Basketball is a top sport with fans all around the world. People even go out to bet on various basketball-related events. For example, some try their luck on odds to win March Madness. As a result, basketball movies are a popular genre. So, check out what we think about Like Mike, a 2002 classic basketball movie.
About the Movie
Like Mike movie is one of the American sports/comedy movies released in 2002 and directed by John Schultz. Michael Eliot wrote the Like Mike movie alongside Jordan Moffet, and it features Lil Bow Wow, Jonathan Lipnicki, Crispin Glover, Robert Forster, Morris Chestnut, and Eugene Levy.
The movie is about an orphan with a talent for basketball after finding an old pair of sneakers belonging to Michael Jordan long ago. NBA productions produced this movie, featuring cameo appearances by NBA players, and the prior release date was on the 3rd of July, 2002.
Three years after Jordan left one of the popular NBA teams (Chicago Bulls), this movie was distributed by Century Fox. It was one year before Jordan retired for the last and third time for the National Basketball Association and during his stay at the Washington Wizards.
Even though this movie received mixed reviews from critics, Like Mike was a successful movie, grossing around $62.3 million across the world against a $30 million budget. After some years, the movie became one of the fan favorites among basketball fans, and there is no way you won’t fall in love with the movie after watching it.
Cast
There are many actors and NBA players that feature in this movie. Below are the names of the actors that you will see in the movie while watching.
Brenda Song as Reg Stevens
Bow Wow as Calvin Cambridge
Jonathan Lipnicki as Murph
Crispin Glover as Stan Bittleman
Robert Forster as Coach Wagner
Morris Chestnut as Tracy Reynolds
Jesse Plemons as Ox
Anne Meara as Sister Theresa
Julius Charles Ritter as Marlon
Fred Armisen as New Age Dad
Julie Brown as New Age Mom and many more.
NBA Players
Michael Finley
Allen Iverson
Vince Carter
Steve Francis
Desmond Mason
Chris Webber
Rasheed Wallace
Alonzo Mourning
Tracy McGrady and many more.
NBA Reporters
Hannah Storm
Ahmad Rashad
Tom Tolbert
Rich Eisen
Pat Croce
Kenny Mayne
Plot
Murph and Reg Stevens are the two best friends of Calvin Cambridge, who live in an Orphanage, where Murph is the youngest among the three of them, and he has a very close relationship with Calvin.
They sell chocolate to one troublesome orphanage director called Stan Bittleman after every NBA home game of the Los Angeles Knights team. Calvin was offered tickets to the team’s next game after the coach learned about his basketball knowledge.
However, Calvin finds an old pair of Michael Jordan sneakers inside a thrift store box, and a jealous bully called Ox steals the shoes and throws them away onto an overhead power line. Calvin got shocked by a lightning bolt when he wanted to retrieve the sneakers during a rainstorm.
Calvin attended the basketball game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Knights with his friends. Calvin’s tickets were called, and he faced Tracy one-on-one, ending the contest with a slam dunk after he bounced the ball off the backboard. Calvin received a standing ovation from the crowd, and Reg, after everyone was silent when he netted the ball. However, he got signed to a one-day contract by the Knights team and prepared for his first game with the team, realizing he was not there to play.
Calvin led his team in a comeback against the Spurs, and they won after he was subbed in by the coach in the fourth quarter when they were losing badly. After the game, Calvin was given a season contract, and Reynolds became his mentor because he was still a minor. He brought teamwork to the team, making them the best teams in the league.
Bittleman steals Calvin’s shoe after he grows desperate to bet $100,000 against the knights. Ox takes it from Bittleman’s safe after the kids convince Ox and his Cohorts that Bittleman is selfish. So they took the shoe to the arena when Calvin failed to retrieve it.
The team came back after Calvin was subbed in and won by 103-102, and Calvin made it clear that it would be his last game, regardless of whether the team made the playoffs. He returned to his orphanage, Tracy adopted both Calvin and Murph, and Reg was adopted by a different family, although they stayed in touch.
Bittleman could not pay the money for the bet and went into hiding. The Knights later sponsored the orphanage.
What We Think
This movie is one of the best sports movies you can watch anytime and anywhere to brighten your day. It is one of the movies you can recommend for your child as a parent, and they should bring something like this to the theater for NBA fans to watch.
