In 1996, Michael Jordan took to the court alongside Bugs Bunny to save the Looney Tunes from a team of aliens. Thirty years later, that game is still one of the most recognizable moments in the intersection of basketball, cinema, and sneaker culture.
To celebrate the anniversary, Jordan Brand has created a collection dedicated to 30 years of Space Jam, with dozens of releases in shoes, apparel, and accessories.
At the center are four models: the Air Jordan 11 "Space Jam", returning true to the original, the new Air Jordan 11 "Green Screen" and "Magic Ball", and the Air Jordan 3 "Lola Bunny".
But to understand why this anniversary matters so much, we have to go back a few years before the film.
Because the story of Jordan and Space Jam didn't start in the cinema, but in a commercial.
Hare Jordan, 1992: from Nike commercial to film
January 1992, Super Bowl XXVI. Nike airs "Hare Jordan", a commercial in which Michael Jordan, wearing the Air Jordan VII, helps Bugs Bunny beat a group of bullies on a basketball court. The idea came from Jim Riswold of the Wieden+Kennedy agency, and was directed by Joe Pytka.
The success led to a second commercial in 1993 and convinced David Falk, Jordan's agent, to pitch a film with the same duo to Warner Bros. The plot was inspired by reality: after his 1993 retirement and stint in baseball, a champion is called back to the court for a deciding game.
Jordan agreed on one condition: filming must not interfere with his preparation for the NBA season. So, in the summer of 1995, Warner Bros. built the "Jordan Dome" on set, a small arena where MJ trained and played with other NBA players after each day of work.
Space Jam hit American theaters in November 1996 and grossed over $200 million worldwide.
What Space Jam represents
Space Jam arrived at a precise moment in Jordan's career. In March 1995, MJ had returned to the NBA after his stint in baseball, and the film became almost the story of that return.
But its impact goes beyond basketball. Space Jam was one of the first major examples of the intersection of sports, entertainment, and pop culture: an athlete becoming the star of an animated film, a commercial turning into a franchise, a shoe becoming part of cinema history.
It is also the reason why, thirty years later, Jordan Brand presents the anniversary as a message to new generations: the film as a symbol of imagination, ambition, and belief in one's own possibilities.
And for those who grew up in the 1990s, Space Jam remains above all one thing: the movie where Michael Jordan played basketball with Bugs Bunny.
Air Jordan 11 Space Jam: the movie shoe
Among all the sneakers linked to Space Jam, one became legendary: the Air Jordan 11 "Space Jam".
Jordan wore it as early as the 1995 NBA playoffs against the Orlando Magic, as a version reserved for him. Then he wore it on set, in the final game against the Monstars.
For years, it remained an almost impossible model to get. The first public release came only in December 2000, followed by the 2009 and 2016 retros. The latter, released for the film's 20th anniversary, brought back the number "45", the one Jordan wore upon his return to the NBA.
In 2026, the Air Jordan 11 Space Jam returns once again, with a design that Jordan Brand describes as true to the shoe seen in the film.
The upper is black with the classic patent leather stripe, while the Royal Blue details recall the colors of the original version. The number "23" appears on the heel with double stitching, and a "Jumpman Jam" label dedicated to the anniversary on the tongue.
There is also a detail designed for collectors: the box recreates the one from the first 2000 retro, with Michael Jordan's face.
The release is expected on December 12, 2026 through Nike.
Air Jordan 11 "Green Screen": the film seen from behind the scenes
The first novelty of the collection is the Air Jordan 11 "Green Screen", probably the most surprising.
The starting point is not a character, but the technique with which the film was shot. In Space Jam, the actors performed in front of green backgrounds, on which the animated characters were then inserted.
The sneaker turns that detail into design: the Air Jordan 11 is completely green, like a movie set screen.
To complete the reference are the orange details on the sole, which refer to Bugs Bunny's carrots and the markers used during filming to track movements.
The box also follows the theme, with an image of Michael Jordan and a clapperboard. The release is expected during November.
Air Jordan 11 "Magic Ball": the Monstars' ball
The second novelty is the Air Jordan 11 "Magic Ball", offered in a women's version.
It is inspired by the glowing ball with which, in the film, the Monstars steal the talent of NBA players. To tell this story, Jordan Brand chose a solution never seen before on the silhouette: an upper that changes color in four shades depending on the light and angle.
It is one of the most unusual Air Jordan 11s in recent years, far from classic colorways but very close to the imagery of the film.
Here too, the box follows the theme, with graphics from the film and a Magic Ball that changes color. The release is expected during November.
Air Jordan 3 "Lola Bunny"
Space Jam is not just Bugs Bunny. One of the most beloved characters in the film is Lola Bunny, and for the anniversary, an Air Jordan 3 is dedicated to her.
The classic elephant print gives way to pink details, on a white upper with slightly iridescent reflections. The stitching is pink and the laces are light blue with pink inserts.
The details are what make the difference: on the tongues, the Jumpman becomes a bunny, pink on one shoe and yellow on the other, while on one of the insoles appears the phrase "Don't Ever Call Me Doll", one of Lola's most famous lines in the film.
The package also includes spare laces and a pendant that recalls the character's tail.
The Air Jordan 3 "Lola Bunny" arrives on November 5, 2026 through Nike, designed especially for younger sizes.
The other releases and the Air Jordan 9 Space Jam
The collection for 30 years of Space Jam is much broader: it includes special versions of Air Jordan 1 and other Jordan models, as well as apparel and accessories dedicated to Bugs Bunny, Lola, and the Looney Tunes.
The first model to open the anniversary was the Air Jordan 9 Retro OG "Space Jam", released in September 2026.
Jordan Space Jam: thirty years later, the game continues
A Super Bowl commercial, a film shot between a clapperboard and a game in the Jordan Dome, and an Air Jordan 11 that became legendary.
Thirty years after its release, Jordan Space Jam is not just a celebratory collection. It is the return of a story that has united basketball, cinema, and sneaker culture like few others.
The Air Jordan 11 Space Jam brings back the movie shoe almost as it was, while the Green Screen, the Magic Ball, and the Lola Bunny tell the same universe from new perspectives.
On ResellZone, we tell the stories behind the most iconic sneakers. You can discover our selection of Air Jordan 11, from the most classic colorways to collector's editions.
Because some shoes are remembered for a game.
And then there's the one Michael Jordan wore to save the Looney Tunes.
