The Spurs have won the top draft pick for the third time, and have another clear shot at drafting success.
Photo by Reginald Thomas II/San Antonio Spurs
Generational talent is on its way to south Texas again. The San Antonio Spurs won the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft lottery on Tuesday night, securing the right to select Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French phenom long considered the top prospect in the upcoming draft.
With a record of 22-60 in 2023, the Spurs finished in a tie with Houston for the second-worst record in the league, better only than the Detroit Pistons at 17-65. (Thankfully, a great game day experience and meaningful outreach seem to balance that out in the eyes of fans.) The bottom three teams in the NBA have a 14 percent chance of winning the top pick in the lottery each year.
San Antonio will thus have the first choice in the draft for the third time in franchise history. The club has not missed in making its previous No. 1 selections, taking two other 7-footers who became NBA Hall-of-Famers: David Robinson in 1987 and Tim Duncan in 1999. Each would win multiple NBA titles with the club and form the cornerstones of a dynasty for a decade-plus after Duncan’s arrival.
The Spurs also have had a history of success with French players, most notably Tony Parker — their first-round pick in 2001, and another member of the NBA Hall of Fame and that championship dynasty. Parker now owns the French professional team that Wembanyama has played for during the last three seasons.
Greg Popovich, the coach who has presided over all five Spurs championships, is still at the helm in San Antonio. In Wembanyama, he now has a new centerpiece to build his team around.
Neil Diamond — a member of both the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame with 10 No. 1 songs and over 56 million albums sold — is such a music legend that it would be easy to do a straight-up biopic of him. Instead, the new Song Sung Blue, named after Diamond’s 1972 hit song, serves as a shadow Diamond biopic, with his songs showcased through a real-life husband-and-wife tribute act known as Lightning & Thunder.
Based on the 2008 documentary of the same name, the film focuses on Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman), who comes up with the idea for a Diamond-centric act when he meets Claire (Kate Hudson). The duo soon grows in popularity locally in Milwaukee, headlining not just restaurants and bars but also some larger venues. As their legend spreads, they even start to get the attention of the media and bigger names outside of Wisconsin.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a good biopic without a little turbulence, and — without spoiling things — Mike and Claire learn that good times never seemed so good when they face more than their fair share of troubles. The couple endures their ups and downs with the help of their combined family, including children Rachel (Ella Anderson), Angelina (King Princess), and Dana (Hudson Henley), as well as a community of fellow tribute acts.
Written and directed by Craig Brewer (Dolemite is My Name), the film’s appeal lies mainly in the irrepressible enthusiasm of Mike, a man born to entertain if ever there was one. Neither his long-dormant alcoholism nor health problems nor location in the Upper Midwest can stop Mike from demonstrating his showmanship skills. Of course, it helps that he’s portrayed by Jackman, who - despite getting a little long in the tooth - gives every performance his all.
What the story can never quite answer, though, is why this particular couple is worth an entire feature film. Sure, they have a somewhat interesting arc, especially when it coincides with a certain early ‘90s grunge band, but otherwise there’s little that separates them from other tribute acts toiling around the country. Brewer struggles to define them outside of their singing lives, and when things get really bad for them, the emotional connection is at a minimum.
Then there’s the aspect of incorporating Diamond’s music, some of which has endured across the decades more than others. Naturally, “Sweet Caroline” gets a notable showcase, but whither “America” or “Heartlight?” The title song is featured the most often, as Mike uses it to celebrate his yearly “sober birthday,” but it’s not a barnburner. Mike also has an obsession with the relatively obscure "Soolaimón," an odd choice both for him and for the movie to include so much.
Jackman and Hudson have good chemistry together, and when the film puts them together in singing scenes, their bond becomes infectious. Each of them has a naturally melodic voice as well, lending an extra boost to that part of the film. Supporting actors like Anderson, King Princess, Michael Imperioli, and Fisher Stevens complement them well, but Jim Belushi, playing their promoter, gives a hammy performance that seems to be in a completely different movie.
While it’s unclear who the audience for Song Sung Blue might be other than hardcore Diamond fans, it has just enough crowd-pleasing moments to make for a solid watch. The entertainment factor of the film comes and goes, but Jackman, using every ounce of his abilities, mostly makes up for any deficiencies.
