I Wanna Be Like Mike: The Story of the New NBA

I Wanna Be Like Mike, is one of the most memorable marketing slogans of all time, it was one of the first of thousands of ad campaigns to utilize the worlds adoration of a sports icon to sell product. It's easy to forget that before Michael Jordan was marketed as the best basketball player of all time, athletes were not marketed as teen idols, they were simply athletes. While it seems harmless on the surface, what affect has this type of marketing had on culture, society and the young men they target? Is this related to the increase in players who jump out of high school without even looking at college? I Wanna Be Like Mike: the story of the new NBA, examines this subject by telling the opinions and experiences of people involved in every level of the business that is basketball basketball. Learn the truth about how advertising and mass media have changed what was once simply an athletic competition. Hear the story from veterans and experts of the sport; L.A. Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak, former UCLA head coach and current ESPN analyst Steve Lavin, IMG academies Director Joe Abunassar. See first hand men who won't give up their hopes of playing in the NBA as the film shows the rarely seen minor leagues and the men who play on them for close to nothing. Meet Ricky Sanchez, a 17 year old who is deciding to go to college or straight into the pros, and see the consequences of his decision a year later.