New doc explores the high school years of hoops star LeBron James

Between 1999 and 2003, the St. Vincent-St. Mary high school basketball team from Akron, Ohio was virtually unbeatable. It helped that the star player on the "Fighting Irish" was a kid named LeBron James, who now rules pro hoops as "King James" — an elite offensive force for the Cleveland Cavaliers and this year's NBA MVP.

'I wasn't supposed to come back but they never told me to leave and so I just kept showing up; that's pretty much how that whole season went.' —Kristopher Belman, on shooting More Than a Game

Director Kristopher Belman's new documentary More Than a Game is a fascinating look at LeBron James's almost premature rise to stardom and the thorny issues it presented for his high school teammates. It's easily the most comprehensive record we have of a star athlete's adolescence. James was no ordinary teenager: by his junior year he'd been profiled in a Sports Illustrated cover story, and St. Vincent-St. Mary games were being broadcast on ESPN.

Belman followed the team — dubbed the "Fab Five" — during their fourth and final year at high school, and used home videos, TV news reports and more recent interviews to assemble the rest of the story. Although the doc's substantial buzz is a direct result of the LeBron James connection, Belman's film is also a potent reminder that basketball is a team game: James isn't the only compelling character on the squad, nor is he the only one who struggles with being put through the media meat grinder.

CBC News spoke to Belman about how he gained access to the teenage phenomenon six years ago, and how his assignment for a college film class became a feature film.

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Rasheed Wallace a perfect fit with Celtics

The numbers told one story. Rasheed Wallace shot a career-low 41.9 percent from the floor last season, and his 12.0 ppg was his lowest average since his rookie year.

The eyes told another story. Wallace still had game. But heading into a 2009-10 season when he would be 35, the feeling around Detroit was that he simply couldn’t put said game on the floor for as long as he used to, that the intensity with which he played was draining him.

It also was rather clear that the Pistons’ fall from the top of the Eastern Conference and their mixed success in rebuilding on the fly were getting to everyone there.

So as much as the Celtics [team stats] needed Sheed, Sheed needed the Celtics.

“I think with a player like that, they need energy around them,” coach Doc Rivers said. “They need a reason to really play, and I think our group gives him that. “He picked the right place for him - and obviously for us. I do think it’s a terrific fit.”

Wallace concurs.

“At this point in my career, yeah,” he said. “I want to win, and this is a great place for that. We’ve got a lot of young, hungry guys and great veterans, and this group has already won a championship. They know what it takes, and they want to go back.”

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