And how a chance meeting with Terry McMillan became a catalyst for Crystal McCrary McGuire’s creative career.
She’s a stylish New Yorker, an award-winning documentarian, and a mother of three whose high-powered husband once ran for public office.
If you’re a Sex and the City fan, you probably know Lisa Todd Wexley (“LTW”), played by Nicole Ari Parker in And Just Like That. But here’s the real-life twist: LTW was inspired by a real woman, Crystal McCrary McGuire, and her own story is just as captivating as anything on TV.
In this episode of How She Does It, host Karen Finerman sits down with Crystal McCrary McGuire to talk about career pivots, producing game-changing documentaries, raising NBA star Cole Anthony, and building a business that’s helping families navigate the competitive world of youth sports.
Crystal McCrary McGuire: From Contract Law to Creative License
Raised in Detroit by her grandparents, Crystal McCrary McGuire followed the traditional career path: law school, then a prestigious job at Paul, Weiss in their entertainment department. But the more she worked with artists and performers, the more she realized she wanted to be the creator, not the lawyer behind the contract.
A serendipitous meeting with author Terry McMillan became the turning point. McMillan’s advice: “Writers write. Every day,” which pushed McCrary to start her first novel, Home Court Advantage, co-authored with Rita Ewing. The fictionalized story, inspired by the lives and relationships of NBA players’ wives (McCrary was married to Knicks player Greg Anthony at the time), became a New York Times bestseller, opening the door to her next chapter as a creative artist.
Documentaries that Make a Difference
Her storytelling shifted to the screen with the TV docuseries “Leading Women” and “Leading Men,” which profiled people of color who’ve impacted the country socially, politically, and culturally. She followed that up with sports documentaries like Little Ballers, which followed her son Cole Anthony’s AAU basketball team when he was just 10, and Little Ballers Indiana, highlighting a girls’ AAU basketball team with WNBA star Skylar Diggins.
Most recently, Crystal McCrary McGuire executive produced She Runs the World, a documentary about Olympic legend Allyson Felix’s fight for equity in sports. The project brought together a powerhouse team of mostly women producers, from Tory Burch and Tonya Lewis Lee to Janice Y.K. Lee, Sue Bird, and more.
“To me, the power of what women can do when they’re supporting each other was a part of this project that was really gratifying to me,” remarked Crystal.
Love, Basketball, and Business with Cole Anthony
Basketball is still a family affair. Cole Anthony is now in his sixth NBA season, and together, he and Crystal co-founded GameUp: a platform designed to help families find teams, trainers, and opportunities in the $40 billion youth sports industry.
Her youngest son, Leo, is following in his brother’s footsteps, playing AAU basketball, while her daughter, Ella, who played basketball in high school, is now pursuing her own passions. Through it all, Crystal McCrary McGuire and her husband, financier Ray McGuire (who, like his “AJLT” counterpart, also ran for public office), rely on meticulous planning, mutual respect, and a shared vision for making their busy lives work.
Her advice to young athletes, including her own kids, is simple: “I really just want you to play as hard as you can, your personal best, and please, please, please try and have some fun.”
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