For Kent Alterman, the experience of directing “Semi-Pro” was a personal one. Alterman, a San Antonio native, grew up idolizing the San Antonio Spurs, who were a part of the ABA before it merged with the NBA. Alterman's father and uncle even owned a small share of the team, which allowed Kent to take in games at the old HemisFair Arena. Before “Semi-Pro” opened nationwide on Friday, Feb. 29, Alterman sat down with 210SA to discuss his memories of the ABA, his love of all things Spurs and his favorite player on this year's squad.

How personal of a project was this film?

It couldn't have been more personal. I have deep roots with it. ..... I went to all the games (in the 1970s) and sat mid-court on the third row. I was an obnoxious, smart-mouthed kid, screaming and yelling.

Do you remember any of the wacky promotional events the old ABA used?

They had this promotional thing where they'd draw a random program number, and if you were holding the number, you got to shoot a three-point shot. I had this ritual where I would buy a program on my way into the game ..... and I used to write the number down and give it to the (public address announcer) and beg him to call me. He'd look at me like I was crazy, but I wore him down and did it every game. Toward the end of the season, he gave me a nod and called my number, and I went out and sank the shot.

What did you win?

I won a gift certificate to (a) men's store, but I couldn't find anything I liked. The place erupted, and I gave the gift certificate to my dad.

I chuckled when the Tropics play the first-place Spurs in the final scene of ‘Semi-Pro.' Was that your call?

Oh, yeah. The only fictionalized team in the movie are Jackie Moon's Flint Tropics. All the other teams are real teams, with uniforms painstakingly re-created with logos. But there was no way I could make this movie without putting the Spurs in it. ..... I think in 1976, when the movie is set, the Spurs were not the first-place team in spite of having James Silas and George Gervin. I took that liberty and made them the powerful team in the league.

Do you still follow the team today?

I follow them more than I care to admit. I never stopped following them, even in the lean years. I'm proud to say I was at Madison Square Garden when they won the first title. ..... I went to Detroit for Game 5 in 2005, and last year in San Antonio, I got to see Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against Utah.

Living in L.A., is it tough to put up with all the Lakers love?

I suffer through it. I go to the Laker games when the Spurs are in town and try to be more civil than when I was a kid. Still, it taps me back to my smart-ass tendencies.

Who's your favorite current Spurs player and why?

That's a tough one. It's hard to say my favorite. Tim Duncan is one of the greatest ever. But my wife and I had a child during the course of this (movie), and we had a girl. If we had a boy, we were considering Emanuel — my father's middle name — and we would have called him Manu. I love the way he plays.

CLINT HALE | 210SA