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5 Questions with … Steve James, director of ‘No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson’
Here, we talk to Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”), director of the documentary “No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson,” a look at one of the most controversial moments in the history of one of the NBA’s most controversial stars. James dissects the felony charge and subsequent trial of the high school aged Iverson, while highlighting the simmering racial tensions in America and challenging pre-conceived notions about the heavily tatted star. (In the spirit of the basketball Mighty Mouse who could always get to the rack, we did this 5 Questions, and-1 style, with six questions.)
“No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson” screens at 11 a.m. March 14 at the Paramount Theatre and 2:45 p.m. March 19 at the G-Tech theater at the Austin Convention Center.
Statesman: Who approached you about doing the ESPN “30 For 30” series and how did you decide to focus on Allen Iverson? What other topics, if any, did you consider?
Steve James: I was first approached by John Sloss, who represents me and was serving as an advisor for the series. My first thought for a story was to do something on Dr. J, Julius Erving, who as a rookie, played for my hometown ABA team, the Virginia Squires. Watching the then-unknown Erving burst on to the scene was a, um, religious experience for me. But Erving’s rookie year was in the 70’s, too early for the series which focuses on stories that have happened in the last 30 years. So my second thought was Allen Iverson and the bowling alley brawl. I wasn’t living in Hampton, VA when it happened, but followed it through my parents and then the media. I realized something very significant was happening at that time, and it had to do with race, and sports, and the legal system. If I wasn’t knee deep in “Hoop Dreams” at the time, I would have gone home and started filming. So, 17 years later, ESPN gave me another chance to make this film.
Where on the continuum between best player inch-for-inch in history and selfish, un-coachable star do you think Allen Iverson falls? Or is there no answer?
Well, as the tag line for our poster says, there’s one Answer, but many opinions. I think what’s so fascinating about AI is that he is different things to different people. His grit and courage and toughness are without question, but in those same qualities, one can sometimes legitimately criticize him for selfishness as a player. I think Iverson is something of a Rashoman-like figure: how you view him says as much about you as it does about him.
What role, if any, did your late father play in your desire to make this movie? Was there a way in which making this film formed a deeper connection between you and him?
I think making the student film I made on him (and that’s featured some in this film) was what really formed a deeper connection. Maybe making this film was a way of resurrecting what he meant to me now that he’s gone. But I was very conscious of not trying to make this film too personal. I had no desire to hijack the story of Iverson and the trial in favor of my own story of growing up. I just hope that the personal parts help inform the viewer about my hometown and what it felt like to grow up there. Making this film certainly made me much more aware of my hometown’s history and the broader community. Playing basketball there in high school, I thought I knew more about the black community of Hampton than I did. This film was a real education for me, which is what I love about making documentaries.
Why do you think so many people refused to be interviewed for the film?
I think people have a hard time talking about race, and since this whole thing was prompted by a racial brawl, many people didn’t want to go back there and talk about what they were feeling or thinking at the time. It seems to me that race is indeed the “elephant in the room” as Pastor Marcellus Harris says in the film, but many of us would rather not talk about it. We worry, if we are white, that we might be perceived as racist if we speak candidly. And perhaps if you are black, you worry that people will accuse you of living in the past when there “really was racism.” And on a practical level, people refused to talk because they didn’t want it to affect how bosses and colleagues and fellow church members would view them. They wanted to put distance between that time and themselves.
Going into the making of the movie, did you have an opinion as to Iverson’s guilt or innocence in the case? If so, how did you remain objective? Do you care to share your thoughts as to his guilt or innocence?
Like most “liberal types”, I first expected — maybe even hoped — that I’d find that Iverson was innocent. During the making of the film, I went back and forth between thinking he was innocent or guilty. The reality we found was, the testimony on both sides was flawed. But what became clearer as we went along was that ultimately the real issue for me wasn’t guilt or innocence. That even if Iverson was guilty, the question is, was he treated fairly by the justice system? In the film, I weigh in on that one… But I’d rather you see the film then just read about it here, to find out what I think. And of course the other real issue was, why did Allen Iverson and this event so divide the community? And that’s really what the film is about.
Do you believe if Iverson and his fellow defendants were white that they would have received the same punishment?
I specifically address this question in the film… But I think part of the reason to watch the film is for the viewer to come to their own conclusions about this question. We really tried to make sure all voices were heard and that Allen’s supporters and detractors were fairly represented before I gave my opinion. And one of the interesting surprises was, though the community divided largely along lines of race over Allen Iverson, it was not exclusively so by any means. Because he also divided the community along lines of class.
“No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson” screens at 11:00 AM on March 14 at the Paramount Theatre and again at the G-Tech theater at the Austin Convention Center on Friday, March 19 at 02:45 PM.
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