Yeah! Nice job! Nice pass!
St. Francis High School
basketball phenom
Ty Crane,
who they recruited just last year,
is widely held as
the next LeBron James.
We simply know him
as ''The Crane.''
Come on.
Come on, y'all!
Timo, let's go man, come on.
Yeah, whatever.
Where you at? Where you at?
Pick him up! Pick him up!
- Hey, son.
- Hey.
Right here, right here.
- Blue ball!
- Good D, baby!
- Damn!
- What the hell are you doing, y'all?
- You took three steps this way.
- Yo, l put my fist up, man.
Yo, homey, look where you're throwing
the ball, man. Damn.
- Get your man!
- l knew it. l knew it.
Yeah!
St. Francis is up by 22.
Stay out of my way, b*tch.
l own you.
- Oh, hell no!
- B*tch!
Let's go! Let's go!
Oh, no. Come on, guys, stop that!
- Let me go!
- Hey! Hey!
l'm good. Get off me!
Get off me, get off me!
That's it! Game's over!
Game's over!
Crane. Great game, great game.
Tell everyone out there what it
feels like to be the next LeBron James.
LeBron James?
l'm the only Ty Crane.
All right, you heard it here first,
''the only Ty Crane.''
Why do all the benchwarmers
always got something to say?
We watching the damn game,
that's why.
- You got a good view, huh?
- Yeah.
Ty Crane outscored
our whole team by himself.
- Wonder how that happened.
- We had nothing but 32 points.
l got 1 2 of them.
What did you get, Kenyon?
Just shut up, dog.
The Crane swooped down on you
and delivered a basket of beat-down.
He clowned you, dog.
- Yeah, you better shut the hell up.
- He had you on lock the whole game.
Lyle, why don't you shut your mouth
before l close it for good.
You didn't do sh*t either
the whole game.
What, homey?
l will slap the taste out your mouth!
- Can we all just get along?
- Shut your little ass up!
- You didn't even play!
- That's what l'm talking about.
- Shay, pass the ball, dog!
- You got two points in 1 6 minutes,
- that's why coach got rid of your ass.
- Exactly!
Timo, you was in the whole time,
you never even touched the rock.
You didn't do sh*t.
You might as well--
- Who was you passing the ball to?
- You were playing and didn't do sh*t!
Kenny Ray Carter, Richmond
High School all-American, 1 9 72.
Good to see you, sir.
l was really happy to see you
in the stands tonight.
l have to tell you, sir,
l haven't made up my mind yet.
As l've told you,
it's time for me to step down.
Last few years
have been really tough.
Well, losing's hard, sir.
This isn't about
losing games, Kenny.
l can't get them to show up
for school, for practice.
l can't get parents involved, and l'm
done chasing kids in the streets
and pulling them into the gym.
Yeah, it's a tough job.
Richmond is a tough little city.
When l saw you here tonight,
l thought, ''l got him. He's in.''
Well, actually,
l was here for another reason.
My son plays for St. Francis.
He does?
- Which kid was he?
- Well, you didn't see him.
- He's a freshman. He didn't play.
- That's great. Great school.
What, you wanna go?
- Hey!
- Lyle, bring it!
Let him go. You think everybody's
scared of you? l ain't scared of you!
Cruz, chill, man. Why you gotta be
trying to act all hard all the time, man?
God, l'm sick of you, man!
You know, that school was rough
when l went there.
lt's way beyond that now.
Well, then, just forget about it.
Don't even discuss it again.
l can't quite do that. Coach officially
offered me the job tonight.
The clock's ticking.
And when you say ''offering job,''
there's usually money involved.
Yeah, there might be
a thousand bucks in it for me.
For five months of work?
Oh, well, you can't say no to that.
And the team, it's so bad.
Those boys,
they're so angry and undisciplined.
And besides, you know,
you don't have the time.
You're trying to open up
a second store.
Exactly, l don't have the--
Hell, l don't have any time.
