Somewhere between a church sermon and a playground showdown, this film shows you the most important job in New York was never mayor—it was point guard.
This is the best documentary on point guards (the “floor general”) I’ve seen.
Thanks to Futon Critic for first recommending this one.
Trailer for “NYC Point Gods”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- Pearl Washington would sometimes roll up to high school games on a dirt bike, wearing a fur coat. Then he would drop 30 points while breaking Georgetown’s infamous full-court press.
Watch “NYC Point Gods”
You can watch “NYC Point Gods” on Showtime and Fubo.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 97/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 83/100 (Users), not yet rated (Critics)
Director’s Note: Executive produced by Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman, this doc is told through the voices of point guards themselves—Mark Jackson, Kenny Smith, Stephon Marbury, Kenny Anderson, Rafer Alston, and more. Director Sam Eliad leans on archival footage, hip-hop beats, and personal storytelling to show how New York’s asphalt courts shaped the NBA we see today.
Release Date: July 29, 2022 (Showtime)
My Review of “NYC Point Gods”
The Setup
New York basketball in the 80s and 90s was more than a sport—it was the city’s soundtrack. Courts in Brooklyn, Queens, Harlem, and the Bronx became proving grounds where players had to survive trash talk, street politics, and full gyms packed like NBA Finals. This doc captures the style, the hip-hop energy, and the neighborhood rivalries that made guards like Kenny Anderson, Stephon Marbury, and Rod Strickland into legends.
More Highlights from the Doc
- God Shammgod invented a crossover move as a teenager at La Salle Academy. It became so iconic that it’s now standard in NBA ball-handling drills. Kyrie Irving and Kobe Bryant both used it.
- At Rucker Park, Fat Joe managed a team led by Kareem Reid. Jay-Z literally dropped off a bag of cash to flip Kareem to his squad. Kareem stayed loyal to Fat Joe.
- Kenny Anderson was so good that as a freshman in high school, he played only 3 quarters a game (benched every first quarter) and was still ranked top 5 in NYC.
- Stephon Marbury idolized Anderson so much he shaved a part into his hair to copy him. Years later, he became the face of Coney Island hoops.
- Rod Strickland, who led the NBA in assists in 1998, mentored Kyrie Irving—showing how the “Point God” lineage directly influenced the next generation.
- Niesha Butler is featured as the all-time leading scorer in NYC high school history (boys and girls), proving the city’s guard tradition wasn’t just for men.
- Rafer “Skip 2 My Lou” Alston turned his And1 streetball flash into a real NBA career—something almost unheard of at the time.
Cameos
- Kenny “The Jet” Smith, Mark Jackson, and Nate “Tiny” Archibald weigh in on what made the NYC point guard style different.
- Hip-hop runs throughout—Fat Joe, Cam’ron, and other rappers talk about how basketball and rap were inseparable in that era.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- Many NYC guards deliberately played pickup on smaller courts like Gauchos Gym in the Bronx or Rucker Park in Harlem because the smaller, tighter spaces sharpened their handles under pressure.
- Fat Joe’s loyalty story with Kareem Reid wasn’t just about basketball—it mirrored the larger rap industry wars happening at the time in New York.
Wrap Up:
If you grew up on 90s hoops or hip-hop, “NYC Point Gods” is essential. It’s both history and swagger rolled into one.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc