History Film / LikeMike

* WhamLine: When Tracy comes by the orphanage for a visit, he lets Calvin know the Knights are gonna be sponsoring the orphanage. Then he tells Calvin: -->'''Tracy: There's gonna be a lot of changes around here. ...Too bad you're not gonna be around to enjoy them.

* WorthyOpponent: When Calvin enters the NBA scene, he is severely underestimated because of his age and height. However, he quickly proves to be this towards several big-time NBA players. Some of these include Allen lverson(whom Calvin is a big fan of), Gary Payton(who ends up with a technical foul after nearly getting in a fight with Calvin), and even Vince Carter(who gives Calvin a nod of respect after the Knights win the final game).

* [[WiseBeyondTheirYears|WiseBeyondHisYears]]: Outside of being good at basketball, Calvin is shown to have such an extensive knowledge of the sport that he's able to point out even the smallest flaws in otherwise good plays, and can even come up with plays that can outsmart opponents.

* IJustWantToBeNormal: While Calvin enjoys his time as an NBA superstar, what he really wants is a stable family that can give him a better life.[[HappilyAdopted He finally gets this in the form of Tracy, who adopts him(and Murph)]].

* [[WiseBeyondTheirYears|Wise Beyond His Years]]: Outside of being good at basketball, Calvin is shown to have such an extensive knowledge of the sport that he's able to point out even the smallest flaws in otherwise good plays, and can even come up with plays that can outsmart opponents.

* BlatantLies: While he(and the audience) doesn't find out about it until later, Bittleman claims that Calvin's NBA contract states he is to remain in the custody of the orphanage for the duration of the season, meaning he can't get adopted. Calvin is understandably upset when he discovers the lie.

* {{Hypocrite}}: While Bittleman [[JerkassHasAPoint may have had a point]] that prospective families may only want to adopt Calvin just to cash in on his NBA celebrity status rather than to give him a stable family, he later proves to not be any better.

*** Retrieving his shoes when Bittleman steals them, even if it means he may miss most of the game.

* EveryManHasHisPrice: After Ox finds out Calvin somehow managed to get tickets to a Knights basketball game, he goes to inform Bittleman, so Calvin invites him to watch the game with him to keep him quiet.

* IJustWantToBeNormal: While Calvin enjoys his time as an NBA superstar, what he really wants is a stable family that can give him a better life.[[HappilyAdopted He, along with Murph, finally gets this in the form of Tracy, who adopts both boys]].
** [[spoiler:This is the reason Calvin gives when he breaks the news to the Knights that he'll be retiring after the Raptors game, likely to hide the fact it was his shoes that made him played so well.]]

** A funnier example: At one point, the Knights play against the '76ers. Calvin meets Allen Iverson, his favorite player. He attempts to ask for his autograph, but Iverson thinks Calvin is "the mascot", and scoffs when he finds out Calvin is an actual player. How does Calvin respond? [[DisproportionateRetribution He crosses over Iverson(likely with his own move), and dunks the ball to secure a win for the Knights]]. All Iverson can mutter is: [[ThisCannotBe How'd he do that!?!?]]

** The reason why Calvin's shoes were ruined in the end: he RARELY TOOK THEM OFF. As anyone can tell you, continuously wearing the same pair of shoes on a daily basis without taking them off will cause them to wear down.
* TeensAreMonsters: Ox and his crew spend their time picking on Calvin and his friends and even ripping apart Calvin's jersey after beating him on a 1-on-1 match for it. [[HeelFaceTurn They do get better, though]].

** Gary "The Glove" Payton ended up fouling and almost getting into a fight with Calvin. During the post-game interview, Payton warns the press "if Calvin Cambridge comes to your town, you'd better watch out".
** Vince Carter seemed to be the most antagonistic of them all, brushing off Calvin as a "little kid who knows nothing about the playoffs". However, after the Knights manage to win over the Raptors, Carter nods in respect towards Calvin, with Calvin returning the sentiment.

* WorthyOpponent: When Calvin enters the NBA scene, he is severely underestimated because of his age and height. However, he quickly proves to be this towards several big-time NBA players. Some of these include Allen lverson(whom Calvin is a big fan of), Dirk Nowitzki(who, along with then-teammates Steve Nash and Michael Finley, asks Calvin for his autograph after a game), and even Vince Carter(who gives Calvin a nod of respect after the Knights win the final game).

* BigBrotherInstinct: Calvin plays an older sibling role to Murph.

* BittersweetEnding: More sweet than bitter. The only bitter parts are that Calvin's magic sneakers are ruined, forcing him to retire from the NBA, and the fact that Reg was adopted by a different family rather than by Tracy. But sweet in the sense that both Calvin and Murph are adopted by Tracy, their orphanage is now sponsored by the Knights, Ox has grown to respect Calvin, Bittleman is no longer a problem, and Calvin lived his dream as an NBA player.

* GracefulLoser: Vince Carter develops respect towards Calvin after the Knights win the final game, giving him a respectful head nod.

* IJustWantToBeNormal: While Calvin enjoys his time as an NBA superstar, what he really wants is a stable family that can give him a better life. [[HappilyAdopted He, along with Murph, finally gets this in the form of Tracy, who adopts both boys]].

