Open Thread: Basketball movie of the week: Amateur

A look behind the curtain of how some systems treat their young stars.

I caught Amateur on Netflix a couple of weeks ago. It’s the story of Terron Forte, a 14-year-old basketball player who learns to navigate the business while still in school.

Michael Rainey Jr. plays the skilled youngster who starts the film being recruited to an elite prep school known for turning out ballers. In an early scene, the audience is privy to the scoreboard through Terron’s eyes. He suffers from dyscalculia, a learning disability that makes it difficult for him to understand or use numbers. Without being able to read the clock, his teammates and coach yell out the count for him to execute before time is up.

In class, he struggles with math. He has accommodations but does not like to utilize them.

When his family first meets the prep school coach, played by Josh Charles, Terron’s mother is apprehensive about sending him to a new school for fear his studies will be overlooked for basketball.

Terron’s father, a former athlete, is laser-focused on trading his son’s talent for monetary gain.

Coach Gaines grooms the family by assuring them that the school is one of the finest and holds the boys to standards, and eventually the family agrees to let Terron attend.

Terron immediately realizes his star status in his home school does not translate. He is at the end of the bench and the older players participate in hazing, making the newest member carry their gear and talking down to him.

Additionally, the athletes are allowed, and even encouraged, to skip classes and blow off studies in pursuit of basketball.

Amateur delves into the shady side of basketball, showcasing how some coaches and programs prioritize winning and financial gain over the well-being of young athletes.

A good watch and shot well. Some of the characters are caricatures of their motives, more stereotype than flesh and blood, but a still worth a watch,

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