An animation of a science beaker with a bubbling green liquid appears on screen with a title that reads "Sports Lab."

Now Nykeem appears on screen walking in an elementary school hallway with large blue lockers. Nykeem is in his thirties, has shaved black hair, is clean-shaven, and wears a blue basketball jersey that reads "sports lab," black shorts, and blue shoes.

NYKEEM SAYS HI, EVERYONE,
WELCOME TO SPORTS LAB,
WHERE SPORTS AND SCIENCE
ARE CRUISING IN
ON A HIGHWAY OF FUN.

(Theme music plays)

The opening sequence begins.

Two light blue doors with a title that reads "Sports Lab" open where thousands of sports equipment encircles a classroom skeleton. The animated balls fly throughout the white room stopping at scenes of people playing different sports.

First Nykeem kicking a soccer ball, then a boy on a skateboard, then a tennis ball, then a hockey goalie, and lastly of a group of kids and Nykeem who break on a tennis court and say SPORTS LAB!

All the sports equipment turns into different colours and funnel into a science beaker with green liquid with a label that reads "Sports Lab."

(music plays)

Nykeem appears on screen walking on a basketball court holding a basketball.

NYKEEM SAYS MY NAME'S NYKEEM,
AND TODAY WE'RE
PLAYING A GAME THAT'LL
PUT A BOUNCE IN YOUR STEP.
AND ALTHOUGH
YOU USE A BALL,
YOU WON'T HAVE TO JUMP
THROUGH HOOPS -
NOT WHEN YOU'RE
PLAYING BASKETBALL.

Nykeem turns around, runs, and dribbles the ball to the net.

(music plays)
(Fanfare)

In the white room, the science beaker with green liquid bursts with colours and balls and a title emerges that reads "Basketball."

Nykeem walks through a gym and a caption reads "Loretto College School, Toronto, Ontario."

Nykeem shoots a basket and says BASKETBALL IS A FIVE-ON-FIVE,
FAST BREAK-FILLED FUN-FEST,
WHERE THE ONLY THING SWEETER
THAN THE SOUND OF A SWISH
IS THE IMPACT OF SCIENCE.
RIGHT, DOC?

Now Dr. Heather appears on screen with a caption that reads "Dr. Heather, Sports Scientist." She has straight, dark brown hair in a ponytail and wears a gray shirt. She stands at a white desk with books and science supplies around her.

Dr. Heather says HEY, NYKEEM.
PUTTING THIS BALL THROUGH
THE HOOP MEANS LOTS OF
FORCES NEED
TO WORK TOGETHER -
FROM THE AIR IN THE BALL,
TO THE ANGLE OF THE SHOT,
TO THE GRAVITY SURROUNDING IT.

Back on the court, NYKEEM SAYS SO COME FOR A SPIN.
SPORTS LAB IS ROCKING THE RIM.

Now Ahriahna appears on screen with a caption that reads "Ahriahna." Ahriahna has black hair pulled up in a bun and wears a black jersey.

AHRIAHNA SAYS I'M AHRIAHNA,
AND I'VE BEEN PLAYING BASKETBALL
SINCE I WAS SEVEN.

Clips of Ahriahna playing basketball appear on screen.

AHRIAHNA SAYS I GOT INTO BASKETBALL
BECAUSE IT WAS
A PASSION OF MY MOM AND DAD
AND THEY ALWAYS TOOK ME
TO PLAY WITH THEM.
I LOVE BASKETBALL
BECAUSE IT'S FUN,
IT KEEPS ME ACTIVE,
AND I LOVE PLAYING IT
WITH MY FRIENDS.

Now Nykeem walks up to Ahriahna on the basketball court and says HI, AHRIAHNA.
WELCOME TO SPORTS LAB.

AHRIAHNA SAYS HEY, NYKEEM.

NYKEEM SAYS THOSE ARE SOME
FANCY MOVES.
SO TELL ME - WHAT ARE
THE RULES OF DRIBBLING?

