Documentary on Former Georgia Tech Star Kenny Anderson in the Works
With all due respect to Yellow Jacket legend and current UNC Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball coach Mark Price, Kenny Anderson is (arguably) the best point guard in the program’s history.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The former NBA vet-Anderson played 14 years for eight franchises-is in the process of filming a documentary on his playing career and his current situation as a high school coach in Florida.
Anderson’s journey from the projects in Lefrak City, Queens, to stardom at Archbishop Molloy High School, to super-stardom at Georgia Tech, to the NBA All Star Game (1994) has been one of ups and downs. A story of life’s wins and loses that sometimes have nothing to do with the game of basketball — a story worth telling.
The film is titled “Mr. Chibbs”, after his childhood nickname, and is being written and directed by filmmaker and playwright Jill Campbell.
Ms. Campbell, also a native New Yorker, has a couple of plays and documentaries under her belt with a film, ‘The Hamlet of Canfield Gardens’ set to be released later this year.
She describes the Anderson documentary as more of a “human story” than a basketball film.
“I’m trying to get to the authenticity of the man,” said Campbell during a recent interview. “It’s very different from a lot of basketball films”.
There is supposed to be footage of Anderson’s son Kenny Anderson, Jr. and his AAU basketball team at a tournament in Florida included in the film.
“We’re trying to capture the man, we’re trying to get real and personal in a documentary way, not in a reality show way,” said Campbell.
Recognizing how popular Anderson remains throughout the sport and in particular in Atlanta amongst Georgia Tech faithful Ms. Campbell seems to be up to the task, “This may be my first sports documentary, but this will be the third documentary that I directed. Growing up in New York around the same time Kenny was coming up I know how important it is to get the story right,” she said.
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‘Mr. Chibbs’ will include collaborations and interviews from fellow New York City point guard and Hall of Famer Nate “Tiny” Archibald, Lefrak City, Queens natives Kenny “The Jet” Smith of Inside the NBA on TNT fame, and his older brother Vincent Smith, one of Anderson’s mentors growing up.
Former Yellow Jacket greats Bobby Cremins, Dennis Scott, Brian Oliver and Travis Best also make on camera appearances.
Ms. Campbell and her staff will finish filming in July. They have been shooting footage in New York, Atlanta and Florida with Anderson and his family, and look to have a kickstarter campaign in mid-June.
You can keep track of the film’s production and and see pictures of Anderson, Campbell and cast and crew at the SeagulLink.com http://seagullink.com/ .