Like Mike
Encyclopedia
Like Mike is a 2002 film, directed
by John Schultz and starring Lil' Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut
, Jonathan Lipnicki
and Brenda Song
. It was produced in association with NBA Entertainment
and features many cameo appearances by NBA stars. The plot is largely similar to Slam Dunk Ernest
.
) after each home game of the Los Angeles
Knights (a fictional NBA franchise team loosely based on the Los Angeles Clippers
).
One night after a game, Calvin meets the team's coach, who is impressed by Calvin's knowledge of basketball and honesty about the chocolates he sells, and offers Calvin tickets for the next game. The next day, Calvin obtains a pair of old sneakers (blue and white Nike Blazers) from a Salvation Army
Thrift Store that had reportedly been used by a great basketball player when he was a boy. The shoes have the initials MJ written on them, so naturally, Calvin thinks they used to belong to Michael Jordan
.
Calvin's sneakers are taken by Ox who throws them onto an overhead power line. Calvin tries to retrieve them that night in a rainstorm so he can get them while Ox is not around and gets shocked by a lightning bolt, retrieving the sneakers.
Calvin and his friends then attend the basketball game between the Knights and the Minnesota Timberwolves
that they had tickets for. The Knights are one of the worst teams in the league. After the second quarter ends, the team's best player, Tracy Reynolds, prepares for a half time contest. Calvin's ticket number is called and he goes one on one with Tracy. Before the contest begins, a man in the crowd notices that one of Calvin's sneakers is untied. Calvin leans down to tie it and he whispers to himself "Make me like Mike". The contest begins and Calvin starts noticing that he has NBA superstar talent; he ends the contest with a dunk after bouncing the ball off the backboard, and leaving the crowd speechless and Calvin is signed to a one-day contract by the Knights. Calvin prepares for his first game with the Knights, but he realizes that he is not there to play. When the Knights play against the San Antonio Spurs
they start losing badly and Coach Wagner decides to let Calvin play in the fourth quarter. However, Calvin remembers that he can't play without his sneakers and calls a time out to get them while lying that he needs a bathroom break. He comes back out and leads a comeback against the Spurs in which he dunks on Spurs Hall of Fame center David Robinson
and scores 27 points including a buzzer-beating three. That gives the Knights an unexpected win, which leads to him getting a season contract with Reynolds as his mentor through the NBA's mentoring program, since he is a minor. Calvin brought teamwork to the struggling Knights and made them one of the best teams in the league.
Calvin's life then follows a path of experiencing luxury for the first time while on the road and going back to his orphanage home when the team isn't traveling. He gets to see hotels and places he never imagined could exist, and he is assigned to be the roommate to Reynolds while on the road. Calvin then starts taking all the headlines and becoming the talk all around the sports media and the NBA. Calvin also won the Slam Dunk Contest.
While all of this is happening, Calvin begins to figure out that all he wants is really a father, and he starts looking at Reynolds in a fatherly way. They slowly begin to develop a father and son relationship, although their relationship is sometimes challenged by the daily situations that a fourteen-year-old boy without a father and a single man with no kids might have to face and Reynolds' attitude toward the young player. Tracy gradually started to respect Calvin and it showed in a win over the Seattle SuperSonics
; the Sonics star point guard Gary Payton
, while guarding Cambridge, tackled Calvin and said to him "Now you know what it feels like to be in the Glove's hands", and Calvin responded to him by saying it feels more like a mitten and Tracy was protecting Calvin.
Meanwhile, back home, Bittleman signs a contract with the team that says that all of Calvin's money will go to him instead until he's eighteen, or adopted. When the second option is about to become true, Bittleman decides to steal Calvin's shoes and bet US$100,000 against the Knights.
After negotiating with Ox and his friends about how selfish Bittleman is while Bittleman is tied to a chair, Calvin is able to subdue the orphanage director, becomes friends with Ox and retrieving his shoes after Ox takes them out of Bittleman's safe for him while them and the others head to the arena on electric scooters with Calvin's sneakers to get away from Bittleman. However Bittleman escapes and manages to send several goons after Calvin in a failed attempt to steal the shoes. Calvin makes it to the arena with the shoes after the 3rd quarter ends with Vince Carter
and the Toronto Raptors
routing the Knights 80–59.
Calvin is reluctantly put into the game by the coach and the Knights start to make a comeback after Tracy convinces the coach not to bench Calvin for tardiness because the team would not be in position to make the playoffs without him. After a pile-on towards the end of the game, Calvin's shoes are ruined with the Knights down by one point. During the following timeout, Calvin tells the team that he will retire after this game, without revealing the reason of his skills' cause being destroyed. On the last play, Calvin is not as skillful without the shoes, and goes through a bit of struggle, but he still manages to pump fake to get Vince Carter to jump and Cavlin was able to get the ball to Tracy after going under Carter who was in mid-air, and Tracy makes the game-winning shot at the buzzer to clinch the Knights their first ever playoff berth.
