‘GOAT’ is an Animated Love Letter to the Game of Basketball

February 9, 2026February 9, 2026 Michael Lee

GOAT may look like one of those underdog sports movies where you can clock the protagonist and antagonist in the first five minutes, but it has more on its mind than simply winning the big game. The animated film is a love letter to basketball and everything that comes with it. This isn’t just about the score. It’s about the plays, the chemistry, the legacy a veteran fights to protect, and the way a team can become the heartbeat of a community.

Animation, Movies, Sports

‘GOAT’ Brings Basketball Culture to Life in Sony Animation’s Boldest Experiment Yet

February 3, 2026February 3, 2026 Michael Lee

GOAT looks like an underdog sports story on the surface, where a goat tries to earn his place in a league built for bigger animals, but it’s really driven by something more intimate. Family, belief, legacy, and the ache to prove you belong are what actually ground the journey.

Hard N.O.C. Life, Star Wars

Hard NOC Life 357: One Day Ghor

May 12, 2025May 20, 2025 Hard NOC Media

Last week on Hard NOC Life, Keith and Dominic joked about how Andor was basically “Les Mis in Space France.” This week, they’re serious about the comparison. Also, Keith rants about the most recent episode of The Last of Us, and Dominic has a theory about the superstars in the NBA Playoffs and their superhero equivalents.

Interview, Movies, Reviews

‘Freaky Tales’ is a Love Letter for Funny Folks Fighting Fascism

April 4, 2025May 20, 2025 Dominic Mah

The Golden State Warriors played the Los Angeles Lakers last night, as they do in the closing act of the new film Freaky Tales from filmmakers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, set in the East Bay Area (Oakland and Berkeley mainly) in 1987, in which many cultural rivalries are lovingly recreated. The genre-bending mixtape movie from the directors of Captain Marvel and Half Nelson is timely, nostalgic, punk rock and old-school hiphop, inspiring and often hilarious.

Fandom, Gaming, Sports2 Comments

The Pokémon Company Scores Big in Overtime

March 22, 2025March 22, 2025 Jamal Michel

Back when I was in middle school, every other kid on our small basketball court would pretend to be some kind of Pokémon or Gym Leader from the anime, and it extended into rivalries we thought would stay relegated to our imagination.

DC Comics, Podcasts

DC Multicast: Greg Burnham Shares His Love for the Lakers and Shaq’s Turn as ‘Steel’

February 12, 2025February 12, 2025 Hard NOC Media

On the latest editon of DC Multicast, comic book writer and lifelong Lakers fan Greg Burnham joins Keith as they hack-a-Shaq the 1997 classic non-Superman movie, Steel!

Interview, Movies, Sports

‘Rez Ball’ Director and Stars on Their Creative Approaches to the Sports Drama Genre

September 23, 2024September 18, 2024 Lauren Lola

This week will see the release of Rez Ball on Netflix. Directed and co-written by Sydney Freeland, the story is set around a high school basketball team at a Native American reservation. In the aftermath of the loss of their star player, the remaining members must learn to come together and continue their efforts in competing for the state championship title.

Hard N.O.C. Life, Sports

Hard NOC Life 341: Ant-Man and the NBA Playoff Mania

May 20, 2024May 20, 2024 Hard NOC Media

After Dominic shares his experience at the Pearl Jam concert, Keith looks back at the weekend’s NBA Playoff matchups and the superhero battle between Ant-Man and the Joker. Then, they look at the dismal state of the summer box office season.

Movies, Sports

Trailer and Poster for Prime Video’s ‘Giannis: The Marvelous Journey’ Revealed

February 15, 2024February 16, 2024 Mike Manalo

Legends don’t get any bigger than Milwaukee Bucks mega-star Giannis Antetokounmpo. And just in time for NBA’s All-Star Weekend, Prime Video has released a trailer for their upcoming documentary about his life, Giannis: The Marvelous Journey.

Hard N.O.C. Life, Music

Hard NOC Life 322: Mega Ran Opens Up ‘Buddy’s Magic Toy Box’

July 31, 2023 Hard NOC Media

Keith welcomes official Friend of the NOC, Mega Ran back to the podcast to celebrate the release of his forthcoming children’s album, Buddy’s Magic Toy Box.

Interview, Movies, Sports

Ryan Coogler and Erick Payton Explore the Life and Times of Steph Curry in ‘Underrated’

July 21, 2023July 21, 2023 Elijah Isaiah Johnson

In anticipation of the upcoming sports documentary, Stephen Curry: Underrated, I had the chance to have a sit down with the film’s executive producers, Ryan Coogler and Erick Payton, to discuss the intricacies of the year-plus long shoot, what makes this a unique documentary among others in its class, and their views on the legacy of Steph Curry as well as his impact on the game.

Interview, Movies1 Comment

Rishi Rajani on Producing Diverse Asian Stories in ‘Chang Can Dunk’

March 10, 2023March 10, 2023 Swara Salih

Disney+’s Chang Can Dunk is now streaming on Disney+! We speak with the producer Rishi Rajani on the process of getting the film out there and how he sees the landscape changing for Asian American stories.

