Basketball has been around for over one hundred years and has seen a multitude of incredibly talented players come through the sport. Two of the greatest players fans have ever seen happen to be Michael Jordan and LeBron James, with both winning multiple NBA championships and securing all-star appearances in other media as well. And now, thanks to the release of Space Jam: A New Legacy, the two share something between them that no other players can say.
Both men led the Looney Tunes to momentous victories on the basketball court, two of the most improbable victories in basketball history. While the superstars carried their respective teams on their shoulders, the Looney Tunes also characters contributed to these wins, with some of them showing strong basketball skills.
9 Daffy Duck
While he might not be as skilled as some of his contemporaries, Daffy makes up for it with his intangibles. He was a starter for the first Tune Squad team, and he played crunch time minutes in the final seconds. His gut check defense led to a Monstar turnover that got Jordan the ball to secure the game-winning basket.
Daffy was relegated to the bench for the second game, but not due to his lack of skill. Daffy was instead promoted to in-game coach of the Tune Squad, bringing his unique sense of leadership and fundamentals to the team. Say what you will about his methods, but he is the only member of the roster to be undefeated as a coach.
8 Tweety
Of all the players on the Tune Squad, Tweety Bird might have the biggest disadvantage with his small stature allowing opposing teams to take advantage of him on the court. Size may not be on his side, but Tweety uses his tenacity to allow him plenty of ways that he can affect the game.
His fearlessness against the Monstars was key, as his tough brawler style of defense took out most of the Monstars long enough for Elmer Fudd to drive the lane for one of the biggest baskets in the game. He replicated this drive in the second game, this time utilizing Road Runner’s smokescreen to sneak through the defense and soar through the air for the huge dunk.
7 Foghorn Leghorn
Any key contribution to a successful basketball team is having a big man that can hold down the paint, giving their team a height advantage when they need it. As the tallest of the Looney Tunes to compete in both games, Foghorn Leghorn fits the bill for the Tune Squad.
With how massive the Monstars were, his contribution wasn’t fully utilized, but he had small spurts of success, and his biggest shining moment happened in the first game. Foghorn was the anchor of a three-man play that saw Sylvester stack on top of him with Porky Pig as the top of the stack to dunk the ball over the Monstars.
6 Taz
When your basketball team has strong leadership, such as two of the greatest players to ever play the sport, it allows for the roster to have a player that plays a bit more recklessly who can be coached up when they need it. There is zero doubt who that player is for the Tune Squad is, with Taz embracing that role.
Taz has chaotic energy about him that can confuse everyone on the court, both teammates and opponents, making him someone the defense always has to pay attention to. If they don’t, he can alter the game in unique ways, like in the second game when LeBron has him spin so fast that He flips the entire court around, causing the goons to score points for the Tunes.
5 Road Runner
No one on the Tune Squad roster has the combination of length and speed that Road Runner possesses. All those years of running from Wile E. Coyote certainly paid off, as he had the speed that allowed him to get through the defense faster than anyone else.
His skills were entirely underutilized in the first game, but in the second game against LeBron’s team, Al-G had to bring in his secret weapon of Chronos, the literal time stopper, just to slow him down. His speed works as a decoy as well, creating a smokescreen to confuse the defense and allow Tweety to drive right to the hole for the slam dunk.
4 Elmer Fudd
Looking at the Looney Tunes roster on paper, there are several players fans would look at as skilled basket players before selecting Elmer Fudd as a big contributor to the teams’ success. After his performance against the Monstars, fans wouldn’t be saying that anymore, as Elmer threw on his headband and went out there with one of the biggest plays in the game.
In a play that would even make Michael Jordan envious, Elmer utilized the strong defensive takedown from Tweety to drive to the hole, stick his tongue out, and deliver a one-handed slam for a huge basket. The second game was the one where style points were a deciding factor, but that dunk would have rated highly in either of the games.
3 Bugs Bunny
As the leader of the Looney Tunes, a lot rests on the shoulders of Bugs, both on and off the court. Bugs is the one that rallies the Looney Tunes together to challenge the Monstars to a basketball game, and he is the one that brings the team back together to take on the Goon Squad when LeBron arrives in Toon World. Without him, there aren’t even games for the Tune Squad to win.
Bugs is no slouch on the court, playing big minutes in both games and having strong assist numbers due to his passing skills, both with his hands and ears. Most importantly, he is the ultimate teammate, willing to sacrifice himself by replicating LeBron’s signature move to glitch the Goon Squad and allow LeBron the chance to score the winning basket.
2 Wile E. Coyote
With both games taking place in Tune World, certain methods are available in these games that would never fly in the real world. Since they are available, no one takes advantage better the Wile E. Coyote, implementing all sorts of gadgets to secure victory.
Wile E. has all sorts of tricks up his sleeve, such as using explosives on defense to stop the Monstars from scoring or having a train come through and take out the goon guarding the inbounds play. The biggest scoring play in both games even came from Wile E., such as when he was able to multiply the basketball and have it score numerous buckets to bing the Tune Squad back into the game.
1 Lola Bunny
Basketball wasn’t really something the Looney Tunes were known for when Michael Jordan arrived to help them in their battle against the Monstars. Even Michael had doubts that there was enough talent on the roster to pull out a victory, but that all changed with the surprise arrival of the unquestioned star of the Looney Tunes, Lola Bunny.
Lola walked through those doors and immediately made a statement as the most skilled basketball player amongst the Looney Tunes her strong shot and quick handles. On the court, Lola was the second banana that both Jordan and LeBron needed to give the rest of the team confidence and secure two hard-fought wins.
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