A forthcoming documentary film is set to focus on Spud Webb, who became an NBA sensation in the 1980s for his impressive athleticism despite his short stature.
Director Dylan Mulick (Helen Believe) has wrapped production on the feature Fly: Spud Webb, The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively learned. The project is set to hit the market later this year, with the news coming ahead of this weekend’s NBA All-Star Game.
Fly: Spud Webb centers on the titular athlete, who was drafted into the NBA in 1985 and went on to play for four teams in a professional career that spanned more than a decade. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the 5-foot-7-inch player, who was then a member of the Atlanta Hawks, winning the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk Contest as its shortest competitor ever. Webb became a fan favorite, dispelling assumptions about basketball success being based on height and helping to open the door for other sports heroes.
The movie will feature archival footage alongside new interviews about Webb’s path and ability to draw younger fans and female audiences as the league evolved. Offering perspective in the film are prominent NBA personalities Dominique Wilkins, Doc Rivers and Mike Fratello, along with Webb and his family.
Mulick, Danny Lee, David Goldblum, Byron Hunter and Carra Greenberg produce the film that hails from Conscious Contact Entertainment, CALICO, World Within Studios and Elkhart Films.
During a 2021 interview with ESPN, Webb admitted that fans approach him every day to ask about his surprise Slam Dunk Contest victory.
“Everywhere you go, somebody asks you, ‘Can you still dunk? Can you touch the ceiling?’” the star recalled. “That’s why I started getting out of dunk contests, because you want to be known as a basketball player, not a sideshow.”
