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‘He Got Game’ With Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, and Logan Murdock

April 4, 2023 · He Got Game (1998) · Drama · Sport · 2:09:17

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 54:52Multiple scenes: the first playground basketball scene with character introductions, the Air Jordan shoe buying scene, Jake meeting Jesus in the park, and the SportsCenter segment featuring Jesus
Van Lathan▶ 1:00:00Big Time's scene with all the warnings about drugs, alcohol, and women

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:54Multiple weak elements: the sex worker/Bill Jojovich, the soundtrack (missed opportunity), Spike's tendency to cast terrible actors (sleazy agent, Jesus' coach, Jim Brown's partner), Uncle Bubba being creepy
Van Lathan▶ 1:27:07Agrees on bad acting choices and discusses Spike's endings being problematic, saying 'sometimes Spike don't know how to end the movie' and calling the ending 'absurd'

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:34Milla Jovovich — Possibly Mila Jovovich or discussing pee breaks rather than overacting
Logan Murdock▶ 1:28:18Bill Nunn — Uncle Bubba (Bill Nunn)

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:48No, there is no better title

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:53Every great man, their downfall is because of a woman
Logan Murdock▶ 1:29:09We're the rail splitters, and nobody's fucking with us

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:35:55Presented four options (Rick Fox, Big Time, Chasey Lane/Jill Kelly combo, Air Jordan salesman) but noted Big Time would win
Logan Murdock▶ 1:34:55Jim Brown — Mentioned Jim Brown and Leonard Roberts (who played DeAndre in Drumline)
Van Lathan▶ 1:36:18Chasey Lain — Chasey Lane and Jill Kelly together

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:51John Turturro — John Turturro as high school coach, Robert De Niro or Al Pacino as the Tech U college coach

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:33Rosario Dawson was 18 and still a virgin when she made this movie and didn't have sex until she was 20; opening credits song John Henry connects to themes of guy against the machine
Logan Murdock▶ 1:39:26Confirmed that a sequel won't happen because Denzel said it won't happen and Spike isn't a sequel guy
Van Lathan▶ 1:39:40Called the Rosario Dawson fact weird and provided knowledge about John Henry folk hero story

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:01Joe Kelly — Travis Best, Walter McCarty, John Wallace, Chasey Lane, Joe Kelly (definitive yes), SportsCenter (definitive yes for 97-98 era), Air Jordans (possibly, but defers to Logan)
Logan Murdock▶ 1:41:59Travis Best (agrees), Jordan 11s/Air Jordans (definitive yes - best basketball shoe of all time), possibly Abraham Lincoln High School
Van Lathan▶ 1:40:44Training Day — Discusses Denzel's apex (Training Day reluctantly), questions Ray Allen's 'greatest shot' claim, but doesn't give clear picks for this movie

Racehorse Name Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:44:10Big Time
Van Lathan▶ 1:43:48Suggested Jesus Shuttleworth, Lala Bonita, and Big Time as good racehorse names

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:52:31Samuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson - could have been the high school coach, Jim Brown, or Big Time Willie
Logan Murdock▶ 1:52:51Samuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson as Jim Brown's part for more depth in the Denzel-Jackson scene, or as Uncle Bubba

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:53:38Denzel Washington — Denzel for acting
Logan Murdock▶ 1:53:43Public Enemy — Best Original Song for Public Enemy

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:59:55Trust no one when you're a great basketball player
Van Lathan▶ 2:00:02How do you spell pussy? P-U-S-H-I-V scene

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 2:00:19Ray Allen
Logan Murdock▶ 2:00:21Ray Allen
Van Lathan▶ 2:01:29Ray Allen

Movies Referenced (30)

Hoop Dreams (1994)

11 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 4:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blue Chips (1994)

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 7:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Training Day (2001)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Logan Murdock▶ 32:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Malcolm X (1992)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan▶ 6:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Philadelphia (1993)

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 27:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Remember the Titans (2000)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 32:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

25th Hour (2002)

2 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 18:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

American History X (1998)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 37:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:53:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Man on Fire (2004)

2 mentions · Logan Murdock, Bill Simmons▶ 34:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Space Jam (1996)

2 mentions · Logan Murdock, Bill Simmons▶ 48:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Spike Lee

92 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Logan Murdock · Known for Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It▶ 2:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Garnett

6 mentions · Van Lathan, Logan Murdock, Bill Simmons · Known for Uncut Gems▶ 4:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heather Hunter

4 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for He Got Game▶ 15:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jill Kelly

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for He Got Game▶ 1:35:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Costner

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 2:09:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ryan Kilbourne

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (74)

Denzel Washington

62 mentions · Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan▶ 2:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ray Allen

59 mentions · Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan▶ 2:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kobe Bryant

43 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Logan Murdock · Known for Daddy's Home▶ 4:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

LeBron James

27 mentions · Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan▶ 7:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Allen Iverson

15 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 42:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Game

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Logan Murdock · Known for Street Kings, The A-Team, Coach Carter▶ 1:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Travis Best

14 mentions · Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan · Known for He Got Game▶ 29:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jim Brown

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan · Known for The Running Man, Any Given Sunday▶ 57:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rick Fox

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Logan Murdock▶ 6:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Earl Monroe

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Logan Murdock · Known for He Got Game▶ 25:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Reggie Miller

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for He Got Game, Gang Related▶ 43:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Nunn

4 mentions · Logan Murdock, Bill Simmons · Known for Do the Right Thing, Regarding Henry▶ 1:28:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Preston Shuttlesworth

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Logan Murdock · Known for Civil War▶ 2:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Malcolm X

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan · Known for Malcolm X▶ 6:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 52:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Attica Locke

1 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 1:47:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Toback

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for The Gambler▶ 41:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