And you promised to take
your girlfriend to Mexico.
And l'm definitely
keeping that promise.
There's no way
l'm not going to Mexico
and hanging out on the beach
with you in your bikini.
l can't take that job.
So when do you start?
- You should've spoken to me first.
- Why?
- lt was a personal choice for me.
- So, what happens to me?
You still gonna come to my games?
l'll probably miss most of
your games, Damien. l'm sorry.
Then l'll go to Richmond
and play for you.
No.
Well, why not?
- Dad, you've always been my coach.
- This is a great school, Damien.
lt puts you in a great position
for college.
Dad, l'm a freshman!
Just because l'm coaching
at Richmond,
it doesn't change our plans
for your future, all right?
Yo, my man, l need a vial, man.
You got that good dope? How much?
You forgot to bring your lD,
didn't you?
- l forgot it.
- Every day.
Good morning. Ken Carter.
- Thanks.
- Here you go, sir.
Hey, yo, what's up?
- Nice to see you again, Mr. Carter.
- You too, ma'am.
lf the offer still stands,
l'd like to coach the team.
Well, l hope you're up for the task.
These young men need discipline.
The job comes with a $1 ,500 stipend
and a major time commitment
for the next four months.
- l accept.
- Great.
We're thrilled to have you.
Gentlemen, l hate to be abrupt,
but l do have a budget meeting
l need to run to.
Mr. Carter, is there anything
you need from us?
Well, l just need about
- l'm all set.
- Ray, would you see to it
that Mr. Carter--?
Coach Carter gets these copies?
- Will do.
- Gentlemen.
l'm not saying this is
not gonna be a challenge,
but, Kenny, you know the deal here.
Just keep in mind,
these are good boys.
Guys! Guys!
Guys!
Now, as you know, l've been-- Hey!
You know l've been looking
for a new coach
to take over for me this season.
This is Ken Carter.
He went to Richmond.
He was a two-sport all-American.
Still holds records
for scoring, assists, steals.
Basketball scholarship to
George Mason University.
We're lucky to have Coach Carter.
Now, let's give him
the respect he's due.
- They're all yours, coach.
- Thank you, sir.
Good afternoon, young men.
As Coach White said, l'm your
new basketball coach, Ken Carter.
l guess l need to speak louder
so you can hear me.
l'm Ken Carter,
your new basketball coach.
We hear you, dog.
But we can't see you.
The glare from your
big, black-ass head
is hella shiny, man.
Damn, do you buff it?
Oh, you got jokes to go along
with that ugly jump shot of yours, huh?
First of all, if you need to know
my credentials,
as Coach White said,
they're on the wall there behind you.
Secondly, if basketball practice
starts at 3, you are late as of 2:55.
You, shooting the ball.
What's your name, sir?
Jason Lyle, but l ain't no sir.
You're not a sir.
Well, are you a madam?
- Little b*tch. B*tch.
- As of now, you are a sir.
So are the rest of you.
''Sir'' is a term of respect.
And you will have my respect
until you abuse it.
Mr. Lyle, how many games
did you guys win last season?
Like four wins, 22 losses.
- Sir.
- Sir.
l'm going to give you contracts.
lf you sign and honor
your side of them,
we are going to be successful.
Damn, do l get a signing bonus
for signing this contract?
Yes, sir.
You get to become a winner.
Because if there's one thing l know,
it is this:
The losing stops now.
Starting today, you will play
like winners, act like winners,
and most importantly,
you will be winners.
lf you listen and learn,
you'll win basketball games.
And, gentlemen, winning in here...
...is the key to winning out there.
This contract states that you will
maintain a 2.3 grade point average.
You will attend all your classes
and you will sit in the front row
of those classes.
- Yo, this a country-ass nigga, dog.
- Excuse me.
- Did you say something, sir?
- Worm was wondering,
are you some country church nigga,
with your tie on and all that?
- Right.
- That's what you wanna say, right?