Interview, Movies12 Comments

Jingyi Shao and Bloom Li on Finding Identity in ‘Chang Can Dunk’

March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 Laura Sirikul

When Disney+’s Chang Can Dunk was first announced, many questioned the idea of an Asian person centering their story on basketball and — from the look of the photos released at the time — his style of dress, which could be construed as appropriating Black culture to benefit another race’s story.

Movies, Streaming

Disney’s ‘Chang Can Dunk’ Trailer Mixes Basketball and Identity

February 21, 2023February 21, 2023 Laura Sirikul

The trailer and key art for the new Disney+ Original Film Chang Can Dunk has just been revealed. Written and directed by Jingyi Shao, the coming-of-age sports comedy stars Bloom Li as Chang, a 16-year-old Asian American kid in the marching band who bets the school basketball star that he could dunk a basketball by Homecoming.

Movies, Sports

‘AIR’ Trailer Shows How Nike Courted Michael Jordan

February 9, 2023February 9, 2023 Keith Chow

For basketball fans, the GOAT debate is never-ending. And while LeBron may have just broken an unbreakable scoring record, only Michael Jordan can claim an A-List origin movie… for his shoes. Now that movie, AIR, has unveiled an official trailer.

Movies, Trailers

‘White Men Can’t Jump’ Trailer Teases New Streetball Hustle

February 6, 2023February 7, 2023 Michael Lee

20^th Century Studios has debuted its first look at the remake of 1992’s classic sports comedy White Men Can’t Jump. Directed by Calmatic, who uses a script written by Kenya Barris, the film puts a modern spin on the hustle culture of street basketball. It stars Jack Harlow and Singua Walls.

Movies, Sports

Ben Affleck’s ‘AIR’ to Hit Theaters Ahead of Prime Video Debut

January 23, 2023March 21, 2023 Keith Chow

AIR directed by Ben Affleck, from Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, Mandalay Pictures, and the first project from Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, will receive a wide global theatrical release in advance of its premiere on Prime Video.

Interview, Streaming

Hasan Minhaj on Pushing the Envelope as ‘The King’s Jester’

September 30, 2022September 29, 2022 Keith Chow

On October 4, Hasan Minhaj makes his triumphant return to Netflix with his newest special, The King’s Jester. In advance of the special’s global premiere, I had the chance to sit down with Hasan to ask about his process (and troll him about Kumail Nanjiani and the Sacramento Kings).

Movies, Sports, Streaming

‘Rise’ Tells the True Story of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Journey to the NBA

May 10, 2022May 10, 2022 Michael Lee

As the Milwaukee Bucks continue their journey to another NBA Finals, Disney+ has released the first trailer for Rise. Based on the true story of the NBA champion and MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers, the film tells the tale of an immigrant family facing deportation and how their children sharpened their basketball talents to be drafted in the NBA to become world class athletes.

Sports, Television

One on One with ‘Winning Time’ Stars John C. Reilly and Quincy Isaiah

February 28, 2022February 28, 2022 Adonis Gonzalez

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty takes viewers on a stylized journey through one of the most important times in the team’s legacy; the beginning of the 1980s. Known as the “Showtime Era,” this moment in NBA history changed the league immensely, revitalizing public interest in basketball, and introducing the world to the Lakers dynamo squad of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Norm Nixon. These star players ball alongside the rest of the packed Lakers team, coached by Jerry West, and led by Jerry Buss.

Interview, Sports, Streaming

Steph and Ayesha Curry on HBO Max’s ‘About Last Night’

February 7, 2022February 7, 2022 Dominic Mah

NBA superstar Stephen Curry and his wife Ayesha Curry host About Last Night, a new celebrity-couples game show debuting this week on HBO Max. Each episode features the Currys and three guest couples revealing surprising, uncensored trivia about their relationships over swanky cocktails in a fancy date-night setting. The Nerds of Color got to quickly chat with Ayesha and Stephen about the show, their sporting event viewing habits, and karaoke preferences.

Sports, Streaming, Television

It’s Showtime for HBO’s ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’

December 9, 2021February 28, 2022 Adonis Gonzalez

Grab your purple and gold jerseys and a big tub of popcorn, it’s time to play ball. Or rather, it’s time to watch a bunch of other people play ball. Or… actually, it’s time to watch a guy buy a team of people who play ball. Point is, Lakers fans have a lot to be excited about.

Animation, Movies, Sports2 Comments

‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Puts Black Joy on Full Display

July 16, 2021July 16, 2021 Jamal Michel

The reviews for LeBron James’ and SpringHill Entertainment’s Space Jam: A New Legacy are rolling in and they paint a considerably dismal picture of the imagination critics go to the movies with today. For some context, Steven Spielberg’s 2018 IP extravaganza Ready Player One sits with a decent aggregate rating of 72% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, particularly because of the way the film sets up its action sequences and because it is a Spielberg flick. A New Legacy, however, is already down to 32% from critics and that’s mainly because there are “too many IPs,” and the film doesn’t make algorithms function the way they should in the real world.