Bob Costas, retired American sportscaster, in The Waiting Game

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- The Waiting Game, an award-winning documentary celebrating the ABA and its players is coming to New Jersey as a Feature Documentary exclusive screening at the Garden State Film Festival. The screening will take place on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at The Asbury (Block TA11) - Asbury Hall (210 Fifth Avenue) in Asbury Park, NJ. The event begins at at 2:45pm.

The Waiting Game, a powerful documentary that lauds the extraordinary impact of the ABA to innovate modern pro basketball. From the three-point shot, to the slam dunk contest, to player fashion, halftime shows, sneaker culture and more, the ABA led the way on it all. Featuring the New Jersey Nets’ “Dr. J” Julius Erving, legendary sportscaster Bob Costas (who got his start in the ABA), Hall of Famers Dan Issel, Spencer Haywood and more, the film is touring former ABA cities.

The Waiting Game is a film by Good Vibes Media. It's a story of the impact of the ABA, its players, and the battle of a tiny not-for-profit to get them full recognition from the NBA. The documentary explores how ABA players, once the elite athletes of their time, often fell on hard times after being left without benefits or recognition after their playing days. A 3-person not-for-profit, The Dropping Dimes Foundation, takes steps that lead to the NBA and the NBPA to create a $24 million dollar fund to help.

The Garden State Film Festival presents a screening of the film with a lively question and answer session immediately after. Former ABA players from the New Jersey area are expected to attend. Emmy-Award winning film director Michael Husain is also expected.

“We are so excited and honored to be sharing The Waiting Game in New Jersey,” said Director/Producer Michael Husain. “It’s a state with a basketball love affair but many may not know thatthe modern game we all love, so much of it came from the ABA – a rival league which include the New Jersey Nets, that spurred incredible change. This film is an ode to the respect that those ABA players and the entire league deserves to this day.”

A film that resonates deeply with audiences, The Waiting Game won the Heartland International Film Festival’s 2024 Audience Choice Award and has rocketed to a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes film review aggregator.

“Like the ABA itself, this film captures a bit of a David v Goliath story. It shows not only the ABA almost as the NBA’s origin story, but also the little-known events of what happened after the league merged with the NBA. ABA players got left out of the explosive growth of the game that they innovated and a tiny not-for-profit that helped get those players more recognition is profiled. We’re thrilled that ABA players have loved the film!” said Husain.

A production company specializing in documentary filmmaking, Good Vibes and its leadership has helped create over 200 hours of non-fiction programming via independent films like The Waiting Game, The Sugarman and The Addict’s Wake (Best Documentary for Louisville International Film Festival 2022), and via cable and streaming networks like ESPN (30 for 30 short “Slick, Nancy, and The Telethon”) A&E, The History Channel, VH-1, Discovery Networks and more. The company was founded by Michael Husain - a multiple national Emmy winning producer/director.

The 23rd Annual Garden State Film Festival takes place March 27-30, 2025 in both Cranford and Asbury Park.  The festival includes screenings, filmmaker breakfast & panel discussions, a table read of the screenplay competition winner, and the annual awards banquet.