And what is your name, sir?
l'm Timo Cruz, sir.
Well, Mr. Cruz and Mr. Worm,
what you should both know
is we treat ourselves with respect.
We don't use the word ''nigga.''
Are you some preacher man
or some sh*t?
Because God ain't gonna do you
no good in this neighborhood.
- l live in this neighborhood, sir.
- Sir.
Can you believe
this uppity Negro, sir?
Okay, Mr. Cruz...
- ...leave the gym right now.
- For what?
l'll ask you one last time
to leave the gym
- before l help you leave.
- Before you what?
Do you even know who l am?
From what l can see, a very confused
and scared young man.
Scared of who? Scared of you?
l'm supposed to be scared of you?
Nigga, l ain't scared of nobody.
l will lay your ass out.
l don't think so.
All right.
What you doing? Get off me!
Teachers ain't supposed
to touch students.
l'm not a teacher.
l'm your new basketball coach.
This ain't over!
ls there anybody else
who's not feeling this contract?
Come on, man, where you going?
l don't do high school contracts.
Tell us when you need
the real ballers.
l will do that, sir.
There goes our two leading scorers
from last season, man.
There goes our two leading scorers
from last season, man.
Then l guess we'll have new
leading scorers this season, huh?
Now, l cannot teach you the game
of basketball
until your conditioning is at a level
that allows me to do so.
Gentlemen, report to the baseline.
To the baseline!
l presume you all know
what suicides are.
So...
l saw the St. Francis game
the other night.
None of you have a problem
shooting the ball.
You all had a problem
getting up and down the court.
lf you are late, you will run.
lf you give me attitude,
you will do push-ups.
So you can push-up or shut up.
That's up to you.
- Yo, how many we gonna do?
- Sir.
Yo, sir, how many we gonna do?
Let's see how many you can do
in one hour and seven minutes.
Fellas, don't make me
commit homicide.
l said, suicides!
Put your hand on the line!
Put your hand on the line!
Damn, l can't keep this sh*t up, man.
l can barely walk.
- l know, my legs is hella sore, son.
- Need some Gatorade or something.
- There go your girl right there, son.
- Yeah.
Hey, what's with you and her homeys?
You gonna try to holler at them?
Man, l'm hollering
at both of the friends.
- Both of them?
- Yeah, because l need that.
You know, l need variety in my life.
l can't just have one girl.
You know what l'm saying?
l need both.
Hey.
- What's up, baby?
- How you doing?
Ladies, ladies, ladies. Y'all heard
about that two-for-one special, right?
Two of you, one of me.
Now, that's special.
- Please. Whatever, Worm.
- Yeah, special ed.
- Get your arm off me.
- l like this fox.
You working that chinchilla.
But, look, baby, me and you...
You need to tell him to stop playing it
so close. She don't even like him.
- Why not? Worm's the man.
- Worm is Worm.
Anyway, l got something
for the baby today.
We don't even know if it's a baby yet.
l mean, it's kind of early.
You ain't even been
to the doctor yet.
Hello? l passed the pregnancy test,
Kenyon. Three times.
- These are kind of cute, though.
- l know, l got good taste, right?
Yeah, all right.
Precious little shoes.
Well, l got a little
somethin'-somethin' for you too.
Thank you.
This definitely is a little something.
- Where'd you get this?
- Don't sleep on the 99 Cent Store.
Kenyon!
- What? What's up?
- What are you doing? Give me!
- Are you crazy?
- Are you crazy?
You got that for 99 cents?
l've been there.
You can get three brooms and a bucket
for 99 cents, with some toilet paper.
That's like thread.
That's not even half a shoelace.
Well, would you like to see me
in this shoelace?
Quick feet! Let me see quick feet!
Touch the floor! Stay big! Stay big!
Three push-ups and move.
One! Two! Three!
Let's go. Explode!
Let me hear you. Let me hear you!
Let me hear it.
