The Paris Olympics: A chat with the director of the Netflix doc ‘Court of Gold'
The series offers unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Team USA, with Kevin Durant taking center stage. 'Court of Gold' captures the shifting landscape in international basketball as it follows France, Serbia and Canada during their time in Paris and has already been labeled as the best sports series of 2025.
Advertisement
On the latest episode of 'NBA Daily,' director Jake Rogal chatted with Es Baraheni and Zena Keita about which team was the most fun to cover and the best bits that didn't make it to our screens.
A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on YouTube below or in the 'NBA Daily' podcast feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Keita: Which team was the most fun to be around? I have a thought, but I want your answer first.
Rogal: I want to hear your thoughts first, and I can tell you whether it's true or not.
Baraheni: Yeah, what's your bet?
Keita: I'm thinking Serbia. I think they were a good time. Particularly because while the USA and France were battling for their lives, Serbia had been drunk for 24 hours (laughs). I want to know if Serbia was the most fun.
Rogal: Max Gershberg was the lead producer on the show, and his job in Paris was to get the Serbians to warm up to him and the crew. It was the hardest assignment of the whole project because the Serbians were the most serious. Coach (Svetislav) Pešić ran a very tight ship, and Max had to do a lot of work to convince those guys that this was worth their time. So, the Serbians were one of the harder ones to crack because the tone that Coach Pešić set was, 'Nothing matters besides basketball. I don't care if you're in Paris and your family's here, you need to run on the track instead of having dinner with them.' Once they won a medal, they were fun, but that was one of the last days we were shooting.
The Canadians were the loosest team. They had cool music playing during practice, and they had a swagger about them that just jumped out.
Baraheni: It's what we do, true.
Keita: OK, whatever, Es (laughs).
Rogal: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led that, but they were cool. Shai set the tone, and coach Jordi (Fernández) is also really cool; he's very human. The French were also really fun to be around. We got really close with Boris Diaw. He's awesome. But they had a lot of pressure on them, and anytime they left where they were, the media around them was insane, so it was harder for them to let loose.
Advertisement
The USA basketball team was also fun to be around, but they had so much attention that it was hard to gain access there because everyone else was trying, and we were one of 100 people trying to get in with them. Each team had a different personality.
Baraheni: That's awesome to hear, because I guess hanging out each day, you didn't know what you were going to get. There was this unexpected mystery: 'What does today have in store for us?' It's sort of a moving target, storytelling-wise. One of the cool things about it is, at least from watching it from the outside perspective, you're wondering what was left. What did you guys not put in the doc? There are so many moments that were captured with Steph, KD and LeBron celebrating and the incredible USA-Serbia game, but what was the moment you wish was in that doc that wasn't?
Rogal: There are two that come to mind. One is we shot Greece qualifying for the Olympics, and that was cool because you saw Giannis (Antetokounmpo) in the locker room and they're all spraying champagne. It was awesome, but we needed to get to the Olympics early on because we had so much to cover, so we couldn't fit it in. Then the moment between Ant (Anthony Edwards) and President Obama. That night, we shot a dinner afterwards with the president and Team USA, which was amazing. But we didn't have room for it at that moment because, again, we just had to get to the Olympics. Those two moments come to mind.
Our team did an awesome job of getting the best stuff in. With a lot of these docs we shoot, we normally shoot over two or three years, and you have a ton of footage to work with. While we did shoot a lot, it was only from June '24 to December '24, so it's not as much as you would think. We picked the best moments and tried to build the series around those moments and tentpole them throughout the series.
Baraheni: Ant trash-talking Obama is amazing (laughs).
Advertisement
Keita: No, it was not. It was so awkward. I had such cringe at that moment. I was like, 'This is the president, Ant, what are you doing?' (laughs)
Rogal: Let me take some of your cringes away, because it speaks volumes to who both of them are. President Obama is creating an environment where guys are comfortable enough being themselves. He could've easily come in and said, 'I'm the president, how dare you talk to me that way?' But he didn't, he was cool. He was actually getting more out of Ant by bringing LeBron in and saying, 'You hear what he said?' He was creating a comfortable environment for Ant, which shows how cool President Obama is. Then, Ant was being completely himself, because that's what makes Ant great. He's comfortable being himself no matter who he's in front of, whether it's us or the president; it shows how cool he is.
While I understand it's shocking and uncomfortable, they're both so cool for creating that moment and doing it knowing we were there. I feel like it was a cool moment.
You can listen to full episodes of NBA Daily for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
9 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Ilona Maher wants America to fall in love with rugby during Women's World Cup
SUNDERLAND, England (AP) — Ilona Maher's mission at the Women's Rugby World Cup is about more than just winning games. Heading into the United States' tournament opener on Friday, the world's most followed rugby player on social media wants to get more eyeballs on the sport as it ramps up attempts to crack the market in America. 'Not many people know that there's a Women's Rugby World Cup going on, so we try to get as many people as we can to spread that knowledge,' Maher said ahead of the match against host England in the World Cup curtain-raiser in Sunderland. 'We want the fans in America to see us play here because we've got a World Cup there in eight years and we need to start building for that.' Rugby authorities see America as a vital new market for the sport. The United States will stage the men's Rugby World Cup in 2031 and the women's tournament in 2033. The presence of Maher is key to attracting attention on rugby in the U.S., given she has 5.2 million followers on Instagram and 3.6 million on TikTok — platforms on which she promotes body positivity. The 29-year-old Vermont native believes she and her teammates are 'changing the game on and off the field a lot.' 'This is a time where women's rugby is in a state where it could grow massively,' she said, 'and I do believe this team is at the forefront with how we present ourselves and people's perception of us.' Maher certainly stands out, having been named as the best breakthrough athlete at the ESPYs last month. In an interview with the BBC ahead of the World Cup, she said she has been approached by the WWE — joking that her ring name would be 'Maher-vellous' if she ever became a wrestler — and that she'd love to get into acting. First, though, she wants to deliver at the World Cup, starting with the match in front of 40,000 spectators against England, the tournament favorite, in the north of the country. A star in rugby sevens, in which she won a bronze medal with the U.S. team at the Paris Olympics last year, Maher also had a three-month stint at English club Bristol in the 15 players-a-team format at the start of 2025. 'I think it's so cool,' Maher said, 'that we're up here, so far away from maybe where rugby union is big, and yet we're getting 40,000 people out to a game.'
News24
37 minutes ago
- News24
From Gqeberha to Netflix: Meet SA star Luyanda Lewis-Nyawo breaking out on Wednesday S2
South Africa has another reason to beam with pride on the international entertainment stage. Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, born and raised in Gqeberha, is currently starring in one of Netflix's biggest shows as the formidable Sheriff Ritchie Santiago in Wednesday Season 2. After studying at Johannesburg's prestigious National School of the Arts — the same institution that nurtured Charlize Theron — they took a detour through film and advertising studies, searching for direction but finding few satisfying answers. The turning point came through community theatre sessions with veteran South African director Dorothy Ann Gould in Westdene. Lewis-Nyawo was later accepted at London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama for three years. From there, Lewis-Nyawo built their career through British television staples like Top Boy and Doctor Who, plus streaming features including the star-studded Back in Action. Each role was a stepping stone toward their Wednesday breakthrough. Speaking to The Medium about stepping into the shoes of Sheriff Santiago, Lewis-Nyawo reveals the parallels and differences between themselves and their character: 'Santiago is really capable and quick on her feet. In that way, we're similar. We both go after something and commit to it fully, seeing it through to the end.' However, they acknowledge a key difference: 'Santiago has to navigate a male-dominated world and present herself from a position of strength. She doesn't always have the privilege of softness, which is a shame. I, on the other hand, seek that softness out as often as I can.' Jonathan Hession/Netflix The most meaningful review came from home. Speaking to Pink News, Lewis-Nyawo beamed about their mother's reaction: 'My mum is very proud. Her exact words this morning were, 'How was it received by the public? I, for one, was impressed and entertained.' The actor joins Emmy-nominated star Jenna Ortega, who previously told News24 about the pressure of maintaining Wednesday's legacy: 'I don't think anything will be as stressful as the first season, just because I so desperately wanted her to resonate with people.'
