Inspired from Hoop Dreams in Oaxaca’s Hills a visual report by Documentary Photographer Jorge Santiago on assignment for Lens, the photojournalism section of New York Times—THE LAST SHOT is a 6-part verite docuseries that follows American basketball players whose careers have been derailed, willing to compete in underground Mexican cash-prize tournaments in search of one last opportunity to continue playing the game they love.

“Call it the postcolonial era—for the last 80 years, the people who live in the mountainous part of Mexico, in the state of Oaxaca, have been crazy about basketball. Introduced to the region by a president who wanted to unite, or perhaps distract, the various indigenous groups, the sport has taken root and become more popular than soccer. It occupies a physical place of honor, with the courts built on the few flat stretches of any town. Tournaments are held in dozens of villages, timed to the feast days of the town’s patron saint, which adds another dimension to the sport’s significance, with political and religious beliefs coming together. Players form their own teams and travel, village to village by any means necessary searching for the next slot, vying for prize money.”