Kevin DiCicco, the creator of Air Bud, has died at 63.
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His brother, Mark, told TMZ that DiCicco passed away Saturday after spending time in hospice in San Diego. He had been battling advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after years of heavy smoking.
DiCicco's story was once the kind Hollywood loves.
In 1989, he found a stray dog near his cabin in Yosemite and brought him home. That dog became Buddy. DiCicco trained him to perform sports tricks, then sent a video to America's Funniest Home Videos. That clip led to an appearance on David Letterman and, eventually, the 1997 film Air Bud.
Kevin Zegers during Air Bud Premiere '98. (Film Magic via Getty)
The movie became a hit. But the success didn't follow DiCicco the way many assumed. He received a creator credit but said years later it did not lead to significant financial stability. Life took a difficult turn.
DiCicco struggled in recent years and experienced homelessness, spending time in a San Diego shelter. He was also hospitalized last year with severe pneumonia.
Buddy, the dog at the center of it all, died in 1998.
DiCicco's impact on pop culture remains clear. Air Bud became a family sports franchise that lasted for decades and introduced a generation to the idea that a dog could do just about anything on a court or field.
His path, though, was far more complicated than the story he helped create.