Tom's Guide
39 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
Netflix drops first trailer for new thriller series with Jude Law and Jason Bateman — and it looks like total mayhem
Trailers work best when they give you a taste of the show or movie without spoiling the entire plot. But they become truly effective when they manage to stir emotions in just two minutes of footage. That's exactly the case with 'Black Rabbit,' a limited thriller series starring Jude Law and Jason Bateman as brothers whose lives spiral when mounting debts pull them deep into New York's criminal underworld. From the first Netflix trailer, it already feels like a story packed with tension, stress, and hardly a moment to breathe. The chaotic vibe was perfectly matched by the trailer's soundtrack, (St Vitamin by Dead Dads Club) so good that I immediately had to go play it on Spotify because what a tune. That alone made me even more intrigued, especially after my interest was already sparked by the first-look images back in June. Luckily, the wait isn't long: you can stream all eight episodes of 'Black Rabbit' on Netflix starting September 18. The trailer kicks off with Bateman's character, Vince, battered and bloodied, sprawled on the floor of an elevator and struggling to breathe. The trailer wastes no time setting a very brutal tone, hinting at the kind of chaos that may have landed him in that state. The preview then teases a string of violent and unpredictable moments as two brothers navigate New York City, from armed takeovers in bustling public places and fiery acts of arson to masked heists and sudden bursts of dark humor. One blink-and-you-miss-it shot even shows someone dropping what looks like a bowling ball onto another person's head from the top of a staircase... Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. So yes, it's safe to say this thriller series looks super intense, and I'll definitely be binge-watching it on day one. 'Black Rabbit' is already high on my must-binge list just for the cast alone. Jason Bateman clearly channels the intensity fans loved in 'Ozark,' while Jude Law seems to bring a rough-edged, desperate energy to his New York-accented character. Adding to the mix is Oscar winner Troy Kotsur, and you've got a trio of performances that make this limited series a must-watch come September. Law told Tudum: 'It's a very interesting world. At the heart, I hope [audiences] are hooked by the complicated, loving, volatile relationship of these two brothers.' Bateman added: 'It's really about these brothers who love each other but don't match — one's a screw-up, and the other is much more buttoned up. Everybody can relate to that. Everybody's either got a sibling, or a friendship where you love being with one another, but it's kind of dangerous; where that person usually gets you in trouble, but they're really exciting to be around.' Beyond the star power, 'Black Rabbit' carries a distinct energy that feels like a darker, more cutthroat version of 'Succession' meets the intense, pressure-cooker atmosphere of 'The Bear.' As Netflix describes it, the series is 'a propulsive thrill ride and character examination about the way an unbreakable bond between two brothers can shatter their world and everything in its orbit.' The full synopsis reads: 'Set against the backdrop of New York City's high-pressure nightlife scene, Black Rabbit centers on two brothers who are pushed to the brink by their duty to family and their pursuit of success. Jake Friedken (Jude Law) is the charismatic owner of Black Rabbit, a restaurant and VIP lounge, poised to become the hottest spot in New York. But when his brother, Vince (Jason Bateman), returns to the business unexpectedly, trouble soon follows; opening the door to old traumas and new dangers that threaten to bring down everything they've built.' While both have impressive careers filled with standout roles, 'Black Rabbit' is the first time Bateman and Law are sharing the screen. And from the first trailer, it's clear this is a duo we didn't know we needed. In the meantime, I'm going to play St Vitamin by Dead Dads Club on repeat until this series drops, because this song is pure chaos in the best way. 'Black Rabbit' opens on Netflix on September 18, and I'm pulling up a seat at the table for what's shaping up to be a deliciously messy thrill ride. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
