Trailer
Plot summary
In 1981, when both are eleven, Monica Wright and Quincy McCall become next-door neighbors in Los Angeles, both of them set on playing professional basketball as Quincy's father did. Monica wins their first game of one-on-one, and the sport makes them friends. During a later game Quincy knocks Monica down and cuts her face; they patch things up and share a first kiss. Their rivalry and their fondness for each other last into high school, where Monica's edge and Quincy's top-dog manner keep them apart. When Quincy's parents argue, he comes in through Monica's bedroom window and sleeps on her floor.
Cast
- Jess Willardas Jamal
- Naykia Harrisas Young Lena
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Love & Basketball (2000)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- In 2023 the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".
- In writing the semi-autobiographical film, Prince-Bythewood said her goal was "to do a black When Harry Met Sally", and she has credited executive producer Spike Lee with enabling the production and the opportunity to direct her own script.
- Stars Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps had started dating before the film went into production, something director Prince-Bythewood did not know at the time.
- Gabrielle Union originally auditioned for the lead role of Monica but wound up playing Quincy's high school love interest, while Sanaa Lathan, who did get Monica, had never played basketball before.
- This was the second film to feature both Omar Epps and Dennis Haysbert; before it they played teammates on a fictitious version of the Cleveland Indians in the 1994 baseball movie Major League II.
