Remember Shawn Bradley In Space Jam?

By Sean Kennedy (@PhillyFastBreak)

NBA fans were thrown into a delighted whirlwind Monday with the news that the long-rumored Space Jam sequel seems to be becoming a reality, with Fast and Furious Justin Lin at the helm. With all signs pointed to LeBron James taking over the Michael Jordan starring role, the studio is surely hoping the film will be more Trainwreck than trainwreck.

Reflecting on the original Space Jam got me to thinking about one of the more bizarre things in basketball movie history: the fact that former Sixer Shawn Bradley was one of the players who had his talent stolen by the Monstars (along with Charles Barkley, Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson, and Patrick Ewing).

Bradley was selected second overall by the Sixers in the 1993 NBA Draft, passing on future All-Stars Penny Hardaway and Jamal Mashburn, who were selected with the next two picks. While he’s still the franchise leader in blocks per game (3.2), the 7’6″ big man was widely considered a bust due to his inconsistent play. He played less than three seasons with the club before being traded to the Nets for Derrick Coleman.

Though by the time the movie was released in November 1996, Bradley was already with the Nets, he was a Sixer during the summer of 1995 when the movie was filmed. Basically, a Sixer had the honor of telling Michael Jordan he probably doesn’t have it anymore.

Some initial research couldn’t turn up why exactly Bradley was selected for the role; presumably, his 7’6″ frame made it easier to distinguish him from the crowd both as himself and once one of the Monstars stole his powers (I imagine Bogues was tapped for the same, but opposite, reason). USA Today Sports’ Brace Hemmelgarn posited this as the reason for Bradley’s inclusion:

Shawn Bradley certainly didn’t make it into the original Space Jam on talent. He was in because he was the awkward, tall white guy who was OK laughing at himself.

Bradley’s acting chops certainly weren’t winning him any Academy Awards. In his breakdown of the film, Zach Lowe, then of Grantland, had this to say about Bradley’s performance:

Shawn Bradley is a bad version of the Saturday Night Live host who reads cue cards in a borderline monotone, though it is funny watching him lose control of his giant limbs as the Monstars swipe his talent.

As if his subpar acting chops weren’t enough, the filmmakers themselves couldn’t even pretend Bradley was on the same level as the other prominent players involved with the film. Harvard Sports Analyis broke down the box score from the climatic game and had this to say:

Blanko, the Shawn Bradley Monstar, failed to register a single stat throughout the course of the game. Even in a world where Elmer Fudd has a 40-inch vertical, Bradley’s “talent” can’t muster even a shot attempt. This is the most realistic aspect of the movie.

Man, even when the Sixers had an opportunity to be involved with a major Hollywood motion picture, their guy was made somewhat of a laughingstock. At least it’s unlikely any current Sixers are involved in the sequel to be ridiculed. Unless you consider the possibility that the director of Fast and Furious could use the pedal-to-the-metal driving skills of Jahlil Okafor. Or maybe Joel Embiid uses Shirley Temples as his “secret stuff”. Hopefully, whatever goes down in the sequel helps people forget about the legacy of the Stormin’ Mormon.