AHRIAHNA SAYS WELL, YOU CAN ONLY DRIBBLE
THE BASKETBALL WITH ONE HAND,
AND ONCE YOU STOP DRIBBLING,
YOU CAN'T DRIBBLE AGAIN.
THAT'S DOUBLE DRIBBLE.

NYKEEM SAYS OKAY, SO WHAT IF
I GRAB THE BALL
AND I MOVE AROUND
LIKE THIS?

Nykeem grabs the ball and turns in a circle.

AHRIAHNA SAYS THAT'S A TRAVEL.
YOU CAN'T DO THAT EITHER.

NYKEEM SAYS OKAY, SO BACK
TO DRIBBLING.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE
DRIBBLING MOVE?

AHRIAHNA SAYS I'D HAVE SAY IT'S
A SIMPLE CROSSOVER.

NYKEEM SAYS WHAT'S THAT?
IT'S WHEN YOUR DRIBBLE THE BALL
FROM ONE HAND TO THE OTHER.
CAN YOU SHOW ME?

AHRIAHNA SAYS YEAH.

Ahriahna dribbles the ball between her legs.

AHRIAHNA SAYS JUST LIKE THAT.

NYKEEM SAYS THAT'S AWESOME.
I'VE GOT ONE LAST QUESTION.
WHAT'S A "SWISH?"

AHRIAHNA SAYS A SWISH IS WHEN YOU GET
THE BASKETBALL IN THE BASKET
WITHOUT HITTING THE RIM
OR THE BACKBOARD.
IT EVEN SOUNDS
LIKE "SWISH!"

NYKEEM SAYS OKAY, YOU'VE GOT SOME
GREAT BASKETBALL KNOWLEDGE.
HOW'D YOU LIKE TO LEARN
MORE ABOUT THE GAME?

AHRIAHNA SAYS SURE.

NYKEEM SAYS THEN LET'S LAYUP
THE STORY OF...
BASKETBALL.

(Fanfare)

Back in the lab, a book opens and a title flies out that reads "History of Basketball."

Nykeem says THE FIRST GAME OF BASKETBALL
WAS PLAYED IN SPRINGFIELD,
MASSACHUSETTS,
ON DECEMBER 1ST, 1891.
JAMES NAISMITH,
A CANADIAN,
INVENTED THE SPORT.
THE FIRST GAME FEATURED
PEACH BASKETS FOR NETS.
AFTER A SCORE,
THE BALL HAD TO BE POKED OUT
OF THE BASKET WITH A BROOM.
(CHUCKLE)
WHAT A WORKOUT!
IN 1906,
STEEL RIMS WERE ADDED,
AND A BACKBOARD SOON AFTER,
TO PREVENT FANS FROM
INTERFERING WITH THE BALL.
THE FIRST NBA GAME
WAS PLAYED IN TORONTO
ON NOVEMBER 1ST,
1946,
BETWEEN
THE TORONTO HUSKIES
AND NEW YORK KNICKERBOCKERS.
NOW PEACH BASKETS
ARE FOR PEACHES.

Back on the court, NYKEEM SAYS OKAY, AHRIAHNA, THERE'S NO
PEACH BASKETS AROUND HERE.
YOU READY TO PLAY?

AHRIAHNA SAYS YEAH.

NYKEEM SAYS THEN FOLLOW ME.

Nykeem and Ahriahna appear on screen and start to play basketball with other team members.

Nykeem passes her the ball and says HERE WE GO! YOUR LAYUP.
WELL DONE!
PASS IT BACK.

Nykeem grabs the ball and says HERE WE GO.
READY TO
CROSS OVER.
PROTECT THE
BASKETBALL.
PASS THE BALL.

Nykeem and Ahriahna continue to play.

Nykeem says YEAH! GOOD JOB!

The coach says ARM LEVEL,
FOLLOW THROUGH.

Ahriahna and Nykeem sit together on a bench on the court.

NYKEEM SAYS AHRIAHNA, YOUR BASKETBALL GAME
IS LOOKING GREAT.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'RE
WONDERING ABOUT THE SPORT?

