ANTHONY MACKIE TAKES BASKETBALL TO THE STREET

(VIDEO) Anthony Mackie learned the art of street basketball for Crossover and it improved his game.

Anthony Mackie has left running drugs on the street in the film Half Nelson to playing basketball on the street in the film Crossover. The naturally talented athlete had to change his entire game to fit the style of street ball and found it improved his shot every time.

Maybe acting should become a hobby for Mackie considering his new found talents. While training for the film he also observed some real basketball action on the street.

“Mark Edwards is the basketball coach and we worked together for about a week or two before we started shooting and before the other basketball players got here. And he really just went down a rudimentary dribble. From dribble, we went into shooting and he completely changed my entire style of shooting. And with that I found that I was shooting 50, 60 percent. I couldn’t hit a three point shot from the baseline to save my life. Now I step back and I’m all net. I can call glass and make it.”

Crossover opens Friday in theaters nationwide.

“I mean street basketball nowadays is like the Millenium Harlem Globetrotters. These guys are magicians. You have people doing things with balls that you can’t even begin to imagine. The thing about street ball that makes it amazing is the people within the sport make it look easy.”