Franklin, who wore a microphone during games, said the film crew, usually three or four people, never became a distraction. Wayne Gretzky, national hero, was being traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. You got to have a back-up plan.. In 1992 in Inglewood, California, the Morningside Monarchs basketball team were the kings of the prep hoops scene. Was it hard to introduce new viewers to what is a very familiar story to you? 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 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. morningside high school basketball documentary. 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. Unfortunately, he found himself in prison after a few questionable life choices (He was arrested and imprisoned for holding up a Blockbuster Video with a water gun). Follows the life of Sebastian Telfair during his senior year of high school basketball. 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. But the best team I covered didn't produce any household names. Get an inside view as Kobe is micd up and followed by 30 cameras. "You Don't Know Bo" Bo Jackson never won a championship, but he did something even better: he became a mythical figure. Concluding with the national championship game against Houston who featured Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, they became one of the biggest underdogs ever to win the title. "The Young Americans", which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary; actress, including The Carol Burnett Show and Mama's Family; won 2004 TV Land Award; won 1976 Emmy Award; nominee Golden Globe Award; . 20. Morningside High School Alumni Search ; Search Powered by Classmates.com Registered members appear in bold. CONGRATS TO SVP!!! "The Two Escobars" is one of the finest examples of how sports can become more than a game. While cutting my teeth in this business with the San Jose Mercury News, I covered some all-time greats when they were still in high school. 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. I called Tom Brady to ask if it was true that Michigan was interested him and vice versa. People have to ask themselves questions if you are not Zion [Williamson] or LaMelo [Ball], Producer Mason Gordon tells SLAM. 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. They went undefeated but were still considered underdogs in the championship game because the opposition was Morningside High of Inglewood. Directed by Steve James watch on HBO Max [Released in 1994 and directed by Steve James, Hoop Dreams follows the journey of two high-school students in Chicago Williams Gates and Arthur Agee . 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. "Requiem For The Big East" "O.J. See the full interview with Tollin below. Explore the benefits. "Slaying the Badger" The 1986 Tour de France is widely considered to be the greatest story in cycling history. 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. "Kings Ransom" explores the intense backlash the move received north of the border and the transformative impact it had on the NHL, as Gretzky helped expand the sport's appeal into new territory as he led the Kings to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance. The film, which won a Peabody Award in 2009, about the history of basketball played at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. 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. Sean Harris: San Diego State, not playing basketball. I never thought it was possible to get the rights to the book, then we waited five years and it came back to us. Jerryd Bayless4. With five players returning from their state championship team, Morningside was prepared to go for back-to-back titles. The story of Jim Valvano leading the NC State Wolfpack to an NCAA championship in 1983. This was when the 20threunion at Morningside was coming up in 2013. 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. ESPN Films will feature two high school basketball stories in new documentaries premiering back-to-back Tuesday, August 8, on ESPN. We captured life.. "Hillsborough""Hillsborough" covers the human crush at an FA Cup match between Liverpool andNottingham Forestin 1989 that killed 96 people. "The Announcement" restores weight to his famous confession and explores what Magic faced shortly after his sudden retirement. "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. Heres a list I put together of the top 35 basketball documentaries of all time. ESPN+ Inside 30 for 30. Inside 30 for 30: Breakaway. How deeply involved in their lives did you become while filming the initial doc, Hardwood Dreams? A 2009 documentary exposing the truth behind the Seattle SuperSonics' tragic exodus after 41 years in the Emerald City. From Stanley Cup parades and World Cup matches to the MLB lockout, director Brett Morgen explores a day in sports history unlike any other in one of the first prominent "30 For 30" installments. The story of Paul Westhead and his fast-paced offense that he implemented at Loyola Marymount with Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble. Brandon Jennings5. Everyone seems candid. 8. ET followed by "Morningside 5," directed by Mike Tollin, at 9:30 p.m. 25 years in the lives of the 1992 Morningside High School (Los Angeles) basketball team.25 years in the lives of the 1992 Morningside High School (Los Angeles) basketball team.25 years in the lives of the 1992 Morningside High School (Los Angeles) basketball team. ET on ABC. His growing up in Coney island and attending Lincoln High school, and the struggles he went through to eventually make it to the NBA. Equal parts Hoop Dreams and the Up series, Morningside 5 follows the starting members of that squad Stais Boseman, Dwight Curry, Donminic Ellison, Sean Harris, and Corey Saffold over a 25-year period as they pursue their dreams of NBA stardom and are ultimately forced to adjust to life after basketball. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNz4_cxyvBw. 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. 23. "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. Co-directors Bobbito Garcia and Kevin Couliau visit over 180 outdoor courts in New York City. But I kind of wanted to test myself to see if I can really swim in the real world.. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MwjE_3I46E. Apprehensive and not knowing what to expect, he is surprised to develop close friendships with three Iranian women who share similar political views. "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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJzUWoMu0W8. Tollin says he approached the film through his own lens as a parent: Tollin worked with producer Brian Robbins on the film, and he acknowledges their privilege as white filmmakers following the lives of African-American men. 