28 years in the making, 'Sweetwater' premieres in theaters
Everett Osborne stars as Nathaniel ‘Sweetwater’ Clifton, the first African American to sign an NBA contract in 1950, in ‘Sweetwater’. (Photo courtesy of Tony Rivetti Jr.)
BURBANK, Calif. — It’s the story of the human spirit, of perseverance, of endlessly saying “yes” when so many said “no.” It demanded tenacity, required resiliency, imposed humility and, in the end, rewarded integrity. One man’s journey, yes, but one that needed boosts and support and love from so many along the way.
The saga of Nat (Sweetwater) Clifton, one of the NBA’s Black pioneers who helped change the face and the style of pro basketball nearly three-quarters of a century ago? Well, yeah, that too.
However, the journey of “Sweetwater,” the recently released film about Clifton’s life, is also a story in itself. It went through a complex and challenging journey from its initial inspiration and creative concept to becoming a finished production.
“The story was always destined to be told,” said Martin Guigui to NBA.com. Guigui, who wore multiple hats as the director, writer and composer of the film, added, “I wasn’t certain I would be the one chosen, but I believed it was my calling. I felt a compelling need to share this story with the world.”
Guigui, originally from Argentina, spent his childhood in Manhattan during the 1960s. His father, Efrain, was a conductor for the New York Philharmonic and subsequently the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. He introduced Guigui to basketball by taking him to watch the Harlem Globetrotters at Madison Square Garden. In time, Guigui also came to watch the New York Knicks, featuring players like Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, and Earl Monroe.
“I turned into an absolute enthusiast for the game’s history,” Guigui stated. “I admired everything Connie Hawkins did. The game was inventive, there was something unique about it.”
“Therefore, when I began playing in junior high and high school, I didn’t conform to the system. The coaches would constantly say, ‘You can’t do that on my court.’ I was left wondering, ‘What is he referring to?'”
In small-town Vermont, Guigui’s coach discussed his attempts at “razzle-dazzle,” a term that the conservative characters in “Sweetwater” would derisively use when mentioning “the Negro game.”
Several years down the line, in April of 1996, Guigui decided to visit a girlfriend en route to one of his band’s shows in New York. During his journey, he made a stop at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. While touring the museum, he sensed a missing piece of history from his favorite team.
Clifton, the first African-American star recruited and signed to an NBA contract, had no notable records. He, along with Boston’s Chuck Cooper and Washington’s Earl Lloyd in the 1950-51 season, integrated professional basketball. Their accomplishment, though not as widely recognized or enduring as Jackie Robinson’s in baseball three years prior, was a crucial step in breaking color barriers in sports.
Watch the official trailer for ‘Sweetwater,’ set to open on April 14.
Tim Moore, a producer for Clint Eastwood’s Malpaso Productions and the person who eventually undertook the project, shared with NBA.com, “What’s unusual about this one is that even if you question sports enthusiasts ‘Who was the first African-American to participate in the NBA?’ they won’t be able to answer. During that era, college games and the NIT were more prominent. The NBA was solely on the East Coast, with nothing west of the Mississippi.
Our tagline is: Sweetwater, the man who changed the game.
On Tuesday evening, the Warner Bros. lot was filled with the cast, crew, and guests for the premiere, gathered in the studio’s theater not just for a movie showing but also for a christening of sorts. However, this project’s birth spanned decades, not the usual nine months.
Nat ‘Sweetwater’ Clifton became a historical figure as the first African American to ink an NBA contract, permanently transforming the style of the game.
Guigui’s commitment to making film never wavered
Clifton was twenty-eight years old when he helped to break the color line in his sport. His journey to this point included growing up in Chicago, attending Xavier University in Louisiana, serving as a sergeant in the U.S. Army, and playing for the all-Black New York Rens and Harlem Globetrotters. During the summers, he also worked as a first baseman for the Chicago American Giants in the Negro League of baseball.
The 28-year gap spans from Guigui’s visit to the Hall of Fame to the nationwide release of the director’s “passion project.”
It may appear appropriate, akin to book ends or such, if not for the years of effort and irritation. Guigui, for some time, investigated the story for a potential book about Clifton. Occasionally, he considered turning it into a documentary. He even played a role in nominating and advocating for Clifton’s induction into the Naismith Hall in 2014.
