25 years later, ‘He Got Game’ still rings true

By Anish Vasudevan Senior Staff Writer

In 1998, basketball’s biggest fan, Spike Lee, embarked to capture his favorite sport on film. To pull off the most daunting task of his career, he had to follow the title of his third feature film and “Do the Right Thing.”

Twenty-five years later, “He Got Game” still stands out like a flawless championship run (think San Antonio Spurs in 2007). Lee’s film follows the ascension of the best high school basketball player in the country, five years before Lebron James became a nationwide phenom, and intertwines his narrative with a broken father-son relationship. Parts of it are shot like a documentary, other sections like a classic ‘90s family drama. Overall, Lee’s “shooter’s touch” puts this in the pantheon of sports films and the narrative itself still rings true in today’s Name, Image and Likeness world.

“He Got Game” opens with a montage of kids playing basketball around the country, set to the tune of Aaron Copland’s “John Henry.” Lee allows cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed to showcase the beauty of the sport through slow motion shots of different player’s dribbles, dunks or 3-point attempts. Every court, basket and ball looks different, but Sayeed captures the musicality behind each movement within the white lines.

After the opening credits come to a close, the audience is transported through a methodical aerial shot of Coney Island, where Jesus Shuttlesworth, played by Ray Allen, is heaving up shots from the left wing. Then, a hard cut takes us more than 300 miles west to Attica Correctional Facility, where Denzel Washington’s Jake Shuttlesworth is throwing up attempts from the right elbow. Both Shuttlesworths, father and son, hit nothing but net.

The driving conflict of the film is quickly revealed. Jake is in prison for murdering his wife and can reduce his sentence if he’s able to convince his son to attend the fictional “Big State” college. In simpler terms pertaining to today’s world, Jake is awarded a get-out-of-jail-

Concerts This Weekend

The Hockey House

Student band Rhodes Corduroy, well known in the SU music scene, will perform this Thursday night. Spice up your weekend and see them perform their latest hits at the Hockey House.

WHEN: April 27 at 10 p.m.

PRICE: : $5 at the door

Block Party

One of the biggest events for Syracuse University students all year is University Union’s annual Block Party. This year the event has a new twist. Before attendees see Aminé, Faye Webster and Surfaces in the JMA Wireless Dome, they can head to the SU Quad for free to see The Aces, Ella Jane and Sarah Kinsley at the first-ever Block Darty.

WHEN: April 28 from 2-6 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m.

PRICE: $20 GA, $25 Ground Floor and Free

Funk ‘n Waffles

Come down to Funk ‘n Waffles this weekend for a Friday night show. This event will showcase Worldtown Soundsystem, a live house music band, and Transient Kicks, a rock band. Find tickets at the Funk ‘n Waffles website.

WHEN: April 28 at 8 p.m.

PRICE: $10 at the door

Redgate

Head over to Redgate, a studentrun music venue, for one of their last shows of the semester. This Friday will feature Over the Counter, a funky band based in New Jersey, Be-ez, a Maryland-based artist and SU student band Luna and the Carpets.

WHEN: April 28 at 10:30 p.m.

ARTIST: $8 at the door

Funk ‘n Waffles

Check out Funk ‘n Waffles this Saturday night. Performers will be Annie in the Water, a rock group, and The Orange Constant, a rock/jam band. Find tickets online at the Funk ‘n Waffles website.

WHEN: April 29 at 8 p.m.

WHEN: $15/$20 at the door

PRICE: $14.92

The 443 Social Club and Lounge

This Saturday, come to The 443 Social Club to see Robinson Treacher, a country artist who recently dropped a new album, called “Hermitage Cafe.” On Sunday, the fun continues with Professor Louie & the Crowmatix, a rock band that focuses on blues rock and roll.

WHEN: April 29 at 7 p.m. (Robinson Treacher) and April 30 at 6 p.m. (Professor Louie & the Crowmatix)

PRICE: From $17.98 free card if he’s able to get Jesus to sign an NIL deal with “Big State.”

But let’s talk more about how Allen ended up portraying Jesus. Lee originally slated Kobe Bryant for the role but in classic “mamba mentality” fashion, Bryant wanted to spend his 1997 summer training after a disappointing loss to the Utah Jazz in the playoffs. Kevin Garnett didn’t want to audition. Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady did, but Lee felt they weren’t right for the part. So Allen became the obvious choice and 25 years later, it still feels like the right one.

Allen had just finished his rookie season before filming, still years away from winning a championship with the Boston Celtics and later hitting arguably the greatest shot of all time. As an actor, he sells the fact that he’s an 18-year-old picking which college to attend mostly because he went through the process himself just a few years earlier.

It’s hard for professional athletes to act. The most successful performances of all time are probably Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in “Airplane” and Michael Jordan in “Space Jam.” But they’re playing themselves. The only aspect about Allen which resembles his actual life is his jump shot. Otherwise, he embodies the innocence, confusion and arrogance of a high school phenom to perfection.

Jesus is properly introduced through a pick-up basketball game with the orchestral score making its return. Then, the audience meets the rest of Abraham Lincoln High School’s starting five via Sunday-Night-Football-esque introductions, including former Syracuse star John Wallace.

The “assembling the team” montage is crucial to any sports film, but Lee’s documentary twist, introducing the players like they’re on a television broadcast, foreshadows a part later in the film when Jesus is featured on SportsCenter.

The mini-doc on Jesus only lasts for about

Check out the Bunker’s Backyard Bash this weekend. They will feature local bands Sacred Fruit and DM.Toni & the Hippo Christ. Direct Message them on Instagram for information about the artists and ticket information.

WHEN: April 29, doors open at 8 p.m., music starts at 8:30 p.m.

PRICE: unknown, tickets at the door