Official Site
A Film by Ryan Polomski and Dean Prator
RAYMOND LEWIS
L.A. LEGEND
WATCH NOW ON
LIBRARY OF CONGRES
LAVINE/KEN BURNS
PRIZE FOR FILM
Finalist
2022
Official Selection
PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL
2021
Official Selection
HOUSTON INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
2021
Official Selection
GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL
2021
Best Film
SAN PEDRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
2021
Official Selection
BRONZE LENS
FILM FESTIVAL
2021
Official Selection
BLACK HARVEST FILM FESTIVAL
2021
THE MOVIE
RAYMOND LEWIS: L.A. LEGEND is a critically acclaimed documentary that tells the incredible story of a basketball phenom from Watts, California whom many believe was blackballed from the NBA in the’70s – and his unlikely and heartbreaking journey in becoming a hoops legend.
(Documentary, Sports, Biography. Directed by Ryan Polomski; Produced by Beach City Media and Retro Bros Productions; MORE ABOUT THE FILM: From the playgrounds of Watts, CA in South Central Los Angeles to record-breaking performances in high school and college, Raymond Lewis had been deemed a 'sure bet' for NBA stardom by any who saw him play basketball.
So, when Lewis was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 1973 NBA draft as a college sophomore nobody was surprised. However, after an ugly contract dispute between Lewis and the 76ers and an epic on-the-court battle with the team's other first-round pick - Olympic star Doug Collins - Raymond's dream of playing professional basketball was derailed- and allegations of league blackballing began to circulate.
For the next decade, Lewis would continue to dominate on the playground and gyms back home in Los Angeles while stubbornly chasing his NBA dream, leaving many to wonder "What ever happened to Raymond Lewis?"
Now, for the first time, the award-winning filmmaking team of RAYMOND LEWIS: L.A. LEGEND unravel this important story and powerful personal journey from hoops phenom to NBA pariah and the lasting impact it had on Lewis, and his family.
FILM INTERVIEWS
Told from the personal and powerful perspective of those who were there, including Lewis' friends and family, former teammates, coaches, and such luminaries as Jerry Tarkanian, former L.A. Laker Michael Cooper, Nike Marketing Icon Sonny Vaccaro, NCAA College Coach Lorenzo Romar, former NBA Coach Gene Shue, former NBA General Manager Pat Williams, Civil Rights Icon Dr. Harry Edwards, and former NBA All-Star guard Reggie Theus (to name a few), this one-of-a-kind documentary tells the unforgettable story of a man who never gave up on his dream and, along the way, became an all-time basketball legend never to be forgotten.
THE FILMMAKERS
Ryan Polomski
Ryan Polomski is a documentary and television director, producer, and editor living in Los Angeles, CA. His first feature documentary, "State vs. Reed",, won an Audience Award at the SXSW Film Festival before being broadcast on Texas PBS stations, raising awareness of the highly controversial death sentence of Rodney Reed.
Dean Prator
Co-Director and Producer of the Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend documentary film and longtime fan of Lewis since 1971. From the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, he worked as a professional videographer capturing events from private parties to gang street life in Compton and Long Beach CA which is now housed in his Retro Bro film collection.
NEWS
Six finalists revealed for 2022 Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film
By Andrew Tracy
July 27, 2022
The Library of Congress, the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation and the Better Angels Society have unveiled the six documentary projects that will vie for this year’s Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film.
Established in 2019, the award recognizes a late-stage documentary film that...
Click here to read the full Article
Raymond Lewis Documentary to Make Los Angeles Debut
By Eric Sondheimer
April 19, 2022
"Raymond Lewis is the baddest dude you've ever seen." That's how the movie trailer begins for the documentary Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend. One of the 45 individuals interviewed for the film describes Lewis, who led Verbum Dei High to three Southern Section championships from 1969 to 1971. Click here to read the article!
Raymond Lewis Film Wins Best Doc at San Pedro Film Festival
By Sentinel News Service
Published November 11, 2021
The long-anticipated basketball documentary film of a local 1970s basketball phenom and City of Watts native, “Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend” is currently making its rounds throughout the country at selected film festivals in major cities in the U.S. This past Saturday, the film collected its first award by being selected as the “Best Documentary” at the 2021 San Pedro International Film Festival. Click Here to read the full article!
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