After going back to his orphanage, Calvin and Murph get adopted by Tracy, and Reg by a different family but they still keep in touch despite being away from each other. It is also revealed that Bittleman is missing because he doesn't have enough money to pay the bet
, this could mean he ran away maybe because of how he lost his bet and the orphanage is now sponsored by the Knights.
. It peaked at 18 on the Billboard 200
and 10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
.
, was released direct to DVD in 2006. The original characters do not make an appearance, but keeps a similar plot.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by John Schultz and starring Lil' Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut
Morris Chestnut
Morris L. Chestnut is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles as teenage father Ricky Baker in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, groom-to-be Lance Sullivan in the 1999 film The Best Man, as Tracy Reynolds, NBA star in the 2002 film Like Mike, and as the Visitor Ryan in the...
, Jonathan Lipnicki
Jonathan Lipnicki
Jonathan William Lipnicki is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Jerry Maguire, Stuart Little, The Little Vampire, and Like Mike.- Personal life :...
and Brenda Song
Brenda Song
Brenda Song is an American actress, film producer, and model. Song started in show business as a child fashion model. Her early television work included roles in the shows Fudge and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd...
. It was produced in association with NBA Entertainment
NBA Entertainment
NBA Entertainment is the production arm of the National Basketball Association and produces numerous NBA-related films including team championship videos and blooper and entertainment reels. It was previously associated with CBS/Fox Video, but now distributes its films through Warner Bros....
and features many cameo appearances by NBA stars. The plot is largely similar to Slam Dunk Ernest
Slam Dunk Ernest
Slam Dunk Ernest is a 1995 comedy film, and the eighth full-length feature film starring Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell. It was released direct-to-video, and was directed by long-time Ernest collaborator John R. Cherry III. In the movie, Ernest joins his employer's basketball team and later...
.
Plot
Like Mike is about Calvin Cambridge, a teenage orphan who dreams about getting adopted, and his two best friends named Murph and Reg Stevens. Calvin ends looses his jersey in a basketball competition against an orphanage bully named Ox when him and his friends make fun of how Calvin talks. At night selling chocolate for this greedy orphanage director, Stan Bittleman, (played by Crispin GloverCrispin Glover
Crispin Hellion Glover is an American film actor, director and screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River's Edge, unfriendly recluse Rubin Farr in Rubin and Ed, the...
) after each home game of the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Knights (a fictional NBA franchise team loosely based on the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
).
One night after a game, Calvin meets the team's coach, who is impressed by Calvin's knowledge of basketball and honesty about the chocolates he sells, and offers Calvin tickets for the next game. The next day, Calvin obtains a pair of old sneakers (blue and white Nike Blazers) from a Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
Thrift Store that had reportedly been used by a great basketball player when he was a boy. The shoes have the initials MJ written on them, so naturally, Calvin thinks they used to belong to Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
.
Calvin's sneakers are taken by Ox who throws them onto an overhead power line. Calvin tries to retrieve them that night in a rainstorm so he can get them while Ox is not around and gets shocked by a lightning bolt, retrieving the sneakers.
Calvin and his friends then attend the basketball game between the Knights and the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
that they had tickets for. The Knights are one of the worst teams in the league. After the second quarter ends, the team's best player, Tracy Reynolds, prepares for a half time contest. Calvin's ticket number is called and he goes one on one with Tracy. Before the contest begins, a man in the crowd notices that one of Calvin's sneakers is untied. Calvin leans down to tie it and he whispers to himself "Make me like Mike". The contest begins and Calvin starts noticing that he has NBA superstar talent; he ends the contest with a dunk after bouncing the ball off the backboard, and leaving the crowd speechless and Calvin is signed to a one-day contract by the Knights. Calvin prepares for his first game with the Knights, but he realizes that he is not there to play. When the Knights play against the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
they start losing badly and Coach Wagner decides to let Calvin play in the fourth quarter. However, Calvin remembers that he can't play without his sneakers and calls a time out to get them while lying that he needs a bathroom break. He comes back out and leads a comeback against the Spurs in which he dunks on Spurs Hall of Fame center David Robinson
David Robinson (basketball)
David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
and scores 27 points including a buzzer-beating three. That gives the Knights an unexpected win, which leads to him getting a season contract with Reynolds as his mentor through the NBA's mentoring program, since he is a minor. Calvin brought teamwork to the struggling Knights and made them one of the best teams in the league.
