In honor of highlighting Gina Prince-Bythewood on Instagram, it’s time to throw it back to the turn of the millennium. Love & Basketball is timeless, and not just because Sanaa Lathan looks the same age now as she did back then. Love & Basketball shows how paths that seem parallel can intersect. Monica and Quincy find romance through their mutual love for basketball.
In 1981 in L.A., Monica moves in next door to Quincy. They’re 11, and both want to play in the NBA, just like Quincy’s dad. Their love-hate relationship lasts into high school, with Monica’s edge and Quincy’s top-dog attitude separating them, except when Quincy’s parents argue and he climbs through Monica’s window to sleep on the floor. As high school ends, they come together as a couple, but within a year, with both of them playing ball at USC, Quincy’s relationship with his father takes an ugly turn, and it leads to a break up with Monica. Some years later, their pro careers at a crossroads, they meet again. It’s time for a final game of one-on-one with high stakes.
Cast:
Sanaa Lathan – Monica Wright
Omar Epps – Quincy McCall
Alfre Woodard – Camille Wright
Dennis Haysbert – Zeke McCall, Quincy’s father
Debbi Morgan – Mona McCall, Quincy’s mother
Harry Lennix – Nathan Wright
Love & Basketball is available here.
