Hoop Dreams

Hoop Dreams tells the story of two young men in Chicago who are trying to realise their dream of playing professional basketball. William Gates and Arthur Agee are forced to endure radical changes to their lives in pursuit of basketball success. The process each young man goes through ultimately provides insight into race and poverty in America.

Gates and Agee are taken from a poor upbringing in Chicago’s housing projects and thrust into a highly competitive basketball programme at one of Illinois’ premier schools. They must contend with ninety-minute journeys to and from school, demanding practice schedules, and academic pressures. Hoop Dreams offers an in-depth look at professional sport as a perceived golden ticket for many young people who have limited opportunities for social and economic advancement.