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IMDbPro

The Playbook

  • TV Series
  • 20202020
  • TV-MATV-MA
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
18,291
3,434
The Playbook (2020)
The Playbook
Play trailer1:43
1 Video
11 Photos
DocumentarySport
The Playbook profiles legendary coaches as they share the rules they live by to achieve success in sports and in life.The Playbook profiles legendary coaches as they share the rules they live by to achieve success in sports and in life.The Playbook profiles legendary coaches as they share the rules they live by to achieve success in sports and in life.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
18,291
3,434
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Stars
      • Doc Rivers
      • José Mourinho
      • Dawn Staley
    Top credits
    • Stars
      • Doc Rivers
      • José Mourinho
      • Dawn Staley
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 8User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations

    Episodes5

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated
    1 Season
    2020

    Videos1

    The Playbook
    Trailer 1:43
    The Playbook

    Photos11

    The Playbook (2020)
    The Playbook (2020)
    The Playbook (2020)
    The Playbook (2020)
    The Playbook (2020)
    The Playbook (2020)
    The Playbook (2020)
    The Playbook (2020)
    The Playbook (2020)
    The Playbook (2020)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Doc Rivers
    Doc Rivers
    • Self
    1 episode1 ep • 2020
    José Mourinho
    José Mourinho
    • Self
    1 episode1 ep • 2020
    Dawn Staley
    Dawn Staley
    • Self
    1 episode1 ep • 2020
    Patrick Mouratoglou
    • Self
    1 episode1 ep • 2020
    Jill Ellis
    • Self
    1 episode1 ep • 2020
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    User reviews8

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    5/10
    Skip it!
    Rivers is an ideal subject for The Playbook. He's among an admirably outspoken cadre of NBA coaches who aren't afraid to speak out about racism - a topic that sports fans, perhaps narrow-mindedly, find divisive. And now that the Black Lives Matter movement is increasingly embraced by the mainstream, including the notoriously conservative NFL, Rivers should be heralded as a pioneer. The show documents how he and then-wife Kris, who's white, were targets of racially motivated harassment, and how "skinheads" burned down his house in San Antonio.

    Rivers addressed racism in the NBA as far back as 1994, in his book Those Who Love the Game. Maybe that's something The Playbook should have mentioned. Sticking to a 30-minute format sometimes renders the show frustratingly superficial, and instead of focusing tightly on one component of Rivers' experiences and hard-earned wisdom, it's a quick-hit catchall of his philosophies. The show explains Ubuntu as something embraced by African luminaries Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, but doesn't really get into how it's a spiritual, collectivist ideal that was key in South African's abolition of Apartheid. The Playbook illustrates how Rivers had the Celtics shouting "Ubuntu!" during pregame pep talks, and crediting the idea as a significant factor in their championship run, but oddly never makes the connection to the Clippers' show of unity in the face of Sterling's grotesque remarks.

    Despite its superficialities, The Playbook is still reasonably compelling sports-doc TV. It strives for a broadly inspiring tone, and Rivers' story has it in abundance. Its commitment to profiling diverse international figures is commendable. Sure, it's a bit puffy, but its intentions are pure. And it's absolutely preferable to overly reverential tripe like HBO's faux-insider coach profile Belichick and Saban, which put the microphone in front of two old white guys who had nothing interesting to say about themselves or the world, probably because what they'd say would indict them as complete a-holes. In that context, bring on Rivers and Jill Ellis and Dawn Staley, please - and maybe next time, give them hourlong documentaries.
    helpful•2
    17
    • maanikroda
    • Oct 4, 2020

    Details

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    • Release date
      • September 22, 2020 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • قواعد اللعبة
    • Production companies
      • Boardwalk Pictures
      • Delirio Films
      • SpringHill Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

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      • Color

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