This was really terrific blue collar documentarian work by Ryan Polomski about a playground/high school/college legend on the court, Raymond Lewis.
Lewis could have been one of the legendary NBA scorers, but he was blackballed. Polomski's doc shows how it all went down. Lewis was as naive about money and race in the NBA at the time, 1973, as he was a wizard on the court. He didn't get a lawyer and the 76ers ripped him off. Then, when he was torching everyone in training camp, including Doug Collins, who was taken ahead of him in the draft, he wanted his contract re-negotiated and the 76ers refused.
It was all downhill for Ray from then on. He develpoed a bad attitude, rightly so. But he kept trying out with other teams. He'd play well but get cut. Were these teams colluding to make sure it didn't LOOK like Ray was being blackballed? I mean: probably. But who knows.
His life spirals down. It's tragic, really. So much talent and it was not seen by NBA fans.
Lewis could have been one of the legendary NBA scorers, but he was blackballed. Polomski's doc shows how it all went down. Lewis was as naive about money and race in the NBA at the time, 1973, as he was a wizard on the court. He didn't get a lawyer and the 76ers ripped him off. Then, when he was torching everyone in training camp, including Doug Collins, who was taken ahead of him in the draft, he wanted his contract re-negotiated and the 76ers refused.
It was all downhill for Ray from then on. He develpoed a bad attitude, rightly so. But he kept trying out with other teams. He'd play well but get cut. Were these teams colluding to make sure it didn't LOOK like Ray was being blackballed? I mean: probably. But who knows.
His life spirals down. It's tragic, really. So much talent and it was not seen by NBA fans.
