*Spoilers*

Twenty years ago, Love and Basketball was released to theaters and over the years it would cement its place as a classic romance flick.

But to simply categorize it as a romance movie would be a disservice, considering the movie explored all the aspects of life that can impact a relationship. Career anxieties, unresolved parent issues and gender dynamics were key pillars to the movie written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood.

The two characters from Love and Basketball caught feelings at 11 years old, and throughout the movie, it becomes clear why Monica (played by Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (played by Omar Epps) were in it for the long run.

 

Although Quincy wasn’t perfect (let’s not forget how he was parading around Monica Calhoun‘s character when him and Monica were beefing), Quincy made up for his mistakes and demonstrated healthy ways of being in a relationship.

Check out five scenes that showed off his eligible boyfriend skills starting below. Then hit the flip for more aspirational scenes involving Quincy McCall.

That time he checked Monica for sex shaming Shawnee in the car

 

As a kid, Quincy had already developed toxic views about women, greeting Monica with “girls can’t play no ball!” When the two eleven-year-olds decided to go steady for two minutes, he even had rigid ideas about how Monica should act as his girlfriend.

However, by the time they entered high school, Quincy surprisingly called out Monica on her rigid gender ideas when she called a girl Quincy was interested in (Gabrielle Union) a “ho.”

“Why she gotta be a ho? Because she want to get with me?” Quincy questioned Monica. When Monica reiterated that she simply wants to “bone” Quincy, he replied, “at least she’s honest.”

Sex positivity for the win.

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