Nat Clifton (born Clifton Nathaniel) is better known by history as “Sweetwater.” As one of the first black men to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Clifton played well in high school and college, before a three-year tour in Europe as a soldier in the U.S. Army. Returning to the U.S., rampant racism kept him from playing basketball with white players, and before long, he was a star for the Harlem Globetrotters. Sweetwater explains the hurdles he overcame on his way to becoming a New York Knickerbocker, as the second black player to play in the NBA.
While Everett Osborne, a former professional player in Australia, makes his on-screen debut as Clifton, several notable actors fill out the cast of director Martin Guigui’s film. Jeremy Piven plays Joe Lapchick, the central white character who moves to get Clifton into the NBA as Knicks Coach Joe Lapchick. Cary Elwes is Knicks president and NBA promoter Ned Irish, who puts his money behind Lapchick’s plans, and proves to be a lightning rod for the frustration of other NBA team executives who want to keep the league white. Richard Dreyfuss appears as the NBA commissioner Maurice Podoloff, who believes the league should be integrated but struggles with the pushback from others.
The third person view of the story gets the audience inside the room with executives from around the NBA. The discussions about race and sports show the discord of the times, but reflect some of the same conversations about race and equality that still end up happening around the United States today. The discussions might not use the same language, and the court of public opinion might change from a basketball court to something else, but the struggle is still real and relevant. In fact, the way Guigui depicts the story, we’re shown what happened through the narration of an older Clifton to a sports writer (Jim Caviezel) as Clifton drives the man in his cab. How could a man who made the NBA millions of dollars end up needing to drive a cab as an elderly man? The struggle is still real.
Some of the elements of the film reflect a calm comedy, like when Clifton interacts with Globetrotter teammates like Pop (Robert Ri’chard), but the film is largely a serious one. Clifton argues for equal pay with his Globetrotters coach (Kevin Pollack), has a standoff with a gas station attendant (Eric Roberts), gets beaten in an alley, and deals with different forms of segregation. This is a history lesson but it’s not ancient history.
Fans of sports films and period pieces will appreciate the narrative, and see some “teachable moments” for young people. It’s a solid reminder that we should acknowledge the gifts of others, and recognize that when we are in a place of power or authority, that we should use our voices to help others who are less fortunate or who have had their voices squelched.
