Muggsy Bogues Reveals He Almost Wasn’t Cast in ‘Space Jam'

Ricardo Klein | Dec 3, 2024

Feb 15, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Shooting Stars participant Muggsy Bogues speaks to the media during the a press conference for the all star Saturday night participants at the Hilton Americas. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The NBA is filled with stars, and the emergence of social media has only made the players more popular. 

That is the case with the players right now, but that wasn't the case back in the 1990s. While basketball was still growing, certain NBA players didn't have the shine like arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan. 

Jordan was in a league of his own regarding his play and popularity on and off the court. No one could hold a candle to Jordan, which is why Warner Brothers wanted to capture his magic and bring it to life in the movie Space Jam. 

The movie blended live-action and animation, pairing him with the cartoon Looney Tunes characters in a story about saving the world of basketball from aliens.

It is now an iconic basketball movie starring many great basketball players, including Jordan. The film also features Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, and Shawn Bradley. 

However, right in the middle of these giants was the shortest basketball player in NBA history, Muggsy Bogues.

Bogues is a star in the movie, but he recently spoke about how he almost didn't accept the role. 

"MJ and I, we had the same agent," Muggsy said. "And for some reason, Warner Brothers were searching out who goingto play that role, and I almost didn't play that role because, again, I had surgery right after our series; after the Chicago series, I had surgery. And they said, 'Well, you must come out there and read your lines... and we'll see what happens'. And I'm on crutches out there. And at one point, they got me moving my chest like I'm walking... I guess they liked what I was reading when they came across it, and they had me in it anyway."

The former Charlotte Hornets guard had just undergone surgery after a rough series against the Chicago Bulls in 1995, and he wasn't in the best shape. When he got the call to come read for the part, he wasn't even sure he'd be able to play.

"I wasn't supposed to be walking, but I kind of made it where I was able to touch the ball," he said.

Ulitmaletyl, Bogues was great in the movie, and it'll be hard to picture anyone else in it other than those five who made their acting debuts. 

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