** Calvin himself becomes this to Tracy, as Calvin's influence helped Tracy to not only improve his own skills on the court, and help him become a better person off the court, but also reconcile with his estranged father. Tracy then decides to adopt Calvin(and Murph) at the end of the film.
*** Before Calvin joined the team, Tracy's teammates, Joad and Henderson, were this to him, as he seemed to have a good friendship with the two.

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Calvin saves Tracy from suspension by driving his car back to the hotel after Tracy falls asleep behind the wheel after mistakenly taking a prescribed sleeping medication. However, Calvin himself gets benched for the incident, as what he did was considered "joyriding". Tracy begins to warm up to Calvin after this, though.

* GracefulLoser: Vince Carter develops respect towards Calvin after the Knights win final game, giving him a respectful head nod.

* BroughtDownToBadass: A [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] example, as Calvin was already a pretty skilled basketball player before finding the magic sneakers. After they are ruined in the final seconds of the Raptors game, Calvin has to use his own skill and wits to help the Knights make the playoffs. Afterwards, we see that Calvin's skills have somewhat improved without the shoes, likely because he's now more confident in his ability.

*** Retrieving his shoes when Bittleman steals them, even if it means he may not be able to play.

* {{Hypocrite}}: While Bittleman [[JerkassHasAPoint was right in his assumption]] that prospective families may only want to adopt Calvin just to cash in on his NBA celebrity status rather than to give him a stable family, he later proves to not be any better.

** This is the reason Calvin gives when he breaks the news to the Knights that he'll be retiring after the Raptors game, likely to hide the fact it was his shoes that made him played so well.

** A funnier example: At one point, the Knights play against the '76ers. Calvin meets Allen Iverson, his favorite player. He attempts to ask for his autograph, but Iverson thinks Calvin is "the mascot", and scoffs when he finds out Calvin is an actual player. How does Calvin respond? [[DisproportionateRetribution He crosses over Iverson, and dunks the ball to secure a win for the Knights]]. All Iverson can mutter is: [[ThisCannotBe How'd he do that!?!?]]

** Tracy also seems to have this dynamic with his teammates Joad and Henderson.

*** Before Calvin joined the team, it is likely that Tracy's two closest teammates, Joad and Henderson, were this to him, as, other than Calvin, they are the only teammates Tracy is seen interacting with the most.
*** Surprisingly enough, Calvin also becomes this to the rest of the team, as his basketball knowledge helped them improve their teamwork and win games.

** Tracy also considers his two teammates, Joad and Henderson to be this to him.

** This is the reason Calvin gives when he breaks the news to the Knights that he'll be retiring after the Raptors, likely to hide the fact it was his shoes that made him played so well.

** Calvin himself becomes this to Tracy, as Calvin's influence helped Tracy to not only improve his own skills on the court, and improve his personality off the court, but also reconcile with his estranged father. Tracy then decides to adopt Calvin(and Murph) at the end of the film.
*** Before Calvin joined the team, it is implied that Tracy's two closest teammates, Joad and Henderson, were this to him, as both cared about Tracy's wellbeing.

*** Not backing down against Ox, though it costs him his Iverson basketball jersey.
*** Finding a family.
*** Keeping Tracy out of trouble with Coach Wagner(and helping him repair his relationship with his father).
*** Protecting his friends from bullies like Ox.
*** Retrieving his shoes when Bittleman steals them.
** Regardless of the situation. Calvin Cambridge just WON'T BACK DOWN!

* MoralityPet: While Calvin was already genuinely good at heart before joining the NBA, it is heavily implied that the main reason why Calvin didn't become a bully like Ox, grow up to be as selfish and evil as Bittleman, or let his NBA celebrity status turn him into a JerkJock, is because he has people like Murph, Reg, and Sister Theresa in his corner to give him the love and support he needs.

** Gary "The Glove" Payton ended up fouling and almost getting into a fight with Calvin. A during the post-game interview, Payton warns other teams "if Calvin Cambridge comes to your town, you'd better watch out".
** Vince Carter thought Calvin wouldn't be a match for someone like him. After the Knights manage to win over the Raptors, Carter nods in respect towards Calvin, with Calvin returning the sentiment.

** Dirk Nowitzki asking Calvin for an autograph([[BlatantLies for his niece named “Dirk”).

* VillainRespect: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. While Vince Carter was competitive and somewhat arrogant toward Calvin, he never had any real malice against him. When the Knights beat him and the Raptors, he gives Calvin a nod of respect, which Calvin returns.
** By the end of the film, Ox and his crew have all undergone CharacterDevelopment, and are shown to have become [[BullyTurnedBuddy friendlier]] towards Calvin and his friends.

* OneSeasonAthlete: Calvin Cambridge is given shoes worn by a former basketball legend, spends most of the movie playing for the Los Angeles Knights NBA team. However, he retires after the team makes the playoffs because his magic shoes are torn, robbing him of his athletic talent.

