“Boogie” is a coming-of-age basketball drama about a Chinese-American in Queens who has dreams of playing in the NBA. It’s the directorial debut of Eddie Huang, who first found success in New York City as a restaurateur, co-owning the now closed BAOHAUS in the East Village. Huang is also known for his memoirs, "Fresh Off The Boat," which was turned into a sitcom on ABC Television.

Huang tells NY1’s George Whipple how he continues to tell stories that come from his life with his directorial debut.

“The emotions are very autobiographical,” said Huang. “There's quite a few scenes that are scenes from my life that were adjusted for the world, but the actions happened. I'd say the emotions are completely autobiographical. The scenes, I'd say at least 60% of it.”

Huang now lives on the West Coast, which is where he found his leading man, actor Taylor Takahashi, who is Japanese-American.

“I had to find somebody that could not only play the basketball but have that well of emotion to draw on and then be willing as an actor to do it,” said Huang. “Both of us come from kind of difficult family backgrounds and he was able to draw on those feelings and those emotions.”

In the film, Alfred “Boogie” Chin plays high school ball in Flushing. He’s navigating young love and parental pressures to get a basketball scholarship. Takahashi told Whipple the role pulled him away from his background as Japanese-American from Los Angeles.

“Getting to New York and like the immigrant side was different for me,” said Takahashi. “I grew up fourth-generation. My grandparents were in the internment camps, and so I was pulled away from my culture in a way. For me to tap back in and to play this role, I have a lot of immigrant friends - I saw the discipline that they went through.”

Huang told Whipple that Queens is a big character in “Boogie.”

“Queens is very important, as is downtown New York,” said Huang. “I’ve traveled around the world quite a bit and I always come back to New York. It's the most futuristic city, it is the most diverse. New York is absolutely a character and that's where we draw so much of the strength from for the film.”

Huang said if you want basketball, you go to New York City.

“The fundamental ideas about basketball come from New York City playgrounds. It is the Mecca,” Huang said. “We have the greatest team in the world, the New York Knicks. There is a real toughness to the way New Yorkers play basketball.”

“Boogie” is playing in theaters now.