In that final game, Stokes had driven to the basket, drew contact and fell to the floor, hit his head, and was knocked unconscious.

Three days later, after an opening-round playoff game against the Detroit Pistons, Stokes becomes ill during the team's flight back to Cincinnati, suffers a seizure and falls into a coma.

The cast included actors Bill Walker and Maidie Norman as Maurice's parents; Janet MacLachlan played Stokes's college girlfriend, Dorothy (Stokes was carrying a diamond ring in his pocket, all set to propose to her, when he had the seizure on the plane); and actor Ji-Tu Cumbuka portrayed Oscar Robertson.

Film critic A. H. Weiler of The New York Times wrote in his review: "As a potentially inspirational saga that respects the awesome truth that generated it, Maurie, now at Loews State and Cine Theaters is, unfortunately, rarely moving as drama.

The heroism, tragedy and friendship of Maurice Stokes, the black basketball star destined to die, and his white teammate, Jack Twyman, formerly of the Cincinnati Royals, evolves on screen with largely soap-opera effects.