Air Bud Inspired Dog Names

The Golden Retriever, whose real name was Buddy too, started his major acting career as Comet on the television sitcom, “Full House.” However, Buddy was a stray dog when he was found by Kevin DiCicco in Sierra, Nevada in 1989. He brought the lovable pooch home to San Diego where he taught him how to play basketball, hockey, soccer, football, and baseball. In fact, he was so good at basketball that he was nicknamed the Michael Jordan of dogs. 

Before acting in “Full House,” he was shown on “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and then dunked a basketball on the “Late Show with David Letterman” as a ‘Stupid Pet Trick.’ David Letterman liked Buddy so much that he appeared three times on the show. After this, Buddy also had the lead role as Fluke in the movie, “Fluke” in 1995. He was a dog who was reincarnated after being a businessman who died in a car accident. 

In "Air Bud," this pawesome pooch starts out working with his alcoholic owner, Norm Snively, who acts as a birthday clown at children’s parties. One day he decides to take Buddy to the dog pound after he accidentally misses a ball thrown at him during a child’s birthday party, even though it was his own fault. However, on the way to the pound, the kennel that Buddy is in falls out of the back of Norm’s truck, and he runs away.

Josh, a 12-year-old boy whose father died, finds Buddy after he moves to a new city and discovers that this pup knows how to play basketball. Josh had been trying to get the courage to try out for the basketball team at his new school, so Buddy is his way to get onto the team. Buddy happens to see the coach bullying one of the players and exposes him, and the school fires him and hires the popular NBA player Arthur Chaney as the new coach. 

When Buddy’s former owner, Norm, sees Buddy on television and newspaper as a famous basketball player, he tries to steal the pooch back from Josh by taking him to court, using his owner’s papers that he had from when he originally bought Buddy. In court, the judge is about to give custody of the dog to Norm when Coach Chaney steps up and tells the judge just to let Buddy choose. 

Because the judge is a basketball fan and loves Arthur Chaney, he decides to let Buddy pick who he wants to stay with. As he is looking from Josh to Norm, he notices that Norm has a newspaper in his hand, which he used to beat him with. Buddy jumps on Norm and pulls the paper out of his hand and then runs to Josh. When Norm gets angry and goes after the dog, he is apprehended and held while Josh is given official custody of his furever furiend, Air Bud.