Even outside of the NBA, the quest to maintain a professional basketball career has its own baroque impediments. "It was a simpler time. LAist 89.3 is KPCC-FM in Los Angeles, part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. But the kicker, is the players are accompanied by donkeys on the court! More than a game documents the story of LeBron James and his high school teammates (Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, Willie McGee, and Romeo Travis) in Akron, Ohio, and their journey to dominating high school basketball. Explore what really motivated Michael to move to baseball. What the filmmakers and the players all seem to agree on is the need to recalibrate the meaning of success, in basketball and in life. Police blamed fans for the incident, but a newinquestexonerated them anddelivered a verdict of unlawful killing earlier this year. "Muhammad and Larry" In 1980, Muhammad Ali wanted one more title match against Larry Holmes. Was it hard to introduce new viewers to what is a very familiar story to you? The film doesnt just focus solely on that 1992 Monarchs team. Those players were:1. Robert Licata, Foxs senior vice president of publicity, would not discuss why the documentary was rejected. Ten years later, Snipes narrated the 2004 TV sequel, Hardwood Dreams: Ten Years Later. Thats why we presented it as we did, where you see an abridged version of the first two films to really set up where they are today. The story of Jeremy Lins unlikely rise to fame mid-way through the 2012 NBA season with the New York Knicks. Morningside 5 premieres Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. "The Price of Gold" The Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan scandal was one of the most disgraceful in women's sports. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The Scream 6 publicity stunts hit closer to home, prompting 911 calls in Sonoma, Review: Andrea Riseborough and campy Please Baby Please deconstruct gender and the 1950s, Bruce Willis steps out with friends after announcement of dementia diagnosis, Gayle King surprises Angela Bassett with her Whats Love Got to Do With It dress, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits. Billy Corben interviews retired athletes who lost all their wealth from their pro career through poor investments, bad friends, and of course, the temptation of materialism. Age: Dec. at 31 (1954-1986) Birthplace: Los Angeles, USA, California, Inglewood. See production, box office & company info, Realist Basketball Documentary I've Ever Saw. The drab Inglewood campus seemed perfect and they knew that the Monarchs were the defending State Division III champions. We are deeply involved in the feature film slat and are hoping our next project will be an adaptation of The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach with IME. Yet, thats scarcely the most poignant aspect of this story. Also Read: ESPNs 30 for 30 Marks 5th Anniversary with Ray Liotta Voicing College Basketball Mob Documentary (Video). "Fernando Nation" In 1959, the Latino residents of L.A.'s Chavez Ravine were forcibly evicted so their homes could make way for the construction of Dodger Stadium. Mike Tollin:I was always a documentary guy at heart, and when I moved to L.A. The film then picks up ten years after the men graduated high school and finds them in the real world. During this time, many of the guys find themselves still chasing basketball dreams overseas while others are trying to fit into society. The team and its coach, Carl Franklin, were enthusiastic about the potential exposure and agreed wholeheartedly to having their lives documented. 19. Titled Hardwood Dreams, that documentary aired on Fox in prime time in the spring of 1995. More: . It's as much about the players as it is about how they are shaped by their hopes and dreams, even if they don't always pan out. With their baggy shorts and black socks, this team changed basketball in a major way. "The 16th Man" Thisdocumentary about the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was hosted by South Africa shortly after the end of Apartheid, featuredMorgan Freeman--who played Nelson Mandela in the biopic, "Invictus," -- is the narrator. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGv5D-ZW4p0. Click the article below to see a CBS piece on the construction progress of the the NFL stadium being built in Inglewood. This is because the government provides funding every year. In the 13 seasons they played there, the Silver and Black captivated their temporary home, as well as this documentary's director, Ice Cube. I didnt want a sensationalist-type event at the expense of our students.. Boseman, the Monarchs best player, is portrayed as an indolent student by teachers and teammates. Ricky Rubio Feels Back to Normal After Comeback Game, Stephen Curry on His Return to Play and Regaining His Rhythm, REPORT: Miami Interested in Buying Out Jae Crowder, Drexel Guard Keishana Washington is One of the Coldest Scorers in the CountryAnd Shes Just Getting Started, How the NBA G League is at the Forefront of Basketball Innovation, from Player Development to Testing New Rules, Frank Jackson on His NBA Journey, Proving Himself and Getting to Play for the City He Calls Home, LYNCHPIN Documentary Follows the Compton Magic as They Navigate the Business Side of AAU, LeBron James: AAU Coaches Dont Give a F**K, Mark Cuban: NBA Would Improve if American Kids Trained in Slovenia. Tollin and partner Brian Robbins convinced the Inglewood schools superintendent, George McKenna, to let them film the Morningside team during its quest to repeat. "Requiem For The Big East" "O.J. 12. "Catching Hell" Every Cubs fan wonders what might have happened if Steve Bartman had let Moises Alou catch that foul ball in 2003. What I love about this film is it isnt really a story of triumph or tragedy in any great measure it is a film about real lives. Inglewood High School is a four-year