White Mamba

[Superbone]

My son moved to NYC less than 2 months ago. He has already put together this short film that features NYC basketball. Check it out and click the "Appreciated" button if you like it. He submitted it to a film festival and the more Appreciations, the better. Thanks!

https://project1324.com/projects/O630X

[carey]

Cool. I thought it was going to be about Brian Scalabrine at first.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I enjoyed that. How'd he find that kid?

I was also having trouble with the sound. Was it just me?

[Indy]

The sound was a little quiet on my end, but I turned up my speakers a bit.

That was great. Really enjoyed (and "appreciated") it.

[Superbone]

I enjoyed that. How'd he find that kid?

Straight from the horse's mouth:

One of my first days living in New York I got F’d by the F train (that’s why they call it the F train) and missed a show I was trying to see, so I decided to go into the city and eat some pizza instead. I got off at the West 4th Street Station because that’s where Louis C.K. gets his pizza and I figured maybe there’d be transubstantiation of the crust and I’d become funnier (it didn’t happen).

But there was a pick-up basketball game going on as the sun was setting and so I settled in to watch. The players were mostly older guys who were ripped, black, and incredibly skilled. And then there was this one white kid, maybe ten-years-old, in a Kobe jersey swishing threes and talking shit like you can’t believe. “What’s that kid’s name?” I asked someone standing next to me. Without hesitation the kid shouted back, “they call me White Mamba!” and then dribbled gleefully down the court.

A first-generation immigrant from Italy, Brayan “White Mamba” Leka is a 7th grader who has earned a spot on the West 4th Street courts. Not anyone can play. But his charisma, determination, and genuine love for the game and the West 4th Street Family has ensured him not only playtime, but also respect from the other players. When I asked him if I could make a documentary about him he said, "Yeah, but only if you help me with my math homework first."

Thank you to Isaiah Davis, my homie for life, who scored a majority of the film. He’s an incredible musician and beatmaker. You can check out his beats here: https://soundcloud.com/prodbyice

And thank you to Adam Zalabany, an artist from London who I am indebted to for the title art and credit design, and who I am thankful to call a friend. I had the pleasure of viewing his recent exhibition in LA which you can view here: http://www.adamzalabany.com

Making this documentary was an absolute joy. If you like it, please click the “Appreciate” button and share it! I submitted it to a Sundance competition where the more appreciation it gets, the better chance I have of it getting noticed by judges. 15 Finalists will be selected out of over 800 films, so please share!

[Superbone]

The sound was a little quiet on my end, but I turned up my speakers a bit.

That was great. Really enjoyed (and "appreciated") it.

Cool, thanks Indy!

[Nodack]

Nice documentary. Cute kid. Thanks Superbone.