Shaq and Jimmy Fallon Shoot Hoops at Special "Killer Bees" Screening
After making an appearance at the opening night of Bay Street Theater’s Evita alongside Andy Cohen (as seen on Instagram), Sagaponack resident Jimmy Fallon crashed an exclusive screening of the Hamptons documentary Killer Bees, which was held at the Bridgehampton High School on August 10 and hosted by basketball star Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal.
The event featured many of the people involved in the making of the film, including producers Shaq and Glenn Fuhrman, directors Ben and Orson Cummings, coach Carl Jackson and the Killer Bees players. Fallon delighted attendees with his surprise appearance, shooting hoops and taking pictures with fans and students.
However, the biggest star of the night was Shaq. The basketball legend played various scenarios with a starstruck group of Bridgehampton students, from blocking layups to lifting children too short to make a slam dunk.
As a producer of Killer Bees, O’Neal feels a strong connection to the film’s message on the importance of basketball in the Bridgehampton community and the East End as a whole. He says, “It’s crazy. I’ve been going to the Hamptons for 20–30 years, and I thought the Hamptons was all about rich people. But there’s another side of the Hamptons that you really don’t see. And this team, they’ve been winning championships for the longest time. And it’s a great story. When I saw it, I called them up and said, ‘I want to be an executive producer.’”
Killer Bees, follows the Bridgehampton School’s eponymous basketball team thorough their nine victories in the state championships, and it takes a hard look at the Hamptons’ African American community as they struggle to hold on to their beloved school in the face of real estate development and gentrification.
The documentary was released in select theaters on July 27 and is available for screening on iTunes and Google Play. Visit killerbeesmovie.com for more information.