‘He Got Game’ With Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, and Logan Murdock
April 4, 2023 · He Got Game (1998) · Drama · Sport · 2:09:17 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsMultiple 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▶ 54:52
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill SimmonsMultiple 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▶ 1:22:54
Van LathanAgrees 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'▶ 1:27:07
Overacting Award
Bill SimmonsMilla Jovovich — Possibly Mila Jovovich or discussing pee breaks rather than overacting▶ 1:28:34
Dion Waiters Award
Bill SimmonsPresented four options (Rick Fox, Big Time, Chasey Lane/Jill Kelly combo, Air Jordan salesman) but noted Big Time would win▶ 1:35:55
Logan MurdockJim Brown — Mentioned Jim Brown and Leonard Roberts (who played DeAndre in Drumline)▶ 1:34:55
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsJohn Turturro — John Turturro as high school coach, Robert De Niro or Al Pacino as the Tech U college coach▶ 1:38:51
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsRosario 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▶ 1:39:33
Logan MurdockConfirmed that a sequel won't happen because Denzel said it won't happen and Spike isn't a sequel guy▶ 1:39:26
Van LathanCalled the Rosario Dawson fact weird and provided knowledge about John Henry folk hero story▶ 1:39:40
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsJoe 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)▶ 1:42:01
Logan MurdockTravis Best (agrees), Jordan 11s/Air Jordans (definitive yes - best basketball shoe of all time), possibly Abraham Lincoln High School▶ 1:41:59
Van LathanTraining Day — Discusses Denzel's apex (Training Day reluctantly), questions Ray Allen's 'greatest shot' claim, but doesn't give clear picks for this movie▶ 1:40:44
Is This Movie Better With
Bill SimmonsSamuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson - could have been the high school coach, Jim Brown, or Big Time Willie▶ 1:52:31
Logan MurdockSamuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson as Jim Brown's part for more depth in the Denzel-Jackson scene, or as Uncle Bubba▶ 1:52:51
Movies Referenced (28)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Training Day (2001) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | ▶ 32:10 |
| Malcolm X (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan | ▶ 6:24 |
| Philadelphia (1993) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 27:04 |
| Lincoln (2012) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Logan Murdock, Van Lathan | ▶ 56:54 |
| Remember the Titans (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 32:17 |
| 25th Hour (2002) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Van Lathan | ▶ 18:20 |
| American History X (1998) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 37:44 |
| Deep Blue Sea (1999) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:53:15 |
| Fargo (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:17:16 |
| Man on Fire (2004) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Logan Murdock, Bill Simmons | ▶ 34:17 |
| Space Jam (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Logan Murdock, Bill Simmons | ▶ 48:52 |
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Logan Murdock | ▶ 1:35:33 |
Directors Referenced (6)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spike Lee | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 92 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It | ▶ 2:28 |
| Kevin Garnett | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Van Lathan, Logan Murdock, Bill Simmons | Uncut Gems | ▶ 4:28 |
| Heather Hunter | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan | He Got Game | ▶ 15:50 |
| Jill Kelly | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | He Got Game | ▶ 1:35:59 |
| Kevin Costner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves | ▶ 2:09:03 |
| Ryan Kilbourne | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:42:43 |
Actors Referenced (74)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denzel Washington | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 62 | Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan | ▶ 2:21 | |
| Ray Allen | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 59 | Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan | ▶ 2:58 | |
| Kobe Bryant | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 43 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | Daddy's Home | ▶ 4:28 |
| LeBron James | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 27 | Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan | ▶ 7:00 | |
| Allen Iverson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 15 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 42:51 | |
| The Game | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 15 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | Street Kings, The A-Team, Coach Carter | ▶ 1:47 |
| Travis Best | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 14 | Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan | He Got Game | ▶ 29:05 |
| Jim Brown | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan | The Running Man, Any Given Sunday | ▶ 57:08 |
| Rick Fox | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | ▶ 6:51 | |
| Earl Monroe | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | He Got Game | ▶ 25:46 |
| Reggie Miller | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | He Got Game | ▶ 43:47 |
| Bill Nunn | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Logan Murdock, Bill Simmons | Spider-Man 3, Do the Right Thing | ▶ 1:28:25 |
Writers Referenced (5)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston Shuttlesworth | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | Civil War | ▶ 2:05 |
| Malcolm X | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan | Malcolm X | ▶ 6:24 |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 52:38 | |
| Attica Locke | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | ▶ 1:47:35 | |
| James Toback | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | The Gambler | ▶ 41:12 |