The Ben Simmons era in the NBA is officially underway — with Simmons first signing a deal with Nike — and now Showtime will drop a dope documentary on his journey from Australia to LSU, to the likely No. 1 overall pick in Thursdays NBA Draft.
The network is collaborating with MAGGIEVISION Productions on the Simmons story and his journey to the NBA titled “ONE & DONE.” The feature-length film will premiere in October just prior to the start of Simmons’ rookie NBA season. The announcement was made today by Executive Vice President & General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports Stephen Espinoza.
ONE & DONE examines the sprawling journey of Simmons from his Australian upbringing, to high school and college in America, to the top of the rookie class in the world’s foremost basketball league. Simmons endeavors to fulfill a lifelong dream, one shared by his family, including father David Simmons, a New York City native who played 13 professional seasons in the Australian National Basketball League.
The production, led by executive producers Maura Mandt (There’s No Place Like Home, Of Miracles And Men), Dave Chamberlin and Josh Swade, has been underway for two years with exclusive, intimate access to the highly touted, 19-year-old power forward from Melbourne. At the heart of the film is Simmons’ time on the NCAA men’s basketball team at Louisiana State University where he played his one and done year in order to satisfy a rule regulating eligibility for the NBA Draft. Production continues this week, as Simmons, his fellow NBA prospects and the basketball industry descend on Brooklyn, N.Y. for the 2016 NBA Draft.
“ONE & DONE chronicles a unique and pivotal period in a young man’s life,” said Espinoza. “Over the last year, as Ben Simmons has transitioned from teenager to young adult, he has also transitioned from the relative anonymity of a supremely talented high school player to the national and international limelight of the exclusive fraternity of top NBA draft picks. Ben Simmons is navigating a path that, although dreamt of and aspired to for a lifetime, remains uncertain. ONE & DONE is dramatic and captivating with exclusive access to subject matter that is as timely as it is provocative.”
The film will explore the debate around the controversial one-and-done rule, but I really want to see what went on behind the scenes at LSU, that caused the disconnect between Simmons and his teammates.