Ask virtually any young child who Lebron James is and they’ll tell you he’s the best basketball player in the world. And while that description is accurate, James’ journey to that title was even more extraordinary than his achieving it. That journey is the subject of the new documentary, “More Than a Game,” which is out in New York, Los Angeles and Cleveland Friday and everywhere else in the coming weeks.
Even if you don’t know anything about Lebron James, “More Than a Game” is a movie for everyone. It tells an inspirational tale of hard work, dedication, friendship and sacrifice. The films begins in the late 1990s as James and his best friends Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III and Willie McGee participate in a national basketball tournament as 8th graders. Those shared experiences, we won’t give anything away, light a competitive fire in the self described “Fab Four.” They all decide to attend the same high school and continue to play basketball together. From there, the film takes us year by year as these four best friends stick together through thick and thin, get better as men, as a team and eventually rise to heights no one ever expected.
If this was a fictional tale, no one could have scripted it better.
Each guy has his own family issues that are dealt with in a straight-forward, but respectful manner (Joyce III is pushed too hard by his father, the coach; Lebron never knew his father, etc.) and despite all that, and some crushing defeats, these friends put their friendship ahead of everything and prove that if you work hard, you can achieve your dreams.
“More Than a Game” not only tells this incredible story but it also provides a strong commentary on the state of athletics today. Many parents today are scared to let their kids deal with the disappointment of losing. The film shows that losing is a necessary part of life. It even questions if the whole basketball thing was right. Did all their hard work rob these boys of a childhood? These are questions that most sports films never deal with. But with its extremely positive role models, “More Than a Game” goes places most sports movies can’t. We even see how the media begins to affect children.
Basically this movie is perfect for a sports lover, a family, or something just looking for a good story. Seek it out. Sure most kids would never go see a documentary, and parents would never bring their kids to one – especially when there’s a cartoon playing next door – but trust us. The messages and emotions conveyed in “More Than a Game” will be much more rewarding in the long run.
Plus, it’s Lebron James.
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