LeBron prepares to hit the big screen

bbwchingy0007 · Sep 4, 2008

Akron Beacon Journal said:

In the spring of 2003, the ongoing spectacle of LeBron James and the St. Vincent-St. Mary boys basketball team had become not only one of the biggest sports stories in the nation, but also quite a soap opera.

That soap opera is about to play out on the silver screen.

Everyone wanted a piece of James — for his amazing play on the court as a senior and for the swirling controversies and story lines that came with the uncharted territory.

Fans crammed every public appearance across the country. National media outlets camped out at the high school. Representatives from shoe companies moved into Akron-area hotels. Competing agents came offering loads of cash. Potential business partners angled for attention by sending gifts to James and family members.

James himself was in and out of court with high-powered attorneys to fight the Ohio High School Athletic Association over a suspension.

For those reasons, by the end of what turned out to be a historic season, James and his Irish teammates became recluses to a certain degree, limiting access the outside world had to them.

All except for a then 21-year-old student, whose work is about to open a new window into James' life and the behind-the-scenes story of that team.

Kristopher Belman, an Akron native and Walsh Jesuit High School graduate, was working on a documentary project while studying film and television production at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles at the time. His idea was to chronicle the season and the significance for the team's five seniors, all of them close friends with intriguing stories beyond that of James.

To even Belman's surprise, coach Dru Joyce II agreed to allow him to travel and be in the locker room, sideline huddles and hotels with the team, even as he said no to so many others seeking similar access. As the Irish stormed to a state championship and a No. 1 national ranking, Belman was there to record it for posterity.

''I felt comfortable with him; he was from Akron and he seemed to genuinely care about the whole story,'' Joyce said. ''There were a lot of special emotions around that team.''

More than six years later, after lots of editing, reshooting and dozens of meetings and sleepless nights as Belman wrangled with how to best use the footage, it has become a finished product.

Belman will debut the film, More Than A Game, on Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival. James and the movie's other stars — seniors from the 2002 team, Willie McGee, Dru Joyce III, Sian Cotton and Romeo Travis — will be there for the premiere and a slam-dunk charity event.
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bbwchingy0007 · Sep 4, 2008

The film could be intereting; it will provide an insight never seen before, though I doubt it will give away any amazing untold stories. Nevertheless, probably worth a watch if you can get your hands on it.

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LeBron prepares to hit the big screen

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