Calvin's life then follows a path of experiencing luxury for the first time while on the road and going back to his orphanage home when the team isn't traveling. He gets to see hotels and places he never imagined could exist, and he is assigned to be the roommate to Reynolds while on the road. Calvin then starts taking all the headlines and becoming the talk all around the sports media and the NBA. Calvin also won the Slam Dunk Contest.
While all of this is happening, Calvin begins to figure out that all he wants is really a father, and he starts looking at Reynolds in a fatherly way. They slowly begin to develop a father and son relationship, although their relationship is sometimes challenged by the daily situations that a fourteen-year-old boy without a father and a single man with no kids might have to face and Reynolds' attitude toward the young player. Tracy gradually started to respect Calvin and it showed in a win over the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
; the Sonics star point guard Gary Payton
Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton is a former American professional basketball point guard. He is best known for his 13-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, and holds Seattle franchise records in points, assists, and steals...
, while guarding Cambridge, tackled Calvin and said to him "Now you know what it feels like to be in the Glove's hands", and Calvin responded to him by saying it feels more like a mitten and Tracy was protecting Calvin.
Meanwhile, back home, Bittleman signs a contract with the team that says that all of Calvin's money will go to him instead until he's eighteen, or adopted. When the second option is about to become true, Bittleman decides to steal Calvin's shoes and bet US$100,000 against the Knights.
After negotiating with Ox and his friends about how selfish Bittleman is while Bittleman is tied to a chair, Calvin is able to subdue the orphanage director, becomes friends with Ox and retrieving his shoes after Ox takes them out of Bittleman's safe for him while them and the others head to the arena on electric scooters with Calvin's sneakers to get away from Bittleman. However Bittleman escapes and manages to send several goons after Calvin in a failed attempt to steal the shoes. Calvin makes it to the arena with the shoes after the 3rd quarter ends with Vince Carter
Vince Carter
Vincent Lamar "Vince" Carter is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. He is a shooting guard who can also play small forward....
and the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
routing the Knights 80–59.
Calvin is reluctantly put into the game by the coach and the Knights start to make a comeback after Tracy convinces the coach not to bench Calvin for tardiness because the team would not be in position to make the playoffs without him. After a pile-on towards the end of the game, Calvin's shoes are ruined with the Knights down by one point. During the following timeout, Calvin tells the team that he will retire after this game, without revealing the reason of his skills' cause being destroyed. On the last play, Calvin is not as skillful without the shoes, and goes through a bit of struggle, but he still manages to pump fake to get Vince Carter to jump and Cavlin was able to get the ball to Tracy after going under Carter who was in mid-air, and Tracy makes the game-winning shot at the buzzer to clinch the Knights their first ever playoff berth.
After going back to his orphanage, Calvin and Murph get adopted by Tracy, and Reg by a different family but they still keep in touch despite being away from each other. It is also revealed that Bittleman is missing because he doesn't have enough money to pay the bet
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
, this could mean he ran away maybe because of how he lost his bet and the orphanage is now sponsored by the Knights.
Cast
- Lil' Bow Wow - Calvin Cambridge
- Morris ChestnutMorris ChestnutMorris L. Chestnut is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles as teenage father Ricky Baker in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, groom-to-be Lance Sullivan in the 1999 film The Best Man, as Tracy Reynolds, NBA star in the 2002 film Like Mike, and as the Visitor Ryan in the...
- Tracy Reynolds - Jonathan LipnickiJonathan LipnickiJonathan William Lipnicki is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Jerry Maguire, Stuart Little, The Little Vampire, and Like Mike.- Personal life :...
- Murph - Brenda SongBrenda SongBrenda Song is an American actress, film producer, and model. Song started in show business as a child fashion model. Her early television work included roles in the shows Fudge and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd...
- Reg Stevens - Jesse PlemonsJesse PlemonsJesse Plemons is an American film and television actor best known for playing Landry Clarke on NBC's Friday Night Lights.-Career:...
- Ox - Robert ForsterRobert ForsterRobert Forster is an American actor, best known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, the latter of which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.- Early life :Forster was born Robert Wallace...
- Coach Wagner - Julius Ritter - Marlon
- Crispin GloverCrispin GloverCrispin Hellion Glover is an American film actor, director and screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River's Edge, unfriendly recluse Rubin Farr in Rubin and Ed, the...
- Stan Bittleman - Anne MearaAnne MearaAnne Meara is an American actress and comedian. She and Jerry Stiller were a prominent 1960s comedy team, appearing as Stiller and Meara, and are the parents of actor/comedian Ben and actress Amy Stiller.- Personal life :...
