New Mexico Basketball Team Highlighted in New Movie

Everyone loves an underdog story, which is probably why Netflix's newest addition is doing so well!

Rez Ball is currently rising in the ranks on Netflix, and after watching it myself, I can see why- you don't even have to love basketball to love this story.

Rez Ball is based on a true story that will make you feel like you're cheering on the sidelines. The film is centered around a Native American high school basketball team from Chuska, New Mexico. It follows the players as they aim for a state championship after the sudden departure of their star player. If you haven't already, check out the trailer below.

The movie delves into themes of perseverance, teamwork, and cultural pride, showcasing how the sport of basketball is deeply embedded in many Native American communities. The film is based on Michael Powell’s book, Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Reservation, and highlights both the challenges and triumphs faced by the team.

The film is written and directed by Sydney Freeland who is a huge basketball fan herself, and produced by LeBron James. Freeland tells Netflix:

For us, this film is an invitation to see a side of America — a community — that [everyone] may not be familiar with. But for myself, for these kids, for the cast, for the crew, this is something that we’ve lived and breathed our whole lives. We’ve done our best to try to capture that experience on-screen, on camera, and we want to share that with people.

The cast features some familiar faces from the FX show "Reservation Dogs", and some fresh faces who act out the story beautifully.

Rez Ball is streaming now on Netflix.