Basketball: A Love Story

Basketball: A Love Story is a 2018 sports documentary film series directed by Dan Klores and distributed by ESPN Films. The 20-hour series features 62 "short stories" distributed across 10 episodes, with each story varying from five to more than 30 minutes in length and exploring various topics from all aspects of the sport of basketball, including the NBA, ABA, WNBA, college basketball, and the international game, as well as a broad variety of social and cultural issues related to or influenced by the sport. All 62 shorts were originally made available online via the ESPN App on September 18, 2018, and subsequently also aired on ESPN in a serialized format of four-hour blocks over six weeks, beginning October 9 and ending November 13, 2018.[1]

Basketball: A Love Story
GenreSports documentary
Created byDan Klores
Directed byDan Klores
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes10 (divided into 62 short films)
Production
Running time20 hours
Production companyMy Three Sons Productions
Original release
Network
ReleaseOctober 9 (2018-10-09) –
November 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)

Klores and a team of producers conducted more than 500 hours of interviews with 165 personalities representing all sides of basketball, including players, coaches, executives, and journalists. Interviewees include Adam Silver, David Stern, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, Charles Barkley, Julius Erving, Earl Monroe, John Havlicek, Bill Walton, Isiah Thomas, Moses Malone, David Robinson, Elvin Hayes, Mike Krzyzewski, Doug Collins, Rick Pitino, Phil Jackson, Hubie Brown, Cheryl Miller, Diana Taurasi, Bill Simmons, Stephen A. Smith, Jackie MacMullan, Pete Vecsey and Bob Ryan, among many others. The episodes are variously narrated by Chadwick Boseman, Michael Che, Chris Cuomo, Daveed Diggs, Ansel Elgort, Ashley Judd, Julianne Moore, Robin Quivers, Ahmad Rashad, and Fisher Stevens.[2]

Production

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Klores began interviews for a film project that would tell the complete untold story of basketball in 2013, intending at first to compile a total of 10 hours of documentary footage. He quickly ended up with much more material than could fit into that duration, and the film's length was doubled. The entire film consists of 62 short subject films, envisioned as "short stories", discussing a diverse array of topics related to the game at every level, from its origins to its technical aspects, the lives of its players and coaches, and the impacts it has had on society and culture around the world. The stories are deliberately not presented in chronological order. Klores explained: "It’s like opening a book of short stories... Even when it was 10 hours I never intended it to be a series of mini-biographical vignettes, if you will. That would have bored me, frankly. So it’s kind of like 62 different films, just short stories. But the transitions are logical."[3]

Reception

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Basketball: A Love Story met with mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Many praised the series' ambitious nature and "unprecedented" distribution format but criticized perceived thematic discontinuities, a lack of depth in certain topics, and equivocation about some of the game's most sensitive past and present issues, including racism, sexism, and violence committed by players and coaches.

Jack Hamilton of Slate criticized the documentary's tendency to gloss over or completely omit these unhappier aspects of basketball history, writing that "the film’s patchwork structure allows it to effectively ignore moments that would complicate its sunny-side-up presentation of the sports’ trajectory", and noted the inexplicable absence of seemingly relevant stories like that of the infamous "Malice at the Palace" brawl.[4] Hamilton and Jen Chaney of Vulture both remarked that several previous 30 for 30 films have covered some of the same stories with much greater nuance and detail.[4][5]

Episodes

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Episode 1

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Story NumberTitleOriginal release dateLength
(mins)
1Love of the GameOctober 9, 2018 (2018-10-09)9:28
Players, coaches, and fans discuss their obsession with and passion for the game.
2The TeachersOctober 9, 2018 (2018-10-09)5:59
3The ChokeOctober 9, 2018 (2018-10-09)10:21
NBA guard Latrell Sprewell's career was marred by a notorious 1997 incident in which he choked Warriors head coach P.J. Carlesimo during practice.
4OriginsOctober 9, 2018 (2018-10-09)10:40
From humble beginnings at a Massachusetts YMCA in 1891, basketball explodes into colleges, professional leagues, and American culture.
5ScandalOctober 9, 2018 (2018-10-09)16:17
6Signature Moves: The FeelOctober 9, 2018 (2018-10-09)10:48
7The Spring of '57October 9, 2018 (2018-10-09)32:32

