USA - LeBron James documentary maker focuses on coach, teammates
Kristopher Belman, 29, knew he had a good story on his hands when he decided to make Akron, Ohio, native LeBron James and his fellow high school basketball phenoms the Fab Five the subject of his third-year film-school project. That James went on to NBA superstardom is well known, but the movie is just as much about their coach as the players, Belman insists.
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Kristopher Belman, 29, knew he had a good story on his hands when he decided to make Akron, Ohio, native LeBron James and his fellow high school basketball phenoms the Fab Five the subject of his third-year film-school project.
That James went on to NBA superstardom is well known, but the movie is just as much about their coach as the players, Belman insists.
"Coach Dru (Joyce) is the heart of the story," said Belman, who spoke with the Toronto Star a few hours before watching James and the Cleveland Cavaliers play the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
"I always said this is a Coach Dru story."
Belman's 10-minute film for Loyola Marymount University's School of Film and Television (he got a B-plus) grew into a five-year mission to turn the small movie into a full-fledged documentary.
It took maxed out credit cards and all of Belman's wages as a café barista and some low points where it looked like he'd have to shelve the film before he found producers to help him fund and finish the project. Eventually, James came on board as a producer, too.
More Than a Game had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008, where James hosted an invitational slam-dunk competition in Yonge-Dundas Square to promote the film.
Belman says being an Akron resident gave him unique insight into the young players and how they captured the imagination of the city. But they also inspired him, especially Dru Joyce III, Coach Dru's son, who ignored the naysayers who mocked his small stature to score an amazing seven three-pointers in one championship game.
"Whenever I'd have a bad day, or I couldn't get people interested in the project, I'd go home and watch that scene over and over," says Belman with a smile.
Now living in Los Angeles, Belman is looking at scripts, trying to pick his next project. He's not sure what he wants to do, but would like to make a feature film.
"People keep bringing me sports scripts," he says.
Not that he minds. "This is a dream come true for me."