AHRIAHNA SAYS YEAH - WHY DOES SHOOTING
THE BALL HIGHER
INCREASE YOUR CHANCE
OF SCORING A BASKET?

NYKEEM SAYS MM. THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION -
AND I KNOW WHO CAN HELP.
NYKEEM TO THE LAB.

Nykeem looks at his phone and Dr. Heather appears on screen.

In the lab, Dr. Heather says HI, NYKEEM.
HI, AHRIAHNA.
WE'RE GONNA EXPERIENCE
QUITE THE EDUCATIONAL ARC
CHECKING OUT
AHRIAHNA'S QUESTION.
BUT FIRST THINGS FIRST,
WE NEED SOME DATA.
HEAD BACK TO THE COURT...
AND YOU'LL GET AN ASSIST.

Dr. Heather tosses a basketball off the screen.

Back on the court Nykeem says COME ON, LET'S GO!

Back in the lab, the science beaker with green liquid appears on screen with a label that reads "Pop Quiz." The bottle swirls and flies over to the blackboard with a question.

Nykeem says HEY, EVERYONE, POP QUIZ!
WHY DOES A BASKETBALL BOUNCE?
A) IT'S MADE OF RUBBER...
B) IT'S FULL OF AIR PRESSURE...
OR C) PLAYERS ARE STRONG!

A skeleton with a red cap says THE ANSWER IS B!

Nykeem says IT'S FULL OF AIR PRESSURE.
WHEN THE BALL HITS THE GROUND,
THE PRESSURE OF THE BALL
PUSHES AGAINST THE FLOOR,
SENDING IT TRAVELLING UPWARDS.
SO MAKE SURE TO KEEP
THE BALL PUMPED UP.

Back in the lab, out of the science beaker launches white foam that turns into a slate that reads "Meet the Pro."
(CROWD CHEERING)

Now Myck appears on screen with a caption that reads "Myck." Myck has short black hair and wears a black shirt.

Myck says HI, I'M MYCK, AND I'VE BEEN
PLAYING BASKETBALL FOR 10 YEARS.
(CROWD CHEERING)

Clips of Myck playing basketball appear on screen.

MYCK SAYS I STARTED PLAYING
THE GAME OF BASKETBALL
BECAUSE EVERYONE FROM
MY NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAYED.
IT'S A TEAM-ORIENTED SPORT,
SO I JUMPED RIGHT IN.
I LOVE PLAYING
THE GAME OF BASKETBALL.
IT TAKES MY MIND OFF EVERYTHING
THAT'S GOING ON AROUND THE WORLD
AND I JUST FOCUS ON THE COURT.

Nykeem and Ahriahna walk up to Myck on the court.

NYKEEM SAYS HEY, MYCK.

MYCK SAYS WHAT'S UP, NYKEEM?

NYKEEM SAYS AHRIAHNA,
THIS IS MYCK.

AHRIAHNA SAYS HEY, MYCK.
NICE TO MEET YOU.

NYKEEM SAYS MYCK, WHAT IS ONE THING
A YOUNG BASKETBALL PLAYER
SHOULD ALWAYS REMEMBER?

MYCK SAYS JUST LIKE ANYTHING IN LIFE,
YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD.
AND IF YOU'RE PASSIONATE
ABOUT IT, STICK WITH IT.

NYKEEM SAYS AHRIAHNA, DO YOU HAVE
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MYCK?

AHRIAHNA SAYS ACTUALLY, YEAH.
WHAT DO YOU THINK
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
TO REMEMBER ON
DEFENCE IS?

MYCK SAYS ON DEFENCE, YOU WANT TO
BE LOW TO THE GROUND.
FOLLOW ME...

Ahriahna follows Myck.

MYCK SAYS HAVE YOUR HAND OUT
TO FEEL YOUR DEFENDER,
SO YOU CAN SHADOW THEM
WHEREVER THEY GO,
AND JUST FOLLOW THEM
WHEREVER THEY GO.
STAYING LOW...

Ahriahna practices her defence.