* LoopholeAbuse: [[DownplayedTrope Not exactly abuse]]. As Calvin is still a minor, his contract states he cannot use any money he earns from the NBA on himself. However, there was nothing in the construct stating he couldn’t use the money to buy things for the kids at his orphanage.

* MoralityPet: While Calvin was already genuinely good at heart before joining the NBA, it is heavily implied that the main reason why Calvin didn’t become a bully like Ox, grow up to be as selfish and evil as Bittleman, or let his celebrity status turn him into a JerkJock/{{Jerkass}}, is because he has people like Murph, Reg, and Sister Theresa in his corner to give him the love and support he needs.

* ThrewMyBikeOnTheRoof: Ox takes the MJ sneakers from Calvin and tosses them on an overhead telephone pole wire.

** By the end of the film, Ox and his crew have all become [[BullyTurnedBuddy friendlier]] towards Calvin.

* MoralityPet: While Calvin was already genuinely good at heart before joining the NBA, it can be said the reason why Calvin didn’t become a bully like Ox, grow up to be as selfish and evil as Bittleman, or let his celebrity status turn him into a JerkJock, is because he has people like Murph, Reg, and Sister Theresa in his corner to give him the love and support he needs.

* BroughtDownToBadass: A [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] example, as Calvin was already a pretty skilled basketball player before finding the magic sneakers. After they are ruined in the final seconds of the Raptors game, Calvin has to use his own skill and wits to help the Knights earn their first ever trip to the playoffs. Afterwards, it is shown that Calvin retained the skills he’d had beforehand, but now they have improved somewhat as Calvin is now more confident in his own ability.
* TheBully: Ox (and his gang) is this and, later on, Bittleman's [[TheDragon dragon]]. [[HeelFaceTurn He comes around after]] [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal being insulted by Bittleman one too many times]].

** A more funnier example is when Calvin crosses over Allen Iverson and wins against the 76ers. Why did Calvin humiliate his own idol? [[DisproportionateRetribution Iverson didn’t give him an autograph]].
** A positive example of this is that Calvin, Murph, and Reg, are all adopted by wonderful families by the end of the film(Calvin and Murph by Tracy, and Reg by another family, though they all remain close.)

* LoopholeAbuse: [[DownplayedTrope Not exactly abuse]]. As Calvin is still a minor, his contract states he cannot use any money he earns from the NBA on himself. However, there was no rule stating he could use the money on things for the orphanage.

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Calvin saves Tracy from suspension by driving his car back to the hotel after Tracy falls asleep behind the wheel after mistakenly taking a prescribed sleeping medication. However, the incident gets Calvin himself benched, as what he did was considered “joyriding”. Tracy warms up to Calvin after this, though.

* ReluctantRetiree: Calvin’s magic sneakers end up being ruined during the final seconds of the Raptors game, so he is forced to tell the team that this will be his final game. Although Calvin didn’t mind this(as he had a desire to return back to his normal childhood), he is visibly upset when breaking the news to the team.

** Also, as shown when the Knights lose to the Bulls, while Calvin’s shoes do improve his basketball skills, they won’t guarantee he’ll win every game.

* GracefulLoser: Vince Carter develops respect towards Calvin after the final game, giving him a respectful head nod.

* LoopholeAbuse: [[DownplayedTrope Not exactly abuse]]. As Calvin is still a minor, his contract states he can’t use any of the money he earns from the NBA on himself until he’s adopted, or turns 18. So Calvin circumvents this by using the money to buy things for the orphanage.

* LoopholeAbuse: [[DownplayedTrope Not exactly abuse]]. As Calvin is still a minor, his contract he can’t use any of the money he earns from the NBA on himself. So Calvin circumvents this by using the money to buy things for the orphanage.

* WeOnlyHaveOneChance: After the Knights suffer a humiliating loss to the Bulls, Coach Wagner states that they have to win against the Raptors in order to make it to the playoffs.

* BittersweetEnding: More sweet than bitter. The only bitter parts are that Calvin’s magic sneakers are ruined, forcing him to retire from the NBA, and the fact that Reg was adopted by a different family rather than by Tracy. But sweet in the sense that both Calvin and Murph are adopted by Tracy, their orphanage is now sponsored by the Knights, Bittleman is no longer a problem, and Calvin lived his dream as an NBA player.

* ThirdTime’sACharm: Twice during the film, Calvin goes for a jump shot, only to have said shot blocked by someone much taller than him. The third time, he manages to do a pump fake to trick Vince Carter into going for a block, but Calvin dribbles past Carter and passes the ball to Tracy, who goes on to win the game for the Knights.

* ThirdTimesACharm: Twice during the film, Calvin goes for a jump shot, only to have said shot blocked by someone much taller than him. The third time, he manages to do a pump fake to trick Vince Carter into going for a block, but Calvin dribbles past Carter and passes the ball to Tracy, who goes on to win the game for the Knights.

* BroughtDownToBadass: A [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] example, as Calvin was already a pretty skilled basketball player before finding the magic sneakers. After they are ruined in the final seconds of the Raptors game, Calvin has to use his own skill and wits to help the Knights earn their first ever trip to the playoffs. Afterwards, it is shown that Calvin retained the skills he’d had beforehand, but is now more confident in his ability.