Basketball as Religion in He Got Game - Essay Example

After six years since then, Jesus has worked hard to become a brilliant prospective basketball player just at the age of eighteen. Several colleges are interested in him with lucrative offers of scholarship, and making a career with the NBA also remains an option. However, the Governor wants to sign Jesus with his alma mater, the Big State. With his power and influence, he releases Jake on parole for a week. If Jake is able to convince his son Jesus to play for Big State his sentence would be drastically reduced setting him free.

Otherwise, he would be sent back to jail. Now an emotional tug of war begins. Jake seeks to convince his estranged son. Martha (Lonette McKee), who is Jesus’ younger sister, wants a better life and suggests his brother to look for more profitable opportunities. Jesus’ girlfriend, Lala (Rosario Dawson) plays a double dealing role in the complex environment with a ‘not so innocent’ approach. The characters like Jesus’ uncle, aunt, coach, etc. appear as both selfish and empathetic in the course of the drama.

As Jake returns to his family, Jesus has to confront him and go through emotional ups and downs. On the other hand, he faces the contradictions, glamour, challenges, and dark realities of the multi-billion dollar basketball sports industry of America. At times, he is at the dilemma of horns, but the young athlete is a good-natured son who ultimately seeks reunion and peace with his lonely and troubled father. Basketball craze is a huge factor in the sports culture of American life. It has emerged as a multi-billion dollar business in the American sports industry.

Almost all the resourceful and reputed colleges of the country are rivaling each other in order to leave a mark in the various basketball leagues. This helps them to levy high amounts of profits. On the other hand, there is the celebrated NBA, where several