Hooked: The Legend Of Demetrius “Hook” Mitchell is a poignant tale of Oakland, California’s most storied street ball legend. Oakland is the birthplace of more NBA stars than any other city in the country. Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Antonio Davis, Brian Shaw, J.R. Rider and Greg Foster, all NBA stand-outs, honed their skills on the tough Oakland courts before hitting the sacred hardwood of the NBA. Hook was better than them all. That’s not a grandiose statement made by some local sports writer, but rather, an admitted confession by arguably the NBA’s best point guard. All-star Jason Kidd put it, “Hook was by far the best player to come out of Oakland. There’s no comparison to me, Gary Payton, Antonio Davis, Greg Foster or Brian Shaw.” Gary “The Glove” Payton adds his own thoughts: “He had major, major game. He was 5′9″ and had major hops. He would jump over trucks to win dunk contests. He could do anything he wanted to.”
However, while many of his contemporaries went on to become first round NBA draft selections and instant multi-millionaires, Hook ended up in the California Men’s Penal Colony. Hooked: The Legend Of Demetrius “Hook” Mitchell takes an in-depth look into the life of Hook Mitchell through old amateur film of the legend and one-on-one interviews with Kidd, Payton, and Hook himself, amongst others. The film, which features a soundtrack and score by DJ Premier, will make its debut next month at the Tribeca Film Festival in the showcase documentary category.
Hooked: The Legend Of Demetrius “Hook” Mitchell is the first ever Fader Films production. Fader Films co-president Rob Stone said, ìWe established FADER FILMS as an outlet to give young creative filmmakers the opportunity to realize their vision on the big screen. Both Fader Films and The FADER magazine are pivotal, creative platforms that will constantly bring sophistication and awareness to our audience.î With Hooked, Fader Films saw the opportunity to positively impact young kids who may be in a similar situation as the Oakland street ball legend. A Fader Films spokesperson addressed this idea: “We believe by telling his story, we can bring attention to an epidemic that is sweeping our streets and destroying the lives of young talented individuals. By showing his life unfold on screen, we hope to open the minds of young people that the decisions and choices they make now will have a monumental impact on their future.”
Hooked: The Legend Of Demetrius “Hook” Mitchell’s Tribeca Film Festival itinerary is listed below:
05.07.03 – New York, NY (UA’s Battery Park Theater, 3:00pm)
05.09.03 – New York, NY (Screening Room, 8:30pm)
For more info, visit www.hookmitchell.com
Related:
