Has anyone seen Fast Break? The movie was made around the time the Kotter series was coming to an end. It basically borrows the Welcome Back Kotter angle and has Kaplan this time as a college basketball coach. He gets hired by a third rate university called Cadwallader and recruits a bunch of misfits to form the basketball team. The climax of the movie is a basketball game between Cadwallader and arch rival Nevada State. A lot of what happens in this movie is contrived and hokey, but it's fun to watch anyway. Bernard King, who actually played in the NBA, is in this movie.

The funniest line in the movie takes place in the beginning. Kaplan is working at a deli, and one of the customers is complaining about his sandwich. Kaplan says "There can't be anything wrong with it, the sandwiches were made fresh this morning." Kaplan then takes the part of the sandwich the customer was eating (the sandwich was cut in half) and takes a bite. Kaplan then says "OK, I'll only charge you for half a sandwich." :lol: :lol:

I would LOVE to see this movie and can't find it anywhere - even the library. I've heard the soundtrack with Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright and it's gorgeous. "With You I'm Born Again" went to #4 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1980.

I would LOVE to see this movie and can't find it anywhere - even the library. I've heard the soundtrack with Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright and it's gorgeous. "With You I'm Born Again" went to #4 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1980.

Fast Break was issued on VHS tape in the 80's, chances are you can find a used one on ebay. Give it a try.

Fast Break was issued on VHS tape in the 80's, chances are you can find a used one on ebay. Give it a try.
Thanks, and if that doesn't work out, I'll try ioffer. Maybe now that Kotter is on DVD and the (yikes!) planned movie version is in the works, Fast Break will also be issued to DVD.

Some time ago, ESPN Classic aired "Fast Break" in its Sunday movie time slot. It was great seeing it again. I remember DC Dacey, played by Harold Sylvester and Mavis Washington, who played for UCLA as Swish. Let's not forget Bernard King as Hustler and Michael Warren as Preacher.

I saw it a few years ago on TBS and thought it was pretty good. I wish they'd release it on DVD, it's such an underrated movie.

I remember not wanting to see it as a protest to his wanting out of the show. The movie bombed anyway, LOL.

I did find some of the movie's other songs on YouTube. Still haven't seen the movie. :lol:

I just found it on Netflix streaming. I'll check it out soon!

Sweet!!!

Saw it in the theater, back in the day.

Good flick, with some laughs. I'd recommend it.

I'll have to hunt this down. :cool:

I remember Fast Break. Gabe Kaplan made his movie debut as a basketball coach at remote Cadwallader University. I also remember Harold Sylvester as DcDacey, NBA player Bernard King as Hustler, Michael Warren as Preacher and Mavis Washington as the lone female player, Swish. Peter Isaakson of CPO Sharkey played another team member. It was an outstanding basketball movie and pretty funny in some parts, especially the scene where Kaplan and the other New Yorkers almost got busted for pot, so he orders them to eat it.

Someone posted the movie in its entirely (in 8 parts) on YouTube. I'll watch it one of these days when I'm not pressed for time.

Someone posted the movie in its entirely (in 8 parts) on YouTube. I'll watch it one of these days when I'm not pressed for time.


I watched this on Netflix today. I very much enjoyed it. Gabe needed something to do while he was sidelined from his own show. And I don't view it as "needing something to do" because I liked this movie. He was quite funny in it.

I saw this movie when it first came out, it was a decent movie from what I remember.

I watched this on Netflix today. I very much enjoyed it. Gabe needed something to do while he was sidelined from his own show. And I don't view it as "needing something to do" because I liked this movie. He was quite funny in it.
Sweet!!