Earlier this month, the creators of the much-loved Air Bud movies announced they're officially on the hunt for their next basketball-playing retriever. The new film, Air Bud Returns, will be the franchise's first theatrical release since 1998, and they're inviting golden retrievers from all over to audition for the starring role.
Well...Alex Drummond may have just found the perfect candidate, and he's been living under her roof this whole time. With the casting call wide open, Alex decided to give her pup George his shot at fame. The result? Watch below!
"This is George," Alex narrates at the start of the clip. "He's two and a half years old. Certified purebred good boy. And he is ready to be your next Air Bud." George sits at attention in the frame while she talks, looking as handsome as ever. From there, he runs through an impressive list of commands—sit, shake, down, stay, and fetch—all delivered with tail-wagging enthusiasm. He even chases a tennis ball with gusto (and once, adorably, misses it completely), before posing for the camera to show off his super-handsome coat.
Admittedly, it wasn't exactly a basketball he was dribbling. And he could use a little work on his paw-eye coordination. But one look at that face and the judges might not care! What a handsome guy.
For anyone who grew up watching Air Bud, like Alex and her siblings did in the late '90s and early 2000s, the nostalgia factor here is very strong. The original movie, which premiered in 1997, followed a golden retriever who joined a middle school basketball team and proved that "there ain't no rule that says a dog can't play basketball." Now, with Air Bud Returns set to hit theaters next summer, who knows? George just might be the franchise's next MVP.
Whether or not he gets the role, one thing is certain: George already has the purebred good boy title locked down.
