I heard a creator, Patrick Cloud, say that this movie is the “Mulan of Basketball Movies,” and I agree. Miguel A. Nunez Jr. plays Jamal Jeffries, a superstar basketball player who’s basically Dennis Rodman, but somehow worse, if that’s even possible. He just seems to be doing things that he doesn’t need to be doing. Now, he gets suspended from a game. One game, y’all, he decides that, in protest, he will strip naked. See what I mean. Does not make sense. It was ONE WHOLE game. Fast forward to him being suspended indefinitely. And if you don’t know what indefinitely means, you shouldn’t be in here skating anyway. You should have your ass in summer school….this is a line from Roll Bounce, and it is what I hear every time someone says indefinitely. I apologize. You came here to read this.
So, what happens when a famous sports player loses notoriety? They lose endorsements and, therefore, money. And guess what? Jamal has a girlfriend who was only there for his money who, as soon as he loses it all, leaves him. So where does he go penniless, sad, and alone? To his dear Aunt Ruby’s house, and she’s a black auntie, so you know she is not playing with Jamal. Aunt Ruby is brilliantly played by Jennifer Lewis because….I mean, who else? Maybe Loretta Devine, but we have Lewis in this particular film.
While sitting at Aunt Ruby’s house wallowing in self-pity, Jamal comes up with the best idea….to play in the WUBA. This is the way they refer to the WNBA in this film because of copyright. Aunt Ruby’s begrudgingly aids Jamal in his quest to get back into basketball because, for him, it’s what he’s good at and all he knows. His former manager, Lorne, cut him as a client when his last stunt left him broke, so guess who his first meeting is with? He’s able to fool the team managers and Lorne long enough to sign a contract with the Charlotte Banshees.
By now, Jamal Jeffries is Juwanna Mann. A man now desperate to play the game he loves by any means necessary. Even if that means wearing a copper bob wig and fake boobs. Here’s the problem. Even with a new team and a new…body so to speak, he’s still the same showboating ball hog he was in the UBA. So when he gets to the new team, he’s still terrible as a team player, but he starts to get a little sweet on one of the players named Michelle, played by Vivica A. Fox.
Eventually, the team comes together, and they start winning games. This start to look up for Jamal… until he learns that not only can he not get next to Michelle because he’s disguised at a woman AND she has a boyfriend. And not just any ole man. Her man is Romeo, played by R&B superstar Ginuwine, the most famous R&B singer of their time, and he’s the stereotypical superstar. Jamal starts to see his old self when he sees Michelle with Romeo.
The downside of being a female basketball player is the unsolicited attention from the WRONG KIND of men, and this is where it gets REAL funny. Romeo and Michelle have this grand idea of setting Juwanna up with a friend of Romeo’s, and OF COURSE, he does not look like his friend. To make matters worse, his name is Puff Smokey Smoke and he’s OBSESSED with Juwanna. Puff Smokey Smoke is played by the incomparable Tommy Davidson. Besides Nunez himself, DAVIDSON IS THE REASON THIS MOVIE IS SO FREAKING FUNNY! My mom and I only say filet mignon the way Puff Smokey Smoke does in this film. Watch below.
We also quote this scene VERBATIM almost every week. We’re a weird family. Don’t mind us, but just watch. This scene is in my top 10 or even top 5 movie scenes of all time including the date scene roast in Nutty Professor. These comedians often make the movie, like Davidson in this film and Chapelle in the aforementioned film. The level of comedy is just unmatched, and I have no idea how much was written and how much was improv. Knowing Davidson and his background, not just with In Living Color but as a comedian, I would not be surprised if every thing we saw was unscripted.
Last observation. I notice a lot of people say that Jamal is in drag in this movie, and I, personally, don’t think that’s right. Drag, as a whole, is an art form and a means of expression. Jamal is hardheaded and decided to find a shortcut to get back into the league. He’s not standing for anything or really entertaining anyone, especially not Puff Smokey Smoke.
Tell me, one, have you seen this film, and two, did you laugh as hard as I did when you watched it? Fun fact: In addition to acting, Miguel A. Nunez Jr. is also an acting coach, much like Tasha Smith. Another fun fact is the soundtrack was produced by Lisa & Wendy. Yes, THAT Lisa & Wendy that were part of The Revolution with the genius that was Prince. I, too, was shocked when I saw that.
