Think playing at the Fleet or Staples center is the pinnacle of a young basketball player’s dream? For many NBA hopefuls, the real promised land is Rucker Park, the Harlem court where everyone from Wilt Chamberlain to Dr. J. once proved his mettle.
“Gunnin’ for That No. 1 Spot,” a documentary directed by Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, follows eight high school athletes as they gear up for their Rucker Park debut. They’re the best of the best, the highest-ranked high school basketball players in the nation. Some are just 15 years old.
The documentary doesn’t take full advantage of that angle, the too much, too soon aspect of modern athleticism. Nevertheless, the film brims with passion, a velvety soundtrack befitting Mr. Yauch’s day job and a unified visual style that evokes the multiple windows you see on your computer monitor.
“Gunnin’” still might not cross over to reach beyond confirmed basketball fans. It only skims some of its subject’s dramatic possibilities.
The film follows eight of 24 basketball prospects as they prepare for the first Elite 24 event in Harlem in 2006. It’s a game designed to showcase these budding stars to the various colleges, sneaker companies and scouts to whom young talent is the ultimate prize.
These fledgling athletes come from disparate backgrounds, but most have at least one or two family members in their corner. Some, like Kevin Love, have basketball in their genes - his father played in the NBA for the old Baltimore Bullets (and his uncle is Beach Boy Mike Love).
Jerryd Bayless, a soft-spoken point guard who embraces yoga when he’s not on the court, seems mature beyond his 19years. So do many of the other players, whose approach to the game is a refreshing blend of awe and hard work.
The athletes get media-savvy quickly. Their pictures adorn sports Web sites and local magazines well before their 18th birthdays. By the time they reach their senior year, they likely have all the sports cliches down cold.
Audiences don’t get close enough to any individual players to become invested in their futures, and the first Elite 24 game itself is shot with style but little emotional weight.
The film is largely a celebration of the sport and its young players. Later in the film, Mr. Yauch introduces a few key voices who discuss the dark side of the players’ quickie fame, but it’s no more than a cursory discussion.
A brief sequence breaking down the high school ranking process reveals just how arbitrary it can be. More sequences like that might have expanded its appeal to reach a broader audience.
Still, it’s a hoot to hear the big game’s announcer try to brand each player with a name or catchphrase to take back home with him.
Despite its flaws, Mr. Yauch’s “Gunnin’ for That No. 1 Spot” captures young athletes poised for greatness, eager to play their favorite sport for all the right reasons.
★★1/2
TITLE: “Gunnin’ for That No. 1 Spot”
RATING: PG-13 (Some mature language)
CREDITS: Produced and directed by Adam Yauch.
RUNNING TIME: 88 minutes
WEB SITE: www.gunninmovie.com
MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS
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