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. In popular culture In 1993, Wesley Snipes narrated the documentary, Hardwood Dreams, following five MHS seniors during their last high school basketball season as they dreamt of the National Basketball Association. Though its a line delivered toward the end of the film, it would almost be better served as a prelude to the new ESPN documentary Morningside 5, a coming-of-age story about the titular 1992 California state high school championship team from Inglewood. It beautifully documents the struggle that many young players are forced to endure as they grow up in a poor neighborhood. To have that happen four straight years is almost unimaginable. Those players were:1. 6. She was an Olympic silver medalist and played professional volleyball in Japan. 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. Application Process and Forms Morningside High School - Notable Alumni. 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. At the time, I was very aware of a British film called 7 Up thatMichael Apted made in 1964, which started out following a group of children and then continued to check in with them every seven years. Please consult the school to get the accurate school fee structure. This documentary follows the latter, showing how the Canes' dominance brought South Florida's most well-known university unprecedented fame and party school cred before it hit a brutal decline. "The Two Escobars"This is not only the greatest "30 for 30;" it is also one of the greatest documentaries in recent memory. THE MOST INTENSE GAME EVER DURING THE WHOLE TOURNAMENT!!! Morningside High School 10500 S Yukon Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90303 Phone: 310-680-5230 Fax: 310-680-5257. 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. 1 . I feel like I am in it for life. They pitched the idea to the Fox Network and were given the go-ahead. Morningside High School is 1 of 4 high schools in the Inglewood Unified School District. They only had to be themselves. LAist 89.3 is KPCC-FM in Los Angeles, part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. 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. Simpson: Made In America" isn't the first documentary Ezra Edelman has made for ESPN. Soon, Hardcourt Dreams will be one of three American films shown at the St. Petersburg International Film Festival in Russia. Explore what really motivated Michael to move to baseball. 22. I gotvery close with [30 for 30 co-creator] Connor Schell, and he was always encouraging me to bring something that was really my film, that I was personally attached to and would direct. But I thought it was important for the community to see another side of Morningside High. And how he put a country of 1.2 billion people on his back as they watched him compete with the best players in the world. You hear about kids in these neighborhoods and you find out theyre the same all over, Robbins said. Christian Laettner was one of the most dominant college hoops players of his time, and like the university he played for, everyone loved to hate him. "Of Miracles And Men" What's it like to be on the losing end of a miracle? In 1992, the Morningside Monarchs became Inglewoods first and only state champs. Even outside of the NBA, the quest to maintain a professional basketball career has its own baroque impediments. what I really want [them] to take out of this film isnt just the message to go to college, or get your education, or have a plan Btake a deep thought, and a deep evaluation of themselvesand I think that if you are okay, and you understand who you are as a basketball player, as a person, whatever happens along the road, whether you make it or you dont make it, youll be okay with it.. The fight proved what everyone but Ali already knew: The Greatest was past his prime. We spent most of the school year there in classrooms, at practice, getting to know the families and going to the games. The HBO documentary explores how they first developed their rivalry during their NCAA years that continued on to the end of their hall of fame careers in the NBA and the influence they had on bringing increased attention to the NBA. Director Michael Tollin Writer Michael Tollin Stars Baron Davis Corey Saffold See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist 1 User review Photos Add photo Top cast Edit Baron Davis Self Corey Saffold Self Director Michael Tollin Writer Director Alex Gibney lifts the curtain on what happened to Bartman after that infamous catch and questions why sports fans so often dwell on singular moments of bad luck. And if youre reading this post, I bet you love them too! Hoffman's interviews reveal the drive that not only defines his life, but the core philosophy of action sports as well. It details the court trial he was involved him and how it became a night that would define Iversons young life. Documenting the relationship between Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac. Debbie Emery. The whole part of what made these guys so attractive in the outset was that they were such an interesting mix of characters, Gordon told DIME. I was just kind of a floater. Needing at least a 700 score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test to play college basketball as a freshman, he has failed the exam twice. 26. Surprisingly, Saffold and Boseman fight in the locker room after a loss. 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. 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. 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. This documentary is only 46 minutes in length, but it's jam-packed with highlights from Jordan's entire basketball career. Also Read: Magic Johnson Pledges Support to Charlie Sheen in HIV Battle: I Hope He Joins Me in Educating the World. 33:17. 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. Muggsy Bogues was the catalyst of the greatest high school basketball team ever. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9Eusgc0pyE. Premiering Tuesday night, Morningside 5 is a fresh, new story for most viewers, but its well-traveled ground for filmmaker Mike Tollin, who first filmed five high school basketball stars Stais Boseman, Dwight Curry, Corey Saffold, Dominic Ellison and Sean Harris from Inglewood, California, back in 1992. 3. . Morningside 5is a unique story that chronicles the lives of five men through a 25-year window. For the latest news, visit our news site, LAist.com. 1. Morningside won the state title in 1992, and with its five starters -- three who had secured Division I scholarships -- returning as seniors in 1993, the Monarchs were expected to roll to a repeat. In the 80s, Al Davis took his ball and left Oakland, bringing his Raiders to Los Angeles. Let us know in the comments below which one is your all-time favorite! 