Explode! Worm, explode!
Touch the floor! Touch the floor!
Give me five!
Just give me five! Push!
Push! Go! Go!
Let me hear you!
Come on, close out!
Explode! Let's go!
Sir, you're 20 minutes late.
That's ten suicides for the
whole team, 250 push-ups for you.
This ain't the track team, man.
Nor is it the debate team, Mr. Lyle.
But you're right.
And because you're right,
that's 20 suicides for the entire team
and you get the privilege
of joining Mr. Battle
- with 250 push-ups of your own.
- What, are you serious?
- Yeah.
- This is bullshit!
Good answer, Mr. Battle.
Johnny, tell him what he's won.
Because you gave
such a good answer
and you gave the coach attitude,
you win the bonus prize
of 500 push-ups!
And would you like to go
for the grand prize of a thousand?
No, sir.
To the baseline!
On my whistle! Let's go!
J.B., come on, baby.
l can't even move, son.
Like, every muscle on my body hurts.
- You can't say nothing to him.
- Why can't l say nothing to him?
l'm a white boy? Man, what the--?
Right here. Right here.
Get this dude right here. Get this dude.
Where you going, homey?
Where you going, huh?
- l ain't got sh*t.
- What?
Please don't shoot me, man.
Go on, take my bag, dog!
Run your sh*t, homey!
That's some bullshit, Cruz!
Yo, l'm gonna visit you in County, dog.
l'm just playing, B.
Look at you!
Damn! l seen y'all
walking from up the block
like somebody put a pipe
in your asses.
You all right, dog?
Look, y'all wasn't winning with me,
but y'all damn sure
look sad without me.
But you know what?
l'm gonna watch y'all play.
See y'all get your asses kicked.
Yo! l'd love to shoot the sh*t with
you b*tches all night, but l gotta go.
- All right.
- Yo, who that, man?
That's my cousin, Renny.
l'm gonna check y'all.
Come on, let's go.
Yo, Worm, you need a ride?
- No, l'm straight, man.
- You sure?
- Yeah, l'm good.
- All right, my nigga.
- One love.
- All right, Lyle!
Don't let nobody else put a pipe
up your ass, or you might like it!
Hey, you was scared, huh?
l wasn't scared.
The state only requires
that they have a 2.0 average to play.
Now, you got in here
they need a 2.3.
lf you have a 2.0, you have to score
at least 1 050 on the SA
to be eligible
for an athletic scholarship.
lf you have a 2.3,
you only need 950.
Now, 2.3 is just a C-plus.
lt shouldn't be that hard
to maintain a C-plus.
These boys are student athletes.
''Student'' comes first.
lt says they gotta wear
coat and ties on game days.
They don't own ties!
You gonna supply the ties?
There's a Goodwill
and a Salvation Army store
less than two blocks from here.
They got a box full of ties
for 50 cents apiece.
Yo, man, what you
trying to say, huh?
Oh, we too good to shop at the
Goodwill and Salvation Army, is that it?
- Yeah, l ain't that broke.
- This is crazy!
A dress code and they have to sit
in the front row in class?
- This is basketball, man!
- And basketball is a privilege, ma'am.
lf you want to play basketball
on this team,
these are the simple rules
you have to follow
if you want to enjoy that privilege.
Now, if you decide
to follow these simple rules,
l need you and the boys
to sign this contract.
They can bring the contracts
to practice tomorrow.
lf you come to practice.
l wanna thank you all for coming out
and showing your support,
and l hope l have your support
the rest of the season.
- Good night.
- Get up and leave like that?
Look, l have a hard enough time
getting my nephew to...
- How you gonna make them wear ties?
- l want the other coach back!
lt's one of your contracts, sir.
l've amended that contract.
You require your players
to maintain a 2.3 grade point average.
l've committed to maintaining a 3.5.
You require ten hours of community
service, and l've committed to 50.
Any unexcused absences, any other
disciplinary issues at school,
you can nullify this agreement
and send me to any school you want.
