Meet Shel Bailey, LeBron James' Stunt Double in 'Space Jam 2'
LeBron James is bringing Space Jam back, and he apparently needs a little help in his work with the Looney Tunes.
Warner Bros. announced in a press release on Wednesday that actor Shel Bailey has been cast as James's stunt double for Space Jam 2.
Yes, it's 2019 and James has a stunt double for playing basketball. Sure, he might be doing some crazy moves to keep up with his animated co-stars, and the Lakers would like him to stay injury-free while filming. But we thought James assumed the risk of injury when signing up to make a movie about playing basketball.
Despite his NBA resume, the 6'8" Lakers star appears to be playing it safe on the courts of Hollywood. His stunt double, the 6'6" Bailey, brings a variety of acting experience to his Space Jam 2 job.
For three seasons, Bailey starred in Nickelodeon's Game Shakers as Ruthless, the sidekick of rapper Double G played by Kel Mitchell. He has also appeared in popular shows like The Mindy Project, Shameless, Castle, and NCIS, as well as the video game NBA2K. Bailey was the lead "My Player" in NBA 2K15 before playing the role of ATM in NBA 2K18 and 2K19.
According to his IMDb page, Bailey attended the same "prestigious basketball boarding school" as current NBA players Amare Stoudemire and Jarret Jack, both of whom spent time at Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C. He has also played professional basketball in China, Taiwan, Ecuador and the U.S. in the CBA and ABA leagues.
Bailey joins an impressive Space Jam 2 cast featuring actor Don Cheadle and NBA stars Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard.
You can see them with James and Bugs Bunny when the movie hits theaters in 2021.
