Uncle Drew (2018) * * *

Directed by:  Charles Stone III

Starring:  Kyrie Irving, LilRel Howery, Tiffany Haddish, Nick Kroll, Shaquille O' Neal, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson, Lisa Leslie, Erica Ash, Mike Epps, J.B. Smoove

We first hear about Uncle Drew (Irving), who fifty years ago was the greatest player in the history of The Rucker, a street basketball tournament in New York in which Drew was king.   NBA Hall of Fame players such as Bill Walton, Dikembe Mutumbo, and Steve Nash marvel at Drew's awesomeness in an ESPN 30 for 30 special.   But, on the eve of The Rucker's inaugural championship game, Drew's team disbanded and Uncle Drew vanished.    Why?   Rumors of Drew messing around with his teammate's girlfriend had a lot to do with it. 

Flash forward to present day, in which hapless coach/shoe salesman Dax (Howery) tries so desperately to keep his own team loyal on the eve of The 50th Rucker tournament that he gives them each $225 pairs of sneakers which he can't pay for.   Dax's gold digging girlfriend Jess (Haddish) agrees to pay for the sneakers, in return for 50% return on the winnings from the tournament.   She's all heart.   Dax's team soon jumps ship for Mookie (Kroll), a dickhead who once blocked Dax's potential game winning shot in high school and never let him forget it.   Down on his luck, Dax runs into the actual Uncle Drew on a local basketball court and hires him for the team.   Drew will play, but his terms are:   He will pick his own team, and soon rounds up his teammates from years ago to play in the tournament.    They include Preacher (Webber) who plays despite his wife's strenuous objections, Lights (Miller), who can't see anything, Boots (Robinson), who is wheelchair-bound, and Big Fella (O'Neal), who harbors a long-nursed grudge against Drew, likely because Drew slept with his girlfriend. 

There isn't a moment of Uncle Drew which isn't predictable, but it is still pretty fun, even if you realize the old timers play with limitless energy and can run circles around the youngsters.   Uh huh.  But, Uncle Drew isn't meant to be grounded in realism.   It is family-friendly sports comedy, with Irving and his teammates playing old rather convincingly, except when are playing hoops.   Howery, from Get Out, is a likable hero, and no points for guessing he will soon be put into a situation where he is on the court again with Mookie.   Does he get a chance at redemption?   What do you think? 

Uncle Drew throws in some inside jokes, such as Drew reminding Preacher that they have no more time outs left (an allusion to Webber's famed NCAA championship game guffaw), and Big Fella as a rather lousy free throw shooter.   Those references may fly over some people's heads, but I found them pretty funny.    Even if you don't know a basketball from a tennis ball, Uncle Drew is still harmless fun.