MYCK SAYS THERE YOU GO. THAT WAY.

NYKEEM SAYS SHE'S PRETTY
GOOD, RIGHT?

MYCK SAYS SHE IS.

NYKEEM SAYS HOW CAN MYCK
HELP US TODAY?

AHRIAHNA SAYS CAN YOU TAKE SOME
JUMP SHOTS FOR US?

MYCK SAYS SURE, BUT I HAVE TO
SHOW YOU THE TECHNIQUES.
JUST LIKE DEFENCE,
YOU WANT TO BE LOW,
HAVING YOUR FEET SQUARED,
SHOULDERS SQUARE.
FINGERTIPS ON THE BASKETBALL.
OTHER ONE'S GUIDING IT.
AND AS YOU RELEASE, PUT SOME
SPIN TO IT AND LET IT GO.

Nykeem says CAN WE SEE ONE?

MYCK SAYS SURE.
STAND RIGHT THERE
AND I CAN SHOW YOU.
REMEMBER, YOU WANT TO BE LOW,
SHOULDERS SQUARE...

Myck shoots the ball into the net.

MYCK SAYS HEAR THAT SWISH?

NYKEEM SAYS GOOD JOB.
CAN WE SEE ONE MORE?

Myck throws the ball and it goes into the net.

Nykeem looks at his watch and says DOCTOR HEATHER,
HAVE YOU SEEN ENOUGH?

Back in the sports lab, Dr. Heather says HEY, EVERYONE.
I THINK I'VE DISCOVERED WHAT
PUTS THE SWISH IN THIS SHOT.
WHEN MYCK SHOOTS,
HE MAKES SURE
TO GIVE HIS SHOT ARC.
AN ARC IS A LINE
THAT IS CURVED,
LIKE PART OF A CIRCLE.
SHOOTING WITH ARC
GIVES THE BALL THE GREATEST
CHANCE OF HITTING ITS TARGET.
WHEN THE BALL APPROACHES
THE NET ON AN ARC,
IT AIMS MORE DIRECTLY
AT THE HOOP.
SINCE THE HOOP IS ROUGHLY
DOUBLE THE DIAMETER
OF THE BALL,
THAT MAKES IT
HAVE LESS OF A CHANCE
OF CLANGING OFF THE HOOP.
IT GIVES THE BALL
A BIGGER TARGET.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT
TO GIVE THE BALL BACKSPIN.
THAT HELPS THE BALL TO BOUNCE
LESS WHEN IT HITS THE HOOP,
MEANING IT CAN STILL
FIND ITS MARK
EVEN IF IT'S
A BIT OFF-TARGET.
EXACTLY HOW HIGH YOU SHOOT
DEPENDS ON YOUR HEIGHT,
STRENGTH,
AND DISTANCE FROM THE NET.
SO EXPERIMENT WITH THE ARC
OF DIFFERENT DISTANCES
TO SEE WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU
AND YOU'LL BE GAME-READY.

Back on the court, NYKEEM SAYS OKAY, GUYS, SO IT'S IMPORTANT
TO GIVE YOUR SHOT PLENTY OF ARC.
AHRIAHNA, YOU WANT
TO GIVE IT A TRY?

AHRIAHNA SAYS YEAH.

MYCK SAYS GOOD LUCK.

Nykeem says MYCK, LET'S TAKE A STEP BACK.

AHRIAHNA SAYS LOW TO THE GROUND,
SHOULDERS SQUARED, ARC...

Ahriahna shoots the ball into the net.

MYCK SAYS THAT'S A GREAT
HIGH ARC RIGHT THERE.

(music plays)
(Fanfare)

Back in the lab, the green liquid in the science beaker spills and then dries up to reveal a title that reads "Fun Fact."

