20 Years Of ‘Love & Basketball’ Sanaa Lathan And Gina Prince-Bythewood Reflect Live On Twitter

It’s the coming of age love story that gave a multi-dimensional look at the delicate development of black life and black love. Love & Basketball twenty years later is still refreshingly nuanced and intimately authentic. Starring Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps, the film chronicled the life of a talented female basketball player, Monica, and her best friend turned lover, Quincy. It wasn’t what studios wanted at the time.  Writer-director Gina Prince-Bythewood told ESPN “Studios gave feedback that the film was ‘too soft,’ that we needed [scenes] where a character is chasing her husband with a knife.”

Prince-Bythewood didn’t take that advice and Love & Basketball went on to gross over 27 million at the box office, win four NAACP Image Awards, and two independent spirit awards. But most importantly it influenced an entire generation of people and filmmakers of color. Calling it a classic is an understatement. Yesterday officially marked 2o years since the film’s release on April 21, 2000.

20 years later Sanaa Lathan and Gina Prince-Bythewood celebrated with a watch party hosted by Twitter and BET. They shared rare moments and behind the scenes commentary with fans of the classic.

See a few of the fun fact tweets below.