Those players were:1. Ive got at least two more of these in me. The 1993 documentary, "Hardwood Dreams," followed the five players as they pursued their dreams of making it to the NBA. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. A 2009 documentary exposing the truth behind the Seattle SuperSonics' tragic exodus after 41 years in the Emerald City. The school had had a long basketball tradition and boasted famous alumni like Byron Scott and Elden Campbell,. I didnt want a sensationalist-type event at the expense of our students.. And if youre reading this post, I bet you love them too! 6. "The Announcement" Magic Johnson has become such an esteemed elder statesman in basketball and in Los Angeles that it's easy to forget the trials he faced when he revealed he had HIV. "We promised to treat the kids fairly and with respect, and off we went, and we had full access," Tollin says. Commonly acknowledged as the greatest basketball player who has ever lived. "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. But the Morningside story is extra meaningful to him because of the special connection he made with the players and the way that the original helped his company springboard to other opportunities. It wasnt as annoying as people might think, he said. "Pony Excess" is Matula's retelling of that scandal, digging into the football team's dealings with oil tycoons and corrupt politicians in a city and decade that was consumed by greed. (Spoiler alert: Harris goes on to earn a graduate degree.). "The Two Escobars" is one of the finest examples of how sports can become more than a game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjRDgLIXpmc. Now after watching the documentary, I'll be name-dropping the Morningside 5 to say that I covered the last game of that team featured on 30 for 30. 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. Dwight Curry: Didnt play last season at El Camino College. Fresh off a California state championship, the Monarchs were the biggest show in town after the Inglewood-based Lakers. Dwight was out of jail and looking at job opportunities, so we followed his job quest. The original film isnt available anymore you cant even find it on video or online which I think, ultimately, works in our favor for this as people are coming to it fresh. . After chronicling their senior year in 1993sHardwood Dreams,Tollin whos also the co-founder of Mandalay Sports Media went on to direct and produce feature films such as Varsity Blues and Radio, plus TV hits including Smallville,One Tree HillandArli$$, but fate would always draw him back to Morningside. "Broke" A sobering documentary that proves the adage "mo' money, mo' problems" is more true than you might believe. Explores how the Big East conference of college basketball quickly rose to become the most successful basketball league in America. Also Read: Vin Scully Graces Sports Illustrated Cover, Says Hes Uncomfortable With Tributes. But things didnt quite end how they all envisioned it. "Bad Boys" The '89-90 Detroit Pistons are one of the forgotten great teams in NBA history, which is weird because in their time they were hated. Stais Boseman, Dwight Curry, Dominic Ellison, Sean Harris and Corey Saffold were the stars of the 1992 state high school championship basketball team from Morningside High School in Inglewood, California. Sadly there was a lot of lost potential, especially with Ellison and Stais Boseman. 8. Morningside High School 10500 S. Yukon Ave. Inglewood, CA 90303 ( School attendance zone shown in map) Rating : 1/ 10 Bottom 50% Tel: (310) 680-5230 SAVE SCHOOL Morningside High School serves 583 students in grades 9-12. ESPN Films will feature two high school basketball stories in new documentaries premiering back-to-back Tuesday, August 8, on ESPN. The first film got into Sundance, won some awards, was bought by Fox, we got Wesley Snipes to narrate it kind of became our calling card and it was the one that convinced Brian and me to become partners. Your title or relationship to the school/team. In a disturbing scene, forward Curry watches his teammates hug their parents after a game. "June 17, 1994" Everyone remembers where they were when O.J. The film also shows some rare footage of Jordan's Minor League Baseball career. Teachers, administrators and coaches are interviewed about the five players. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e-nOQHawZI. One of them is a loud mouth that keeps getting in his own way. Heres a list I put together of the top 35 basketball documentaries of all time. During a classroom scene, gunshots were heard outside the building. It was neat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy6vq0Pt8cc. I watched it because one of my favorite players, Donminic Ellison, was one of the Morningside 5. Similar to the Up series, chapters two and three revisit their lives 10 and 25 years later, respectively. This documentary discusses the bowling alley brawl that Iverson was involved in as a 17-year-old that ended up with him charged and put in jail. The star player had moved to a little town in Minnesota, all but one had moved away from basketball and they were just finding their way in the world. Everybody wants the same thing. We spent most of the school year there in classrooms, at practice, getting to know the families and going to the games. Producer Mason Gordon told DIME that, after attending a screening of the movie at the LA Film Festival earlier this summer, one of the players involved admitted to him privately that the experience haunted him for weeks after. Through some connections, Tollin and Robbins got Wesley Snipes to narrate. Cancel. But eventually, the league found itself fighting for survival. Los Angeles, Review: Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre is classic Guy Ritchie and not in a good way, Review: The teen drama Palm Trees and Power Lines tells a searing story of abuse, Review: The documentary Ithaka attempts a difficult defense of Julian Assange, Jonathan Majors dubs Michael B. Jordan Michael B. Handsome at Walk of Fame ceremony, Review: Natural beauty and a touching ecological tale center the female-forward Blueback. