The latest movie from Steph Curry’s Unanimous Media releases on home video platforms this week and spotlights a slice of basketball history unknown to most hoops fans.
The documentary Jump Shot, available for rental April 16-18, tells the inspiring story of Kenny Sailors, an All-American at the University of Wyoming in the 1940s and the inventor of the modern jump shot. Prior to Sailors, two-handed set shots dominated the game.
It includes interviews with Curry, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, Clark Kellogg, Bob Knight, Nancy Lieberman, Lou Carnesecca and others.
Curry is an executive producer. It is the second film from Unanimous Media, which he co-founded. Aspiration Entertainment is the distributor.
Ten percent of the revenue will go toward COVID-19 relief efforts.
“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,” Curry said. “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.
“... 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.”
The movie follows Sailors’ life, from his days at Wyoming, to his service in World War II, to his time with his family in Alaska, where he moved to benefit his wife’s health. The film also examines his humility and faith. Sailors was a Christian.
Sailors is not in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. His supporters hope the film helps change that.
“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,” said director Jacob Hamilton. “But, like most people, I had never heard the name Kenny Sailors. … 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.”
Visit JumpShotMovie.com. The rental price is $7.99. The film is unrated but should be treated as a PG movie.
Photo courtesy: ©Aspiration
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