And how many days do l have
to consider this offer?
None.
The second page
is a letter you need to sign
that confirms my withdrawal
from St. Francis.
- They know l'm leaving.
- What?
- You withdrew from St. Francis?
- l called Richmond.
- They expect me there in the morning.
- You called Richmond?
You should have spoken to me
about this.
lt was a personal choice for me.
Well, l can fix all that in the morning.
Sir, please listen.
All l wanna do is play for you.
lf l'm one of the top students
at Richmond,
l mean one of the top in the whole
school, and l have great SATs,
l can go to any college
in the country.
l'm asking you to trust me.
You really wanna do this, huh?
Okay.
Part of growing up
is making your own decisions
and living with the consequences.
And you will earn every minute
of playing time.
Open it, please.
Morning, sir.
My name is J. Lyle
They call me wild
lt's all right
Kenyon's mom tonight
- Say what?
- You might think l'm wrong
But she's got these thongs
Hey, yo, yo, yo.
lt's Malcolm X from St. Francis.
- Hey, yo, Malcolm!
- Whatever.
- What's up, man?
- What are you doing here, son?
- l transferred to Richmond.
- Oh, no, son, l think you're just lost.
Well, l am actually lost.
Can you tell me how to get to...?
Bel Air? Hey, yo, Worm,
tell your man Fresh Prince here
- how to get to his mansion.
- Fresh b*tch.
l hope seeing you in this hallway mean
l get to see you on the court today.
l can't wait. With your five browns.
Everybody up.
Today we're going to play defense.
Sorry, sir.
Gentlemen, this is a new player,
Damien Carter.
He is my son, and he is late.
Sir, you owe me 20 suicides.
Sir, it's my first day of school,
l had to stay--
Basketball practice starts at 3.
As of 2:
55, you are late.
Get changed in the locker room.
Do your suicides on the far side
of the court so as not to disturb us.
All right, gentlemen,
give me two lines!
Okay, young sirs, we're gonna
take it to the next level.
Everything l knew about basketball,
l learned from women.
l have a sister, her name's Diane.
She was always on my case
about every little thing.
Matter of fact, she still is.
''Turn down that radio!
You eat the last piece of cake?
Did you drink all the Kool-Aid?''
She was always in my face.
So when l call ''Diane,''
we're gonna play straight
man-to-man pressure defense.
Worm! No, no, no, no, sir.
Look at your defensive posture.
Come on. Split your man.
Back straight, butt down.
This hand guards against the passing
lane, this hand protects the crossover.
All right? Palms up!
Get your head in the game.
Now we have Delilah.
She was my childhood sweetheart.
Sir, was she hot?
Oh, yes, sir.
She was steaming hot.
But she was the devil.
That girl was evil.
l remember once she tricked me
into stealing brownies
from Christ the King
First Baptist Church bake sale.
She smiled
and got her way out of it,
while l damn near had to wear
a pillow on my butt
for a month
before l could sit down.
Delilah, gentlemen.
She's our trap defense.
Take notes, freshman. This is as
close as you gonna get to playing.
Come on, come on. Move, move!
Delilah! Delilah! Delilah!
Now, l know you're all
concerned that
we didn't work
on our offense during practice.
We have all season to do that.
But what did we do in practice,
Mr. Stone?
- Run.
- That's right.
So, what do you think l want you
to do on offense tonight?
- Run?
- Correct again.
l want you to run.
l want you to run every second
that clock is ticking, all game long.
Put him back on the bench!
Rebound! Rebound!
Let's go, let's go, let's go!
Nice pass, baby!
Push it! Push it!
- Screen.
- Screen, baby. Screen. Screen.
- Worm.
- Let's go, Worm.
Stay alert! Pick him up right there!
- Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah!
- What's the call, ref?
White four, fifth.
He's out of the game.
- Oh, ref, come--
- That's his fifth foul, coach.
