You’ve probably seen the posters or scrolled past it on a streaming service—a group of clean-cut guys in 1950s jerseys looking intensely at a basketball. Spirit of the Game isn't just another "underdog sports story" designed to make you feel good for 90 minutes. Honestly, it’s a weird, fascinating collision of religion, Cold War-era sports, and Australian history that most people completely overlook.
The movie follows DeLyle Condie, played by Aaron Jakubenko. He’s a star player at the University of Utah whose life gets flipped upside down when his fiancée dumps him. Heartbroken, he ditches his basketball dreams to serve a mission for the LDS Church in Melbourne, Australia.
The year is 1956. Melbourne is about to host the Olympics.
But there’s a problem: the locals aren't exactly rolling out the red carpet for these American missionaries. We’re talking doors slammed in faces and the occasional vegetable thrown their way. Basketball, it turns out, becomes the only bridge between these two very different worlds.
Why the Mormon Yankees Actually Mattered
In the movie, we see the formation of the Mormon Yankees. This wasn't some Hollywood invention to spice up the plot. It was a real team.
The real-life Mormon Yankees were essentially the Harlem Globetrotters of the mission field. In the mid-1950s, basketball was still a "new" sport in Australia, and the local talent was, to put it politely, struggling. The missionaries, many of whom had played high-level college ball in the States, were lightyears ahead.
The Olympic Connection
The film highlights a crucial historical moment: the Australian national team was preparing for its first-ever Olympic basketball appearance. They were outclassed. They were desperate.
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Enter the missionaries.
The movie focuses on how Condie and his crew helped train the Australian team, but the reality was even more impressive. The Mormon Yankees played exhibition games against several Olympic powerhouses, including the French and the Chinese (Taiwanese) teams. They didn't just play; they actually won about half of those games. Imagine a group of guys who spent their days knocking on doors for a church, then stepping onto the court to beat some of the best athletes in the world.
That’s the kind of story that feels "fake" in a movie, but it actually happened.
Casting and the Kevin Sorbo Factor
One of the big draws for the spirit of the game movie was the inclusion of Kevin Sorbo. If you grew up in the 90s, he’s Hercules. In this film, he plays Parley Condie, DeLyle’s father.
While Sorbo gets top billing on a lot of the marketing material, he’s actually more of a supporting character. The heavy lifting is done by Aaron Jakubenko. He brings a certain sincerity to DeLyle that keeps the movie from feeling like a giant Sunday School lesson.
The cast also includes:
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- Grant Piro as Ken Watson (the real-life coach of the Australian Olympic team).
- Anna McGahan as Elspeth, providing a local perspective.
- Wade Briggs as Don Hull.
The acting has been called "stiff" by some critics, particularly in the religious scenes. But honestly? If you’re a basketball fan, the court choreography is surprisingly decent. You can tell they actually found guys who could handle a ball.
Separating Fact From Film
Movies always take liberties. It’s what they do.
In Spirit of the Game, there’s a dramatic climax involving a bloody rematch against the French team. It’s peak sports cinema. While the Mormon Yankees did play the French and it was a massive deal, the film amps up the "us against the world" vibe.
Another detail: the "persecution" scenes. The movie shows the missionaries being pelted with tomatoes and sprayed with hoses. While Australians in the 50s were definitely wary of "American cults," the film uses these moments to heighten the emotional payoff when the crowd eventually starts cheering for the Yankees.
The Real Impact in Australia
The real story is less about a single game and more about a cultural shift. Between 1955 and 1960, the LDS Church in Australia roughly tripled in size. A huge chunk of that was attributed to the popularity of the basketball team. They were celebrities. They signed Book of Mormons like they were trading cards.
It’s a rare example where a sports team served as a literal PR firm for a religion.
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Is It Worth the Watch?
Look, this isn't Hoosiers. It’s a faith-based film, and it wears that on its sleeve. If you aren't into religious themes, the "ponderous piety" (as some reviewers called it) might get on your nerves.
However, if you like sports history or the "stranger in a strange land" trope, it’s a solid pick. It captures a specific moment in 1950s Australia that is rarely seen in mainstream cinema. Plus, the 1956 Melbourne Olympics were a massive deal for the "Land Down Under," and the film does a great job of showing that "Olympic fever."
How to Get the Most Out of the Movie
If you're going to dive into the spirit of the game movie, keep these things in mind to actually enjoy the experience:
- Look for the cameos: There are several nods to real figures from Australian basketball history.
- Check the history: After watching, look up the real DeLyle Condie. He passed away in 2014, but his family was heavily involved in making sure the "heart" of the story was accurate.
- Compare the basketball: Watch the scenes where they train the Australian team and then look up footage of 1950s basketball. The game was much slower and more "set-shot" heavy than the fast-paced era we live in now.
The film is currently available on various VOD platforms like Apple TV and Amazon. It remains a staple for people looking for "clean" family entertainment with a bit of historical weight behind it.
To really understand the legacy of the Mormon Yankees, you should look into the book Mormon Yankees: Giants On and Off the Court by Fred Woods. It provides the academic and historical context that the movie's 95-minute runtime just can't cover, especially regarding the team's long-term influence on Australian basketball culture before the sport exploded there in the 70s and 80s.