Creator Behind One of the Best ’90s Kids Movies Has Died: Kevin Dicicco Was 63

Kevin DiCicco, creator of the beloved children’s film franchise Air Bud and real-life owner of the original Buddy, has passed away.

DiCicco died at 63, after being hospitalized in San Diego for severe pneumonia, according to TMZ.

His brother, Mark, told TMZ that Kevin passed away on Wednesday after a period in hospice care. He was a heavy smoker and had developed advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the outlet reported.

Last March, DiCicco told the outlet he had been fighting the illness for two weeks.

“He tells us the pneumonia is bad and he’s currently being treated with an arsenal of antibiotics,” TMZ reported then.

Kevin DiCicco found Buddy, the dog who would later star in Air Bud, roaming near his Yosemite cabin in 1989 and brought him home to San Diego.

DiCicco taught Buddy a series of sports-related tricks and later sent a video of the dog to America’s Funniest Home Videos. A producer for David Letterman saw the clip and booked the pair on the late-night talk show.

Buddy starred in the original Air Bud film in 1997, and DiCicco received a creator credit. Buddy died the following year.

The Air Bud franchise went on to have 14 sequels and and spinoffs. It concluded with 2013’s Super Buddies.

Meanwhile, DiCicco told TMZ in 2024 that he did not receive a major payday from the beloved movie.

DiCicco became homeless and stayed in a San Diego shelter until its 90-day limit expired. He was hospitalized with severe pneumonia in March 2025.