15. The school had had a long basketball tradition and boasted famous alumni like Byron Scott and Elden Campbell, but the one thing that had always eluded Morningside High up to that point was a state championship. Robert Licata, Foxs senior vice president of publicity, would not discuss why the documentary was rejected. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiXvNhXWHOc. The film was released in 2000 and featured Jordan, Phil Jackson, and Doug Collins. "Broke" A sobering documentary that proves the adage "mo' money, mo' problems" is more true than you might believe. (How They Work), What is the Elam Ending? He also made the original "Hardwood Dreams," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1993, and the follow-up, "Hardwood Dreams: Ten Years Later.". Robbins, who said he grew attached to the players, said it was an eye-opening experience. Also Read: Barbershop: The Next Cut Review: Ice Cube Comedy Layers Workplace Sitcom with Social Advocacy. 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. Inside 30 for 30: Al Davis vs. 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. 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. Tyreke Evans3. Your title or relationship to the school/team. In the film, revisits the 1992 footage of college basketball coach Digger Phelps telling the players about the harsh realities of playing in the NBA. I was lucky enough to be a part of the founding production team for 30 for 30 about 10 years ago. While most documentaries cover teams on a quest for a championship, this documentary covers the final week of the 2006 Caltech basketball season on their quest for a single win. More: . Inside 30 for 30: Breakaway. I never thought it was possible to get the rights to the book, then we waited five years and it came back to us. With the likes of Zion Williamson and LaMelo Ball taking the Internet by storm with flashy dunks and long range three-pointers, high school basketball is seemingly having an awakening of sorts. "Requiem for the Big East" was adive into one of his favorite things in sports: Big East college basketball. The first part tells the story of the Monarchs in 1992, touching on their on-court success as well as on the issues that the players had to deal with as a byproduct of living in the inner city. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hRTlHmxums. It beautifully documents the struggle that many young players are forced to endure as they grow up in a poor neighborhood. After being drafted 2nd overall in the 1986 NBA draft by the reigning champion Boston Celtics, Len Bias was found dead due to a cocaine overdose. Unfortunately, Hank Gathers died on the court in 1990 and this documentary shares what happened. Wayne Gretzky, national hero, was being traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. 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. 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 . This was when the 20threunion at Morningside was coming up in 2013. "Four Falls of Buffalo"It hurts to watch your team lose a title. Their players weren't that big, but they all had skills and played for a coach who stressed passing and precision, and loved man-to-man pressure defense. Stais Boseman, Dwight Curry, Dominic Ellison, Sean Harris and Corey Saffold were the stars of the 1992 state high school championship basketballteam from Morningside High School in Inglewood, California. They only had to be themselves. "Hillsborough""Hillsborough" covers the human crush at an FA Cup match between Liverpool andNottingham Forestin 1989 that killed 96 people. 1. All but one of them has moved away from basketball and theyre alljust finding their way in the world, Tollin told TheWrap. "Catching Hell" Every Cubs fan wonders what might have happened if Steve Bartman had let Moises Alou catch that foul ball in 2003. Even outside of the NBA, the quest to maintain a professional basketball career has its own baroque impediments. 25 years in the lives of the 1992 Morningside High School (Los Angeles) basketball team. These roles include: Communications/PR, Athletic Director, Sports Information Director, Booster Club President, School Administrator, etc. Mike Tollin:I was always a documentary guy at heart, and when I moved to L.A. morningside high school basketball documentary. Sentinel) The College Football Playoff (CFP). The drab Inglewood campus seemed perfect and they knew that the Monarchs were the defending State Division III champions. After earning fame by filming guys doing stupid things, Jeff Tremaine directed this documentary about the life of Mat Hoffman, the greatest BMX rider of all time. It should have been more basketball-oriented, but you have to show the good and the bad, he said. "Bull Durham" director Ron Shelton, himself a former minor league player, goes inside the motives that led one sport's greatest ever to enter a sport where he was outmatched by so many. "It was a simpler time. Please consult the school to get the accurate school fee structure. Morningside High School is a Public school. A look into Jordans life when he decided to give up the game of basketball and pursue a career in baseball. 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. It's pretty amazing when you see this arc of 25 years of these lives. From my perspective, the most important part of this whole film is getting to know yourself, Ellison said. Yet, thats scarcely the most poignant aspect of this story. ESPN+ Inside 30 for 30. Close . WHAT A GREAT GAME WE WITNESS!!! 