Martin’s dedication and enthusiasm towards creating this film has consistently remained strong. We were extremely eager to offer our full support due to the importance of this story and its implications, not just for the NBA, but for our society as a whole.”
— NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
Meanwhile, he made a living in Los Angeles, establishing himself as a filmmaker and musician. He collaborated with renowned personalities such as Faye Dunaway, Jonathan Winters, Robin Williams, Dennis Quaid, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Lady Gaga, David Byrne, and dozens of others. He tied the knot, built a family, won accolades, and in his leisure time, he showcased his flair as a player in the famed L.A. Entertainment League.
Still, there’s no “Sweetwater.” If this seems somewhat recognizable, it’s because I penned an article about the project on NBA.com in January 2010, which is nearly half of its shelf-life ago.
About five years ago [2005], through various contacts and acquaintances, the NBA got involved. Guigui met with now-deputy commissioner Adam Silver, who directed him to Zelda Spoelstra, dubbed by Guigui as “the gatekeeper of historical accuracy.” A revered longtime employee at NBA headquarters, Spoelstra had been hired in 1951 as commissioner Maurice Podoloff’s administrative assistant. So she’d had a ringside seat to the league’s integration.
“We began working closely on the screenplay,” the writer-director said. “They brought a lot of information to it – my mantra was ‘keep it true’ — and they helped me hone in on that.’”
Since 2014, Silver has taken over as the league’s commissioner, following the retirement of David Stern. Guigui views Silver as a friend, whose support was instrumental in finally bringing this film to the screen. Despite being a New Yorker and a Knicks fan himself, the 60-year-old Silver confessed that he had little knowledge of the stories of Clifton, Cooper, and Lloyd.
Silver stated to NBA.com that Martin’s dedication and enthusiasm towards the creation of this film had remained unwavering. He further added that they were completely ready to provide their total support, given the story’s importance to the NBA and its wider societal implications.
Guigui presented the script once again to several producers, including Moore, in the fall of 2019. However, the film industry, along with many others, was shut down due to lockdowns when COVID-19 struck.
Guigui recalled, “Adam once suggested, ‘This might be an ideal time to remove that from your drawer. Try to make that movie.’ I responded, ‘I’m trying.’ Then, Tim contacted me in the fall of 2021. He proposed, ‘We’re beginning to review things. Why not come in so we can discuss it?'”
When the lights of Hollywood started to shine again, Moore found some free time in his schedule. The producer quoted him saying, “It was all set and ready to kick off.” He further added, “I am a huge basketball enthusiast and have always wished to create a basketball film. I wasn’t really familiar with Sweetwater, however, the script appealed to me.”
Having worked with Eastwood on films like “Gran Torino,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “American Sniper,” and “Jersey Boys,” Moore met with investors and increased the budget from $5 million to $8 million. Guigui had already procured a California rebate to support making the movie in-state, and with Moore leveraging his contacts, they managed to secure a shooting location at Warner Bros.
During the filming of “Sweetwater,” a scene is directed by Martin Guigui.
“He said, ‘Shooting an independent film on a major lot is not a common occurrence. We managed to give it a studio-like ambiance. However, we had budget constraints. It wasn’t feasible for us to spend millions of dollars to reconstruct Madison Square Garden. Consequently, we had to be resourceful. We only staged the first three rows for our ‘Madison Square Garden’ at this venue, while the rest were visual effects.”
Following that, since it was a period piece, the focus was on the aesthetics. This is why we chose to film at Disney Ranch, to create the impression of being in a vast, remote location. We even filmed a scene in an authentic barn, featuring the Globetrotters, as that was typical of the time.
Guigui stated, “This was a hybrid. It perfectly balanced the passion found in independent production with the efficiency of a studio machine.”
As Guigui continued to revise the script, which he did around 60 times, he began to consider various actors for roles. Back in 2010, he had mentioned actors like James Caan for the role of Knicks owner Ned Irish, Bruce McGill as NBA boss Maurice Podoloff, Ed Lauter as New York coach Joe Lapchick, Smokey Robinson as Sweetwater’s father, and Danny Devito as Trotters impresario Abe Saperstein. Other potential actors for the yet-to-be-determined project included Richard Dreyfuss, Louis Gossett Jr. Mira Sorvino, and Burt Young.
