Released: 2023.
Director: Martin Guigui.
The plot of this movie tells the story of the rise to fame of the famous and talented basketball player Nathaniel Clifton (Everett Osborne), also known under the pseudonym Sweetwater. Nathaniel Clifton became the first African American to sign with the National Basketball Association in 1950. He started out as a member of the legendary Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, known for its exhibition games around the world. At that time it was not easy for black players to break into the world stage, but Clifton managed to turn the image of the sports world and destroy this barrier in basketball.
The Harlem Globetrotters sports team had several levels, and Clifton passed them all thanks to the head, owner and coach Abe Saperstein (Kevin Pollack). In 1949, this team defeated the NBA championship team Minnesota Lakers, which was a huge sensation, because no one took the Harlem Globetrotters seriously. However, the NBA did not allow black players in their matches. This team could be the best in the basketball world, but they presented themselves as clowns. To attract attention, the athletes played the role of pranksters and comedians performing complex tricks on the court.
One day, Nathaniel, a veteran of World War II who managed to hone his sleight of hand skills, is noticed by the coach of the professional New York Knickerbockers team, Joe Lapchick (Jeremy Piven). Behind this player, he saw the future of his team, the NBA and basketball itself. This future is associated with the amazing dexterity of the athlete on the court, previously unknown to white basketball players. As a result, the greatest skill of Nathaniel became the hallmark of a new vision of basketball.