Showtime Sports Documentary Films announces Stand, a raw and unflinching examination of the courageous and remarkable life of basketball star and social justice activist Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, that will premiere on SHOWTIME in early 2023.
The film is directed by Joslyn Rose Lyons, making her feature-length directorial debut. The executive producers are Sarah Allen, and Mike Tollin and Mason Gordon of MSM. The film is produced by Colleen Dominguez with producer Tom Friend and consulting producer David Kelly (Golden State Entertainment).
Stand explores the personal struggles of Abdul-Rauf – born Chris Jackson in Gulfport, Mississippi – and how he overcame overwhelming odds to make it to basketball’s biggest stage. The feature-length documentary includes the voices of some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment and details Abdul-Rauf’s unprecedented journey from schoolboy prodigy to NBA All-Rookie team to national pariah.
The film features extensive interviews with prominent basketball and entertainment stars including four-time NBA Champion and NBA Finals MVP Curry, nine-time NBA Champion as player and coach Steve Kerr, NBA Hall of Famer and three-time NBA Finals MVP Shaquille O’Neal, former NBA player and current basketball analyst Jalen Rose, two-time Oscar winning actor Mahershala Ali and rapper, actor and filmmaker Ice Cube.
The film also details Abdul-Rauf’s groundbreaking stand against racism and for social justice, and the backlash that ensued. After changing his name and converting to Islam amid the heightened tensions from the Gulf War, Abdul-Rauf was exiled in his own locker room and a target of hate speech and Islamophobia across the nation. Unable to sit still because of his Tourette’s Syndrome and unwilling to stay silent and cower in the face of prejudice, he elected not to stand at attention during the national anthem prior to a game in 1996. Just two years later, he would go unsigned by any NBA team, despite being in the prime of his career and averaging nearly 20 points per game during the 1995-96 season, setting the precedent for Kaepernick.