When discussing Black love in films, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love & Basketball is often the first title mentioned.
It shouldn’t be.
Prince-Bythewood’s feature film was first released on April 16, 2000. The story follows Quincy “Q” McCall, played by Omar Epps, and Monica Wright, played by Sanaa Lathan, as they grow up and evolve as athletes and love interests. However, almost 25 years after its release, it is time to admit that Love & Basketball is not a love story but a display of toxicity and selfishness in a relationship.
In my opinion, Q and Monica were a mess.
Quincy’s controlling behaviors
It is important to note that Q is not necessarily a bad person. He is simply a product of his environment.
An essential point driven throughout the movie is that Q’s father, Zeke, played for the Los Angeles Clippers and has always set high expectations for his son because of this. The film explores how this affects Q as he shares with Monica the pressure he feels as a byproduct of his dad’s aspirations for him to become a doctor or a lawyer. In addition to an overbearing father, we also learn early on about Q’s mother, Nona. She is depicted as a woman who falsified her entire being to please her husband, from pretending she could cook to ignoring his adultery.
It could be inferred that Q, like many, saw his parents’ relationship as a guide and tried to make his relationship with Monica emulate the dysfunctional mold created by his parents. It did not work.
Early in the film, Q asks Monica to be “his girl.” When she asks what that entails, he mentions bringing her flowers when she’s upset, just like his father does for his mom. Monica did not like flowers, so they settled on Twinkies.
Q then told her she had to ride to school on the back of his bike since his dad always drove his mom to work. Monica wanted to ride her own bike and told Q that she did not have to listen to him, which led to Q calling her stupid. She called him stupid in return and made a joke about the Clippers. He shoved her off her bike and called her an “ugly dog,” saying he did not want to be her boyfriend anymore.
As the film progresses, it becomes evident that Q never grew out of that childish mindset. He had every chance to ask Monica to the senior dance, but chose to take Shawnee (played by Gabrielle Union) instead. It was not until he saw Monica dancing with someone else that he stopped getting with other girls and realized how much he liked Monica.
Prioritizing careers over Relationships
Love & Basketball often reminds me of La La Land, in the sense that the main couple in both films have big dreams, and to accomplish them, they begin to lose sight of each other.
In the case of Q and Monica, Monica prioritizes her future as a basketball player, interfering with her emotional availability. This seems to be the start of their decline.
For instance, when Q’s father cheats on his mother while Q is in college and lies to him about it, Monica sits with Q late at night, helping him process the entire situation. She has to leave early since the team is on an 11 P.M. curfew, but despite his initial understanding, Q gets upset and takes another girl on a date to get Monica’s attention.
Q had every right to be hurt that he was left alone at one of his lowest moments, but Monica did not have the luxuries Q did. His dad was an NBA player, so Q was respected on campus and his team. In contrast, Monica got recruited by the skin of her teeth and constantly had to fight to get playing time.
She tried to accommodate him and invited him to her dorm to talk, so in my opinion, she did as much as she could before she eventually left. Q was mad at Monica for choosing what was best for her and took another girl out on a date to make Monica jealous instead of simply communicating how he felt.
Addressing the “Play for your heart” Scene
The number one comment people make when discussing Q and Monica’s relationship is the egregious “play for your heart” scene, which would be almost sinful not to mention.
Upon reuniting, Monica reveals to Q that she is still in love with him. Because their entire relationship revolves around basketball, Monica asks Q if she can play for his heart. If she wins, they get back together.
In a rather ridiculous display of competing for love, Q dunks on her. He runs up to the court’s paint, still recovering from an ACL tear, and pushes off Monica, causing her to stumble back. He spins, leaps into the air, and dunks over her.
In my opinion, Q was almost justified in his actions. Monica showed up at his house in the middle of the night, two weeks before his wedding to another woman, in an attempt to selfishly profess her love. Q called her out on how insane that was, but she kept pushing, refusing to accept that he may not be in love with her anymore.
However, he didn’t challenge her to reject her. When she started to walk away with her head down, he said, “Double or nothing?” He still loved her and made it clear he did not want to lose her. They got their happy ending, but at what cost?
Benefit of the doubt
Like I said earlier, Q was not all bad. He respected Monica as a player and was a silent supporter throughout her career.
“Second Quarter” opens with a scene of Q and his friends standing courtside and watching the women’s basketball game. Monica gets pulled from the game after receiving a technical foul, and within minutes, Q leaves, suggesting he only showed up to watch his friend.
He constantly offered advice on how Monica could improve her game. He let her know that if she did not control her temper, she would not be recruited, and he cheered her up after losing the championship. Monica gave him just as much in return, granting Q solace and a confiding friend whenever he was caught up in his parents’ quarrels.
He remembered how many offensive rebounds she had in the championship game. He opened her USC admissions letter when she was nervous. When she played in Spain, he watched all her games.
Q did care for her, but he cared about himself and basketball more. He did not know how to treat her right until years later, and that is my main issue with their relationship. Q had a bucket full of faults, and Monica ignored them all because she thought she loved him.
Love & Basketball is, and likely will always be, a staple in Black film and culture. Prince-Bythewood perfectly executed the impact our environments can have on our relationships and that not every relationship is picture-perfect.
As great as the film is, maybe it is time to realize that the lesson was not to aspire for a tumultuous romance like theirs, because Love & Basketball is not a love story.