Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell, also known as Waliy Abdur Rahim (born September 11, 1968 in Oakland, California) is a former streetball player. He is considered by several NBA All-Stars to be the greatest player to never reach the NBA. He attended McClymonds High School in West Oakland.
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[edit] Hooked documentary
Hooked: The Legend of Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell[1] is a documentary that was released in 2003. It traces the life of Demetrius Mitchell, who, at 5-feet-9, built his legendary playground status by accomplishing feats such as jumping over the top of a Volkswagen car and slam dunking a basketball. Chicago Bulls forward Drew Gooden credits Demetrius with the feat of a 360 degree dunk over a car. Mitchell says his best dunk ever was a backboard shattering dunk off an alley oop. The "Hook" says that he has been playing above the rim since he was 5'3, but didn't dunk in organized games until the height of 5'5. He played two seasons for the Contra Costa College intercollegiate squad. The playground basketball star's descent into drugs and crime, however, destroyed any chance he had of becoming a professional athlete. Filmmakers Michael Skolnik and William O'Neill (who also made La Esquina Caliente, a documentary about the Baltimore Orioles playing a game in Cuba) interview Demetrius Mitchell, known as Waliy Abdur Rahim since his conversion to Islam in prison, where he describes his rough upbringing on the streets of Oakland, and his struggle to survive. The filmmakers also interview several NBA stars who also grew up in Oakland, including Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, Antonio Davis,Drew Gooden, and Brian Shaw, all of whom played with Mitchell on the streets, and were astonished by his skills, but were unable to help him avoid his sorry fate. They describe his unstable home life and the longing for community that drove him to the streets. Mitchell himself is shown playing prison league games, and is surprisingly still able to play above the rim. The film's soundtrack was produced by DJ Premier. Hooked had its world premiere at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival.
Hooked was released on DVD by Razor & Tie in October 2004 and was previewed at more than 20 film festivals in the U.S., including the Tribeca Film Festival and garnered awards in 2003 ranging from “Best Documentary” to bronze medal at the Rhode Island Film Festival, San Francisco Black Film Festival, San Francisco World Film Festival and Worldfest Houston.
[edit] Recent life
Mitchell was released from prison on April 4, 2004. He had served 51 months in prison after being charged with an armed robbery on a Blockbuster. He went to training camp with the Golden State Warriors but was cut. Most notably, he did a photo shoot for Dime Magazine. He signed a contract with Reebok and his biography is out on video and DVD. He is also said to have joined the YPA (Young Players Association) mixtape squad.