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGv5D-ZW4p0. 33:17. "This is not a usual 30 for 30, because usually with 30 for 30, it's triumph or tragedy," director Mike Tollin says. The film was released in 2000 and featured Jordan, Phil Jackson, and Doug Collins. It beautifully documents the struggle that many young players are forced to endure as they grow up in a poor neighborhood. Each player is separately shown in situations: during classes; games; motivational speeches by NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown, former Notre Dame basketball coach Digger Phelps and then-Laker guard Byron Scott; private interviews, and just walking around campus. High School skate competition on tap in Falmouth WMTW Portland ME; Ray shuts out Santa Gertrudis Academy 4-0 in Mira's 19th annual Baseball Classic Inside 30 for 30: Al Davis vs. What has the initial response been so far? (The answers were yes and yes.) "I would crawl out there every night, and [] The team and its coach, Carl Franklin, were enthusiastic about the potential exposure and agreed wholeheartedly to having their lives documented. Morningside 5is a unique story that chronicles the lives of five men through a 25-year window. The NFL. 4. 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"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.". All five of the returning starters imagined they would be receiving full scholarships to Division 1 schools to play basketball that was their dream. But the week of the state championship game in Oakland he was among three juveniles arrested by police on suspicion of carrying a loaded firearm and a concealed firearm in a car. Will there be another Morningside installment in the future? There is nothing I love more as a basketball fan than relaxing at night watching a great basketball documentary. Trailer: http://es.pn/2ueW9FI Now nearly 25 years later, I got to see Morningside's players as more than merely characters filling roles in a storyline, thanks to the terrific 30 for 30 documentary that premieres Tuesday. We made an impassioned pitch and they had faith.. They just kind of cant help be who they are., One of the films central preoccupations is the oftentimes nebulous and problematic nature of success in American sports. Like Victor Chi on Facebook. 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. Im sure youve seen more than a couple of the documentaries listed above. [protected-iframe id=036a86a4f9b73cb5aed0ec37b9075dc8-60970621-76566046 info=http://www.espn.com/core/video/iframe?id=20113786&endcard=false width=640 height=360 frameborder=0 allowfullscreen=]. 5. A 2009 documentary exposing the truth behind the Seattle SuperSonics tragic exodus after 41 years in the Emerald City. But instead of just lamenting their defeats, "Four Falls of Buffalo" becomes a love letter to the city the Bills call home, as well as a call to really consider just what the Bills managed to achieve. "Pony Excess"Thaddeus Matula was the son of an SMU professor and a rabid fan of the school's football team, the Mustangs. "Playing For The Mob," directed Joe Lavine and Cayman Grant,is another great corrupt college sports tale. 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. Life happens. "Four Falls of Buffalo"It hurts to watch your team lose a title. The story of Jeremy Lins unlikely rise to fame mid-way through the 2012 NBA season with the New York Knicks. 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 rest have settled into adulthood and continue to pursue their careers away from the hardwood, and its a transition that has been smoother for some than for others. 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. This isnt really a story of triumph or tragedy it is a film about real lives, filmmaker Mike Tollin tells TheWrap. Theres so much to learn and players always enjoy watching them. This film was originally created for IMAX. The deeper story was that Harris was a passenger in a car where police found two loaded guns. American Greg LeMond had helped his teammate Bernard Hinault win the previous year, and Hinault had pledged to return the favor. He acknowledges how difficult it is not to have any parents to support him. This documentary explores his rise to fame at the University of Maryland and the enormous impact that his death had on all basketball levels including interviews from all of the people close to him. When it got to the 10 years later mark, we found them and filmed all over again. Harris was disqualified as valedictorian, suspended from the team and forced to miss the final game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_FTjCe1C7Y. "Winning Time" This film is one of the lighter pieces in the "30 For 30" lineup, but also one of the best executed. Jordan Rides the Bus A look into Jordan's life when he decided to give up the game of basketball and pursue a career in baseball. 