MANSFIELD (UPDATED 3/17 AT NOON) — Central Ohio basketball legend Estaban Weaver is the focus of a film that is now streaming for free on line at Homage.com.
“Who is Estaban?” debuted last weekend at the Gateway Film Center, 1550 N. High St. in Columbus. The first show on Saturday night was sold out in a matter of days, necessitating a second showing on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
Richland Source managing editor Larry Phillips has a part in the film, and is shown in the latest trailer. Phillips was interviewed more than a year ago by independent film makers Ryan Conley and Mike Raine at Lexington High School.
“Norwalk coach Steve Gray was the Lexington coach at that time, and he called me and said I needed to come down to see their preseason scrimmage with Columbus Hartley,” Phillips said. “I had heard about Estaban Weaver, but hadn’t seen him yet. This was before his first varsity game as a freshman.
“He was supposed to be the top player in the country in his age group, so I was curious and went. Wow. He was incredible.”
Phillips wrote a column about Weaver that appeared in the Mansfield News Journal. The story was published in November 1993, before the Internet. Weaver’s mother obtained a copy in Columbus and called to thank him for the story.
“I wrote it at the time, until he went to the free throw line, I couldn’t tell if Estaban was right- or left-handed,” Phillips said. “He could go either way, dribbled and shot with both hands, and he had the physical maturity of a much older player. He was a man among boys, even as a freshman.
“In the film they quote me as saying he was better than LeBron James at the same age, and I still stand by that. Obviously LeBron’s career skyrocketed, and he eclipsed Estaban’s development. But as freshmen, Estaban was more skilled, which makes his story so compelling, and so tragic, too.”
Weaver went on to average 25 points per game that season and earned first-team All-Ohio honors while playing under former Mansfield St. Peter’s coach Tim Birie. As a sophomore, Weaver poured in 26 points per game and led Hartley to the state tournament.
At this point he was still considered the top player in his class, ahead of future NBA stars Tracy McGrady, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest.
But that was the pinnacle. Off-court difficulties sidetracked Weaver. He transferred to Maine Central Institute and was tossed out of school. He returned to central Ohio and paired with Kenny Gregory at Columbus Independence. Gregory won Mr. Basketball and earned a scholarship to Kansas. Weaver didn’t graduate with his class and never played at a major college.
That’s the tragic story that intrigued Conley and Raine. Phillips’ early column was one of their reference points.
This is the second film Phillips has appeared in over the past four months. In October he was part of the NFL documentary “Before the League,” speaking on Shelby Blues legend Charles Follis, the first black professional football player.
The Weaver film, “Who is Estaban?” will be livestreaming on Homage.com starting on March 14.
