So I knew this script might be attractive for Denzel. His coach was the legendary PJ Carlesimo. SPIKE: Denzel played junior varsity at Fordham University. SLAM: How was the casting process? Did you already have people in mind for each role? I gotta know what I’m writing about before I start. Usually, when I’m thinking about a film and the subject matter, the title comes to me very quick. I mean, that’s something that you just heard. SLAM: Where did the title of the film come from?

He called me back right away and said, Did you write this?! I said, Of course, I wrote it! And we got it made. So, I started to write and I sent it to Denzel, not expecting that he was gonna like it. I still love that film today and people still love it. I executive produced “Love & Basketball,” but that was not mine, ya know? It wasn’t my thing. Spike Lee: Well, for years, people had asked me when I was gonna do a basketball film. SLAM: Can you walk us through the ideation of the movie? How did it come about and what sparked the idea? He walked us through everything from the casting process, the Jordan XIIIs, working with Ray Allen and Denzel Washington, the movie’s legacy and much more. Spike Lee, sporting a Nike sweatsuit and Knicks-colored pair of Jordans, invited SLAM into his beautiful studio, plastered with exclusive Knicks and NBA memorabilia that he’s accumulated over the years, to reflect on the movie. At the top of a short list of the best basketball movies of all time is “He Got Game.” Since it was first released 25 years ago-May 1, 1998-the film has grown to be considered one of the most essential basketball films in hoop culture and beyond.

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