But the 12-time All-Star stepped onto the red carpet in Manhattan on Tuesday to promote his new Showtime movie, NYC Point Gods. Thank you for your contribution to the documentary. This documentary traces the history of New York’s Point He Guard, from Tiny Archibald and Pearl Washington to Mark Jackson, Kenny Smith and Stephon Marbury. ..
“You stole the show,” Durant wrote to Harlem’s rapper. “You turned the theater.”
Compartmentation is key for modern superstars, and their off-court interests can overlap with their day job in unexpected ways. Durant, a player, has asked to move away from Brooklyn after a complicated three years, but executive producer Durant wants the film to focus more on stylistic and cultural influences than on NBA achievements. And we are delighted to celebrate New York’s rich basketball history.
“”[Durant is] He’s here every summer,” said Rich Kleiman, a longtime business partner with Thirty Five Ventures and executive producer of the film. “He has an insane work ethic. He’s in the gym every day. He depends on his routine and the work he puts into the game. He’s been in the NBA for 15 years. We have worked together for 10 years, and every time I think that something is the end of the world, or that I have to hide in a shack and disappear from the world, I realize that it’s just life. He’s focused on it, and everything else will understand itself. “
“NYC Point Gods,” which releases Friday, is the follow-up to Durant’s first Showtime film.Basketball County: Underwater, “A tribute to his childhood in Prince George’s County. Kleiman, a New York native who grew up watching Jackson’s Knicks, came up with a nostalgic 83-minute journey through the five boroughs, directed by Sam Eliad and including interviews with Jackson, Smith and Marbury. NCAA coaches Jim Boheim and Rick Pitino. And rappers like Fat Joe and Cam’ron really provide some of the film’s most memorable scenes.
In one, Fat Joe explains that he fended off the streetball bidding wars of Bronx point guard Kareem Reed, who played college basketball at the University of Arkansas. Jay-Z offered his Reid a bag containing thousands of dollars to join his team, but Fat Joe countered successfully by offering a “friendship for life.”
“I have good money,” laughed Fat Joe. “I don’t have Jay-Z’s money.”
In another article, Camron tried to improve the vertical jump of Providence six-foot point guard God Shamgod by wearing special shoes that lifted his heels off the ground and allowed him to walk around on his toes. Talking about how. The film crew pulled out their shoes during an interview to have a wide-eyed Camron marvel at his 1990s artifacts.
“When I first saw that scene, tears ran down my face,” said Showtime executive Stephen Espinoza. “I remember seeing the shoes advertised in the back of a basketball magazine. I had a pair. think.”
The interplay between basketball and hip-hop reflects Kleiman’s professional roots as a music manager and executive, and reinforces the film’s main claim. Stopping at LeFrak City, Coney Island and Rucker Park, ‘NYC Point Gods’ brings together the unforgiving environments that have produced a generation of players known for their intricate ball-handling, natural scoring ability and showmanship.
“The challenge was to set yourself apart in a city with so many people doing the same thing as you,” said Smith, a 10-year NBA veteran who is now a TNT commentator. “If I live in Idaho, I don’t have to work hard to get noticed.”
Shamgod tells the story behind his eponymous crossover dribble before a montage of Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, and Russell Westbrook deploying the move in NBA games. Rafer Alston’s “Skip to my Lou” persona is so in-depth that fans hang on chain-link his fences to watch him play on the streets his ball his game. And Kenny Anderson revisits the 1991 showdown between Georgia Tech and Duke. He famously scored in transition after freezing Bobby Hurley in three crossovers.
This distinctive flash is located in the front and center throughout. On ABC’s “20/20” feature, Marbury called him a “young Mozart” in his teens, stating that he was and still is. He gave up dribbling.
It is left unspoken in the movie. Anderson, Marbury, and others haven’t made a complete transition from the playground legend to the NBA legend. “NYC Point Gods” acknowledges that city point his guards are often labeled as poor shooters, suggesting that a strong-willed personality can be both a blessing and a curse .
In footage from the 1988 NBA Draft, Jackson, fresh off the Rookie of the Year, watches Rod Strickland, another New York City product the New York Knicks’ first-round pick. Their pairing was less than two seasons before Strickland was traded.
Meanwhile, the current generation, which includes Kemba Walker and Cole Anthony, isn’t quite as glittery as previous iterations.In the NBA, passing first floor generals like Jackson have been replaced by do-it-all point forwards. . Still, Smith refuted the notion that the legendary New York City point guard was on the decline.
“I don’t know if it’s dead,” Smith said. “Modern basketball is based on a few things that were highlighted on the New York City playground. It was a unique style of the time. That style is today’s style. “
This lasting effect has become a fertile land for filmmakers. Marbury is the subject of her 2019 film, A kid from Coney Island, and Netflix recently announced plans for a new documentary about AND1. AND1 is a cheeky clothing and sneaker brand that rose to prominence in the early 2000s and later launched global basketball. trip.
“NYC Point Gods” is a broad overview, but includes so many players and local touchstones, such as Gauchos’ youth basketball program and Archbishop Molloy High School, that you’ll need to cycle through them quickly. As with “Basketball County,” Durant seems to be focusing on lesser-known players he admires and the places that shaped him. Kleiman said Thirty Five Ventures is interested in a project about the culture of the Seattle hoops that produced Jamal Crawford, Brandon Roy and Nate Robinson.
With a dazzling focus on Durant’s standoff with the Nets, there’s a purity to that mission that’s easy to miss.
“”[Durant’s] His relationship with New York City dates back to his childhood, “Kleiman said. “Everyone loves to play with [Madison Square] Garden, now playing for Barclays [Center].. One of his most memorable games was Lacquer. As a professional, you can isolate certain things. So far, I don’t think there is anything negative in Kevin’s mind.He was excited [at the premiere], And he loves New York. “
