You can’t do it without shouting “Kobe!” And Warriors star Steph Curry might not be as monumental of a superstar without it. You also probably don’t know where it originated from.
The jump shot once was considered something different, almost controversial in the game of basketball, but it was Kenny Sailors who put it on the map.
Jacob Hamilton directed and wrote the documentary “JUMP SHOT,” a story on the life of unsung hero Sailors who was not only the inventor of the shot, but he became a legend in the Wyoming sports community and ultimately received respect from former and current NBA players along with those involved in the game.
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Simply titled, it takes an in-depth look into the man behind what makes the game so fun. Curry was an executive producer for the movie, which also contains cameos by former Warrior star Kevin Durant.
“There are so many different ways Steph connects with Kenny’s story,” Hamilton told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Kenny being a faithful husband and a loving father, and empowering women in sports as well.”
“I would pay money to see whoever’s defending Kenny that first time he rose up and shot a jump shot,” Curry said in the doc.
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The night the jump shot became legendary created a lot of emotions -- and Hamilton’s favorite scene in the doc -- as some of the biggest names in the game glanced at a photo of Sailors rising off the ground and shooting that shot.
“That is the perfect image of how I feel every time I shoot a jump shot,” Curry said as he looked at the photo.
Hall of Fame coach Bobby Knight just about turned into a puddle upon viewing the photo. He wanted a copy of it.
Curry also loves the way Sailors handled the ball on the court across his eight-year BAA and NBA career.
“I hope that’s how people see me when I’m out there,” he said in one of the interviews.
Durant truly looked up to Sailors, and showed a very vulnerable and raw side of himself during an interview with Hamilton.
“We fully realized that we got a different KD than what a lot of people get to see,” Hamilton said. “And I wholeheartedly agree that’s his heart, he let his guard down for us and we’re extremely grateful for that, and honestly that’s because he was inspired by Kenny.”
Hamilton said after showing the documentary to Durant, he looked over and noticed the 10-time All-Star was wiping a tear from his eye.
“He saw the life that Kenny lived and was really moved by it,” Hamilton said.
A part of Sailors’ life was how he brought women’s basketball to a small town where he lived. Sailors was a major reason why there were women’s basketball programs outside of private schools in Alaska. That was another way Sailors resonated with Durant.
“That’s huge for women, especially when you’re told you’re not supposed to be aggressive, you’re not supposed to sweat, you’re not supposed to be out there being physical,” Durant explained.
Hamilton admitted there were many who dragged their spouses to see the film, and even though many didn’t like sports, they enjoyed it. In a way, that’s how Sailors was. Basketball was what he did, it wasn’t who he was.
Sailors passed away in January of 2016. And he was more than a basketball player. He was selfless and humble -- two words that resonate with Curry.
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The journey “JUMP SHOT” takes you on begins with the move of two feet off the hardwood. It continues through Sailors’ personal life, his time in the military and everything in between until his death. It also concludes with an understanding of just how big of an impact someone can have -- even for someone who frequented small towns.
The documentary is now set for a special digital release on April 16-18 at JumpShotMovie.com.