LOS ANGELES -- By now, the story is familiar. A respected NBA superstar has his seemingly perfect life turned upside down after a woman accuses him of rape. Kobe Bryant is living it. Dale Davis could profit from it. In a remarkable instance of life imitating art, NBA veteran Davis came up with the idea and used his own money to produce the movie Playas Ball, a fictitious story that mirrors Bryant's sexual assault case. The independent film wrapped up shooting in Los Angeles in February -- five months before the Lakers guard was charged with raping a 19-year-old woman in Colorado. It wasn't long after Bryant's arrest became national news that the makers of Playas Ball realized its uncanny connection to their project. "I was just amazed," said Jennifer Harper, the film's writer and director. "We were calling each other like, `Can you believe the timing of this?' " Even more extraordinary, Harper said Bryant was the model for the lead character, played by actor Allen Payne. "In rehearsals, Allen Payne asked, `What athlete is this based on?' " Harper said. "I said, `Just think of Kobe Bryant. He's loved by everybody. He has all the endorsements. That's who this character is.' " The similarities between Playas Ball and Bryant's case could prove advantageous for the movie, which recently completed post-production work but has yet to find a buyer for distribution. Davis is said to be entertaining offers and intends to have the film sold before he returns to the Portland Trail Blazers to start his 13th NBA season. As executive producer, Davis financed the movie for less than $1 million through World Ain't Right Entertainment, his Atlanta-based company that has film and music divisions. Davis said Playas Ball is based on a side of NBA life that goes largely unnoticed by the public -- how high-profile athletes can be exploited because of their wealth and fame. "It happens to athletes in general, entertainers in general," he said. "Sometimes these are the things you have to go through if you have money, and the extent some people will go through to try and get it." My thought is that some folks will think that Dale Davis is doin this for the money and trying to exploit Kobe or defame him.But that aint the case Kobe has already did that all by himself
Maybe it would have been better for kobe to have seen this movie before he slept around so when that girl came to his room he would have said hell no, you need to turn yourself around and leave. But instead he played and now hes gonna pay. Nothing in life comes free, and now its time to pay the piper. Only thing is, is that he will still have millions left over and if it were you or me we would be in dire straits. I cant imagine how hard that would be being rich and famous and having so many women throwing themselves at you and all and all that money, whew I dont know if i could take it. Now that i know what torture they must be going through i have so mutch more sympathy for those guys.
Yeah... it's Dale Davis' fault Kobe got in trouble! If he would of completed this movie a year ago, Kobe would of seen it and been scared straight
Why shouldn't it be released? It's already filmed, so there is pretty much nothing that can stop it from release. The only situation I can think of like this is the terrorist movie that was scheduled to be released in september '01.
I agree, if it takes a movie to make someone know that raping is wrong there is something wrong with that person.
LOL! Anyways, I bet this movie completely favors the players side. All the hotties probably throw themselve at the player. The player probably invites one to the room and they have rough consensual sex. She then turns around and blames him for rape. Whooptie damn doo. I highly doubt they will actually show a sympathetic female figure that is a non slut.
haha, I don't know how some people aren't able to recognize sarcasm, especially when there's a winky face next to it.
