SHOWTIME SPORTS announced GOLIATH, a three-part documentary series examining the historic life, career and impact of Wilt Chamberlain, one of the greatest, most emulated and most misunderstood athletes of all time. Brash and confident, Chamberlain changed the way the game is played, broke records and racial barriers and challenged the unwritten rules for all athletes, especially black basketball players, conforming to his own standards on or off the court.
GOLIATH will debut on demand and on streaming on Friday, July 14 for all Paramount+ With SHOWTIME subscribers before making its on-air debut on SHOWTIME® on Sunday, July 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with episodes premiering each Sunday. GOLIATH is produced by Village Roadshow Television and Gotham Chopra’s Religion of Sports in association with Kevin Garnett’s Content Cartel, Happy Madison Productions and Heeltap! Entertainment.
Utilizing groundbreaking artificial intelligence to recreate Chamberlain’s voice to narrate his own words and archival footage provided by the Wilt Chamberlain Estate, GOLIATH tells the complete story of Chamberlain’s remarkable life and how it fits into the fabric of American history. Beginning with his emergence on the national scene as a high schooler in the 1950’s and following the arc of his life through his death in 1999, each episode of GOLIATH highlights a specific element of Chamberlain’s cultural impact, focusing on the areas of power, money, race, sex, politics and celebrity.
Chamberlain’s story is one of sheer dominance, records shattered and a relentless pursuit of excellence. The series provides an intimate look into the life of a true legend, showcasing his unparalleled athleticism, mesmerizing performances and pioneering achievements that have solidified his place in sports history.
“We are honored to team up with this group of talented filmmakers to bring the underexamined story of Wilt Chamberlain’s complex life to the masses,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, SHOWTIME SPORTS. “Everybody knows Wilt for his legendary accomplishments on the basketball court – scoring 100 points in a game, averaging 50 points and 25 rebounds in a season – but there’s so much more to him than his stats. He was far ahead of his time in so many ways that will last infinitely longer than the numbers on a scoreboard.”
“It was an honor and privilege for my team and me to share Wilt’s incredible legacy with the world,” said Garnett. “Wilt’s cultural impact as a prominent outspoken African American athlete was revolutionary, especially during a time when social strength was not popular. There is no KG, [Michael] Jordan, Hakeem [Olajuwon], LeBron [James], Kobe [Bryant], or Shaq [Shaquille O’Neal] if Wilt doesn’t pave our way. We all stand on his strong shoulders. We all owe a very special thanks to Barbara Lewis and Wilt’s family for allowing us the full access and trust which was crucial to tell this extraordinary story. GOLIATH is not only a tribute to Wilt’s extraordinary career but also a celebration of the mark he left on and off the basketball court and the world.”
The series invokes a variety of voices from sports, media, entertainment and academia to place Chamberlain’s life in both historical and modern contexts, highlighting his athleticism, personal magnetism and introspective nature. GOLIATH taps into the insightful voices of Garnett, Pat Riley, Rick Barry, Jackie MacMullan, Bob Ryan, Tom Meschery, Dr. Todd Boyd, Jemele Hill, Jerry West,COUPLES THERAPY clinical psychologist Orna Guralnik and more to share their reflections on Chamberlain, his era and the everlasting effect he’s had on the game of basketball and American culture.
GOLIATH is directed by Rob Ford (The Cost of Winning; BOYS IN BLUE) and Christopher Dillon (THE LINCOLN PROJECT, SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE) and executive produced by Ford, Charles J. Lindsay (61*), William Lindsay, Matt Mosko, Garnett, Mike Marangu (KG: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE), Brian Bennett, Shannon Perry, Chopra (SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE) and Ameeth Sankaran (Tom vs. Time). Victor Buhler (McGregor Forever) serves as co-executive producer.
GOLIATH is the latest in a series of unscripted programming from SHOWTIME SPORTS that spotlights contemporary subject matters at the intersection of culture and society. Additional titles in the lineup include CATCHING LIGHTNING, BOYS IN BLUE, NYC POINT GODS, STAND, SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE, IVERSON and Emmy®-winning McENROE, OUTCRY and DISGRACED.
This also marks the fifth collaboration between SHOWTIME and Religion of Sports, with the others being Kobe Bryant’s MUSE, I AM GIANT: VICTOR CRUZ, PASSION PLAY: RUSSELL WESTBROOK and the above-mentioned SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
