Getmybuzzup

A Kid From Coney Island premiered with a packed house at the iconic Brooklyn Academy of Music on March 5. In attendance was the star studded crew including Stephon Marbury, executive producers Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman, producers Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Jason Samuels, directors Chike Ozah and Coodie Simmons.

At the premiere of A Kid From Coney Island, Forest Whitaker spoke on the documentary stating, “I do relate to Stephon’s story–he did greatness, he worked hard. He rose again as a phoenix, really, and he came back in a beautiful way, and he lets people believe and know that they can come back.”

SLAM Media, a key marketing partner of A Kid From Coney Island will include the documentary in its series of “SLAM Movie Night” events hosted on their social channels and followed with a live Q&A featuring directors Coodie and Chike tonight at 7pm ET. SLAM will release additional interviews with filmmakers and talent after the event.Adam Figman, Editor-in-Chief and Head of Content at SLAM shares the impetus of the event, “During the shutdown, we’re launching SLAM Movie Night, in which we’ll be choosing basketball films available on VOD and streaming platforms and driving tune-in for our audience to watch those movies ‘with us.’ It will be a way of bringing our audience closer together during a moment when everyone is physically further apart than ever.”

A Kid From Coney Island is distributed via JDS Sports, a holding company that invests in the intersection of sports, media, and entertainment and includes SLAM Media, RTG Features, 1091 Media, Five-Star Basketball, VidMob, Transmit.Live, INFLCR (acquired by Teamworks), and more. Operating partners at JDS Sports, Peter Robert Casey and Matt Aronson share, “From day one, JDS Sports has been focused on end-to-end content solutions and synergies. Our mix of portfolio companies allows for control, flexibility and quick adaptation — being able to develop content through RTG Features, distribute through 1091 Media, and promote through SLAM makes it possible to shift quickly from a theatrical window to accelerated digital availability, and give basketball fans fresh new content to enjoy together while we’re all physically apart.”

SYNOPSIS 
Coney Island, New York is famous for a few things: Nathan’s Hot Dogs, Spike Lee’s He Got Game, and a kid from the housing projects named Stephon Marbury. A boy, who at the ripe age of 5, was told that he was going to the NBA. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders given that his three older brothers (who were elite basketball players in college) never made pro. For Stephon, there was no choice, but to redeem his family name and build a global legacy in the sport of basketball, but not without its downfalls. From Executive Producer, Kevin Durant, A Kid From Coney Island is a fascinating and honest portrayal of the turbulent, yet inspiring career of Stephon Marbury.A Kid From Coney Island was a no-brainer debut film project for RTG Features. Stephon Marbury, the first-ever high school diarist in SLAM Magazine, came of age at the same time and in the same city that SLAM was born. Additionally, this film brings together four JDS Sports portfolio companies (RTG Features, 1091 Media, SLAM, and VidMob) across the full spectrum of content, from development to distribution to promotion.