A new HBO documentary about COVID-19 and its impact on the sports world was released on Wednesday, providing a look back at The Day Sports Stood Still. March 11 is an important date in the documentary due to Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert testing positive for the coronavirus, but the documentary covers so much more. Here is the important information to know about the newest HBO Sports release.
Director Antoine Fuqua (Muhammad Ali) partnered with producers Brian Grazer and Justin Wilkes to bring the project to the premium cable provider and examine some of the past year’s biggest moments. According to a press release, The Day Sports Stood Still will “chronicle the abrupt stoppage, athletes’ prominent role in the cultural reckoning on racial injustices that escalated during the pandemic.” Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul plays a major role in the documentary due to being on the court as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder when officials brought the NBA to a halt.
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“Last March when the NBA announced they were postponing the season, Chris Paul and I spoke and he said to me ‘we have to document this,’” producer Brian Grazer said. “Antoine was our next call and days later; we started filming. We knew this was a unique story, but no one could have predicted the emotional twists and turns that came with bringing the game back. It’s been an incredible journey and a point in history that none of us will forget.”
The NBA was the first league to come to a halt in primetime, but basketball will not be the only sport highlighted during the documentary. There are glimpses of baseball players. The press release also said that a Super Bowl champion would discuss volunteering in the ER during the pandemic while a WNBA star would talk about opting out of the 2020 season.
The trailer also reveals that there is an emphasis on the social justice issues that took over the summer. There are glimpses of the Black Lives Matter protests and discussions about George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died in police custody. The trailer also showed athletes from several different leagues kneeling during the national anthem.
The Day Sports Stood Still airs Wednesday on HBO at 9 p.m. ET and HBO Max. The documentary will become available On Demand on Thursday. An HBO Max subscription costs $14.99 per month. Existing HBO subscribers and many AT&T customers have the service at no extra cost.
