WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Space Jam: A New Legacy, now in theaters.
It's no surprise that Space Jam: A New Legacy, the sequel to the hit '90s Michael Jordan-led movie, references major events in NBA history. LeBron James is the star this time, and he even makes fun of his L.A. Lakers teammate, Anthony Davis, for his iconic unibrow, while the Portland Trailblazers' Damian Lillard is called by his nickname, "Dame Time," as he's turned into an evil time god on the court. However, there's one in-joke that people who don't watch basketball might miss, and it pays homage to an iconic Miami Heat moment -- one that sports fans in general revere for the sheer ingenuity and athleticism behind it.
This sequel riffs on the modern NBA more than the original film, even scrubbing the idea of a Michael Jordan cameo when Sylvester recruits Michael B. Jordan instead of the Chicago Bulls legend. More so, several lines from the Looney Tunes deal with the indelible mark LeBron has made on the game, whether it's his recruiting style or coming back from a deficit against the Golden State Warriors to give the Cleveland Cavaliers their first NBA crown.
The highlight comes when A New Legacy pays tribute to LeBron's glory days with Dwyane Wade, one of his best friends and a compatriot with whom he won back-to-back NBA titles in 2012 and 2013. LeBron won the Finals MVP in both those title runs, receiving most of the limelight ahead of Wade, who actually won the Finals MVP title in 2006 when Miami beat the Dallas Mavericks.
However, the moment in question harkens back to the 2010 game where the Heat visited the Milwaukee Bucks, when both men were still perfecting their partnership. It occurs when Wile E. Coyote uses a cloning machine, dropping a basketball and Road Runner into it to create an army of duplicates. He then fires them all off from the machine to make multiple dunks, allowing LeBron's Tune Squad to pull the score back.
As they chip away with their enemies leading 1039-1000, their confidence is finally boosted and it leads to Lola lobbing the ball up on a breakaway for LeBron to slam dunk. It's a clever alley-oop, mimicking the Bucks game where Wade tossed it up and extended his hands in a cocky manner, not even looking back. LeBron would dunk it, giving the Heat an 8-2 lead in the first quarter.
LeBron and Wade's maneuver impressed journalists, commentators, fans, and even rival supporters, illustrating the pair's almost telepathic connection. But in the Tune Squad's counter-attack, as Lola extends her arms, the film adds an even cockier spin as she winks at the camera knowing LeBron's en route to a monster dunk. It's cheeky and meant to remind fans how good the Heat's star players were in the team's heyday. And even those unfamiliar with this classic NBA moment will love seeing a resilient Lola show attitude towards Al-G-Rhythm's sinister team as the Tunes are finally in the zone after being handicapped for so much of the movie.
Directed by Malcolm D. Lee, Space Jam: A New Legacy is now in theaters.