- Sister Theresa - Eugene LevyEugene LevyEugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
- Frank Bernard - Fred ArmisenFred ArmisenFred Armisen is an American actor, comedian and musician best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and portraying off-color foreigners in various comedy films such as EuroTrip, Anchorman and Cop Out...
- New Age Dad - Julie BrownJulie BrownJulie Ann Brown is an American actress, comedienne, screen/television writer, singer-songwriter, television director. Brown is perhaps best known for her work in the 1980s, where she often played a quintessential valley girl character...
- New Age Mom - Jimmy KimmelJimmy KimmelJames Christian "Jimmy" Kimmel is an American television host and comedian. He is the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a late-night talk show that airs on ABC. Prior to that, Kimmel was best known as the co-host of Comedy Central's The Man Show and Win Ben Stein's Money...
- Client in Commercial (uncredited) - John Marshall JonesJohn Marshall JonesJohn Marshall Jones is an American actor and director. He is originally from Detroit, Michigan. He is perhaps best known as Floyd Henderson from the TV series Smart Guy...
- NBA Player (uncredited)
NBA stars
- Vince CarterVince CarterVincent Lamar "Vince" Carter is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. He is a shooting guard who can also play small forward....
- Michael FinleyMichael FinleyMichael Howard Finley is a retired American professional basketball player. He last played for the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...
- Steve FrancisSteve FrancisSteven D'Shawn Francis is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association. He had also played for the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, and New York Knicks...
- Allen IversonAllen IversonAllen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...
(credited as "Allen E. Iverson") - Jason KiddJason KiddJason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
- Dirk NowitzkiDirk NowitzkiDirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
- Desmond MasonDesmond MasonDesmond Tremaine Mason is an American former professional basketball player. He was designated as a shooting guard and small forward.-Career:...
- Tracy McGradyTracy McGradyTracy Lamar McGrady, Jr., is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Detroit Pistons.Entering the league after graduating from high school, McGrady eventually became a seven-time All-Star. He led the league in scoring in 2003 and 2004. He has also played for the Toronto...
- Alonzo MourningAlonzo MourningAlonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player, who played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Miami Heat....
- Steve NashSteve NashStephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara...
- Gary PaytonGary PaytonGary Dwayne Payton is a former American professional basketball point guard. He is best known for his 13-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, and holds Seattle franchise records in points, assists, and steals...
- Ahmad RashadAhmad RashadAhmad Rashād is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals...
(broadcaster) - Jason RichardsonJason RichardsonJason Anthoney "J-Rich" Richardson is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association.A 6'6", 225 lb...
- Michael DoleacMichael DoleacMichael Scott Doleac is an American former professional basketball player.Doleac was selected 12th overall in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic...
- David RobinsonDavid Robinson (basketball)David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
(credited as "David M. Robinson") - Reggie Theus (broadcaster)
- Gerald WallaceGerald WallaceGerald Jermaine Wallace is an American professional basketball forward for the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA.- High school :Wallace attended Childersburg High School in Childersburg, Alabama, where he had a very successful career...
- Rasheed WallaceRasheed WallaceRasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...
- Chris WebberChris WebberMayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber, III , nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee...
- Pat CrocePat CrocePasquale "Pat" Croce is an American entrepreneur, sports team executive and owner, author, and TV personality....
(NBA Owner) - Tom TolbertTom TolbertByron Thomas "Tom" Tolbert is an American retired professional basketball player and sports broadcaster. He played a total of seven seasons in the National Basketball Association...
- John ThompsonJohn Thompson-Academics:* Sir John Eric Sidney Thompson , English archeologist and Mayan scholar* John G. Thompson , mathematician* John Thompson , professor at Cambridge...
(uncredited) - Peter CornellPeter CornellPeter Vasilevich Cornell is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays with the pro club Hitachi SunRockers. He is also an actor, who has been in over 40 national and international commercial campaigns and a few basketball themed movies...
(uncredited)
Soundtrack
A soundtrack containing hip hop and R&B music was released on July 2, 2002 by So So Def RecordingsSo So Def Recordings
So So Def Recordings is a record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, and owned by producer Jermaine Dupri, specializing in Southern hip hop, R&B and bass music.-Beginnings:...
. It peaked at 18 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and 10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
.
Sequel
A sequel, titled Like Mike 2: StreetballLike Mike 2: Streetball
Like Mike 2: Streetball is an American direct-to-video film sequel to Like Mike. It was directed by David Nelson and released on June 6, 2006. This film does not feature any of the original cast nor are there any mentions of the previous film.-Plot:...
, was released direct to DVD in 2006. The original characters do not make an appearance, but keeps a similar plot.