The First Basket

Although basketball is now dominated by guys named Kobe, CP3 and LeBron, in bygone days one was more likely to see the game populated with players called Herschel, Moshe and Ezra. The First Basket explores the sport’s improbable Jewish roots, some of the pioneers (Nat Holman, Red Auerbach, the formidable South Philadelphia Hebrew All Stars) and its appeal for immigrant Jewish kids living in big cities in the early to mid-20th century. Students of the game will find the archival footage interesting, but casual filmgoers will likely be frustrated by the slavish on-court devotion to unflashy fundamentals and the inexcusable lack of dunking.