Pooja Sharma
Following the pivotal changes that determine the career of an athlete, ‘He Got Game’ is a sports drama film that focuses on the life of Jesus Shuttlesworth, a basketball whiz. Helmed by Spike Lee, it showcases the trepidations of a young man wrought with the burden of choice. Jesus’ life changes when his incarcerated father, Jake, tries to convince the major basketball prospect in the country to play for the governor’s alma mater instead of heading to the NBA right out of school so that Jake’s prison sentence can reduce. While the prodigious athlete can immediately join the NBA and elevate himself and his sister out of poverty, he must now consider an alternate choice for the sake of his father.
The 1998 movie features compelling performances by Denzel Washington, Ray Allen, Rosario Dawson, and Milla Jovovich. Featuring the cultivated trauma of different generations and the trepidations of a young man, ‘He Got Game’ focuses on the difficult roles one may need to undertake in order to protect themselves and everyone around them. Apart from the strife between Jesus and Jake, it also delves into cross-generational issues. Naturally, the story depicts a realistic portrayal of life. As such, many may wonder if the movie is actually based on true events. If you’re wondering the same, here is everything we know about the gifted athlete. Let’s dive in!
He Got Game: A Work of Fiction
No, ‘He Got Game’ is not based on a true story. The movie is written and directed by Spike Lee and focuses on the tragic struggle between a father and his kin. While directorial force Spike Lee hasn’t admitted to the fact, it is alleged that Stephon Marbury is the inspiration for the character of Jesus Shuttlesworth. Depicted by Ray Allen, then a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, Jesus Shuttlesworth’s character is a highly-gifted athlete whose talent can become the reason for his dad’s swift release from prison.
In jail for accidentally killing Jesus’ mom in an altercation six years earlier, Jesus’ dad, Jake, is offered an early release from prison if he can get his son to go to college at Big State, an alumnus of the state governor. Interestingly, ‘He Got Game’ hit the theatres two years after Stephon Marbury was drafted in 1996, leading many to speculate that Jesus’ character was based on the real-life athlete. In the movie as well as in reality, Jesus Shuttlesworth and Stephon Marbury were brought up in Coney Island.
Additionally, like the fictional character, Stephon had also attended Abraham Lincoln High School. In high school, he had led his team to a remarkable victory in the Public Schools Athletic League and decided to play in Atlanta for one season before heading to the NBA. While the athlete’s success story adds to the resemblance with the character, it is the parallels drawn in terms of college and NBA that drive the correlation home. Similarly, the story’s titular character is also faced with the major decision of choosing between college and getting drafted.
As reported, Marbury hinted that the character is likely based on him. “You know, you got people like Spike Lee, who tried to take my story and tell it without us having any part in telling our story—tried to do that and failed, but was able to write a good script for people to watch a movie,” he told The New Yorker. However, in an interview with The New York Times, Spike Lee denounced the rumors, saying, “Even though Stephon, and his father, and his brothers, might think this is the Marbury story, it’s not about them.”
Spike Lee added that Coney Island has been the epicenter of the basketball craze for a long time, and several players have emerged from the space. As such, it is possible to misconstrue Jesus Shuttlesworth as Stephon Marbury. Admittedly, Spike Lee had come up with the story when his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, asked him to pen a screenplay without the aid of his co-writers and reflect his voice in the work. Following this feat, the director asked NBA players like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen to audition for the role of Jesus. Even Stephon Marbury was asked to audition for the role.
In an interview with Basketball Network, Ray Allen admitted that the role of Jesus should have gone to Stephon Marbury since he was also raised in Coney Island. So, even though the story may have life-like similarities, it is still a work of fiction. While the scintillating script and realistic portrayals by actual basketball players add a level of realism, director Spike Lee has composed an original story. Moreover, ‘He Got Game’ does not essentially focus on the successful career of an athlete.
The 1998 movie brings to light a number of issues that normally exist between a father and a son, and while doing that, uncovers a number of other themes that make it more intriguing to the audience. Ultimately, we infer that though the story of ‘He Got Game’ is not based on a real person or events, the directorial force Spike Lee has brilliantly showcased his ability to embellish the storyline and accentuate the premise to depict the struggle of a young man faced with the debilitating choices of life.
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