More than one year after it premiered, Jump Shot, the story of basketball great Kenny Sailors is heading to the big screen. For one night only, Jump Shot will be available in theaters on April 2.
Directed by Jacob Hamilton and produced by NBA superstar Steph Curry’s Unanimous Media, the film will be available in more than 250 theaters around the country. Tickets for the April 2 showing can be purchased at jumpshotmovie.com.
As the developer of the modern-day jump shot, Sailors played a huge role in developing basketball into the game we recognize it to be today. It’s fitting to have NBA champion and MVP Steph Curry involved in the film. While Sailors developed the jump shot, Curry has nearly perfected it.
“Ever since I picked up a basketball, the jump shot was second nature to me,” Curry said in the press release. “Learning the history of where the art of the jump shot came from, who introduced it to the game, and how it changed the game, was incredibly intriguing. Even more importantly, learning about the person that Kenny was, and what he stood for, was very inspirational. He was a selfless, special person that had the right perspective about life. The film not only explores his impact on the game, but his calling and all the different places that took him, whether it was serving in the military, or playing in the NBA, or being with his family. There’s so many people like myself that don’t know Kenny Sailors, and I’m proud to help share his story with the world.”
In addition to having his company produce the film, Curry is also featured in it, along with a cast of other basketball icons including Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, Clark Kellogg, Bob Knight, Nancy Lieberman, Lou Carnesecca, Kiki Vandeweghe, and more.
A member of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, Sailors led his hometown University of Wyoming to the NCAA Championship in 1943. After serving in World War II, Sailors went on to play five years of professional basketball including two seasons in the newly launched NBA.
“Kenny played an instrumental role in developing, pioneering, and popularizing what we now know as the modern-day jump shot, which has become the primary offensive weapon in basketball,” says director Jacob Hamilton. “But, like most people, I had never heard the name Kenny Sailors. He is a man who defined the game basketball with its greatest innovation, but when you sit down and have a real conversation with him, you’ll quickly come to the conclusion that the game never defined who he was. He was a family man, community leader, military veteran, and an advocate for female athletes. Those were what he was most proud of. My hope is that this film celebrates the life of an extraordinary man that people of all ages, backgrounds, upbringings can admire and also inspires audiences to explore what the most important things in their lives are.”
Beyond the film, the one-night only event on April 2 will also feature exclusive programming from Curry, Hamilton and other special guests.
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here
