Why Is Prince George's County So Important To Basketball?
(WJZ) -- Why do so many of the nation's best basketball players come from Prince George's County? Kevin Durant, the two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP and 10-time All-Star, is a native of Suitland. Markelle Fultz, the top pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, grew up in Upper Marlboro. Five-time WNBA champion Rebekkah Brunson attended Oxen Hill High School. There are many, many others.
Is there something about this suburb of Washington, DC and its social, economic and cultural evolution that make it fertile ground for great basketball? Or is this merely a geographical coincidence? A new documentary Basketball County: In The Water, scheduled to premiere on Showtime on Friday, May 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, aims to answer these and other questions.
Durant, Fultz and Brunson are certainly among basketball's elite, but PG County's relationship with the sport extends much further. Since the start of the 21st century, it has generated some 25 NBA players, more than a dozen WNBA players, and countless more who have played high-level college basketball. The relationship also dates back generations to Naismith Hall of Fame inductees Morgan Wootten and Adrian Dantley.
These and other players share their stories in this enlightening new documentary. "This is a project that is near and dear to my heart," said Durant, who is also one of the project's executive producers. "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."
Nearly a dozen current and former professional basketball players from Prince George's County tell their stories in the documentary. Fans will see how much basketball has impacted the area and how the area has affected the game itself. The county's rich basketball legacy is on full display in this exciting new documentary.
'Basketball County: In The Water' premieres on Showtime on Friday, May 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.