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Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend poster and title treatment

Source: Courtesy / Courtesy

Following an award-winning run on the film festival circuit, the powerful story of a basketball phenom from Watts, California—who many believe was blackballed from the NBA in the ’70s—Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend premieres theatrically and on VOD, from prize-winning documentarian Ryan Polomski (State vs. Reed) and co-director/producer Dean Prator.

One of six finalists on a short list of nominees for the prestigious 2022 Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, a national award for historical documentary filmmakers (winners to be announced Oct. 18 in Washington, D.C.), this compelling documentary will enjoy a one-week theatrical run at the at the Lumiere Music Hall Cinema in Beverly Hills Oct. 27, before premiering Nov. 1 on VOD on iTunes, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Microsoft, InDemand, Plex, Roku and Fandango. You can watch the trailer below.

A “once-in-a-generation” hoops talent who broke scoring records and thrilled packed gyms, the shy, first-round NBA draft pick from South Central Los Angeles quickly faded from the national spotlight when his professional dreams were dashed. However, Lewis waged an epic, decade-long battle to get back into the league and achieve his life-long dream of being a pro. An extraordinary, heartbreaking and ultimately tragic story (Lewis died in 2001, at age 48) that left an indelible mark on the game of basketball, helped progress the equitable treatment of Black athletes for generations to come and forever touched those lucky enough to have seen Lewis’ awe-inspiring performances.

Told from the personal and powerful perspective of those who knew him best—friends, family, coaches and former teammates—including daughter Kamilah Rae Lewis, famed NCAA basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, former L.A. Laker Michael Cooper, sports marketing icon Sonny Vaccaro, NCAA College coach Lorenzo Romar and civil rights icon Dr. Harry Edwards, among others.  The film also features an array of never-before-seen archival film dating back over 50 years and rare, uncovered photographs that bring to life this touching and unpredictable story that transcends sports and will appeal to all audiences.

From Beach City Media and Retro Bros. Productions, Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend was directed by Ryan Polomski and produced by Kamilah Rae Lewis, Ryan Polomski, Dean Prator, Anthony Samad and Renard Young. Ryan Polomski, Dean Prator, Brian Panish and Ed Gordon served as executive producers. Cinematography by Travis Auclair was over cinematography while Ryan Polomski added to his duties and edited the film.

In addition to the Ken Burns prize nomination, Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend was a Special Jury Selection for Best Feature Documentary at the 2021 Pan African Film Festival, won Best Documentary at the 2021 San Pedro International Film Festival and was an official selection at the 2021 Black Harvest Film Festival, 2021 Bronze Lens Film Festival, 2021 Houston International Sports Film Festival and 2021 Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival.

Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend poster and title treatment

Source: Courtesy / Courtesy

Share your opinion of the trailer in the comments and be sure to check out the documentary upon its release!

The Story Of Basketball’s Best Kept Secret Raymond Lewis Revealed In Award-Winning Documentary  was originally published on globalgrind.com