Guard Matthew Dellavedova is no longer part of the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers, having been traded to the Milwaukee Bucks during the offseason. But he’s still a fan favorite because of his scrappy style of play (they’d call him a gamer in baseball) and the energy he brings to the court. And his legend continues to grow in his native Australia, so much so that a biopic of Delladedova is in development.
As reported by Fox Sports Australia, Dellevedova’s agent has set his client’s story up with two producers based in Los Angeles to develop a feature film about his life and professional basketball career. Production on the biopic will begin in Australia sometime in 2017, though an exact date was not included in the report. Producers Zachary Green (Spartan) and Jason Shuman (Lone Survivor) envision Dellavedova’s story as a feel-good sports movie along the lines of Hoosiers and Rocky. That’s setting the bar pretty high.
https://youtu.be/oYE2tAcbn9w
“Everyone dreams of the one in a million chance of playing in the NBA, but this [blue]-collar kid actually achieved it,” Green told Fox Sports Australia’s Olgun Uluc. “I am looking forward to bringing his story to the big screen.”
Dellavedova’s story has actually been shopped around by producers for more than a year. At one point, the project was to be based on Dellavedova’s life, but following three young Australian basketball players who are recruited to the United States to play college basketball. But now, producers appear to be focusing solely on Dellavedova for a biographical adaptation. That’s probably a better story anyway, especially with what transpired last season.
Presumably, the story would end with Dellavedova winning the NBA championship with the Cavs at the end of the 2016-17 season. Ending with getting traded to a losing Milwaukee Bucks team would be kind of a buzzkill note, though the unlikely story still continues since he’s still in the NBA.
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About Ian Casselberry
Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.