Referee Admits Fixing 1996 Space Jam in Looney Tunes Favor

TUNE TOWN - Long-time basketball referee and beloved cartoon Marvin the Martian admitted publicly Friday morning that he accepted cash, a vehicle, and drugs to fix the 1996 “Space Jam” game in favor of the Tune Squad.Marvin called a surprising press conference early Friday morning to disclose the information.“Today I stand before you ashamed of not only who I am as an alien, but as a Looney Tune, and more importantly a lover of the game,” the Martian said. “I’m here to admit today that I accepted $5000, a new space ship, and five kilos of cocaine from Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf in exchange for a Looney Tune victory.”The extraterrestrial elaborated on the scheme before a small gathering of reporters outside his Tune Town home.“Back in 1993-94, Michael was super into the baseball thing and Jerry was willing to do anything to get him back. So he flew me up to Chicago and offered everything on the spot,” Marvin said. “He thought by winning the game it would help him [Jordan] realize just how much he loved basketball. And it worked.”It’s by no coincidence that the Chicago Bulls would end up winning three NBA championships in a row from 1996-1998. Fans will remember that the original Space Jam matchup saw the Hall of Famer nearly single-handedly defeat the Monstars in a tight contest that saw several controversial no-calls, including Jordan’s game-winning stretch dunk late in the fourth quarter.“Michael walked on that play” the Martian said. “I saw it in front of me, and knew the right call, but was pressured to do otherwise. What can I say? Coke is a hell of a drug,” Marvin added.The Martian’s announcement comes on the heels of the worldwide premiere of Space Jam: A New Legacy, the next cinematic chapter in the Warner Brothers series that stars Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James alongside long time Tune Squad captain Bugs Bunny, Lola, Daffy Duck, and Tweety Bird.When reached for a statement, Bugs didn't have much to say.“I have no comment at this time, Doc,” Bugs said, just before kissing this reporter on the lips. Space Jam: A New Legacy can now be seen in theaters and on HBO Max worldwide.