Toronto's most legendary high school basketball team now has a documentary
A documentary has just been released about Toronto's most successful high school for basketball, and ball lovers are getting emotional.
Eastern Commerce Collegiate officially closed its doors forever in 2015, but the legacy of its renowned basketball program has been captured in Eastern, a film by Toronto filmmaker Luke Galati.
You don't necessarily need to be a basketball savant to appreciate this 41-minute documentary.
Aside from the fact that scores of players who once played in Eastern's humble court went on to the NCAA (including former NBA All-Star Jamaal Magloire), the film impresses by carefully capturing the end of an era in Toronto sports history.
This documentary on Eastern Commerce Saints & its final year open made me emotional. Eastern will always have the legacy of being a staple in the Toronto basketball community @LukeGalati @easterndoc2016 pic.twitter.com/KDObCCDmQy
— Bobbi Axe (@itsCJolie) February 15, 2019
The film follows members of the Eastern Saint's team in their last year of existence, exploring everything from the school's impact to the impending gentrification, which partly contributed to the school's low attendance rates and eventual closure.
It also goes into the close-knit relationship between students and their teachers, as well as the most epic Toronto basketball rivalry to-date with the Barons from Oakwood Collegiate, even capturing their final game in 2015.
Loyalty #easterndoc pic.twitter.com/t2dCDX6Mta
— Eastern Documentary (@easterndoc2016) June 18, 2017
Full disclosure: they lost that game, but to this day, Eastern remains the most legendary basketball program in the city, and while it doesn't exist anymore the film does its 41-year legacy justice.
Eastern Documentary
Join the conversation Load comments