Home/Episodes/Love & Basketball
‘Love and Basketball’ With Bill Simmons and Jemele Hill
April 16, 2020 · Love & Basketball (2000) · Drama · Romance · Sport · 1:42:21 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
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Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsSanaa Lathan — Director auditioned 700 people for Monica including Serena Williams (unavailable), Marion Jones (on tape), with final choice between Sonia Latham (couldn't play basketball) and Nyesha Butler (couldn't act). Director chose Latham after deciding it was 'a love story' where 'you can fake a jump shot, but you can't fake a close up'▶ 18:03
Jemele HillMarion Jones — Agreed that Marion Jones casting 'would not have aged well' due to her later doping scandal. Praised Sonia Latham's basketball improvement over two months of training, noting she looked more believable than Omar Epps despite never having played before▶ 20:30
Most Rewatchable Scene
Jemele HillThe argument scene when he tells her he's going pro (explores career vs. relationship tension) and the scene where she's punished for showboating after shooting the three▶ 50:45
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsUSC coach's late 1980s women's basketball haircut, Monica's quote 'When you're a kid, you see the life you want. It never turns out that way', and the roommates enjoying drama scene with love triangle▶ 1:00:03
Jemele HillHigh school cheerleaders scene, the balance of themes fitting present with nostalgia for past, party breakup scene, subtle conversations about gender/women's choices, and ex-athlete transition struggles (Dennis Haysbert's character)▶ 58:07
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsMultiple picks: Zeke's terrible adultery excuse ('tell mom I have a meeting'), the poorly shot scar scene where Monica gets shoved, Quincy's reaction to Monica during their intimate scene, and basketball cutting issues with Sana Lathan▶ 1:03:24
Jemele HillQuincy as a boyfriend - his selfish, entitled, arrogant behavior throughout the movie and how Monica constantly capitulates to his ego▶ 1:05:19
Dion Waiters Award
Jemele HillThe entire team (collective performance showing team bond with minimal dialogue)▶ 1:14:44
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsDennis Haysbert's hesitation after previous cheater role, Omar Epps playing second Quincy 'Q' character and dating Tyra Banks again, Gina Prince-Bythewood's fight for Maxwell's 'This Woman's Work' despite high cost, Sanaa Lathan never playing basketball again after filming▶ 1:19:47
Jemele HillReflects on it being sad that Sanaa Lathan never played basketball again after working so hard and seemingly getting good at it during filming▶ 1:21:41
Best Quote
Bill SimmonsMultiple quotes including 'She's a hoe because she sent you her coochie through the mail' and 'Are they cursing their mamas in Spain?'▶ 1:31:39
Jemele HillMultiple quotes: 'honest tramp asshole', 'anything to keep your fine ass a Gucci and gold', and the Dick Vitale reference▶ 1:32:20
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsWhat happened to Tanya Randall after getting pregnant and losing her scholarship to Monica - thinks she stopped playing basketball and 'started pumping out kids'▶ 1:35:53
Bill SimmonsZeke's NBA career: played for USC late 70s, drafted by Bucks, played with Kareem, traded to Clippers, was a physical 2-guard/small forward averaging about 14 and 6, then became a 7th man veteran presence▶ 1:36:23
Bill SimmonsQ was an undersized combo guard who NBA teams drafted too high, couldn't guard elite players, averaged about 3.7 points per game with one brief good stint with Lakers▶ 1:38:31
Jemele HillTanya Randall's basketball career was over, she couldn't believe Monica took her spot and 'silently cries' and 'weeps' when seeing Monica's success▶ 1:36:01
Jemele HillAfter the wedding cancellation, Tyra Banks hooked up with one of his teammates as revenge - someone more famous with a better career▶ 1:39:09
Who Won the Movie
Bill SimmonsSanaa Lathan — Sonia Latham - agreed with SPEAKER_00, noting she's a timeless role model and the type of character that wasn't in movies before, making you buy stock in the actress▶ 1:40:49
Jemele HillSanaa Lathan — Sunil Latham - praised her performance and how she represented the complicated dynamics of being a woman, female athlete, and black female athlete during that time, inspiring multiple generations of women▶ 1:39:51
Movies Referenced (16)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A League of Their Own (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 6:32 |
| Jerry Maguire (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Jemele Hill | ▶ 8:05 |
| Billy Elliot (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:23:34 |
| Gladiator (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:23:33 |
| You Can Count on Me (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:22:33 |
| Almost Famous (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:23:29 |
| Bright (2017) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Jemele Hill | ▶ 57:36 |
| Chocolat (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:22:47 |
| Erin Brockovich (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:22:23 |
| He Got Game (1998) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 48:54 |
| Primal Fear (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 17:29 |
| Say Anything (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Jemele Hill | ▶ 1:14:36 |
Directors Referenced (2)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spike Lee | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It | ▶ 17:45 |
| Gina Prince-Bythewood | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Jemele Hill | Love & Basketball, The Old Guard | ▶ 19:38 |
Actors Referenced (51)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monica Calhoun | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 26 | Bill Simmons, Jemele Hill | ▶ 7:20 | |
| Omar Epps | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 15 | Bill Simmons, Jemele Hill | Love & Basketball | ▶ 12:01 |
| Sanaa Lathan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Bill Simmons, Jemele Hill | Love & Basketball | ▶ 1:01 |
| Gabrielle Union | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 12 | Jemele Hill, Bill Simmons | Bring It On | ▶ 12:46 |
| Dennis Haysbert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Jemele Hill | Far from Heaven | ▶ 11:56 |
| Wood Harris | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Jemele Hill, Bill Simmons | Remember the Titans, Ant-Man | ▶ 10:15 |
| Alfre Woodard | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Jemele Hill, Bill Simmons | 12 Years a Slave, Love & Basketball | ▶ 7:04 |
| Angela Bassett | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Jemele Hill, Bill Simmons | Black Panther | ▶ 1:16:28 |
| Bill Walton | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Jemele Hill, Bill Simmons | Little Nicky, He Got Game | ▶ 14:07 |
| Dick Vitale | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Jemele Hill, Bill Simmons | Love & Basketball, He Got Game, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! | ▶ 1:33:23 |
| Magic Johnson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Jemele Hill, Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:31:13 | |
| Regina King | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Jemele Hill | The Harder They Fall | ▶ 1:17:53 |
Writers Referenced (2)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Ebb | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Jemele Hill | ▶ 34:05 | |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 37:14 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Barcelona | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | Elysium, Venom, Jurassic World | ▶ 43:26 |