Jump Shot: The Kenny Sailors Story

2020 • 79 minutes

About this movie

Attendees of the 1943 NCAA Basketball Championships at Madison Square Garden witnessed something almost no one had ever seen before - a "leaping one-hander", now known as the "jump shot", that revolutionized the game and launched an unheralded squad from the University of Wyoming to the trophy. JUMP SHOT is the inspiring true story of Kenny Sailors, the developer and innovator of the shot that defined the game of basketball without letting it define him.

Ratings and reviews

A wonderful documentary about basketball but an even better story about a man who gave his life to God, his family, and his country. Jump Shot explores the extraordinary and fascinating life of Kenny Sailors, the man who created the Jump Shot who then disappeared into the boondocks of Alaska. This documentary will make you laugh, cry, and wonder why you've never heard the name "Kenny Sailors".

Every great sports movie has its hero. Someone that it's easy to root for, for whom you sit on the edge of your seat hoping deep down that he'll succeed against all the odds. "Jump Shot" finds that hero in the shoes of a man who would certainly never accept such a label for himself. Kenny Sailors, the man credited with introducing the jump shot to the game of basketball, has his story told in this thrilling and heart-warming documentary. The late Sailors (who died in 2016 at the age of 95) is an effortlessly charming protagonist, drawing the viewer in to the story of his life, one that was about far more than the sport he helped change forever. Joined with wide-ranging commentary of basketball icons like Bobby Knight, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, as well as quality archival footage and some stellar animated sequences, "Jump Shot" is one documentary that will leave you engrossed until the final buzzer.

What will you leave behind, what will your legacy be? For Kenny Sailor, the answer is a lot more than his invention of the jump shot. This movie will not only entertain, but motivate you. Hearing about Kenny's life feels like being given a warm hug from your grandpa. Next time I'm feeling down, this is the movie I'll watch to cheer myself up.