Monday, May 4, 1998
Playing the game
FILM: Athlete and actor Ray Allen knows how to balance sports
offers, the media and the game he loves.
Now if only his character could learn as well.
By Teron Hide
Daily Bruin Contributor
Familiar sounds of squeaking sneakers, shouting people and the
constant bouncing of a basketball accompany Public Enemy’s re-mixed
version of Buffalo Springfield’s "For What It’s Worth," adding an
urban, hip-hop flavor.
But while this scene from Spike Lee’s new movie "He Got Game"
spotlights the potential glamour of basketball as well as the
director’s own passion for the sport, the film also reveals the
harsher aspects of the game. After all, few of the anxious youths
on the side lines will ever make it to the pros.
The biggest difficulty the central characters face, however, is
father-son conflict. It is this relationship that is at the core of
the film.
Second-year Milwaukee Bucks guard Ray Allen plays Jesus
Shuttlesworth, the No. 1 high school basketball player in America.
His game is so phenomenal that coaches and players ranging from
Dean Smith and Rick Pitino to Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal
shower him with praise and complements.
Denzel Washington is Jesus’s father, Jake, who’s spent the last
six years behind bars in Attica for the murder of his wife. The
week before his son must choose between the NBA or one of the many
colleges smothering him, Jake is temporarily released. The catch is
that the governor of New York wants Jake to get Jesus to sign with
his alma mater, Big State. And a successful deal would possibly
shorten his jail term.
"Guys who watch this movie and get some knowledge out of it will
understand it. The option that I, (my character), picked was going
to be the one that helped me out in the long run," Allen says. "And
it wasn’t because of who was there that was gonna make it exciting
for me. That’s what a lot of guys have to understand and I hope
that they understand when they have to make that decision for
themselves."
Helping to decide the fate of the young man, Jake is only one of
many who want a piece of the action. Jesus must cope with the
effect that his talent has on the people surrounding him.
Girlfriends, agents, coaches, groupies and even relatives hungrily
look at Jesus as their meal ticket and a way out of the slums on
Coney Island.
"When I came out of high school, I wasn’t as highly touted as
Jesus is. You got a guy like Kobe Bryant, just imagine people see
his potential and they decide to send him all kinds of proposals,"
Allen says. "Ya’ know, they befriend him, and do all they can to
try and get him on their good side. And in trying to do that you
tend to encounter some ‘schiestzy’ individuals."
People with a hidden agenda are not the only ones looking to
make a buck. This film presents how educational institutions,
specifically colleges, also dream of dollar signs when feverishly
trying to sign the next star attraction. Additionally, since
colleges do not offer the grandeur of the NBA, young "ballers" are
frequently tempted to choose bills over books.
"Imagine a guy who was the college player of the year and is a
basketball god. He’s done all these things for his university and
even has his jersey and shorts up for sale," Allen says. "But the
university is making lots of money off of him because everyone is
walking around wearing them. And the player is seeing none of it
while the university is making millions off this one
individual."
But while the university is making money off their top athletes,
they are also providing the one thing that could never be taken
away from them: an education. The frightening realization of the
matter is that presently the best college basketball players
usually leave before a full four-year term.
"I’ve always wanted to be a well-rounded person and it
disappoints me when people ask me if I’ve finished school, and I
tell them ‘no,’" Allen says. "To graduate would be a great
satisfaction to just tell people that I have my degree. These days
in the NBA, the majority of guys don’t get their degrees. It’s
something very important to me and without it, I don’t feel like a
complete person."
The highlight of the film is the one-on-one showdown between
Jake and Jesus. Improvising upon the original script, Washington
provided a fair match against the talented Allen. Suffice to say,
Washington was not humiliated.
"Denzel did score the first basket and I was kinda shocked, and
the people on the set were shocked, because I guess they thought it
was gonna be a cut," Allen says. "But Spike liked it and wanted to
keep rolling with it. (Denzel) was wrapped up in playing ball and
he was feeling real good. And when you feel good when you shoot the
ball, you know the basketball god is on your side."
While "He Got Game" initially appears to be a film centered
primarily on basketball, it also focuses heavily on the process of
learning, understanding and forgiving. In this movie, Jake pushes
Jesus so hard as a young child because he wants to live his own
failed dreams of becoming a professional ball-player through his
son. It is not until later, though, that he realizes the tremendous
amount of pressure he placed upon Jesus.
Without giving the movie away, Jake reminds Jesus to not
overstep his boundaries and act responsibly by selecting the paths
that will provide happiness for him and his sister.
"Guys in my position can say one wrong thing and you guys (the
media) ask a lot of different things, and we don’t always have our
guard up. So say one wrong thing and you are always criticizing,"
Allen says. "And now that young men have the opportunity to make a
lot of money, criticism will come from all walks of life. You just
have to be responsible and make decisions that will make you happy
and that will help you out in the long run. I hope guys understand
that."
FILM: "He Got Game" is currently in theaters.
Denzel Washington and Milla Jovovich star in "He Got Game."
Denzel Washington (left) speaks to director Spike Lee while
filming "He Got Game."