Mobile streaming platform Quibi on Sunday "will debut the first three episodes of 'Blackballed,'" a documentary about the first five days of the Donald Sterling saga that "ultimately led the owner to be banned by the NBA for life," according to Andrew Greif of the L.A. TIMES. The film is "divided into 12 chapters, all fewer than 10 minutes long, fitting Quibi's short-form format." Following the premiere, new episodes "will be released daily on weekdays until the series concludes." Though NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and Disney Exec Chair Bob Iger appear, the film is "anchored by interviews" with Clippers coach Doc Rivers and players from the '14 team. Filmmakers said that their interviews "uncovered insights not shared publicly before." The series was "shopped to multiple platforms," but Quibi Chair Jeffrey Katzenberg, who is "known to be a passionate NBA fan, was most enthusiastic." Scheduled to debut during June's NBA Finals, the documentary's premiere was pushed up "because of the lack of live sports," which led to some "technical challenges to meet the deadline" (L.A. TIMES, 5/14). In Chicago, Richard Roeper rated it 3.5 out of 4 stars. Director Michael Jacobs in his "timely documentary" does a "brilliant job of revisiting the Sterling scandal in a rearview lens providing invaluable context" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 5/14).
