Sponge Jam

Sponge Jam is an episode of SpongeBob SqaurePants and a spiritual sequel to Who Framed SpongeBob SqaurePants.

Brief Summary: SpongeBob and his friends challange a group of aliens to a basketball game, but soon realize that they might need help from famed basketball champion Micheal Jordan...

Characters
SpongeBob

Patrick

Sandy

Michael Jordan (debut)

Charles Barkley (debut)

Patrick Ewing (debut)

Muggsy Bogues (debut)

Larry Johnson (debut)

Shawn Bradley (debut)

Plot
As NBA superstar Michael Jordan retires from basketball to pursue a career in baseball, Mister Swackhammer, the proprietor of the extraterrestrial theme park "Moron Mountain", is seeking new attractions for his failing park. He sends his minions, the "Nerdlucks", to capture the Nicktoons, who reside deep below the surface of the Earth.

The Nick Toons retaliate by challenging the Nerdlucks to a basketball game, since they are not very tall. To prepare for the game, the Nerdlucks return to Earth and steal the talent of Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson and Shawn Bradley by forcing their way into the players' bodies and stealing their talent. The Nerdlucks use the stolen talent to become the "Monstars" (or "Mean Team"), gigantic creatures that the NickToons are unable to defeat by themselves. To aid them, the characters recruit Jordan, who reluctantly agrees after the Monstars squash him into the shape of a basketball and bounce him around like one.

Soon after, the game between the ToonSquad and the Monstars begins, but the Nick Toons are roughed up by the brutal playing style of the Monstars until only Jordan, SpongeBob, Sandy and Patrick are left standing leaving them short one player. Bill Murray, being friends with the producer of the film, is able to enter the NickToon's world and join their team, averting forfeiture.

By the climax of the game, the ToonSquad are down by one, and it is up to Jordan to score the final point for his team. Using his extendable arm, supplemented by the power of toon physics, Jordan manages to make the basket and win the game. Afterwards, the characters return Jordan back to Earth, where he returns the stolen talent back to their respective owners. He is later prompted by his rivals to return to the NBA, mirroring his real-life comeback.

Trivia

 * The film was hated by the director of SpongeBob SqaurePants: Back in Action, that episode was called "The Anti-Sponge Jam Project."
 * The episode first aired with a TV-Y airing, then was fixed to a deserving TV-Y7/TV-G/TV-PG rating. The low rating was because the episode, unlike it predeccessor, is actually child friendly.