Basketball County
Basketball County, subtitled Basketball County: In The Water is a 2020 American sports documentary film produced by Kevin Durant's company Thirty Five Ventures. The film explores the culture surrounding youth basketball in Prince George's County, Maryland, an area that has produced a significant number of talented basketball players, including Durant. Durant and Prince George's County native Victor Oladipo served as executive producers, and local rapper Jason Mills narrated the film.
| Basketball County | |
|---|---|
 Main promotional poster for Basketball County, taken in Cheverly, Maryland. | |
| Directed by | Jimmy Jenkins John Beckham |
| Produced by | Sarah Flynn Amani Martin Brean Cunningham John Beckham Kirk Fraser |
| Written by | Amani Martin |
| Music by | Jason Mills Derrick Gamlam |
| Edited by | David Marcus |
Production company | Thirty Five Ventures |
| Distributed by | Showtime Networks |
Release date | May 15, 2020 |
Running time | 52 minutes |
| Country | United States of America |
| Language | English |
The film was distributed by Showtime Networks and debuted May 15, 2020 on the network's live and digital services.
Synopsis
Due to its role in producing basketball players that have gone on to star in the NBA, WNBA, and college level, basketball players that grew up in "PG County" attest that there is something "in the water" there that leads to the production of talented basketball players. The film traces basketball's prominence in the nation's capital back to Edwin Bancroft Henderson, dubbed "the father of black basketball," who thought that black youth would benefit from athletic skills. After racial unrest following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., middle-class black families left Washington for suburban Prince George's County, which boasted hundreds of basketball courts at its parks. After the crack epidemic of the 1980s, youth basketball moved indoors to the county's recreation centers, which served as safe places for youth to play basketball and develop friendships.
The film also chronicles the career of Morgan Wootten, longtime coach of basketball powerhouse DeMatha Catholic High School, the effects of Len Bias' death on the Prince George's community, the role of Amateur Athletic Union teams in garnering player prestige, the influence of go-go music on players, and the role of AAU coach Curtis Malone in the lives of players before his arrest on federal drug charges in 2014. Durant's philanthropic ventures in the county are also chronicled. The film is dedicated to the memory of Bias, Wootten, and Durant's close friends Cliff Dixon, who died in an Atlanta shooting in 2019, and Jamar "Silent" Board, a DC playground basketball star who died suspiciously in 2013.[1][2]
Notable interviewees include Durant, Oladipo, Michael Beasley, Jerai and Jerami Grant, Morgan Wootten, Marissa Coleman, James Brown, Jeff Green, Walt Williams, Steve Francis, Brenda Frese, Adrian Dantley, Jarrett Jack, Kris Jenkins, Nate Britt, John Thompson, Michael Sweetney, Quinn Cook, Markelle Fultz, Lamman Rucker, DerMarr Johnson, and Nolan Smith.
Release
Showtime released the film on its digital streaming service on May 15, 2020 ahead of its planned airing on its TV channel that same night.[3]
Reception
Brady Langmann of Esquire gave the film a positive review, comparing it favorably to The Last Dance, a miniseries about Michael Jordan. Langmann called the film "a little too breezy for its own good," referring to the many subplots, but remarked that it was "more than worth the watch."[4]
References
- Capelouto, J.D. (September 9, 2019). "Cops release new video of fatal shooting of Kevin Durant's 'adopted brother'". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- Prewitt, Alex (February 4, 2013). "Jamar Board: A D.C. playground legend who never got out". Washington Post.
- "Basketball County In The Water | SHOWTIME". SHO.com. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
- Langmann, Brady (2020-05-15). "A County in Maryland Produces a Wild Number of Basketball Stars. This Documentary Wants to Know Why". Esquire. Retrieved 2020-05-15.