Discovery folks like to call their behemoth office building the Discovery Campus. And Tuesday night the place was thumping like a Ft. Lauderdale motel during spring break. Silverdocs kicked off with the U.S. premier of the basketball doc More Than a Game. The big draw, of course, was the presence of one of the film’s subjects, LeBron James.

I missed the film. But one woman raved that it turned her into a basketball fan. I learned this at the after-party, which I did not miss.

The gala began with the Montgomery Blair High School pep band (Go Blazers!) leading everyone from the Silver Theater across Georgia Ave. to the Discovery building, which was decked out in an impressively consistent basketball theme. Free alcohol, free food, free video, live DJ. Supposedly live performances by “Interscope recording artist Wale and independent artist tabi Bonney,” but I missed that, too. Also supposedly, LeBron actually showed up, but again, I was too busy with the mini BBQ sandwiches, mini bacon cheeseburgers, mini hot dogs, and complimentary beer and martinis, the latter in groovy illuminated glasses. Which I took home in a velvet bag.

I was also busy shmoozing with the many local notables on hand. The ubiquitous Jeff Krulik was there, chatting with his good friend Dana Flor, co-director of the closing night film, The Nine Lives of Marion Barry (I’m betting there will be at least 11 on the DVD). And former Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan showed up.

Filmmaker magazine blogger Pamela Cohn called Silver Spring “the town that The Discovery Channel built,” which is not far off the mark. But much credit actually goes to Duncan, who spearheaded the $15.6 million tax deal that lured Discovery from tony Bethesda to what was then a fairly shabby suburb. I kept trying to goad Duncan into taking credit for the madness that reigned all around us—that is, I thanked him for the town’s rejuvenation. He kept shrugging me off, saying many others shared the credit. OK, fine, play coy.

This video montage reveals the shocking lengths a global corporation will go to lose money and ensure its constituents have a darn good time. Enjoy.

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