Film Lens
The First Basket is a documentary that examines the impact of professional basketball on Jewish culture, narrated by Peter Riegert. The film features interviews and narratives from notable Jewish basketball figures such as Ossie Schectman, Red Auerbach, and Edward Gottlieb. It is structured into four parts, with the first part focusing on the 1946–47 New York Knickerbockers and players like Schectman and Sonny Hertzberg.
The second part discusses the significance of basketball in American identity, while the third part covers the development of professional basketball, including the formation of the BAA and NBA. It shows teams like the South Philadelphia Hebrew All Stars and players such as Nat Holman and Red Holzman. The final part addresses the early years of the BAA and NBA, the 1951 CCNY point shaving scandal, and the role of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the basketball landscape.
Why Watch
- •Meet Ossie Schectman, the first Jewish player in the NBA.
- •Find out about the 1951 CCNY point shaving scandal.
- •See how basketball shaped Jewish American identity.
Did You Know
•The film premiered at the FilmFest DC International Film Festival in 2008.
•67% of nine professional critics gave The First Basket a positive review on Rotten Tomatoes as of October 2010.
•The documentary features interviews with at least five notable Jewish basketball players from the 1940s.
•Roberto Juan Rodriguez composed the film's soundtrack, blending Cuban and Jewish music.
Perfect For
Basketball history enthusiastsJewish cultural studiesSports documentary fans