Glory Road 2006

 2006

Starring
Josh Lucas
Derek Luke
Austin Nichols


Plot: The true story of Don Haskins and his recruitment of 7 African American basketball players for the 1965 collegiate season.

All sports had their barrier brakes at some point. Baseball had Jackie Robinson in 1942 and Basketball was just following. Don Haskins was a college basketball player in Texas but blew his knee out during his final years and changed his way to coaching players instead or being one. He found his way as a Texas high school girls basketball team and takes them to the state championship which gets him noticed and he himself is recruited to coach at Texas Western.

Being at this little known school makes it very hard to recruit top players from across the country. He has been given very few scholar ships to hand out and after watching the play of a little unknown player by the name of Bobby Jo Hill he begins to see where he needs to take his talent from. He not only recruits Hill but other players from Indiana, New York, Texas. One big name was David Latten who at this time was the biggest most valuable center going into college. Rumor had it that Latten played with the Miners because of Haskins recruitment of African American players from all over and not just one on a team.

We see some racial tension between the current and new players of Texas Western but, just like any other team or family they come together to play and take care of one another.  There is bigger racial tension when the team travels down in the south to play and problems rise, however they stick together and protect each other. Bobby Joe Hill who originally butts heads with coach Haskins in the beginning of the movie and in true life emerges as the team leader and brings his entire team together.
The big climax of the movie comes in during the final game and you might guess what happens but how I don't believe without knowing the history you would believe how it is done.

All in all this has become one of my favorite true sports movies ever made and it does this legend true justice on how things really go when the boys are up against the odds.