legend pose as they attend the premiere for the film Space Jam: A New Legacy in Los Angeles, California, U.S. July 12, 2021. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
TT
20

LeBron 'Extremely Nervous' about Living Up to Jordan in Space Jam Sequel

Cast members Lebron James, Don Cheadle, Ceyair Wright, Harper Alexander, Sonequa Martin-Green, Director Malcolm D. Lee and singer John Legend pose as they attend the premiere for the film Space Jam: A New Legacy in Los Angeles, California, U.S. July 12, 2021. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Cast members Lebron James, Don Cheadle, Ceyair Wright, Harper Alexander, Sonequa Martin-Green, Director Malcolm D. Lee and singer John Legend pose as they attend the premiere for the film Space Jam: A New Legacy in Los Angeles, California, U.S. July 12, 2021. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

It's been 25 years since basketball legend Michael Jordan walked off the court into his own movie in 'Space Jam'.

Now, the ball has been lobbed to LeBron James, who like Jordan, enters the world of the Loony Tunes alongside cartoon icons Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, Reuters reported.

'Space Jam: A New Legacy' premiered on Monday at the L.A. Live entertainment complex in downtown Los Angeles, where James spoke to reporters about stepping into Jordan's sneakers.

"I was extremely nervous to even redo this film," he said.

"But I put my heart into it, I put my looniness into it obviously with the Tunes and committed to it. I'm excited for what people are actually going to see."

The purple carpet was filled with celebrities, from Zendaya, who voices Lola Bunny, and Don Cheadle, who plays villain Al G.

Rhythm, to John Legend and G-Eazy, who have tracks on the film's score.

Basketball stars Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis also attended the premiere.

More family-orientated than the original 'Space Jam', this sequel sees James try to rescue his son Dom (Cedric Joe) by winning a basketball game with Bugs Bunny, voiced by Jeff Bergman.

When asked how this differed from the first film, Sonequa Martin-Green, who co-stars as James' wife, said she had grown up with that movie.

"I think that film was very important and necessary for that time and so I'm hoping that this film does the same thing," she said. "I hope it brings people together because I think it has everything it needs to be a new classic."

James was also conscious of the legacy of this release, adding: "I hope I continue to make Michael proud. He's someone I looked up to as a kid and hopefully this is another step in that direction."

'Space Jam: A New Legacy' is released in cinemas and streams on HBO Max from Friday.



World’s Most Popular TikTok Star Khaby Lame Leaves the US after Being Detained by ICE

Khaby Lame poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film "Oppenheimer" in London, July 13, 2023. (AP)
Khaby Lame poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film "Oppenheimer" in London, July 13, 2023. (AP)
TT
20

World’s Most Popular TikTok Star Khaby Lame Leaves the US after Being Detained by ICE

Khaby Lame poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film "Oppenheimer" in London, July 13, 2023. (AP)
Khaby Lame poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film "Oppenheimer" in London, July 13, 2023. (AP)

Khaby Lame, the world’s most popular TikTok personality with millions of followers, has left the US after being detained by immigration agents in Las Vegas for allegedly overstaying his visa.

The Senegalese-Italian influencer, whose legal name is Seringe Khabane Lame, was detained Friday at Harry Reid International Airport but was allowed to leave the country without a deportation order, a spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed in a statement.

Lame arrived in the US on April 30 and “overstayed the terms of his visa,” the ICE spokesperson said. The Associated Press sent a message seeking comment Tuesday to the email address listed on Lame’s Instagram account. He has not publicly commented on his detainment.

His detainment and voluntary departure from the US comes amid President Donald Trump’s escalating crackdown on immigration, including raids in Los Angeles that sparked days of protests against ICE, as the president tests the bounds of his executive authority.

A voluntary departure, which was granted to Lame, allows those facing removal from the US to avoid a deportation order on their immigration record, which could prevent them from being allowed back into the US for up to a decade.

The 25-year-old rose to international fame during the pandemic without ever saying a word in his videos, which would show him reacting to absurdly complicated “life hacks.” He has over 162 million followers on TikTok alone.

The Senegal-born influencer moved to Italy when he was an infant with his working class parents and has Italian citizenship.

His internet fame quickly evolved. He signed a multi-year partnership with designer brand Hugo Boss in 2022. In January, he was appointed as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

Last month, he attended the Met Gala in New York City, days after arriving in the US.