The Hoop Life (1999)

The off-court lives of a team of professional basketball players, as well as their friends and family, are the focus of The Hoop Life, a made-for-cable movie that serves as pilot and introduction for a series produced for the Showtime premium cable network. The New England Knights lose the final game of the seven-game championship series after Marvin Buxton (Mykelti Williamson) misses a shot that would have put them ahead, and the players have to figure out what to do in the off-season. Buxton becomes obsessed with the missed shot and eventually goes ballistic at a youth basketball camp he hosts. Greg Marr (Rick Peters), one of Marvin's team mates, finds his infidelity is catching up with him when his wife kicks him out of their house. Coach Leonard Fero (Dan Lauria) is constantly doing battle with General Manager Eliot Pierce (Dorian Harewood) and owner Emily Yeager (Linda Thorson). And Curtis Thorpe (Cirroc Lofton), a high school hoops star who has decided to turn pro rather than attend college, has his eye on a contract with the Knights. However, after the death of his parents, Curtis's Uncle Kenny (Ray Anthony Thomas) takes over "management" of Curtis and puts a stake through his career by signing a contract for him to play pro ball in Greece. The Hoop Life also features a cameo by former NBA star Bill Walton as himself. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi