In this archive photo from April 4, 1983, Sidney Lowe drives against Houston guard, Alvin Franklin, in the 1983 National Title game in Albuquerque, N.M. The Wolfpack won 54-52, on a last-second dunk by Lorenzo Charles." />
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In this archive photo from April 4, 1983, Sidney Lowe drives against Houston guard, Alvin Franklin, in the 1983 National Title game in Albuquerque, N.M. The Wolfpack won 54-52, on a last-second dunk by Lorenzo Charles.
Before N.C. State fans got their first look at the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Survive and Advance in Reynolds Coliseum Monday, director Jonathan Hock said the film was “a love story that you’ll see on screen.”
Following Hock’s comments, nine members of the subject of the film, the 1983 national champion men’s basketball team, joined one of the film’s producers and fellow teammate, Dereck Wittenburg, on stage.
Wittenburg said he came to Hock with the idea of the film and trusted him to bring the story to life. Wittenburg said he was inspired to make the documentary after watching the popular 30 for 30 film The Fab Five.
The film not only chronicles the familiar story of the team’s improbable run to the 1983 Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title and the NCAA national title, but it also parallels the events of that historic season and head coach Jim Valvano’s battle with cancer following the historic run through the postseason.
It also touched on the NCAA’s investigation of the program that led to sanctions and Valvano’s exit from the program.
Despite living through the events the film profiles, members of the team said they were still taken back by the film’s portrayal of that moment in time.
“I lived that and I was on the edge of my seat,” Ernie Myers, who was a freshman on the championship team, said. “You can’t say [any] more than that. I knew the ending, but all of the other stuff in between those stories — some stuff I may have forgotten — just brought it all back.”
“That was like a movie instead of a documentary for me,” Myers said.
Wittenburg also had an emotional reaction to the film, but the location of the premiere in Reynolds Coliseum also brought back the emotions and memories of that time period.
“This is the place where I played,” Wittenburg said. “The reunion and the reflections going back because [this is] the place that you played. All of the memories come up. This is such an emotional place to be as opposed to having a premiere somewhere.”
The documentary features interviews from members of the team and its noted opponents, such as Ralph Sampson, Hakeem Olajuwan and Mike Krzyzewski.
Hock said he took an omnipresent approach to including Valvano’s commentary into the film. It features speeches, including the famous speech from the 1993 ESPYS, press conferences and other speaking engagements from his time during and after his coaching career at N.C. State.
“It was just this timeless, anywhere voice of coach Valvano here,” Hock said. “It could’ve been anytime here. It was his spirit inhabiting the whole film because we obviously couldn’t interview him.”
“It was better, different than interviewing because it was coming from this place that was above it all,” Hock said.
The film will premiere nationally March 17 on ESPN at 9 p.m.
“For a new generation to experience that, know what happened — and knowing the whole sports world is going to see that — it’s going to be awesome,” Myers said.