NBA champions Steph Curry and retired NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal team up together in the Lusia’ Lucy’ Harris documentary.
“The Queen of Basketball,” nominated for Best Documentary Short at this year’s Oscars, tells the trailblazing story of Mississippi-born Harris, one of the greatest women’s basketball players ever that dominated the sport in the 70s.
Curry has signed on to join O’Neal as an executive producer of the 22-minute documentary, directed by Ben Proudfoot.
Per a statement sent to theGrio, Curry said, of joining the film’s executive producers’ list, that he and Erick Payton, co-founders of Unanimous Media, are “honored to join the talented team behind The Queen of Basketball and play a role in uplifting the story of the trailblazing Lucy Harris.”
“Lucy, a true pioneer in the game of basketball and an inspiration for many, deserves to be recognized for her achievements,” they added. “Through this compelling short subject documentary, her legacy will continue to live on and impact audiences all over the world.”
O’Neal said of their team’s addition, “Stephen Curry is one of the NBA’s most iconic players whose voice speaks volumes on and off the court. I’m thrilled to have him join the team to help immortalize Lusia Harris aka The Queen of Basketball.”
Nominated for Best Documentary Short Subject at this year’s Oscars, the film premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and won the best documentary, short Critics Choice Award.
Harris, born on February 10, 1955, passed away this year in January. She was the first and only woman drafted into the NBA but did not act on it because she became pregnant with her first child. Harris was also named the United States Olympic Women’s Basketball Team in 1976, which was the first time women competed in women’s basketball at an Olympic level. She led the U.S. squad to win a silver medal. Harris was the first black woman inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992 and later into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
Harris was said to have played an integral role in the documentary with her family.
“The Queen of Basketball” is currently streaming on the New York Times’ website and YouTube channel.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/ Scott Mlyn | CNBC
