King James - Hampstead

I second this.

It's a vibrant two-hander, featuring the platonic friendship of two men over many years, bonded by their love of their local basketball team.

Some spoilers follow. . .

I got an early Annie Baker vibe (eg "Circle Mirror Transformation," "The Flick"), with well-drawn characters, acutely observed, brilliantly acted.

The actors add something extra to the piece too, that isn't necessarily in the writing, that really made the piece come alive for me, which is the way Sam Mitchell brings a highly authentic introverted downbeat intensity to his character, and Enyi Okoronkwo brings an open extroverted enthusiasm to his character, and the interplay of these character types and their sensitivities is just so superbly done.

I'm not a sports fan, so I didn't know the intricacies of King James's basketball career, but it wasn't necessary, fandom is fandom, and I really felt that the basketball was in any event just a vehicle for an authentic depiction of how male friends relate to each other, with a bit of insecurity here, a bit of oneupmanship there, and a lot of neediness and camaraderie all over.

4 enthusiastic stars from me.