By the time the credits roll in Space Jam: A New Legacy, producer Maverick Carter hopes the audience feels a sense of joy — and not just in watching LeBron James and the Looney Tunes team up in a spectacularly imaginative cartoon universe. Carter hopes that the audience gets the feeling they’ve been on a journey with the characters, following the ups and downs of the cast, culminating in a fun, cinematic finale that playfully stands the test of time. A unique power that Nike and Converse have within the film — on display in their commemorative footwear and apparel collections — is tapping into a special mix of inspirations brought by sport: a sense of fun is integral in finding your potential, because potential is all about possibility.
“The biggest moment in the movie for our characters is the final game,” says Carter. “It culminates into this epic showdown with real consequences for everyone playing. The game matters. So when a kid sees the characters wearing Nike gear, their imagination makes the connection that Nike gives you the tools to uncover the best version of yourself.”
The footwear introduces a new generation of fans to the world of Looney Tunes, featuring colorways and graphic treatments that highlight different characters. For the court, a three-style series of the LeBron 18 Low in adult and kids sizes uses a split color design to call out some of the most memorable faceoffs in the franchise’s history, including Bugs vs. Marvin the Martian, Tweety Bird vs. Sylvester and Road Runner vs. Wile. E. Coyote. Toddler sizes include versions of the Air Force 1, featuring a host of characters (don’t worry, there are adult sizes too), and a Bugs LeBron 18.
Meanwhile, the Converse footwear brings in attentively cartoonish detailing to some of its best-known lifestyle silhouettes. The Lola Bunny Pro Leather includes a smooth perforated leather design with a fur Star Chevron logo and an embroidered Lola graphic on the heel, outlined by pops of pink mesh lining.
Previewed in the film is the new LeBron 19. It boasts a double-chambered Air Max unit in the heel and a newly shaped Zoom Air forefoot unit for a reliable underfoot ride for James. According to Nike Basketball footwear designer Jason Petrie, the new platform was inspired by the futuristic magic behind the movie.
“In designing the LeBron 19, we were definitely guided by what was happening in the film,” says Petrie. “We wanted to give LeBron a brand-new feeling that was synonymous with an otherworldly, space-age kind of look.”
On the apparel, Nike and LeBron-branded Dri-FIT uniforms are made from smooth, shiny Durasheen fabric with an engineered print and stitched-down twill logos featuring the two all-star teams: the Tune Squad and the Goon Squad. The Tune Squad varsity jacket incorporates the same premium letter stitching across the chest, while a vibrant, all-over orange print lines the inside. Rounding out the Converse apparel is a roster of Looney Tunes characters assembled on a collection of graphic T-shirts, shorts, and hoodies.
The Space Jam: A New Legacy collection from Nike and Converse releases in July on nike.com, SNKRS, and at select retailers.
Space Jam: A New Legacy will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, releasing in theaters nationwide on July 16 and available in the U.S. on HBO Max for 31 days from the theatrical release.
