The Perfect Game: Jim Naismith Invents Basketball

The Perfect Game makes use of musical theater form to weave together two narratives. In the "historical" story, a young man out on his firs teaching job is given an assignment by his boss. Devise a new game for physical education students. That teacher, James Naismith, fulfills his assignment and invents what he hopes will prove to be a perfect game. His students like to play what they call: "Basket-Ball." In the other story, two of today's basketball coaches, Nancy and Frank, have their own issues to overcome. They wind up coaching together while falling in love. The two stories are woven together when the historic Jim Naismith becomes a mentor figure for today's coach Nancy. They have some intense discussions over the true nature of basketball. Both stories are resolved in the context of the final game, The Home Team against their Arch Rivals. Down by point, the Home Team's desperate last second shot, may or may not go in.