Amour et basketball

Producer Spike Lee believed the female lead should have believable basketball skills. Gina Prince-Bythewood said in an interview "I saw over 700 people for the part: actors, ballplayers, people who had never acted before in their life. It finally came down to Sanaa Lathan and Niesha Butler [a star player at Georgia Tech and 1999 Atlantic Coast Conference rookie of the year]. I put Sanaa with a basketball coach for two months and Niesha with an acting coach."

When Monica is playing for Barcelona in the Euro Championship, she encounters her former college teammate (Sidra), who is playing for the opponent (Parma). One would assume that there would be a lot of game-planning and film watching prior to a big game such as this. Despite this, both are surprised to see the other in the hallway leading up to the court.

The end of the creidts show Quincy's and Monica's daughter dunking a basketball .

Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: U-571/Love & Basketball/Joe Gould's Secret/Gossip/Pups (2000)