Viewed in
2008
Premise
A documentary about the impact of black colleges, their coaches and players on basketball.
Who should watch
Anyone who cares about the history of basketball.
Thoughts
An incredibly in-depth documentary.
The best part of the film was all the amazing, untold stories. I was enlightened by the prolific coaching tree and pioneering influence of the late great John McLendon. Turns out fans of 'Seven Seconds or Less' was derived from his basketball philosophy.
I learned about McLendon (including a weird chapter with George Steinbrenner), Ben Jobe, 'Big House' Gaines, Bob Love and Pee Wee Kirkland. I got to know better Jon Chaney and Earl 'The Pearl' Monroe. Lastly, I was saddened by the lost career of Cleo Hill.
Another great reason to watch this was the vintage footage from the 1940's to present day. My favorite was Monroe being a god among men on the court. Based on I would argue that he is the most underrated great player.
My recommendation is to watch this in two or three sittings. Not only was it nearly four hours long, but the documentary was told in that fashion. So there were some repeating clips and narration.
Anyone who claims to love basketball need to do two things. Read Terry Pluto's 'Loose Balls' and this film.
What I would change
Reduced the time spent on well-known stories, such as the Willis Reed game, since most basketball fans are aware of those. This made the documentary a little meandering.