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. At the time Bias was considered one of the best athletes in college basketball with some scouts believing he was prospect than Michael Jordan at the time. Cancel. In its game report, the Los Angeles Times noted that Harris "sat out for disciplinary reasons." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilJQsBLAIE0. They are now the Oklahoma City Thunder. A documentary unlike any other. I watched Kerri Walsh dominate in volleyball (and basketball) so much that you were afraid she might hurt somebody. It was convenient. As a medic during the occupation of Wounded Knee in early 1973, Thunder Hawk was stationed nightly in a frontline bunker in the combat zone between Native American activists and U.S. government agents in South Dakota. Kyle Singler8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gY3B-uHtx0. 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.. The new ESPN documentary, "Morningside 5," follows the players over the course of almost 25 years after the first film. "It was a small distribution company -- forget no money, we accepted that -- but then they went out of business, so you can find bootlegs online, but you can't actually order it from Amazon," Tollin says. Ill do my best to keep it up-to-date and add new documentaries to the playlist when they come out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy6vq0Pt8cc. Amid their title defense in 1993, Dwight Curry gave voice to the lofty collective dream of promising young athletes everywhere: I feel like weve all got the talent to do it. 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. When I was 27, man, I said, You know what? Expected to play for Trade Tech this season. That perception of being on the fast-track to the NBA so early comes with lofty expectations. USC alum Aaron Rahsaan Thomas looks at the beginning of the Trojans' steady decline: The Team'sloss in the 2006 national championship game against Texas. WHAT A GREAT GAME WE WITNESS!!! 5. Kevin Love6. American Greg LeMond had helped his teammate Bernard Hinault win the previous year, and Hinault had pledged to return the favor. Through some connections, Tollin and Robbins got Wesley Snipes to narrate. The story of a 17-year-old Chicago-born player by the name of Ben Wilson who was shockingly murdered the day before his senior year. 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. "Of Miracles and Men" looks at the Soviets who lost the "Miracle on Ice" and goes beyond that upset to show what it was like to be a hockey player blocked from playing in the NHL by the Iron Curtain. What has the initial response been so far? "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. By the following year, the state title had transformed them into folk heroes and garnered the attention of recruiters from Division 1 schools. 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. Tollin has produced and/or directed sports-themed feature hits such as Varsity Blues, Radio, Coach Carter and more recently Chuck. Harris didn't know there were guns in the car, but he was suspended even though he was a straight-A student and expected to be class valedictorian. With their baggy shorts and black socks, this team changed basketball in a major way. A 2008 documentary that follows the lives of 8 of the best high school basketball prospects at the time leading up the 1st annual Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic at Rucker Park. Also Read: ESPN's Latest '30 for 30' Film Spotlights Brilliant But Troubled Soccer Star George Best. 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.. 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. "Baltimore Boys," co-directed by Marquis Daisy and Sheldon Candis, will air at 8 p.m. The filmtakes a look at the scandals that surrounded Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel and fallen star Maurice Clarrett, the latter of whom ended up in prison. ET. The. 27. Toward the end of the season and after years of not seeing his son, Bosemans father shockingly comes to a game. They watched some of the other shows we had done. I didnt want a sensationalist-type event at the expense of our students.. Published January 12, 2023 Inglewood Mayor James Butts cuts the ribbon to open the eSports lab at Morningside high school (Amanda Scurlock/L.A. Some are fathers now and they take the time to reflect on the journey and how basketball helped shape them into the men they are today. Hardwood Dreams, a 47-minute documentary, is the story of the starting five of Morningside Highs basketball team during the 1992-93 season. "It was a simpler time. It's kind of in-between. Daniels, however, felt the movie depicted the school disproportionately in a bad light. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rvxTokEpqA. Lights, camera, tip-off! "Kings Ransom" August 9, 1988, was a red letter day for hockey and a day that has lived in infamy for Canada. Maybe its just a little tougher to get there.. This documentary follows the incredible story of the American University of Iraq womens basketball team for a full year as we see what its like for them to become athletes, develop friendships, and get through adversity together. This is because the government provides funding every year. Coming off the network's first Oscar win for "OJ: Made . They really capitalized on some of the negativism, Daniels said. The school fees at South African public schools are kept at minimal to nothing at all. Instead, the Red Sox rallied from a 3-0 series deficit, and "Four Days In October" shows how the infamous Curse of the Bambino was broken in the most unlikely of circumstances. Inside 30 for 30: Al Davis vs. They have the same hopes and dreams. Notable Alumni. I think its time for me to kind of pursue a regular lifestyle, Ellison said. Weve had a couple of screenings people really dug in and got on for the ride. pro basketball player, actress, Wilhelmina model; 1996 Olympic gold medal . If you have a family member, neighbor, kids in the neighborhood who aspire to be professional athletes, please have them watch this movie. And for a young kid like me, I wanted to be like them.. By far the best basketball documentary ever made is Hoop Dreams. Please excuse all this obnoxious name-dropping, but it will offer some helpful perspective about time and place. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. Tollin says Phelps' reality check was important for the players to hear, though star player Stais Boseman had other things to say, according to the filmmaker: The film follows each player as they chase their NBA dreams and face tough life lessons along the way.