Six years, two high schoolers, one game. That was the winning combination for the groundbreaking documentary “Hoop Dreams” — which just turned 30 years old.
The story follows two Chicago teens with dreams of making it in the NBA in the early ‘90s.
But what viewers came away with was so much more. The film paints a more complete picture, with themes of poverty, gangs, drug addiction and cultural differences.
In the film, co-stars Arthur Agee and William Gates have plans to use their tremendous skills and talent as a means to escape their struggles and help their families have a better life. However, continuous obstacles make the journey difficult.
“The movie is called ‘Hoop Dreams,’ but Arthur and I did not achieve the ultimate hoop dream from a basketball standpoint,” Gates said. “We didn’t make the league, but along the way, we achieved other levels of greatness.”
Despite not playing professionally, Agee and Gates are recruited by a scout from St. Joseph’s High School in Westchester, Illinois — a predominantly White high school with an outstanding basketball program. Unfortunately after a year attending, Agee is kicked out of the school as his parents are not able to afford the tuition fees.
Gates remained in school with a sponsorship from the president of Encyclopedia Britannica, and later went on to attend Marquette University and play collegiate basketball. But Agee did not let the setback deter him from pursuing his dreams. The film goes on to show his focus and dedication despite battling challenges created from his environment.
“They understood the importance of this being a true story and telling their full story, and that’s what they wanted it to do,” said Steve James, director and producer of the film. “I’m always amazed at the courage of the subjects.”
The film was released in 1994 — a time when Michael Jordan dominated the league and Black men soared in the industry. This reality inspired hundreds of young Black boys to dream about careers in sports. And while the game created warm feelings in people’s hearts, “Hoop Dreams” showed the reality of trying to succeed in a league that provided a one-in-a-million shot.
“They realize it’s a longshot, but they also recognize that basketball, or pursuit of something like this sport, can help in so many other ways,” James said. “It can help them in their neighborhoods to have an identity. It can lead to opportunities well short of the NBA that they might not have otherwise had.”
James and the other creators of the film portrayed thought-provoking contrasts on the screen. Gates’ older brother, Curtis Gates, also had a promising future, but unfortunately did not make it into the NBA and found himself being “just a regular guy.”
“Curtis had always said, ‘Don’t let basketball use you, use basketball,’” said William Gates.
Showcasing Curtis Gates as a regular guy and highlighting themes of making it vs. not making it illustrated how some Black boys and men saw their athletic skills as a measure of their self worth. It also showed two teenagers’ tenacity and dedication to changing their reality.
“I think what the movie reminds people of is that grassroots approach to success, and to me that transcends more than just basketball,” William Gates said. “You can’t cheat the game.”
James enjoys that viewers wrestle with the tension of the story — going back and forth between thinking that pursuing basketball is the best thing for these kids and the worst thing for these kids.
Though it’s been 30 years, the impact of “Hoop Dreams” remains. Gates wrote a book, “Hoop Dreams Fifth Quarter: Dreams Don’t Die”, detailing his life before and after the movie. And Agee and Gates continue to give back to the community. As a celebration to the film’s 30-year mark, they refurbished the West Side Garfield Park basketball court as a gift to the community — a way to encourage kids to get back on the playground.