public high school in Inglewood, California. Like Victor Chi on Facebook. The film looks closely at the relationships that Coach Kenny Jones has with his players on and off the court. It didnt go exactly according to the textbook plan for their senior year. "The Two Escobars" is one of the finest examples of how sports can become more than a game. 6. Byron Scott and Paul Pierce two former NBA stars who grew up in Inglewood came out at the L.A. screening, and to hear them gush about these guys and call them the heroes of Inglewood because they made lives for themselves and turned around the cycle of absentee fatherhood in the inner city made us all feel so good. Using archival footage of the fight he shot himself, director Albert Maysles shows the humanity of both fighters, including the dark side of Ali that fueled his competitiveness, and the reluctance of Holmes to put down his friend and idol for good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hRTlHmxums. ET followed by "Morningside 5," directed by Mike Tollin, at 9:30 p.m. Tollin says that they were observers hoping to tell an accurate story: To hear John Horn's full interview with Mike Tollins, click on the player above. 20. The five-part "O.J. Last week, the film had two screenings at the Nuart Theater in West Los Angeles. Morningside 5 premiers Tuesday at 9:30 ET on ESPN. "Requiem for the Big East" was adive into one of his favorite things in sports: Big East college basketball. Lance Stephenson7. We are still working on a draft of the script and havent cast it yet, but by the end of the summer, well be elbow deep into it. Also Read: Spike Lee Honors Prince With Purple People Party in Brooklyn. Also Read: OJ Fact Check: Two White Broncos? USA TODAY High School Sports Top 100: 2022 Recruiting Rankings Related California high school football , high school football , Inglewood Sentinels , Morningside , stn , News , Outside The Box The 1993 documentary, "Hardwood Dreams," followed the five players as they pursued their dreams of making it to the NBA. This isnt really a story of triumph or tragedy it is a film about real lives, filmmaker Mike Tollin tells TheWrap. Coming off the network's first Oscar win for "OJ: Made . Documenting the relationship between Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac. The new ESPN documentary, "Morningside 5," follows the players over the course of almost 25 years after the first film. Before LeBron James and even Kobe Bryant, there was The Morningside 5. Watch the trailer here. Also Read: Veteran Kirstie Ennis Makes Historic Summit Climb for Heroes Project. I called Tom Brady to ask if it was true that Michigan was interested him and vice versa. Kyle Singler8. Morningside High School is a Public school. 17. The film explores the history, culture, and social impact of New Yorks summer b-ball scene, widely recognized as the worldwide Mecca of the sport. Documents the life of Julius Dr. Regarded as the best basketball prospect at the time, he was shot dead during an altercation at school. Director Jonathan Hock tracked down Dupree to find out what went wrong and how Dupree was able to come to peace with the direction his life ended up taking. Daniels, however, felt the movie depicted the school disproportionately in a bad light. 11. This documentary goes in-depth into Magic Johnsons life the days leading up to the announcement, and the years after it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rvxTokEpqA. (AP) Madonna Thunder Hawk remembers the firefights. Which is finishing my education, taking a stab at working 9 to 5, or taking a stab at working in corporate America, or just kind of finding a different means to generate income. If they ever told us to turn off the camera or leave, we would have, Robbins said. So why did he take money as part of a points-shaving scheme? Apprehensive and not knowing what to expect, he is surprised to develop close friendships with three Iranian women who share similar political views. Brandon Jennings5. 29. Sean's rap career -- he had a big concert in Vegas so we'd go to Vegas, Donminic, out of the blue, got this incredible unlikely job. Led by their stars Sarunas Marciulionis and Arvydas Sabonis, Lithuania received a bronze medal at the Barcelona Olympics. The film does a fantastic job in showing that reality eventually sinks in. 246 were here. A shop assistant said. The documentary aired on ESPN August 8, 2017. Premiering Tuesday night, "Morningside 5" is a fresh, new story for most viewers, but it's well-traveled ground for filmmaker Mike Tollin, who first filmed five high school basketball stars. Credits to the documentary team:Justin: jchandra. We would just pick up the five guys based on certain events, like Stais was about to have a baby, so we went to Minnesota, Corey decided he wanted to try out to make a comeback in Toronto, so we went to Toronto. Rory Karpf talks with Laettner in a film that explores how an athlete can inspire such passionate hatred for reasons both valid and ludicrous. This film was originally created for IMAX. "The Two Escobars"This is not only the greatest "30 for 30;" it is also one of the greatest documentaries in recent memory. His primary message is one that coaches everywhere try to drill into fledgling athletes: have something to fall back on, or as Boseman adds later in the film, you need a backup plan to the backup plan.. I wanted to be in an everyday type of situation. American Greg LeMond had helped his teammate Bernard Hinault win the previous year, and Hinault had pledged to return the favor. Morningside High Basektball Team (Actor), Mike Tollin (Director) Rated: NR Format: DVD 7 ratings $1798 Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns DVD $17.98 DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Widescreen August 21, 2018 1 $17.98 $13.32 $9.61 Available at a lower price from other sellers that may not offer free Prime shipping. Hoop Dreams was happening at the exact same time (unbeknown to us) and this behemoth was about to change the sports media landscape as we knew it, but we went merrily along our way and started digging around the Los Angeles inner city schools and found this school in Inglewood that had an esteemed reputation for basketball excellence and had just won the state basketball title, plus their five pre-eminent players were all returning for their senior years It was kind of set up perfectly. Everybody wants the same thing. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. CONGRATS TO SVP!!! It not only depicts the passion they had for the game but also documents how they coped with being. With five players returning from their state championship team, Morningside was prepared to go for back-to-back titles. In 1992 in Inglewood, California, the Morningside Monarchs basketball team were the kings of the prep hoops scene. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjRDgLIXpmc. With highlights from AAU and HS games becoming ubiquitous thanks to social media and YouTube, instant-fame and chances of prospects losing track of their priorities as a result are bigger than ever. The Monarchs had an unapologetic streetball flair to their game, and in many ways acted as avatars for the civic rebelliousness permeating Los Angeles at the time. 5. The film was released in 2000 and featured Jordan, Phil Jackson, and Doug Collins. Can't wait to see the Morningside 5. I had gotten over my whole dream of making it to the NBA. It was like, the team from the hood that everybody wanted to root for and support. The fees can range from 0 - R7000 annually. A documentary directed by Spike Lee that follows Kobe Bryant during one of the most important games of the season against the San Antonio Spurs. The 38-year-old Corey Saffold, meanwhile, was still clinging to his dream of making an NBA Summer League roster and/or getting drafted into the Canadian Basketball League at the time of the most recent filming, despite having not played organized ball in several years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph2Y-epihlk, You said we could watch 18 of these online for free Where are they!?. "So we got a bit overshadowed by that juggernaut, but it was so personal, such a seminal film for us, that I never really let it go.". Get our L.A. Through some connections, Tollin and Robbins got Wesley Snipes to narrate. 28. The NFL. Led by Stais Boseman, the Monarchs seemed destined for history. Theyre not looking for that big trailer moment but got into discovering these five characters. And we do mean anything. "I Hate Christian Laettner" This is one of the funniest "30 for 30" to date. It focuses on the playoff duels between the Pacers and Knicks in the mid-90s, a series that made Reggie Miller one of the top NBA players not named Michael Jordan, especially when tauntingKnicks fanatic, Spike Lee. Narrator Wesley Snipes introduces the five players: Stais Boseman, Sean Harris, Corey Saffold, Donminic Ellison and Dwight Curry. WHAT A GREAT GAME WE WITNESS!!! In 1992, the Morningside Monarchs became Inglewood's first and only state champs. She was an Olympic silver medalist and played professional volleyball in Japan. "Winning Time" This film is one of the lighter pieces in the "30 For 30" lineup, but also one of the best executed. Cancel. Copyright 2023 SLAM Media Inc. SLAM, SLAMTV, SLAM MEDIA and the SLAM logo are registered And if youre reading this post, I bet you love them too! Robbins, who said he grew attached to the players, said it was an eye-opening experience. For many young fringe players (or at the opposite end of the spectrum, stars who are past their primes), playing basketball overseas is either a brief detour on the NBA journey or a final destination before being put out to pasture. Saffold was the teams center and leader, and his interviews are frequently used in the film. pro basketball player, actress, Wilhelmina model; 1996 Olympic gold medal . Fresh off a California state championship, the Monarchs were the biggest show in town after the Inglewood-based Lakers. Take a documentary look at the career of Michael Jordan. Considering everything else youve achieved in your career since, how did you end back at Morningside? Robbins, who produced the movie, said he never met any interference from the team. We stayed in touch with those guys and several of them did go on to play major college basketball. He ties in the conference's rise with that of ESPN and shows how the two forces combined to change college basketball into the form we know today. They have the same hopes and dreams. People have to ask themselves questions if you are not Zion [Williamson] or LaMelo [Ball], Producer Mason Gordon tells SLAM. What has the initial response been so far? . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiXvNhXWHOc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquuXt6IZoE. The story of Kevin Laue and his dream to be the first one-armed basketball player ever to receive a scholarship and play on an elite NCAA Division 1 basketball team. Its a scene that turns out to be darkly prophetic, yet Phelps doesnt endeavor simply to impart a fatalistic outlook. Lights, camera, tip-off! ET on ESPN. There's a little of each, but it's real life.". Check out ESPN Films at 6:30pm tonight (TUESDAY August 8th, 2017) for a documentary on the Morningside 5 a 90 minute special chronicling the lives of 5 "Can't Miss" Basketball prospects after leaving Morningside High School. Given the racial composition of the two rosters -- Morningside was black and Palo Alto was nearly all white -- the "Hoosiers" narrative that fans were eager to cite was tough to ignore despite the characterization being unfair to both teams. The movie begins with the start of the season. Despite their immense talent, they are the rule rather than the exception. Please excuse all this obnoxious name-dropping, but it will offer some helpful perspective about time and place.