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. Before LeBron James and even Kobe Bryant, there was The Morningside 5. In 1992, the Morningside Monarchs became Inglewood's first and only state champs. Also Read: OJ Fact Check: Two White Broncos? Cancel. Narrator Wesley Snipes introduces the five players: Stais Boseman, Sean Harris, Corey Saffold, Donminic Ellison and Dwight Curry. Boseman, the Monarchs best player, is portrayed as an indolent student by teachers and teammates. Dominic Ellison: Guard at Washington State. Thisis a success story. Director Mike Tollin. He acknowledges how difficult it is not to have any parents to support him. It was like, the team from the hood that everybody wanted to root for and support. 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. Surprisingly, Saffold and Boseman fight in the locker room after a loss. There's a little of each, but it's real life.". The Bruins were led by Jim Harrick in his seventh season as head coach. "Four Days In October" The 2004 American League Championship Series was the kind of sports moment "30 for 30" was made for. People dont know the energy generated by the positive things that go on.. "Baltimore Boys," co-directed by Marquis Daisy and Sheldon Candis, will air at 8 p.m. "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; . Also Read: ESPN's Latest '30 for 30' Film Spotlights Brilliant But Troubled Soccer Star George Best. Also Read: Duke Basketball Legend Christian Laettner on Being So Hated That ESPN Made a 30 for 30 Film About It. "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.". 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. Particularly the 18-year-old star of the team with off-court issues, Ed Booger Smith. See the full interview with Tollin below. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The Scream 6 publicity stunts hit closer to home, prompting 911 calls in Sonoma, Review: Andrea Riseborough and campy Please Baby Please deconstruct gender and the 1950s, Bruce Willis steps out with friends after announcement of dementia diagnosis, Gayle King surprises Angela Bassett with her Whats Love Got to Do With It dress, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits. The Mustangs kept the Chargers' offense at bay, though cruising to a 76-69 . 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. Experiencing different values, different cultures, and learning a whole lot about myself, and the world, learning all these interpersonal skills.. [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=]. . "Didn't even make the cut. I didnt want a sensationalist-type event at the expense of our students.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gY3B-uHtx0. It was the manner in which they did it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHkMycj-YSQ. 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. 26. Dwight was out of jail and looking at job opportunities, so we followed his job quest. But eventually, the league found itself fighting for survival. Thats kind of what it was. Click the article below to see a CBS piece on the construction progress of the the NFL stadium being built in Inglewood. We were able to get clearance from his employers. But the best team I covered didn't produce any household names. Morningside High School 10500 S Yukon Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90303 Phone: 310-680-5230 Fax: 310-680-5257. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9Eusgc0pyE. 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 August 8 at 9:30 p.m. WOUNDED KNEE, S.D. Titled Hardwood Dreams, that documentary aired on Fox in prime time in the spring of 1995. 24. Co-created by Connor Schell and Bill Simmons in 2009 to chronicle30 stories from the "ESPN era" beginning with the network's founding in 1979, the series has elevated filmmakers, creating unforgettable works that have received awards, critical acclaim and festival selections many times over. Len Bias. TheWrap: How did you first get involved with the kids at Morningside High? But I thought it was important for the community to see another side of Morningside High. 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. 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. "But with this, it's neither. Easy enough. Were a school that has been neglected. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MwjE_3I46E. Hardwood Dreams, a 47-minute documentary, is the story of the starting five of Morningside Highs basketball team during the 1992-93 season. Enrolled at L.A. Trade Tech. This film was originally created for IMAX. A documentary on the 1992 Lithuanian Basketball Team who became the symbol of Lithuanias independence movement from the USSR. Credits to the documentary team:Justin: jchandra. Created in 1997, Soul in the Hole is a lesser-known film that documents a team from Brooklyn called Kennys Kings as they prepare for the Soul in the Hole championship tournament. Led by Stais Boseman, the Monarchs seemed destined for history. 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. Teachers, administrators and coaches are interviewed about the five players. Set to be shown on ESPN on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., the 90-minute presentation from the ESPN Films group is narrated and directed by Mike Tollin, who put together the original documentary in 1993. Maybe its just a little tougher to get there.. 3. 246 were here. In its game report, the Los Angeles Times noted that Harris "sat out for disciplinary reasons." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqNtZvVb_Lk. I really wasnt (uncomfortable). Through some connections, Tollin and Robbins got Wesley Snipes to narrate. ET on ESPN. We captured life.. In a disturbing scene, forward Curry watches his teammates hug their parents after a game. In the meantime, what is next forMandalay Sports Media? But his NBA dream never eventuated due to lack of discipline and a few poor choices. It is the second largest high school after Inglewood High School in the city. 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. ET on ESPN. Now more than ever, high school prospects are thrust into the limelight at such a young age while under a microscope. But its a challenge to make sure you dont say the wrong thing.. I watched it because one of my favorite players, Donminic Ellison, was one of the Morningside 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJzUWoMu0W8. Hoop Dreams was happening at the exact same time (unbeknown to us) and this behemoth was about to change the sports media landscape as we knew it, but we went merrily along our way and started digging around the Los Angeles inner city schools and found this school in Inglewood that had an esteemed reputation for basketball excellence and had just won the state basketball title, plus their five pre-eminent players were all returning for their senior years It was kind of set up perfectly. Follows the life of American basketball player Kevin Sheppard, after he accepts a job to play basketball in the dangerous country of Iran. He was a part of the original 30 for 30 series in 2009 with his production of Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?, a film that has taken on additional relevance because of what it reveals about a certain former New Jersey Generals owner named Trump. Copyright 2023 SLAM Media Inc. SLAM, SLAMTV, SLAM MEDIA and the SLAM logo are registered ESPN Films Presents High School Basketball Documentary Double Feature: "Baltimore Boys" and "Morningside 5"! What unfolded that year en route to LeMond becoming the first American to win the Tour showed how cycling is a constant struggle between rivalry and friendship; individual and team. Despite their immense talent, they are the rule rather than the exception. Lights, camera, tip-off! 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. I was away from my family, year in, year out, and I would only be able to see them over the summer, didnt have any long-term relationship. That was the easy part. "This is not a usual 30 for 30, because usually with 30 for 30, it's triumph or tragedy," director Mike Tollin says. Soon, Hardcourt Dreams will be one of three American films shown at the St. Petersburg International Film Festival in Russia. 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. Needing at least a 700 score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test to play college basketball as a freshman, he has failed the exam twice. 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. 27. Toward the end of the season and after years of not seeing his son, Bosemans father shockingly comes to a game. The story of Jeremy Lins unlikely rise to fame mid-way through the 2012 NBA season with the New York Knicks. CONGRATS TO SVP!!! Also Read: ESPNs 30 for 30 Marks 5th Anniversary with Ray Liotta Voicing College Basketball Mob Documentary (Video). The fight proved what everyone but Ali already knew: The Greatest was past his prime. You can find the playlist here:Best Basketball Documentaries: Basketball For Coaches. 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. Saffold said he enjoyed the film and realized it had to be a truthful account of the team. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilJQsBLAIE0. The stars of this movie never had to audition. "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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph2Y-epihlk, You said we could watch 18 of these online for free Where are they!?. But things didnt quite end how they all envisioned it. The film looks closely at the relationships that Coach Kenny Jones has with his players on and off the court. Ten years later, Snipes narrated the 2004 TV sequel, Hardwood Dreams: Ten Years Later. It humbled me as far as seeing a lot, and seeing other cultures is kind of humbling just being American. All eight players went on to play in the NBA. 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. August 8, 2017, 3:39 PM. Michael Beasley2. Morningside High School Alumni Search ; Search Powered by Classmates.com Registered members appear in bold. Considering everything else youve achieved in your career since, how did you end back at Morningside? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjRDgLIXpmc. The new ESPN documentary, "Morningside 5," follows the players over the course of almost 25 years after the first film. That realization came much sooner for some than for others. 6. 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.. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM6DrmBW1iU. 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. Also Read: Magic Johnson Pledges Support to Charlie Sheen in HIV Battle: I Hope He Joins Me in Educating the World. 20. ESPN '30 for 30': 'Morningside 5' Revisits LA High School Basketball Stars 25 Years Later. He revisited the former star players 10 years later and now 25 years on, he tells the latest chapter in their life stories for 30 for 30, following the success and failures theyve faced since first hitting hoops on that Inglewood court. Im sure youve seen more than a couple of the documentaries listed above. 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.