Something in the Water: A Kinston Basketball Story

"Something in the Water: A Kinston Basketball Story" is a gripping, heartwrenching 2020 documentary film that unravels the impressively intertwined relationship of a humble community with the globally loved sport of basketball. Directed by music and film talents Chris Suggs and Qasim Elliott, and starring hometown heroes like Reggie Bullock alongside local figures Bryan Hanks and Curtis Hines, the film dives into the rich tapestry of stories shaped by the heartaches, triumphs, and unyielding spirit of the people in the small, impoverished town of Kinston, North Carolina.

The film uniquely showcases the town's extraordinary love affair with basketball, highlighting how this relationship has managed to provide a beacon of hope that glimmers through the bleak backdrop of poverty, drugs, and violence. "Something in the Water: A Kinston Basketball Story" offers a close look at how this passion for basketball has helped bring the community together, while serving as an avenue for personal growth and opportunities to escape difficult surroundings for the generations growing up in Kinston.

Kinston, functioning as both the primary backdrop and an active participant in the unfolding narrative, is a town that in recent years has grappled with daunting socio-economic challenges. Yet, it is also a place that has consistently and remarkably produced an array of professional basketball players, including NBA star Reggie Bullock, who serves as a focal point in the film. Alongside firsthand accounts from Bullock, the documentary is enriched by interviews with local sports journalist Bryan Hanks, former professional player Curtis Hines, and others directly involved in the town's basketball ecosystem, collectively shedding light on both the struggles and dreams of Kinston's basketball culture.

"Something in the Water: A Kinston Basketball Story" sets an intimate tone from the onset. It wisely employs a blend of aesthetics, including on-location footage of the town and its games, deep-cut interviews, historic photos, and local media proceed to humanize the town and its inhabitants. It uniquely draws attention to the town's gritty, resilient spirit, and investigates the enigmatic, overwhelming question: What might be in the water that makes a town like Kinston, against all odds, seem to exist to serve the sport of basketball?

A poignant exploration of the human spirit– its resilience to rise against adversity and its tenacity to harbor dreams bigger than circumstance– is a dominant theme in the film. It reveals how deeply ingrained basketball is in the town's psyche, molding community bonds and providing a compelling narrative of hope that inspires its youth to dream bigger than their boundaries. The film explores how basketball can dramatically change the course of individual lives, but also the collective morale and spirit of a community.

The production captures the audience's imagination with real-world storytelling, highlighting the role of sports in providing often-desperate youth with role models, offering economic possibilities, and generating a source of civic pride amidst a desperate ambiance that could otherwise leave the future seeming dim for many.

Particularly riveting are the testimonials of those who recount how basketball served as their lifeline when everything else around them was crumbling. Stories of personal triumph and transformation are tastefully weaved into the greater narrative of Kinston's basketball legacy. Reggie Bullock's journey, punctuated with heartaches and triumphs, and his commitment to giving back to his community serves as a thrilling subplot in the film's rich narrative.

"Something in the Water: A Kinston Basketball Story" is more than just another basketball story or sport documentary. It is an emotional exploration of how resilience, ambition, and community can reshape the destiny of a town that refuses to be defined by its struggles, but rather, its overwhelming successes in the game of basketball. Through its intimate storytelling, vibrant characters, and powerful commentary on socio-economic issues, it stands as one of the compelling documents of real-life triumph over adversity, painted with the brush strokes of collective ambition and individual tenacity.