Lloyd Daniels Story: The Legend of Swee' Pea

(A project TLSM LLC has been working on to assist filmmaker Benjamin May).

NEW YORK - The streets of New York have spawned a long list of playground legends, from Nate “Tiny” Archibald and Connie Hawkins to Earl “The Goat” Manigault and “Pee Wee” Kirkland. However, few have had the rise, the fall, and the rise again that Lloyd “Swee Pea” Daniels had in the 1980’s and ‘90’s. First time director Benjamin May now recounts that star-crossed story with “The Legend of Swee Pea,” which will make its world premiere at DOC NYC on Tuesday November 17 at the IFC Film Center in New York with a sold out screening, and November 19 at 7:30 pm at the Bow Tie Cinema at 260 W 23rd St, between 7th and 8th Avenues.

“There is perhaps no sport that creates legends like basketball does, and there was perhaps no bigger basketball legend in the 1980’s and ‘90’s than that of Lloyd Daniels,” said May, a Minnesota Neuroradiologist turned film director.

“As a fan of the game I was enthralled with Lloyd’s amazing story of tragedy, triumph and perseverance and we are proud to tell his cautionary tale to an audience who may be aware, but more importantly a legion of basketball fans of a younger generation who may not know the story. It is one for the ages, and frankly one that is probably not yet done.”

Nicknamed for the son of the legendary cartoon character Popeye, Daniels was one of the top college basketball recruits of the late 1980s, playing at five high schools and Mt. San Antonio Junior College before the University of Nevada Las Vegas won a massive recruiting battle to have him join the Runin Rebels and legendary coach Jerry "Tark the Shark" Tarkanian. Before he was able to play a single game at UNLV, he was arrested for cocaine possession, ending his time at UNLV before it began. Later shot three times in the chest at age 21 over an argument about an $8 dollar bag of cocaine, the man christened as the best high school player to come out of New York since Kareem Abdul Jabbar as well as the heir apparent to Magic Johnson was thought by many to have had a career end before it started, when in reality his story was just beginning.

  

Daniels managed to overcome all of those obstacles, and with remnants of bullets still in his body, and with years of crack addiction behind him eventually made it to the NBA, playing through the Continental Basketball Association and the USBL before embarking on a seven year NBA run and an overall professional career that took him from Italy and Turkey to New Zealand and China during a mythical 20 year run.

This film documents Daniels’ struggle to survive the perilous streets of New York, to navigate in the world of high stakes professional sports, and to overcome a lifetime of addiction. In addition, the film features one-on-one interviews with Tarkanian, David Robinson, John Lucas, and Avery Johnson, as well as Five Star Basketball founder Howard Garfinkel, legendary basketball talent evaluator Tom Konchalski, longtime  New York high school coach Ron Naclario and Newsday’s John Valenti. 

State of Mind

Thought Tori needed a little send-off music video and some serious NYC inspiration.  Here goes:



TL

B.A.D. - The Ohio State University Tribute to Michael Jackson and My Tribute to Karen Morehouse

There's bad and then there's BAD - and I can say, The Ohio State University Marching Band is the latter, they're BAD!

As in unbelievably good!

Growing up in the '60s and 70s, every summer we had a great family outing, usually to one of the local high school football fields where the St. Ignatius Loyola Drum and Bugle Corp - fancy name for marching band - performed at a very high level, usually well enough to merit regional or national acclaim.

There was no one "Cooler" or "BADDER" than our (to the backyard) neighbor, Karen Morehouse, who had the coolest white cowboy boots and could play a trumpet with the best of 'em. She was probably about 19. To see her play, we'd all pile into an old '67 Ford station wagon and head up to see "St. I" compete on a hot summer night, many times at Hicksville High School's field or maybe that of neighboring St. Raphael's.

The menu for the night was pretty simple as great music, marching bands, the beat of the drums, the waving of flags in formation with a hot dog, twizzlers and a Coke. Often, one of my Dad's best friends, the late Joe Conway, would trek down from his Connecticut home to take in the festivities. It was as close to real "Americana" as I can remember, maybe something you would imagine taking place in Kansas rather than New York. Regardless, it was great.

Nearly 50 years later, I can vividly remember the images. I can also remember the faces, frozen in horror, when we heard the news of our beloved neighbor, Karen.

Karen Morehouse was "BAD," as in GREAT! Fit as a fiddle, they used to say, Karen, a strong athlete and avid swimmer, went to Jones Beach West End II one summer Sunday and didn't come home. The undertow - the incredibly strong ocean currents - very much a factor at that end of "the Beach" took Karen out too far and she fell victim to the fate that so many LI swimmers have met ... West End II took another soul down.

The Morehouse family patriarch - Lorrie - (always, Mrs. Morehouse to me) remained a loyal family friend for years and years until her death not all that long ago.

So, with fond memories of the family, to my compadre Kathleen, and a connection to my original thought on the topic of "Bad-Ass Marching Bands," I bring you a clip from a recent Ohio State football game and their marching band's tribute to the late pop star Michael Jackson.

The clip gets particularly interesting at about the 4:15-4:30 minute mark. With a smile, a great memory of a fallen neighbor, taken at such a young age, I pass this along with the thought to enjoy everyday as though it's your last. Let's appreciate and, really, treasure every moment we have with friends and family, with neighbors and new friends to be made today. 

Enjoy. It's dedicated to the memory of Karen Morehouse and a quick hello to my old friend, Kathleen, and... It's BAD! 

PS: The Band Director - Major - in Red... is as BAD as they come!

Father McKenzie! Got that right, Pete?

One of my Fab Faux favorites... Will Lee (a little down-wind).

TL