Basketball or Nothing

I'm into basketball films and documentaries like Hoop Dreams, Doin' it in the Park, He got game or even White men can't jump. But what I liked most about this mini series is that it has an enormous heart. You really start rooting for these guys.

So much to like about this documentary. Having watched a slew of these, I can say that it is just so refreshing to see a coach get results without abusive language and behavior toward his players. The staff at the school seemed so good. Concerned, supportive, trying to balance academics with sports. It was impossible for me to ignore the overall atmosphere of depression in most of the players and most of their parents. And I get why they would be depressed. But the one thing that I just cannot figure out for the life of me is why you would spend 25 million dollars on a high school basketball arena when there are people in the community that don't have running water. That right there depressed me.

Reality shows aren't my thing, and I'm not into basketball. But I checked out this series because I have fond memories of visiting the Navajo Nation 30 years ago. Turns out you don't have to like basketball to enjoy this show - I think everybody would enjoy it. The quiet, mild-mannered coach, with his impeccable manners, is actually an unstoppable force and by the last episode you wish you could drive to Arizona just to meet this guy in person. And it's fun watching the Navajo kids, because typical of their culture, they're also very polite, even while playing an astonishing game of basketball. I mean, you just love these kids...you'll start to feel like they're your own family. You get taken into another world, and it's a world you may not want to leave. I'll watch this again; it was outstanding!!

The stunningly beautiful landscape of the Navajo Nation stands in sharp contrast with the poverty and lack of opportunities that face kids on the high school basketball team in Chinle, Arizona. The coach is a wise older man who teaches the kids teamwork, patience and how to face challenges (a welcome relief from the insanely nasty coaches on other documentary films on sports). I ended up really rooting for the kids in the games and in their future lives.

Definitely worth watching. A genuine look at life on the reservation. I do wish there was more footage behind the scenes of basketball. Go Wildcats