In the 1990s, Bronxite Felipe López was on his way to become one of the most famous basketball players of our time.
But that day never really came for the Dominican immigrant living in The Bronx despite having been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated after graduating high school highlighting his promising career.
A new documentary, The Dominican Dream, offers a window into what happened to López.
Director Jonathan Hock gives López, his family, his coaches and teammates — and even fans from back in the day like A-Rod! — the chance to recount how young Felipe first dazzled an entire community in the late 80s and early 90s. And, as its title suggests, this is an immigrant story: the López family first moved from the Dominican Republic to the Bronx in the 80s, in the hopes of offering their kids a better future. Sadly, Felipe and his sister were first denied visas, and so had to spend a couple of years away from their family. When they arrived in the Bronx, then a borough all but synonymous with drugs and violence, their older brother suggested Felipe join a local basketball league.
Watch the trailer below and you can catch the full documentary over at ESPN.