Original ‘Space Jam’ director harshly criticizes LeBron James in interview

LeBron James, 36, stars in ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’, available in theaters and HBO Max this past weekend. And even though the film did well opening weekend, bringing in almost $32 million, it appears not everyone is a fan of the sequel.

Let’s be clear, James could have delivered a Denzel Washington-like performance in the film, and there would still be a segment of people who believe it will never live up to the original. After all, nostalgia is a heck of a drug.

The most recent critic being none other than the individual who directed the original Space Jam in 1996, Joe Pytka. In a recent interview with TMZ (they always seem to get the best soundbites), Pytka said that James is an incredible athlete and a very good actor, but “The truth is that LeBron ain’t Michael.”

How many times have you heard that comment about LeBron James and Michael Jordan?

Adding further fuel to the fire, he said that Jordan was the best basketball player in the world at the time of his film and the biggest celebrity in the world — insinuating James isn’t on that level.

Yikes, let us know how you feel, Joe Pytka!

Pytka seemed to hate just about everything the reboot had to offer, citing it took him five separate occasions to complete the film, which runs about two hours in length. The soundtrack, the supporting cast of NBA players, the plot. You name it, and he found something wrong with it.

Oh, and as for the movie’s depiction of the popular “Bugs Bunny” character, Pytka had an issue with that as well, even going as far as to call it “heartbreaking.”

James is certainly no stranger to criticism, and he had to know that critics would not grade his performance in this movie on a curve. It will be interesting to see if we hear from James and Malcolm Lee, the man who cast him in Michael Jordan’s same role.