Semi-Pro (Blu-ray Disc, 2008, 2-Disc Special Edition)

It is 1976 and the American Basketball Association (ABA) is on the cusp of sending four of their more profitable franchises to the National Basketball Association (NBA) (e.g, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, and San Antonio Spurs). However, entertainer, promoter, coach, player, and owner of the ABA’s Flint Michigan Tropics, Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell) is livid with such a proposition and instigates unrest among his fellow ABA owners—arguing that the four teams to be elevated upon the dissolution of the ABA should finish in the top four.

Moon’s proposition is granted, however, several stipulations are made along the way (e.g., the Tropics need to average 2000 patrons per home game, etc.) as the four teams elevated to the NBA need to show a stable fan base. The last place Tropics have a lot of work ahead of them and Jackie Moon takes the first step towards his Tropics 4th place goal by trading away his team’s washing machine to the Kentucky Colonels for guard Ed Monix (Woody Harrelson), a league journeyman and former backup point guard for the NBA Champion Boston Celtics.

Despite this new addition, the Tropics are still fundamentally unsound—largely due to Moon’s shenanigans and cheap gimmicks. Monix is elevated to “offensive and defensive coordinator” and the Tropics mettle is tested.

They are within one game of 4th place before ABA Commissioner (David Koechner) announces that because of the Tropics small media market, they will not be elevated to the NBA despite the potential outcome of their team’s standing.

Moon is devastated and trades away his star player and alias rich Clarence Withers A.K.A. Clarence Coffee Black A.K.A. Downtown "Funky Stuff" Malone A.K.A. Sugar Dunkerton A.K.A. "Jumping" Johnny Johnson (André Benjamin) to the San Antonio Spurs in order for him to realize his NBA dream.

Monix convinces Moon that though the Tropics NBA aspirations may have come to a close—their original 4th place goal is still within reach with a win against the Spurs. Jackie Moon is further revitalized when Monix says that he (Moon) still “has one more promotion left in him.”

Moon is in his element and concocts “The Megabowl”—yet another ambitious and outlandish promotion to fill up seats in the Tropics stadium—for the franchise’s final home game against the aforementioned Spurs.

The game is initially a laugher, as it seems as if the Spurs are going to run away with it in the first half. But Jackie Moon takes a nasty spill and is haphazardly carried to the locker room as he sold the team’s stretcher (it is unclear if it was halftime when Moon was injuries as when they returned to the court, it was already the start of the second half). Unconscious, Moon has an audience with his late mother who gives him the give of the “alley-oop.”

Armed with this new move, the Tropics turn to Clarence Coffee Black (Black leaves his Spurs teammates at halftime in order to rejoin the Tropics. HUH?) who makes a living of the Spurs inability to adjust defensively.

With two seconds remaining, the Spurs are still up by one. 116-117.

Moon is set to take two free throws and shoots them underhanded (ala Rick Barry of the San Francisco Warriors).

He makes the first.

Misses the second.

But Monix follows it up and put it a short floater.

Final score. 118-117.


Semi-Pro was certainly entertaining.

And I do love the game of basketball.

But not that much to watch this again…