Dreyfuss remains, portraying Podoloff. But Cary Elwes plays Irish, Jeremy Piven is the earnest Lapchick and Kevin Pollak is the cantankerous huckster Saperstein. Eric Roberts, Jim Caviezel and Mike Starr are among the other familiar faces in the movie.
Piven relayed to NBA.com that portraying Joe Lapchick, a key figure in Sweetwater’s barrier-breaking journey, was an honor. He described Lapchick as intensely passionate, recognizing a man who deserved to play in the NBA. Piven shared that he deeply resonated with this sentiment.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. has a small role as Lloyd, Clifton’s and Cooper’s fellow barrier breaker. Meanwhile, rounding up a bunch of fictionalized 1950 NBA players meant finding, Guigui said laughing, “a lot of white guys, not in great shape with no tattoos.” (Got to say, the choice to play George Mikan did the Minneapolis Lakers’ Hall of Fame center dirty, looking a little too plodding and oafish.)
And Clifton? Twenty years ago or so, actor Henry Simmons (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “NYPD Blue”) was the favorite. Then it was Wood Harris, probably best known for his role as Avon Barksdale in “The Wire.”
Simmons is currently 52, while Harris is 53. Guigui required someone younger. Additionally, he faced the unique casting dilemma often associated with sports films: Should he choose an actor he hoped could manage the basketball scenes, or should he opt for a player who could convincingly act?
Casting for leading role was a slam dunk
Before venturing into an acting career, Everett Osborne played Division I basketball at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. (Photo credited to Tony Rivetti Jr.)
If you’ve been watching closely, you might have seen Everett Osborne on film in a basketball role. He appeared in a 2017 Nike commercial, “Want It All,” that featured LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Osborne as a rising young star named “Dante Grand.”
It wasn’t surprising considering that Osborne had participated in NCAA Division I basketball at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, which was part of the Western Athletic Conference. Post his graduation in 2016, he pursued professional basketball in Australia for two seasons. After that, he went back to his hometown, Los Angeles, to concentrate on his aspiration of becoming an actor. He was seen on BET’s “Tyler Perry’s Sistas” and NBC’s “Chicago Fire.”
As Guigui soon learned, both boxes were checked.
The director recounted the frantic search to cast the role of Sweetwater. The task involved combing through hundreds of submissions from a diverse pool of retired and current NBA players, actors, and musicians with the casting team.
This one video featured a guy named Everett who had recorded himself playing basketball in a deserted gym that had an old-fashioned feel. He was clad in retro-style attire, and his gameplay was reminiscent of Sweetwater Clifton’s style, with the high dribble, large strides, airborne leaps, and one-handed dunks. I thought to myself, ‘This guy has really done his research.’ He even had the right haircut to match the look.
Osborne stated, “I visited a court alongside my uncle, who captured footage of me in ‘Chuck Taylors’ [sneakers], wearing little shorts and executing various moves. I was moving up and down the court in three or four dribbles, making cuts, and dunking the ball. I didn’t want any stand-ins; I wanted them to utilize every ounce of my persona as Sweetwater.”
The 29-year-old also recorded a significant dramatic reading. “He possessed the authenticity, the vernacular, and tone of voice,” Guigui commented, noting that Osborne’s demeanor was akin to a “young Sidney Poitier.” “Given that he’s 6-foot-4, we didn’t need to falsify his height. His basketball skills made it seem as though he was served to us on a silver platter by guardian angels,” Guigui added.
As a child, Osborne’s grandfather would take him to the Staples Center to watch Kobe, Shaq, and the three-peat Lakers. Last year, while at that very house, he received a call informing him that he was chosen to be Sweetwater.
“Kobe hitting a game-winner was a full circle moment,” said Osborne.
In the film, Piven, playing the character Lapchick, has a thrilling moment as he attempts to persuade Clifton to join the Knicks. Clifton, however, dismisses his advances, alluding to the NBA’s entirely white line-ups. Piven’s response is assertive, stating, “It’s not going to be like that forever.”
“Thanks to Everett’s skill, we were able to complete all the basketball scenes in a single take,” Piven, the lead actor in “Entourage” and numerous other roles, stated. “We were acting out those sequences in real time, with me coaching in the background, simply letting it flow. He’s an undeniable sensation and this is his breakout moment.”
Portis from the Bucks said, “He’s destined to be a prominent actor. Just as it takes one playoff series to jumpstart a basketball career, it only takes one movie to launch an acting career.”
All-Star cast delivers authentic performances
In the upcoming film “Sweetwater,” set to debut on April 14, actors Richard Dreyfuss (on the left), Cary Elwes, and Everett Osborne are seen enacting a scene. (Photo credit: Tony Rivetti Jr.)
Guigui said that the unexpected approval of the production caught most of the cast and crew off guard.
“When I informed them about the film production, Dreyfuss especially responded with skepticism, questioning, ‘Are you certain?’ Despite my affirmation, he remained doubtful until a week prior to the shoot. I contacted him, stating, ‘Richard, your filming begins on Monday. You’re required on set in five days.’ To verify my honesty, he handed the phone over to his wife.”
Some individuals had been involved with “Sweetwater” since its inception, while others had only recently joined. The majority were keen to guide the project to completion, facilitated by the resources offered by Warner Bros.
“Being on set was enchanting because everyone was incredibly precise and strongly dedicated to authenticity,” expressed Guigui. “They focused on truth and on recreating not only the visual aspects but also the aesthetic and linguistic nuances of how people spoke at the time. There was a certain eloquence back then. People would attend the Garden dressed to the hilt, as though they were going to the opera.”
“I recall a time when our prop master interrupted one of my shots. We had thousands of extras and were recreating the Garden. He rushed into the crowd, removed a modern wristwatch from a man’s wrist, and replaced it with a period-appropriate watch. That truly embodied the spirit of our work.”
The film covers all anticipated aspects, including flashbacks to Clifton’s younger days, and emphasizes the discrimination he and other Black people endured, both on and off the basketball court during that period. His teammates, whether from the Globetrotters or the Knicks, were supportive.
This film also provides a cathartic experience. It offers a form of cultural healing that can be felt upon leaving the cinema. It’s not just about civil rights or racism, it’s about promoting change.
— Director Martin Guigui, on “Sweetwater”
The performances are impressive, with Osborne delivering a strong lead, and Pollak, Piven and Dreyfuss proving their reliability as professionals. Solid support is provided by Roberts in a challenging bigot role, and Starr and Caviezel, who is unsurprisingly perfect in his role as a sportswriter.
Presenting the story from 1950 to a 2023 audience posed a challenge. The term “Negro” is already striking, and the unavoidable use of the “n-word” to portray the reality of that time will undoubtedly make some viewers cringe.
“The truth often carries a sharp edge, especially when it mirrors American history,” the director stated. “This isn’t exclusive to 1950s basketball, but a reflection of that era. Present day audiences are far more ready to accept this than they were in previous years.”
Former NBA star Kiki VanDeWeghe, who served as the league’s executive VP of basketball operations for eight years, attended a premiere on Tuesday with his brother Bruk and Rick Darnell. Darnell, formerly an ABA Virginia Squires big man, now manages the National Basketball Retired Players Association’s Los Angeles chapter. Their father, Ernie VanDeWeghe, a six-year Knicks player, once shared a room with Clifton.
“The message is wonderful,” said the ex-NBA executive. “A lot more individuals will be aware now.”
The basketball sequences remain impressive, providing a genuine impression that Clifton’s style of play influenced Elgin Baylor’s, which in turn stylistically inspired Connie Hawkins, Julius Erving, Magic Johnson and countless contemporary players. Creativity was seamlessly blended with competition.
As the end credits roll, we are treated to black-and-white photographs of the main characters featured in the film, interspersed with a few snippets of Clifton in action. A video clip also emerges from his later years, showing him driving a taxi in Chicago. His joy, pride and gratitude for having had the chance to utilize his skills and make a living from a sport he loved are palpable.
“This film offers a cathartic experience as well,” stated Guigui. “It’s less about civil rights or racism and more about inspiring change. When you walk away from this movie, there is a distinct feeling of cultural healing.”
The moment Clifton first steps onto the court as a Knicks player is heightened for added drama. Today, as moviegoers enter theaters, Guigui gets to experience this.
“He once said, “I used to lose sleep, worried that the film would never be produced. Now, my sleep is lost due to the excitement that it has been produced.”
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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