Nykeem appears on screen and says SOMETHING THAT GOES HAND IN HAND
WITH THE GAME OF BASKETBALL
IS SWEATING.
BUT DID YOU EVER WONDER
WHY WE SWEAT?
IT'S ACTUALLY
TO COOL US DOWN,
LIKE OUR OWN PERSONAL
AIR CONDITIONER.
THE BODY IS MADE UP
OF TWO SWEAT GLANDS...
ECCRINE
AND APOCRINE.
THE ECCRINE GLANDS,
WHICH ARE ALL OVER OUR BODY,
HELP KEEP OUR TEMPERATURE
AT A SAFE LEVEL.
AS WE PLAY HARD,
OUR TEMPERATURE RISES,
SO OUR NERVOUS SYSTEM USES
THE ECCRINE GLANDS
TO RELEASE SWEAT.
THE APOCRINE GLANDS,
WHICH ARE UNDER OUR ARMPITS,
RELEASE A SUBSTANCE TO HELP
BREAK DOWN SWEAT.
THAT'S WHERE BODY ODOUR
COMES FROM.
SO NO SWEAT -
KEEP PRACTICING HARD,
AND YOUR BODY WILL MAKE SURE
YOU STAY COOL.

Back on the court with Ahriahna, Nykeem says AHRIAHNA, THANKS TO YOU,
WE LEARNED ALL ABOUT ARC
AND HOW TO PLAY THE GAME RIGHT.
YOU GOT ONE MORE
GAME IN YOU?

AHRIAHNA SAYS OF COURSE!

NYKEEM SAYS CHECK!
LET'S SEE WHAT YOU GOT.

Nykeem and Ahriahna play each other one-on-one.

NYKEEM SAYS THAT WAS A GOOD JOB.

Back in the lab, colours and balls fly out of the science beaker and a slate reads "Pro Tip."

Myck appears on screen and says HERE ARE THE THREE
MOST IMPORTANT THINGS
TO DRIBBLE AT A HIGH LEVEL.
THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO
REMEMBER WHEN YOU'RE DRIBBLING
ARE USING YOUR FINGERTIPS.
WHY IS THAT?
BECAUSE IT GIVES YOU A LOT OF
CONTROL OVER THE BASKETBALL
AND LETS YOU MOVE AT A HIGHER
PACE AND HIGHER SPEED.
NUMBER TWO - YOU DON'T
WANT TO USE YOUR PALMS.
WHY IS THAT?
YOU MIGHT BE
BREAKING THE RULES -
A CALL LIKE CARRY, TRAVEL,
MIGHT MAKE YOUR COACH
HAVE GREY HAIRS.
NUMBER THREE -
AND LASTLY MOST IMPORTANT -
IS DRIBBLING
WITH YOUR EYES UP,
BECAUSE YOU WANT TO BE ABLE
TO SEE ALL OF YOUR TEAMMATES
WHEN YOU PLAY THE GAME.
MY NAME'S MYCK,
AND THAT'S MY PRO TIP.

Ahriahna appears on screen and says I THINK THE SCIENCE OF
BASKETBALL IS REALLY COOL.

Myck says NOT ONLY DOES IT HELP YOU
OFF THE COURT,
IT HELPS YOU TO
BE A BETTER PLAYER.

Ahriahna says SO GRAB A BALL,
AND I'LL SEE YOU ON THE COURT.

Nykeem walks on the court and says TODAY WE PUT
THE FULL COURT PRESS
ON THE GAME OF
BASKETBALL...

Nykeem walks away from the goal and tosses the ball backwards into the net.

NYKEEM SAYS AND FOUND OUT
THAT WITH THE RIGHT ARC,
YOUR JUMP SHOT WILL
SEE NOTHING BUT NET.
I'M ON TO THE NEXT SPORT,
BUT I'LL SEE YOU SOON.
BECAUSE IN THE SPORTS LAB,
WE PROVE THAT A SCORE BOARD
WON'T SHOW DIGITS...
(BUZZER)...WITHOUT THE HELP
OF PHYSICS.

The credits roll scenes of kids playing sports appear on screen.

Written and directed by, Johnny Mitchell.
Host, Nykeem Provo.
Editor, David Mitchell.

Produced in association with TVO Kids for riverbank pictures, copyright 1919216 Ontario Inc.