Showtime today announced the new documentary Basketball County: In the Water, a collaboration with NBA star Kevin Durant and sports business executive Rich Kleiman’s Thirty Five Ventures will premiere on the network on Friday, May 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The film explores how one county in Maryland, Durant’s hometown, has recently produced more elite basketball players than anywhere else in the world.
A fascinating examination of a remarkable community, Basketball County: In the Water tells the story of Prince George’s County, Md., and its social, economic and cultural evolution through the lens of some of the game’s biggest stars – Durant, Victor Oladipo, Michael Beasley, Quinn Cook, Rebekkah Brunson, Marissa Coleman and many more. Since 2000, the county just outside the nation’s capital has spawned some 25 NBA players, more than a dozen WNBA players, and countless more who have competed at elite universities, highlighting the decades-long prevalence of basketball within a region of roughly 800,000 residents.
Basketball County: In the Water chronicles key moments in basketball’s history – from James Naismith’s invention to the emergence of the “Father of Black Basketball,” Edwin B. Henderson, and the migration of African-American families from Washington D.C. to a suburban county that became fertile ground for many of basketball’s best players. Legends of the game including 2017 No. 1 NBA draft pick Markelle Fultz, five-time WNBA champion Rebekkah Brunson and Naismith Hall of Fame inductees Morgan Wootten and Adrian Dantley share their personal stories about the rich legacy of the county’s basketball programs and mentors that fueled their rise.
“This is a project that is near and dear to my heart,” said Durant. “Having grown up in Prince George’s County and with my family residing there today, it’s my life’s mission to not only give back through my foundation but continue to tell the amazing stories of those that have come from there. I’m really excited to be partnering with Showtime and for fans to hear from some of the world’s best players about what PG County means to them.”