WHO IS STAN SMITH? WE FIND OUT FROM STAN SMITH HIMSELF AND DIRECTOR DANNY LEE

Tennis legend and shoe efficienado Stan Smith gets the documentary treatment in, Who Is Stan Smith?

Who Is Stan Smith? is a fascinating, emotinal and MUST see journey for all tennis fans, charting the extraordinary life of tennis hall of famer, sneaker icon and humanitarian Stan Smith.

The film will begin its U.S. run with red carpet premieres at Los Angeles' Nuart Theater on May 3 and New York City’s Angelika Film Center on May 10, bringing the film to 50 markets throughout the month of May following Los Angeles  and New York, including Washington D.C., Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, San Diego, Honolulu, Arlington, San Francisco, Newport, Columbus, St. Louis, Scottsdale, Cambridge, Indianapolis, Annapolis, Eugene, Frankfort, Royal Oak, Canton, Hartford, Novi, Plymouth, Hilton Head Island, Sedona, San Francisco, Newport, Fort Collins,  and many more. 

“Who Is Stan Smith?” highlights Smith’s  tennis accomplishments and covers his humanitarian feats off the tennis court and how Smith’s relationship with Arthur Ashe heavily inspired his anti-racist activism, followed by his relationship with Black tennis player, Mark Mathabane, whom Smith  helped escape from apartheid in South Africa.

Executive produced by  LeBron James (“Hustle,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy”), Maverick Carter (“Hustle,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy”), Jamal Henderson  (“Hustle,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy”), Alexandra Dell (“Arthur Ashe,” “Lace Up: The Ultimate Sneaker Challenge”), and Donald Dell (“Tennis Our Way,” “Citizen Ashe”), and directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Danny Lee (“30 for 30: Friedman’s Shoes”,  “The Express Way”, and Hulu’s “Defining Moments”).

The film tells the story of the groundbreaking athlete who went from being one of the world’s greatest tennis stars, to a leading civil rights and AIDS activist, blazing a trail along the way with his namesake Adidas sneakers – the iconic shoe that has become a fashion statement for hip hop musicians and celebrities for more than 50 years. The film features extensive interviews with Stan Smith, his family, and many of the world’s most famous athletes and celebrities including John McEnroe,  Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, and Donald Dell.

More than the namesake of one of the most iconic sneakers, Stan Smith  has lived a champion’s life on and off the tennis court. Chronicling his rise from collegiate superstar to World No.1 and beyond, Smith blazed new paths for athletes, both as a fashion icon and a humanitarian. Complete with intimate first-person accounts and dynamic archival materials, “Who Is Stan Smith?”  is a powerful and inspiring portrait of the man behind the shoe that became a movement.

“Who Is Stan Smith?”  will have it’s US Theatrical release or on our opening days in Los Angeles on May 3rd or in New York on May 10th.  Canadian dates are yet to be determined.

I caught up with Stan Smith and Director Danny Lee to dig more into, Who is Stan Smith? Please check out our interview below.