Religion of Sports and Showtime Sports are teaming up on “Goliath,” a new three-part docuseries examining the life, career and impact of basketball icon Wilt Chamberlain from his emergence on the national scene as a high schooler in the 1950s through his death in 1999.
“We are honored to team up with this group of talented filmmakers to bring the under-examined story of Wilt Chamberlain’s complex life to the masses,” Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza said in a statement. “Everybody knows Wilt for his legendary accomplishments on the basketball court — scoring 100 points in a game, averaging 50 points and 25 rebounds in a season — but there’s so much more to him than his stats. He was far ahead of his time in so many ways that will last infinitely longer than the numbers on a scoreboard.”
The series, which will premiere on Paramount+ with Showtime on July 14 and air on Showtime on July 16 at 10 p.m. local, will use artificial intelligence to recreate Chamberlain’s voice to narrate his own words and archival footage provided by the Wilt Chamberlain Estate.
Each episode of “Goliath” highlights a specific element of Chamberlain’s cultural impact, focusing on the areas of power, money, race, sex, politics and celebrity.
Kevin Garnett, Pat Riley, Rick Barry, Bill Walton, Lisa Leslie, Oscar Robertson, Jemele Hill, Jerry West, the late Jim Brown and “Couples Therapy” clinical psychologist Orna Guralnik will reflect on Chamberlain and the everlasting effect he’s had on the game of basketball and American culture.
“It was an honor and privilege for my team and me to share Wilt’s incredible legacy with the world,” Garnett said. “Wilt’s cultural impact as a prominent outspoken African American athlete was revolutionary, especially during a time when social strength was not popular. There is no KG, [Michael] Jordan, Hakeem [Olajuwon], LeBron [James], Kobe [Bryant] or Shaq [Shaquille O’Neal] if Wilt doesn’t pave our way. We all stand on his strong shoulders. We all owe a very special thanks to Barbara Lewis and Wilt’s family for allowing us the full access and trust which was crucial to tell this extraordinary story. ‘Goliath’ is not only a tribute to Wilt’s extraordinary career but also a celebration of the mark he left on and off the basketball court and the world.”
“Goliath” is directed by Rob Ford (“The Cost of Winning,” “Boys in Blue”) and Christopher Dillon (“A Crime To Remember”), executive produced by Ford, Charles J. Lindsay (“61*”), William Lindsay, Matt Mosko, Garnett, Mike Marangu (“KG: Anything is Possible”), Brian Bennett, Shannon Perry, Gotham Chopra (“Shut Up and Dribble”), Ameeth Sankaran (“Tom vs. Time”) and Victor Buhler (“McGregor Forever”).
Village Roadshow Television and Chopra’s Religion of Sports in association with Garnett’s Content Cartel, Happy Madison Productions and Heeltap! Entertainment produce.
