Kevin DiCicco, the creator of the Air Bud franchise, has died at 63 from advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. DiCicco was also the owner of Buddy, the dog who was the inspiration behind the films and the star of the original movie.
In 1989, DiCicco found a stray dog near his Yosemite cabin and brought him home. According to an oral history of Air Bud with the NY Times, he said: “Buddy was actually a stray in the wilds of northern California. He crawled out of the forest carrying a pinecone in his mouth. We met very nonchalantly, very unexpectedly. He brought a pinecone up and set it at my feet as if to say, ‘Throw it. And I’ll fetch.’ I thought it was interesting. We’ve seen a lot of dogs over the years. His condition didn’t look to be very good, so I got him some water right away. And then after a two-week vacation without anyone claiming ownership, I decided to keep him as a pet.”
Buddy was trained to play basketball, soccer, football, and baseball. He appeared on America's Funniest Home Videos and Stupid Pet Tricks on David Letterman. “When you actually make the show, Letterman sees it live for the first time,” DiCicco explained. “His reaction is very spontaneous. Buddy sank the second basket. Took Letterman by surprise. The crowd went crazy. And Letterman brought Buddy back for an encore.”
The original Air Bud film, which was released in 1997, follows a runaway dog who gets adopted by a young boy and helps his school basketball team achieve victory. Buddy passed away in 1998, but three of his offspring were used in future films.
DiCicco made his own appearance in the first movie as well. “I was one of the last to be cast — as a referee,” he said. “The reason was that the script called for Buddy to get fouled during the final game, which forced him to go to the free-throw line. This was a 15-foot shot, which required the referee to be able to finesse a pass, and who was better than me?”
Air Bud spawned over ten sequels, including Air Bud: World Pup, Air Bud: Spikes Back, Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch, and Air Buddies.
Unfortunately, according to TMZ, DiCicco never made much money from the movies and had been facing homelessness in San Diego while dealing with his chronic illness. He passed on March 21, 2026.
