AMHERST, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – A winning team returning to some of the spots where it all happened, the 1995-96 UMass men’s basketball team reliving the most thrilling memories from their historic season.
“It’s good to be back,” that was the phrase we kept hearing from both the production crew to many of the players who were eager for the opportunity to be back here in western Massachusetts.
“They were gods to us walking around campus,” said Director Brad Davidson. “Now you’re making a movie and seeing him tonight — it’s a bit surreal.”
The tale of an underdog franchise turned household name. The UMass men’s basketball team’s historic 1995/96 season which landed the team in the final four is making its way to the screen.
“We’ve come back to Amherst to relive that glory period of 1988-1996 and invited a lot of the old players,” added Davidson.
Brad Davidson and Mike Corey coming back 25 years later to relive and recreate some of the highlights of their college days. On Monday, some of the team’s most notable alumni joining them to also take the moment to look back.
“Seeing some of my former teammates that I played with, got Coach Cal back in town – it’s almost like a big family reunion,” expressed Marcus Camby.
It’s former UMass player turned NBA forward, Marcus Camby attributing his professional career to those early days at UMass.
“No matter what I did when I left here, when I was in the NBA, when I was defensive player of the year, all-defensive team, number 2 pick, the foundation was created here in Amherst and I’m very proud of that,” said Camby.
The documentary has been in the works for about a year now, but the film’s director, Brad Davidson, has always known he wanted this story to eventually become a movie.
“The idea came from, ironically, an article that I wrote for the Collegian 30 years ago, where I essentially wrote in the article, this is such an amazing experience that there’s only way to sum it up – you have to make a movie about it,” explained Davidson.
Now, that idea, first sparked nearly three decades ago, is finally becoming a reality.
For three days, much of the team is getting back together hoping to recreate magic, this time, not on the basketball court but on film.
“Just coming back out here, reliving good memories, and remembering the good times we had but also the path that we’re all on,” added Camby.
For Davidson and Camby, it’s the ultimate “Cinderella Story” to be apart of.
“We captured the moment and we had some great times,” expressed Camby.
Marcus Camby isn’t the only big name to take part of the documentary, the team’s coach and Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, John Calipari also stopped in for filming.
Davidson told us he hopes that by the next NCAA men’s basketball tournament, everyone will be able to experience some of the magic too.
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