‘Above the Rim’ With Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, and Wosny Lambre
July 19, 2022 · Above the Rim (1994) · Crime · Drama · Sport · 1:49:24 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill Simmons▶ 32:45Birdie recruiting Kyle at the club, the one-on-one basketball game scene with Bernie Mac, and Birdie dissing Bug leading into Kyle versus Shep
Van Lathan▶ 36:28Discussed the emotional impact of Bernie Mac's 'they can't erase what we were' line and various basketball scenes but didn't clearly state specific picks
Wosny Lambre▶ 38:39The one-on-one basketball game scene and the opening credits scene where nutso jumps off the roof
What's Aged the Best
Bill Simmons▶ 51:49Multiple picks: Marlon Wayans' performance, MJ aerial assault poster, movie's premise (both best and worst), trailer using 'Holla If You Hear Me', rooting for both teams in final game, the poster, and token white guy on Kyle's team
Van Lathan▶ 56:44Tonya Pinkins' performance as the mother - called it 'insanely good' and 'perfect in almost every scene'
Wosny Lambre▶ 56:16The depiction of New York streetball culture - the yellow tape, crowded courts, and crowd involvement in the game
Den of Thieves Benihana Award
Bill Simmons▶ 59:10Discusses the basketball court location (Rucker Park-style court) but doesn't give a definitive pick
Best Quote
Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:49Folks need to move past the stuff that happens to them, or they stop moving at all
Wosny Lambre▶ 1:09:58Multiple quotes including 'They can't erase what we were, man', 'Everything costs in here', 'Your dick is like an anteater', and 'He's playing ball without a ball'
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:00The scene of Kyle scoring the winning basket with John Thompson celebrating marks the official beginning of the end of the Big East
Wosny Lambre▶ 1:13:23Montrose's version of the movie would be a better movie - following the white basketball player from racist Bensonhurst dealing with cultural conflicts
Casting What-Ifs
Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:11Denzel Washington — Mentions Alan Payne (G-Money) was original choice for Kyle Lee Watson, but finds it hard to believe Denzel Washington was offered Shep role, thinks Leon might be exaggerating
Van Lathan▶ 1:17:07Denzel Washington — Defends the possibility that Denzel could have been offered the Shep role, citing his later work in He Got Game and other films like Ricochet
Overacting Award
Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:49Duane Martin — Discusses both Wood Harris ('I'm a motherfucking soldier!') and Dwayne Martin but leans toward Dwayne Martin
Van Lathan▶ 1:18:28Duane Martin — Dwayne Martin - specifically calls out his scenes with his mom as 'unforgivable' overacting
Wosny Lambre▶ 1:18:23Duane Martin — Agrees that Dwayne Martin has multiple overacted scenes, mentions 'the stuff with his mom'
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:18Shared various trivia facts including Tanya Pinkett being 3 years older than Dwayne Martin, Dwayne Martin's NYU basketball career, Leon's Loyola Marymount scholarship story, Tupac and Wayans sharing a trailer, and Speedy Williams as street baller consultant
Van Lathan▶ 1:27:09Confirmed Speedy Williams was basketball technical director/consultant and discussed how the movie kicked off hyper focus on New York basketball culture including Soul in the Hole documentary and The Last Shot book
Wosny Lambre▶ 1:26:09Noted continuity issues with weather/clothing in basketball scenes and discussed the cultural relevance of 1990s New York basketball, particularly the Knicks team as sex symbols
Hall of Fame Plaque
Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:20Initially suggests Birdie with the bandana, but then acknowledges other options like Poe, Justice, or Juice
Wosny Lambre▶ 1:31:35Birdie, noting that many think Tupac's public persona has its origins in this movie
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:02Multiple questions: How does Nutso get his name, worst fake dunk in movies (Marlon Wayans vs Ed Norton), which coach scarier to interview (Birdie vs Popovich), did the mom stay/get married, does Marlon Wayans survive the club
Van Lathan▶ 1:40:55Ed Norton couldn't really dunk despite being swole, Woody Harrelson looked like he could actually play basketball, Marlon Wayans definitely got killed in the club
Wosny Lambre▶ 1:39:13Nutso probably had a short temper and was always volatile, Bad Boy Records built their label on sampling 80s songs for 90s hits
Best Double Feature
Bill Simmons▶ 1:44:10Blue Chips — Above the Rim and Blue Chips - both came out within a month of each other in 1994
Van Lathan▶ 1:43:12Hoop Dreams — Hoop Dreams first, then Above the Rim second - real Chicago basketball story followed by park basketball entertainment
Wosny Lambre▶ 1:43:47The Sixth Man — Above the Rim and The Sixth Man - double Marlon Wayans movies with equally unrealistic elements
Coach Finstock Life Lesson
Bill Simmons▶ 1:48:24Agrees with the mom lesson, plus adds that playing basketball outdoors by yourself with no basketball means you need mental help
Who Won the Movie
Bill Simmons▶ 1:48:49Tupac Shakur — Initially said Tupac won, but then agreed the soundtrack wins if it's eligible
Van Lathan▶ 1:48:51Tupac Shakur — Said if soundtrack is eligible then it won, but for humans it's Tupac who gave a grade A performance
Movies Referenced (22)
Directors Referenced (5)
Anthony D. Syracuse
2 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, KPop Demon Hunters▶ 1:15:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Rebecca Forth
2 mentions · Wosny Lambre · Known for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story▶ 9:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Actors Referenced (61)
Tupac Shakur
33 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wosny Lambre, Van Lathan · Known for Juice, Poetic Justice, Gang Related▶ 2:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Bernie Mac
15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Wosny Lambre · Known for Ocean's Eleven▶ 2:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Marlon Wayans
11 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Wosny Lambre · Known for White Chicks, Little Man▶ 2:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Wood Harris
10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wosny Lambre, Van Lathan · Known for Remember the Titans, Dredd, Ant-Man▶ 22:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Tonya Pinkins
9 mentions · Wosny Lambre, Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Enchanted▶ 2:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Denzel Washington
5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Fences, The Book of Eli▶ 1:16:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗
John Starks
5 mentions · Wosny Lambre · Known for Forget Paris▶ 1:28:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Above & Beyond
4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for How to Be Single▶ 2:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗
David Ruffin
4 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for I Want You Back▶ 1:20:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Writers Referenced (4)
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
Michael Grantland
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Taking of Pelham 123, The Other Guys▶ 2:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