Episode 2

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Story NumberTitleOriginal release dateLength
(mins)
8Patriots to ProtestOctober 9, 2018 (2018-10-09)24:11
9Signature Moves: The TouchOctober 9, 2018 (2018-10-09)6:39
10ABA: The Red, White and BlueOctober 9, 2018 (2018-10-09)23:49
11The Dipper and The WinnerOctober 9, 2018 (2018-10-09)18:48
12Signature Moves: DisciplineOctober 9, 2018 (2018-10-09)5:16
13Mayhem in MunichOctober 9, 2018 (2018-10-09)18:47
Against the backdrop of terrorism at the 1972 Summer Olympics, the U.S. men's basketball team meets the Soviets in a controversial gold-medal game.

Episode 3

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Story NumberTitleOriginal release dateLength
(mins)
14Brotherly LoveOctober 16, 2018 (2018-10-16)16:45
15The Witch HuntOctober 16, 2018 (2018-10-16)21:21
16Birth of the BruinsOctober 16, 2018 (2018-10-16)11:28
17TomboysOctober 16, 2018 (2018-10-16)10:22
18Rupp's ReckoningOctober 16, 2018 (2018-10-16)18:41
19RenegadesOctober 16, 2018 (2018-10-16)25:00
The fledgling ABA attracts a distinctive roster of turbulent players and talented coaches in the years before its merger with the NBA.

Episode 4

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Story NumberTitleOriginal release dateLength
(mins)
20The Eighth WonderOctober 16, 2018 (2018-10-16)22:16
College stars Lew Alcindor and Elvin Hayes square off in a 1968 match between UCLA and Houston at The Astrodome.
21Title IX: ImmaculataOctober 16, 2018 (2018-10-16)9:46
22Joy or Relief?October 16, 2018 (2018-10-16)10:16
For coaches as well as players, winning a championship is a deeply emotional experience.
23Oscar and WestOctober 16, 2018 (2018-10-16)21:19
The story of Oscar Robertson and Jerry West in their successful attempt for their NBA Championship that had eluded them for years
24Self-ExpressionOctober 16, 2018 (2018-10-16)15:43
The flashy fashions and unique personalities cultivated by the game's biggest stars have given basketball a style all its own.
25One and DoneOctober 16, 2018 (2018-10-16)19:27

Episode 5

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Story NumberTitleOriginal release dateLength
(mins)
26David versus GoliathOctober 23, 2018 (2018-10-23)21:02
27General KnightOctober 23, 2018 (2018-10-23)17:42
28Deal of the CenturyOctober 23, 2018 (2018-10-23)10:44
29Wild DaysOctober 23, 2018 (2018-10-23)23:55
The 1975 and 1976 NBA Finals as seen through the eyes of Rick Barry and John Havlicek.
30Do or DieOctober 23, 2018 (2018-10-23)7:14
George Gervin and David Thompson race for the 1978 NBA scoring title right up to the last day of the regular season.
31TailspinOctober 23, 2018 (2018-10-23)22:17
Widespread drug abuse leads to on-court and off-court troubles for many NBA players in the late 1970s.

