Like Mike facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Like Mike |
|
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by | John Schultz |
| Produced by |
|
| Screenplay by |
|
| Story by | Michael Elliot |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Richard Gibbs |
| Cinematography | Shawn Maurer |
| Editing by |
|
| Studio |
|
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | July 3, 2002 (United States) |
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $30 million |
| Money made | $62.3 million |
Like Mike is a fun sports comedy film from 2002. It was directed by John Schultz. The story was written by Michael Elliot and Jordan Moffet. The movie stars Lil' Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki, Robert Forster, Crispin Glover, and Eugene Levy. It's about an orphan boy who suddenly becomes a basketball superstar. This happens after he finds a special pair of shoes that once belonged to Michael Jordan. The film was made by NBA Productions. You'll even see some real NBA players in the movie! 20th Century Fox released Like Mike on July 3, 2002.
Contents
The Story of Like Mike
Calvin's Life at the Orphanage
The movie starts with Calvin Cambridge and his two best friends, Murph and Reg Stevens. They all live in an orphanage. Murph is the youngest of the three. He and Calvin are very close. Their orphanage director is a tricky man named Stan Bittleman. He makes the kids sell chocolate after every home game of the NBA team, the Los Angeles Knights.
A Special Pair of Shoes
One day, Calvin meets the Knights' coach. The coach is impressed by how much Calvin knows about basketball. He also likes Calvin's honesty about the chocolates. So, the coach gives Calvin tickets for the next game. Later, Calvin finds an old pair of sneakers in a thrift store donation box. The initials "MJ" are written on them. Calvin believes they belonged to the famous basketball player Michael Jordan.
A bully named Ox takes Calvin's sneakers. He throws them onto a high power line. That night, during a rainstorm, Calvin tries to get them back. A lightning bolt hits him, and he gets a big shock!
Calvin Joins the Knights
Calvin and his friends go to the basketball game. It's between the Knights and the Minnesota Timberwolves. At halftime, the team's star player, Tracy Reynolds, is about to do a contest. Calvin's ticket number is called! He gets to play one-on-one against Tracy. Calvin ends the contest with an amazing dunk. He bounces the ball off the backboard first. Reg and the whole crowd cheer loudly for Calvin.
Because of this amazing dunk, the Knights sign Calvin to a one-day contract. Calvin gets ready for his first game with the team. But he soon realizes he's not actually there to play.
Calvin Becomes a Star
When the Knights play the San Antonio Spurs, they start losing badly. Coach Wagner decides to let Calvin play in the fourth quarter. Calvin leads an incredible comeback against the Spurs. The Knights win the game! This leads to Calvin getting a contract for the whole season. Since Calvin is still a kid, Tracy Reynolds becomes his mentor. Calvin brings great teamwork to the Knights. He helps them become one of the best teams in the league.
Tracy starts to respect Calvin a lot. This happens after Calvin gets into trouble trying to make sure Tracy doesn't miss his curfew.
Trouble with Bittleman
Mr. Bittleman, the orphanage director, signs a contract with the team. This contract says that all of Calvin's money will go to Bittleman. This will continue until Calvin turns eighteen or gets adopted. When it looks like Calvin might get adopted, Bittleman gets worried. He steals Calvin's special shoes. Bittleman then bets US$100,000 against the Knights.
Calvin convinces Ox and his friends that Bittleman is selfish. Ox then takes the shoes out of Bittleman's safe. The kids rush to the arena with Calvin's sneakers. Bittleman tries to stop them. He sends people to get the shoes back, but they fail.
The Final Game
Calvin makes it to the arena. The third quarter has just ended. The Toronto Raptors, led by Vince Carter, are beating the Knights 80–59. In the fourth quarter of the last regular season game, Calvin is put into the game. The Knights start to make a comeback!
Near the end of the game, Calvin's shoes get ruined in a pile-up. Without the shoes, Calvin feels like he just wants to be a normal kid. He tells the team that this will be his last game. In the final play, Calvin fakes a shot. This makes Vince Carter jump. Calvin then passes the ball to Tracy. Tracy makes the game-winning shot! This win means the Knights will go to the playoffs for the first time.
A Happy Ending
After the game, Calvin goes back to his orphanage. Soon, Tracy adopts Calvin and Murph! Reg is adopted by a different family, but they all stay in touch. Mr. Bittleman goes missing because he can't pay his bet. The Knights team now sponsors the orphanage.
Meet the Cast
- Bow Wow as Calvin Cambridge
- Jonathan Lipnicki as Murph
- Brenda Song as Reg Stevens
- Morris Chestnut as Tracy Reynolds
- Eugene Levy as Frank Bernard
- Crispin Glover as Stan Bittleman
- Jesse Plemons as Ox
- Robert Forster as Coach Wagner
- Julius Ritter as Marlon
- Anne Meara as Sister Theresa
- Fred Armisen as New Age Dad
- Julie Brown as New Age Mom
- Vanessa Williams as Pharmacist
- John Marshall Jones as NBA Player
- Reginald VelJohnson as Mr. Boyd
- Valarie Pettiford as Mrs. Boyd
- Reggie Theus and Geoff Witcher as the Knights Announcers
- Roger Morrissey as Marvin Joad
Real NBA Players in the Movie
Many famous NBA players made cameo appearances in Like Mike:
NBA Reporters
You might also spot these NBA reporters:
- Tom Tolbert
- Hannah Storm
- Ahmad Rashād
- Kenny Mayne
- Rich Eisen
- Pat Croce
Soundtrack
The movie also has a cool soundtrack with various artists.
Sequel
A follow-up movie was released straight to video. It was called Like Mike 2: Streetball and came out on June 6, 2006. It tells a new story.
See also
In Spanish: Like Mike para niños
