‘Hoop Dreams’ director’s Allen Iverson doc a slam dunk

Steve James' new documentary "No Crossover" examines a controversial court case involving NBA great Allen Iverson back when he was a high school basketball star. Photo taken in 1993 by Kenneth Silver from the Daily Press in Newport News, Va.

16 years after his groundbreaking “Hoop Dreams,” Chicago-area filmmaker Steve James is tackling basketball and racism once again with his new documentary, “No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson.” And once again, James has a slam dunk on his hands, putting simplistic Hollywood storytelling to shame. This is an early review of “No Crossover;” the film is being previewed at sneak preview screenings in Chicago Jan. 31 and Feb. 4, but its official world premiere won’t be until March at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. ESPN will air “No Crossover” as part of its 30 for 30 series at 7 p.m. April 13.

James and controversial NBA great Allen Iverson share the same hometown in Hampton, Va. Back in 1993, as James was finishing up “Hoop Dreams” in Chicago, high school ball player Iverson was scoring a reputation in Hampton as one of the greatest basketball players the city had ever seen – and also as an arrogant thug. His basketball skills united many, but one off-court incident his junior year in high school, and the events that followed, nearly tore Hampton apart along racial lines and provoked debate nationwide.

Iverson was at a bowling alley in Hampton when a brawl broke out between his black friends and a group of white bowlers. Iverson was charged with assault after allegedly hitting a woman over the head with a chair; she consequently passed out from a concussion and required six stitches. The parties accused each other of starting the fight, claiming it was racially motivated. None of the Caucasian brawlers were charged, but Iverson and three other African-Americans were. While Iverson was 17-years-old, he was nevertheless tried as an adult, and eventually charged with 15-year felony sentences. The sentence inspired riots and renewed support by members of the African-American community and some Caucasian supporters that the charges be dropped – while others, whites and blacks, argued that Iverson needed to do the time, and in fact, may have received a light sentence by being sent to a minimum-security, farm-like facility. And then more controversy followed when Virginia’s governor – the first African-American governor in U.S. history – pardoned Iverson.

Was Iverson unfairly persecuted because he was a black celebrity? For that matter, did his supporters rush to his side strictly for that reason? The debate rages on in Hampton, and it’s clear that while community activists, reporters and attorneys have their opinions, there is no consensus – and truthfully, no real healing from these events. The pain may have been buried, but it’s obvious through James’ fresh interviews that it still lingers.

James, in telling the story from his perspective (including insightful, honest passages exploring his own feelings on race relations growing up in Hampton), eventually takes a stand on the case. But true to his filmmaking style, the film doesn’t attempt to simplify the complicated emotions that the Iverson case spurred, nor the complicated, somewhat ambiguous figure Iverson himself has become, and for that, the movie is all the more compelling and honest. Iverson isn’t portrayed as sympathetic, nor is he made to be a villain; he’s utterly human through James’ lens, an incredible feat considering that James never has access to interview Iverson himself. We hear about Iverson the thug, see him weep about his past mistakes at a press conference  – and also learn about his troubled childhood where several friends were murdered in his neighborhood and Iverson used to allegedly buy drugs for his single mother. Even when he turns the lens on himself, James is candid – he questions the Confederate flags still hanging from many doors in Hampton, but also confesses that he never corrected anyone for saying the “N” word. And he gives equal weight to Iverson’s supporters and his critics, allowing his audience for the most part to form their own opinions.

At one point in the film, Hampton’s former chief of police asks James quite bluntly why he’s bothering to make this movie. What’s done is done, so what can his film do besides dig up bitter memories? I’d argue that it’s an important reminder that racism still exists as long as we let it, and that we shouldn’t ignore external and internal prejudices, no matter how difficult they may be to confront.  “No Crossover” is a complex, thought-provoking film with no easy answers, but plenty of challenging questions. Kudos to James for asking them.

Grade: A

Special sneak previews of “No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson” will be shown at 5 p.m. Jan 31 and 8:15 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St. James will be present for what’s bound to be a really interesting discussion. Tickets cost $9; they’re available here.

And check out my November interview with James, where he talks about “Hoop Dreams”‘ 15th anniversary and “No Crossover,” here.