Greivis Vásquez’s Rebound Story Becomes Subject of Documentary
SEE, MICA Host Screening, Q&A With Former Terps Basketball Star
The documentary “All I Ever Wanted,” directed by Carlos P. Beltran, follows former Terp star Greivis Vásquez for seven years after an ankle injury ended his NBA career.
Image courtesy of “All I Ever Wanted”
Terp fans know Greivis Vásquez ’10 as the flashy, record-breaking point guard who might punctuate a clutch three-pointer with his signature shimmy. But what inspired a new documentary feature wasn’t the first-round NBA draft pick’s success on the court, but what happened when an injury kept him off it.
The film, “All I Ever Wanted,” follows Vásquez as he perseveres through years of not only surgeries and rehab, but also the pandemic, divorce and a political uprising in his native Venezuela. Terps will get a chance to watch the movie and chat with him and director Carlos P. Beltran at a screening and Q&A hosted by Student Entertainment Events and the Office of Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy on Friday at the Stamp Student Union.
“I’m more than a basketball player. I suffer, I cry, I’m a father, at the time I was a husband, and I’m a son. We wanted to show the world, ‘Look, I’m human first,’” Vásquez said in an interview this week. “To me, the film sends a strong message: Hey, life is hard, but you gotta continue to work hard. Every day is a new day to get better.”
The film sets the scene by delving into Vásquez’s past, including his four years playing in College Park. He thrived at UMD, garnering All-American and ACC Player of the Year recognition and earning the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation’s top point guard. Coach Gary Williams, whom Vásquez considers “like a stepfather,” recounts his Terp glory days in the documentary.
Beltran, a fellow Venezuelan, was “in awe of his story” as one of the only NBA players from their country. Drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies after graduation, Vásquez had to step away from the league due to an injured ankle in 2016, and Beltran initially set out to chronicle his comeback. But when his new team, the Brooklyn Nets, deemed his condition career-ending, the crew had to pivot.
From operating rooms to intimate shots in Vásquez’s home, they instead documented his physical and emotional struggles as he came to terms with his new reality.
“From the very beginning, I told Greivis that it was important for me, if we were going to work together on this film, that I would have access to his life—to the bright moments, the victories, and also the lows,” Beltran said. “It was supposed to take one year. It took us, in the end, about seven years, because it became more about Greivis’ resilience.”
The film also features commentary from NBA All-Stars Kyle Lowry, Manu Ginobili and even superstar Kevin Durant, who played with Vásquez in high school at Montrose Christian in Rockville, Md.
“Greivis has always been a worker from day one,” Durant says on screen. “He has made it out of situations that nobody would’ve thought he can make it out of. He’s already a champion in a lot of people’s eyes.”
After premiering earlier this year at the Dallas International Film Festival, “All I Ever Wanted” has been featured at dozens of others, and it’s slated to appear in December at Palermo, Italy’s Paladino d’Oro, the longest-running sports film festival in the world.
But first, Vásquez, who recently signed a contract to do NBA pre- and post-game analysis with D.C.’s Monumental Sports Network, is happy to be back among his UMD family.
“To have a special screening at Maryland is love, it’s unbelievable,” he said. “Maryland means so much to me. My four years at school were the best four years of my life.”
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Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Division of Student Affairs Student Entertainment Events (SEE)