More Than a Game

A kind of classic of American sports history.

The film is filled with extraordinary characters and equally extraordinary circumstances that Hollywood could craft no better in any feature script.

Fascinating not only for its portrait of an emergent--and endearing--superstar, but for the evolution of three teammates the young LeBron came to love, and the hard-driving coach who evolved with them.

The result would make an excellent inspirational video for aspiring players, but it's not quite ready for the pros.

Belman doesn’t look into the bigger problems of James’ team jet-setting across the country during the school year, or the spectacle allowed to build up around him. He cares most about what happens on the court, which is diverting and fun as far as it goes, but not close to the whole story.

The final message is a strong one: Even when the starting forward is one of the best high school players ever, basketball is still a team sport.

Like one of those five-minute featurettes on star athletes deployed to soak up time on the pregame show -- expanded to a paralytic length.