Shut Up and Dribble
This three-part documentary series provides a powerful inside look at the changing role of athletes in our fraught cultural and political environment, through the lens of the NBA. The series chronicles the modern history of the league, and how it became an incubator for many of its top athletes to grow their brands beyond the court and become cultural icons. By taking control of their own destinies, basketball players have helped to bring about social change and make their own statements in the current political climate.
- 2018-2020
- 1 season
- Showtime Networks
- Documentary, Sports
This three-part documentary series provides a powerful inside look at the changing role of athletes in our fraught cultural and political environment, through the lens of the NBA. The series chronicles the modern history of the league, and how it became an incubator for many of its top athletes to grow their brands beyond the court and become cultural icons. By taking control of their own destinies, basketball players have helped to bring about social change and make their own statements in the current political climate.
Season 1 Episode Guide
9 Episodes 2018 - 2020
Episode 1
101
Sat, Nov 3, 2018 50 mins
Prompted by Laura Ingraham's public criticism of LeBron James and other NBA players' outspokenness on the current political climate, the first episode is an exploration of the league's social and cultural influence across time. Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson risked their careers and paved the way for generations of future players. Julius "Dr. J" Erving's style of play laid the groundwork for Larry Bird and Magic Johnson (and David Stern) to catapult the NBA into an era of higher visibility and prosperity.
Episode 2
102
Sat, Nov 10, 2018 50 mins
1984 brought the arrival of the one and only Michael Jordan. MJ breaks barriers when his out-of-context quote, "Republicans buy sneakers too" becomes a signature declaration for a generation of players. In the wake of the Rodney King riots in L.A., two black players, Craig Hodges and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, make their voices heard and pay the price. Allen Iverson rises and becomes a trendsetter unlike anyone before him, even though his defiant style on the court gets him only so far in the NBA.
Episode 3
103
Sat, Nov 17, 2018 53 mins
The very public brawl known as "Malice in the Palace" is the catalyst for new NBA rules. But it is also an opportunity for players to own their brands and create both social and financial equity for themselves. The NBA begins its transition to a "players' league," with players reaching unprecedented levels of economic and cultural influence. The murders of Trayvon Martin and Erik Garner create a chance for NBA players to stand up and be heard. In the present turbulent political era, players are now unwilling to just "shut up and dribble."
Episode 4
Shorts - The Mission
Sun, Oct 25, 2026
Short feature revealing insights from Craig Hodges' failed protest following the 1991 Rodney King beating and contrasting it with this year's NBA boycott in the bubble led by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Episode 5
Shorts - The Rule
Sun, Oct 25, 2026
Short feature looking at the unrecognized impact of basketball Hall of Famer Spencer Haywood, who won a battle in the Supreme Court vs. the NBA, allowed players to be drafted and play in the league without completing 4 years of college.
Episode 6
Shorts - The Big O
Sun, Oct 25, 2026
Short feature detailing Oscar Robertson's everlasting impact on the league, including his landmark demand for free agency.
Episode 7
Episode #1.7
Sun, Oct 25, 2026
In the 1980s, talk-show host Arsenio Hall gives Black NBA players a voice.
Episode 8
Episode #1.8
Sun, Oct 25, 2026
NBA social change from the position of ownership and the tensions between players and team owners.
Episode 9
Episode #1.9
Sun, Oct 25, 2026
The push back modern athletes have dealt with when trying to help cultivate social change.