‘Champions’ Star Cheech Marin Has 1 Word to Describe Basketball Film (Exclusive)

The basketball film Champions is out on digital now and will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on May 2. One of its stars, Cheech Marin, has one word to describe the film for those who have yet to see it. PopCulture.com spoke exclusively to Marin who explained what people can expect from Champions. 

“Surprise. You can expect surprise, if that’s a contradiction, in terms that happens in this movie,” Marin exclusively told PopCulture. “I would ask the same questions I think that all people would when they hear about this film. Well, can they pull this off? Can these kids play ball? Can they act? Can they do all the things you’re supposed to do in this movie? It was a resounding yes, and it’s amazing. Just to watch them function in their world, and you’re being brought into their world instead of them coming into your world, that it was an eye-opening experience and a really great experience to see everything these kids could do. They’re not just defined by one aspect of their personality.”   

Marin plays Julio who is the manager of the rec center where the basketball team practices. The film focuses on Marcus (Woody Harrelson) a minor-league basketball coach who is sentenced to 90 days of community service after hitting a police car. He is required to coach a basketball team with learning disabilities and helps them become winners on and off the court. 

Marin talked about he worked with Harrelson in a play years ago, but this is the first time they have shared the big screen together. “The odds are that you’re going to work with him somewhere along the line,” Marin said. “Mathematically impossible not to. Woody and I got along well. I know him from Hawaii. He has a bunch of friends that we have in common, and I thought, this is going to be fun. If Woody’s playing this character, it’s going to be fun.”

Marin has been in his share of sports films during his career, appearing in Tin Cup and The Great White Hype. In real life, Marin enjoyed playing baseball in his younger years. “I was good in high school, and I didn’t get a scholarship to go to college,” Marin explained. “Like, all right, later for baseball. I hate you. Never going to play baseball again, and I didn’t. I never played baseball again. I was heartbroken.” 

Along with the digital, Blu-ray and DVD releases, Champions home entertainment release special “Collector’s Edition” features all-new, exclusive never-before-seen bonus content including 12 hilarious deleted scenes.