Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Captivating docuseries inspires, challenges stereotypes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Basketball or Nothing
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
What's the Story?
BASKETBALL OR NOTHING is a docuseries that follows the basketball team at Chinle High School on the Navajo Nation reservation through a season-long effort to chase an Arizona state title. Under the guidance of veteran coach Raul Mendoza, who brings a fresh philosophy to his first season with the Chinle Wildcats, the team works hard to adapt to his expectations and the hopes of the broader Chinle community. As adversity on and off the court challenges the players, they strive for success and hope that basketball can help launch futures of limitless possibility.
Is It Any Good?
You don't have to be a basketball fan to give in to the captivating nature of this series. Drama plays out on the court in Basketball or Nothing, as losses threaten the team's goals and players adjust to Mendoza's methods -- all while dealing with the pressures of playing a sport that garners a cult following that outnumbers the town's population. But there's even more intrigue in the subjects' backstories and the intimate picture they paint of life on the Navajo Nation reservation.
Basketball or Nothing's title is a nod to the harsh reality that, if not for the popular sport, there would be little for these teens to do in and around Chinle, where drug use, drinking, and suicide rates are disproportionately high among teens and young adults. For these players, basketball is more than just a productive use of their free time; it's a possible ticket off the reservation and into college, a career, and a more secure future. By letting the kids and adults tell their own stories, the series shows how, despite hardships, this team is determined to succeed. It's impossible not to root for them.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about which aspects of the players' lives in Basketball or Nothing make succeeding on the court so challenging. What responsibilities do they have at home beyond the usual school and sports? How do they balance all of it? What role does basketball play in their overall happiness?
How is Coach Mendoza a positive role model for his players? Do they respect him? Does he respect them? Teens: Who in your life influences you beyond the role of a teacher or mentor?
What's the goal of Basketball or Nothing? What did you learn by following the players of the Chinle Wildcats? Do the players inspire you with their abilities to work together and persevere through adversity?
TV Details
- Premiere date: August 2, 2019
- Cast: Raul Mendoza
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Reality TV
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts , High School
- Character Strengths: Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: January 25, 2024
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