20. Whether you love them or hate them, its a fascinating story. It kind of just made me thankful., I was living my dream in terms of going overseas, Ellison said. Before the aforementioned two became household names in this digital eraand even before LeBron James did for that matterhigh school hoops were an integral part of any local community. I wanted to be in an everyday type of situation. (Pros and Cons), The BEEF Shooting Method in Basketball (For Youth Players), The 35 Best Basketball Documentaries Ever (Watch For Free), watching documentaries as a team bonding activity, Best Basketball Documentaries: Basketball For Coaches, How to Create a Youth Basketball Practice Plan, Parents: Please Stop Ruining Youth Sports, Zone Defense is Terrible for Youth Basketball, 21 Life Lessons Kids Learn Through Youth Sports, How to Win Every Youth Basketball Game (8 Terrible Tactics), 1-3-1 Zone Defense Complete Coaching Guide. Morningside 5 premieres Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. The story of one of the countries best high school coaches, Bob Hurley Sr, and his commitment to improving the lives of the players at St Anthonys and giving them hope for the future. Explore the benefits. They met with Principal Liza Daniels, who cautiously endorsed granting the access. "We got invited to the Sundance film festival with Hardwood Dreams -- the same festival that Hoop Dreams was premiering at, which of course we knew nothing about," Tollin says. Once teammates on the great Yugoslavian national team, their friendship was torn apart after civil war broke out and they found themselves on opposing sides. Also Read: ESPNs OJ: Made in America Documentary: 7 Things You Need to Know. "We love you! trademarks of Slam Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. The 1994-95 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the 1994-95 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Saffold was the teams center and leader, and his interviews are frequently used in the film. As it approached 25 years since they first started filming, he circled back with the Morningside players once again, this time at middle age for this 30 for 30. It should have been more basketball-oriented, but you have to show the good and the bad, he said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne61w4R20QE. He tells the players to get focused and have a backup plan. Weve had a couple of screenings people really dug in and got on for the ride. (Full Explanation of the Rules), Are Double Rims Harder to Shoot On? It's pretty amazing when you see this arc of 25 years of these lives. That is a real, bona fide leading man role. "Requiem For The Big East" "O.J. We had a shooting that day and no one was seriously hurt. Also Read: HBO to Develop Alex Gibneys Death Row Drama Starring Laura Dern. 9. But even stripping away that stereotyping, it was still easy for me, covering Palo Alto virtually all season, to view the Morningside players simply as foils needed to script a Hollywood ending in which teamwork topped talent. 29. Powered by Edlio. Morningside High School - Notable Alumni. The film does a fantastic job in showing that reality eventually sinks in. "Jordan Rides The Bus" At the peak of his athletic and cultural dominance, Michael Jordan stunned everyone by leaving basketball to give minor league baseball a try. Robbins and Tollin were considering schools such as Crenshaw and Manual Arts when they stumbled across Morningside. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxlLCSktpfc. (How They Work), What is the Elam Ending? Mike Tollin is the writer, director and narrator of "Morningside 5." What Are Suicides in Basketball? The. "Kings Ransom" August 9, 1988, was a red letter day for hockey and a day that has lived in infamy for Canada. J Erving, the player that popularised the slam dunk. BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) Tom Cruise was honored for his nearly three decades of work as a producer, and " Everything Everywhere All at Once " solidified its status as the frontrunner for the best picture Oscar by taking the top prize at Saturday night's Producers Guild of America Awards. The film then follows each player as they transition to college and semi-pro basketball along with all of the personal and political travails that accompanied it and the heartbreaking realization that an NBA career just wasnt in the cards. It not only depicts the passion they had for the game but also documents how they coped with being local celebrities at the tender age of 18 and what came of their lives once the ball stopped rolling. By far the best basketball documentary ever made is Hoop Dreams. Seemingly destined to be the Michael Jordans of their era, the five players all imagined that they would be receiving full scholarships to Division 1 schools to play basketball that was their dream, he added. Morningside High School is a public high school in Inglewood, California. A documentary that covers the intense rivalry Reggie Miller had with the New York Knicks during the 1990s and the feud he had with Spike Lee. "Muhammad and Larry" In 1980, Muhammad Ali wanted one more title match against Larry Holmes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquuXt6IZoE. Mike Tollin:I was always a documentary guy at heart, and when I moved to L.A. Morningside 5 will air again Saturday August 12 at 3:30 p.m. When I was 27, man, I said, You know what? They only had to be themselves. Thats kind of what it was. Not everybody carried a high-def camera in their pockets.". Robbins, who produced the movie, said he never met any interference from the team. They didnt have to memorize lines or hire an agent or worry about becoming their character. SIOUX CITY, IOWA - Morningside may have been the favorite coming into today's men's basketball game with Briar Cliff, but the Chargers, who have put up two 100-point totals in the last couple weeks, are hardly a team to take lightly, especially in a rivalry game.