Sports documentaries are almost always competent and almost always interesting. This documentary does not break that tradition.
Sports documentaries often also get by "preaching to the choir", and thus benefit from being viewed by existing fans who already have an interest in the subject matter. There's no problem with that; that is what television sports documentaries are for. And again, this doc sticks to that formula, and succeeds.
What "1984 NBA Draft" does excel at is painting, with broad strokes, some of the histories of the draft's non-Hall of Famers (and John Stockton, who gets much love in the doc, and is obvious HOF material).
Despite its hour running time, the film does well hitting many stories: Stockton's storybook road from humble aspirations to unselfish success, Barkley's mixture of mass and mirth, Rick Carlisle's view from the championship bench, and,of course, Sam Bowie.
Stories like Leon Woods (player to referee) are the standouts for me. Oscar's Schmidt's segment was another. Hopefully the NBA will release some Bonus Features detailing the OBVIOUS reason Schmidt declined to leave the Brazilian national team for so long: He was raising, and training, his adopted orphan son, Tiago Splitter, in the Ways of the Orange Sphere. We will have to wait on that.
To summarize, this film is, if nothing else, an entertaining look at the subject. Most aspects of the production - pacing, editing, depth of commentary, etc - are solidly average. Maybe a bit below the typical 30 for 30 level of sports television films. However, to a sports fan, the subject matter is beyond reproach. Can't complain at all.
Sports documentaries often also get by "preaching to the choir", and thus benefit from being viewed by existing fans who already have an interest in the subject matter. There's no problem with that; that is what television sports documentaries are for. And again, this doc sticks to that formula, and succeeds.
What "1984 NBA Draft" does excel at is painting, with broad strokes, some of the histories of the draft's non-Hall of Famers (and John Stockton, who gets much love in the doc, and is obvious HOF material).
Despite its hour running time, the film does well hitting many stories: Stockton's storybook road from humble aspirations to unselfish success, Barkley's mixture of mass and mirth, Rick Carlisle's view from the championship bench, and,of course, Sam Bowie.
Stories like Leon Woods (player to referee) are the standouts for me. Oscar's Schmidt's segment was another. Hopefully the NBA will release some Bonus Features detailing the OBVIOUS reason Schmidt declined to leave the Brazilian national team for so long: He was raising, and training, his adopted orphan son, Tiago Splitter, in the Ways of the Orange Sphere. We will have to wait on that.
To summarize, this film is, if nothing else, an entertaining look at the subject. Most aspects of the production - pacing, editing, depth of commentary, etc - are solidly average. Maybe a bit below the typical 30 for 30 level of sports television films. However, to a sports fan, the subject matter is beyond reproach. Can't complain at all.