“You had four offensive rebounds.” If someone knows the one true thing about you, that might be enough for a life together. Love & Basketball, written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, may feature a lopsided romance between fiery college basketball phenom Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan) and insecure, aspiring NBA player Quincy McCall (Omar Epps), yet you understand her willingness to forgive his occasional immaturity for one fundamental reason: he sees her as no one else does. You also understand because of the chemistry between the stars, who pick up the narrative after an opening section introducing Monica and Q as childhood neighbors playing pickup in the driveway. It might be corny, but the basketball nerd in me can’t resist their rivalrously romantic games of one on one, which is a sweet motif throughout the film. And as a time capsule, Love & Basketball nicely recreates the early moments of the WNBA, which was launched just four years before the movie’s release.
(5/2/2025)
