‘One Tree Hill’: Michael Jordan Played On the Same Courts On the Show
One Tree Hill is perhaps one of the most popular teen dramas of the early 2000s. The show was so iconic that it remains a popular streaming choice for many of its viewers until today. It is also one of the most culturally relevant shows to this day.
The series had interesting storylines that kept viewers coming back for more. An essential aspect of the TV show had to do with basketball. Fans will be interested in learning that the same court used in one tree hill is the same court the iconic basketball player Michael Jordan played on. Read on to learn more.
The premise of ‘One Tree Hill’
One Tree Hill focuses on a group of high schoolers in the fictional town of Tree Hill. The first four seasons follow the teenagers as they try to navigate adolescence and high school. The remaining seasons were pushed further by four years as the show’s creator Mark Schwahn wanted the characters to advance to their college lives and beyond.
When One Tree Hill begins, it focuses on the relationship between the two half-brothers Nathan and Lucas Scott. The two brothers could barely see eye to eye at the beginning of the show. They, however, find common ground as the show progressed. In the show’s pilot, Lucas joins the high school basketball team, and since Nathan is the team’s captain, he feels threatened. This unwarranted threat forms the basis for their rival throughout the first few seasons of the show.
The brothers’ father, Dan Scott, is also explored occasionally, including his relationship with both the brothers’ mothers. The series also involves Lucas’s on/off girlfriends, Peyton Sawyer and Brooke Davis, as well as his best friend Haley James, who is his brother Nathan’s girlfriend.
Basketball was an integral part of the show
The show’s central storyline involved the Scott brothers and their love for basketball, which was also the source of their feud. Basketball was a very integral part of the show, and it formed the foundation for most of the storylines.
The show’s characters usually spent most of their time at the River court, which interestingly was built specifically for the series. The Scott brothers were the core of the basketball team, the Tree Hill Ravens, and Nathan even went on to play in the NBA.
Although the show portrayed Lucas as an excellent basketball player, the star who played the character Chad Michael Murray was in every sense of the word terrible at it. The show even reportedly had to hire a basketball coach to at least try and make it look believable on-screen.
There were many instances where the scenes had to be filmed repeatedly because the actor would frequently miss his shots, thus slowing production down. On the other hand, his on-screen brother didn’t have any issues when it came to basketball. Before becoming part of the One Tree Hill cast, James Lafferty (Nathan) had played on his high school team. He was, therefore, an easy addition to the Ravens.
‘One Tree Hill’ had a special connection to Jordan
Whenever a show is made about basketball, it usually references Jordan either directly or indirectly. However, One Tree Hill shared a special bond with the basketball legend. The WB-turned-CW series was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. Interestingly enough, that is the same place Jordan grew up in.
All the basketball scenes on the show were filmed in the iconic player’s high school gym at Laney High School, according to Buzzfeed. One Tree Hill was initially set in Illinois, but WB wanted the show to film in a much warmer climate. Therefore, they took the show’s creator, Schwahn, to Jordan’s high school gym, and only then did he accept to change the show’s setting.