Episode 6

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Story NumberTitleOriginal release dateLength
(mins)
32Portland's 1-Year DynastyOctober 23, 2018 (2018-10-23)16:40
The Portland Trail Blazers defeat the heavily favored Philadelphia 76ers to capture the 1977 NBA championship.
33The First LadyOctober 23, 2018 (2018-10-23)8:48
34Don't Call Me BuckwheatOctober 23, 2018 (2018-10-23)10:20
35Genius GeneOctober 23, 2018 (2018-10-23)9:17
36John Thompson's AmericaOctober 23, 2018 (2018-10-23)20:08
Georgetown Hoyas coach John Thompson redefines east-coast college basketball.
37NBA: It's FantasticOctober 23, 2018 (2018-10-23)11:27
In the mid-1980s, commissioner David Stern revitalizes the NBA's popular image with public outreach, clever marketing campaigns, and celebrity endorsements.
38Contempt: LA vs. BostonOctober 23, 2018 (2018-10-23)27:29
The classic rivalry between the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.

Episode 7

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Story NumberTitleOriginal release dateLength
(mins)
39The First LotteryOctober 30, 2018 (2018-10-30)12:00
40Signature Moves: The MindOctober 30, 2018 (2018-10-30)12:12
41Born to CoachOctober 30, 2018 (2018-10-30)18:47
42Glasnost: The Walls Come DownOctober 30, 2018 (2018-10-30)22:24
43Little Big MenOctober 30, 2018 (2018-10-30)11:45
In a game dominated by very tall players, the shortest ones have unique advantages and disadvantages.
44Air JordanOctober 30, 2018 (2018-10-30)24:41
The prodigal rise of Michael Jordan and the shoe endorsement that changed basketball.

Episode 8

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Story NumberTitleOriginal release dateLength
(mins)
45MagicOctober 30, 2018 (2018-10-30)16:38
Magic Johnson's retirement due to HIV causes controversy in the NBA but helps to raise public awareness of the disease.
46The Changing of the GuardOctober 30, 2018 (2018-10-30)25:33
47Dream TeamOctober 30, 2018 (2018-10-30)18:49
48Phil Jackson and MJOctober 30, 2018 (2018-10-30)13:11
49Pat versus GenoOctober 30, 2018 (2018-10-30)25:07

Episode 9

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Story NumberTitleOriginal release dateLength
(mins)
50The WNovember 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)15:30
51The Spurs WayNovember 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)14:59
Driven by a cast of international talent, the San Antonio Spurs under coach Gregg Popovich exemplify a dynamic brand of team-oriented play and capture four NBA titles in the process.
52NCAA: Pay or Play?November 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)6:00
53Triangle: Kobe, Shaq, and PhilNovember 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)26:34
Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, and coach Phil Jackson join forces as the core of a Los Angeles Lakers team that wins three consecutive NBA championships, despite an often bitter feud between its two star players.
54Size MattersNovember 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)17:33
55LeBron EntersNovember 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)15:30

Episode 10

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Story NumberTitleOriginal release dateLength
(mins)
56The DecisionNovember 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)17:04
NBA superstar LeBron James announces he will sign with the Miami Heat in a controversial 2010 television special.
57America's GameNovember 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)18:00
58Battles RoyaleNovember 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)27:35
The Miami Heat, led by a trio of star players, compete in four consecutive NBA Finals series from 2011 to 2014.
59Analytically CorrectNovember 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)8:24
60Golden State EmergesNovember 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)14:56
The birth of a new Golden State Warriors dynasty in the 2010s.
61Basketball HysteriaNovember 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)9:23
62Basketball PassNovember 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)6:21

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Nesheim, Jay Jay (September 5, 2018). "ESPN Announces Unprecedented 20-Hour Film "Basketball: A Love Story"". ESPN MediaZone U.S. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Basketball: A Love Story". IMDb. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  3. ^ Best, Neil (October 8, 2018). "'Basketball: A Love Story' is 62 stories told in 20 hours on ESPN". Newsday.com. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  4. ^ a b Hamilton, Jack (9 October 2018). "Whole Lotta Love: ESPN's 20-hour documentary Basketball: A Love Story left me longing for Ken Burns". Slate. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  5. ^ Chaney, Jen (9 October 2018). "Basketball: A Love Story Is Good, But It's No Slam Dunk". Vulture. Retrieved 3 December 2018.