Air Buddy
Buddy (March 23, 1988 – February 10, 1998) was a Golden Retriever dog actor. He was best known for his role as a similar dog in the film "Air Bud". Early life. Buddy was found by Kevin di Cicco as a stray dog in the Sierra Nevada in the summer of 1989. Di Cicco adopted the disheveled Golden Retriever and brought him home to San Diego, where he trained him in the sports of basketball, baseball, football, soccer, and hockey. Buddy's most eagerly awaited sport was basketball. He was touted as the Michael Jordan of dogs. Di Cicco  revealed that Buddy tried to bite the ball, but its slipperiness, enhanced by saliva or more efficiently by olive oil, would propel it from his mouth. Early appearances. His first appearance was on "America's Funniest Home Videos". He then gained further fame bouncing a basketball off his muzzle and into a basketball hoop on David Letterman's "Stupid Pet Tricks" segment of "Late Night with David Letterman". Buddy appeared three times on "Late Night" and the "Late Show with David Letterman". Film. He was cast as Buddy in the 1997 Disney film "Air Bud", a film that tells the  story of a golden retriever abandoned by his alcoholic abusive owner. In the film, he moved in with a boy named Josh Framm who was depressed after his father died in a plane crash. He appeared on the Kids' Choice Awards in 1998, where he was nominated for a Blimp Award for the film. Prior to his death, Buddy sired nine puppies. "Air Bud" was Buddy's final acting role. Illness and death. In 1997, Buddy had his right hind leg amputated due to synovial cell sarcoma, a type of cancer that manifests near the joints, although he was still  able to play basketball. Six months later Air Buddy died in his sleep due to complications from cancer on February 10, 1998, at his owner's San Diego home. At the time of his death, Buddy was 9 years old. Buddy was a month and 13 days away from celebrating his 10th birthday. "" was dedicated to his memory. Book. Buddy's story is told in the 2012 book "Go Buddy!", written by his owner Kevin di Cicco.