- Time, sir.
- Time out, white.
Bad call, ref!
That was a jump ball, damn it!
- Time out, white.
- Come on, fellas.
Come on, huddle up. Hustle up.
Get over here.
All right. Huddle up, huddle up.
- Carter, you're in.
- But, coach, he a freshman.
You wanna coach?
All right, take a deep breath, guys.
Come on, deep breaths.
- You tired?
- No, sir.
Those guys are exhausted.
That's why this guy's gonna miss
that free throw.
When he does,
Worm and Lyle are our first option.
Push the ball. Go hard to the hole.
Everybody attack the boards, got that?
- Yes, sir.
- All right, Richmond on three.
- One, two, three!
- Richmond!
- All right, let's out, all right?
- Step it up, let's go!
Look alive out there.
All right, guys, you're in better shape
than they are. Push it.
Box out, box out.
One shot.
Kenyon, right here. Kenyon!
- Come on! Come on!
- Come on, baby!
All right.
Kenyon!
- Worm!
- Yo, yo.
Oh, yeah!
Yeah! That's what l'm talking about!
- Tight pass, baby. Nice pass, dog.
- lt was all you.
A win like that don't mean nothing,
because they can't play anyway,
you feel me?
Okay, Shaq, so you dominated
down low tonight. Any thoughts?
l dropped a 20-piece.
Kobe played his game.
We the champions
till we ain't the champions no more.
- Junior Battle.
- Undefeated until...
Yo, man, on the real,
that was the worst game
l've ever seen in my life.
l thought that sh*t would never end.
l was dying in the bleachers.
That's right, you were in
the bleachers, weren't you?
We were on the court
handling our business.
That's right. We 1 -0, b*tch.
Yo, on the real, Hercules is weak, B,
and y'all barely beat them.
Damn, Timo,
why you throwing salt, man?
We undefeated. Show us love, son.
Yeah, that's right, we undefeated.
l'll knock all y'all off.
- Yo. l'll check y'all later, all right?
- All right.
Yo. Let's do this.
- What's up?
- Here's two bundles.
- All right.
- Yo, be careful. The block is hot.
Yo, l got you.
- How you doing, man?
- Chilling, man.
You look good.
Got some paper for you.
Now we're talking, yeah.
How you living, Timo?
l'm good.
- You all right? For real?
- Yeah.
- Here, take some.
- l'm all right.
No, no, no, take some, please.
You did good, man.
You're doing good, bro.
- Thank you.
- Don't thank me, thank you.
You earned it.
Take a nickel bag, okay?
Go get yourself something, man.
- l'm gonna see you?
- Yeah, next week.
Okay, l'm gonna see you.
- Keep it up.
- Yeah.
Hey, Shaqua, Denise, holler at me.
Rafeca, l see you looking.
Ain't nobody
thinking about you, Worm.
- Oh, okay.
- Gentlemen,
let's review the Hercules game,
shall we?
Yo, yell out my numbers, sir.
Mr. Worm, you were five and four.
No, sir. l had 1 2 points
and eight assists, sir.
No, sir, Mr. Worm. You had five
turnovers and four missed free throws.
Now, we're talking
about fundamentals here.
Until we learn them, l'm adding
a practice every morning at 6 a.m.
- Six a.m.?
- We shot 56 percent at--
Mr. Cruz.
Are you lost, sir?
What l gotta do to play?
Mr. Cruz, you do not want to know
the answer to that question.
Now, as l was saying,
as a team,
we shot 56 percent from the line.
From now on,
before you leave my gym,
you must pay an exit price of 50
made free throws before you can go.
- What?
- That's everybody.
- Come on.
- That's a lot of free throws.
Okay, Mr. Cruz.
Before you can play on this team...
...you owe me...
...2,500 push-ups...
...and 1 ,000 suicides.
- Damn.
- Damn.
And they must be
completed by Friday.
- He ain't finishing that by Friday.
- He ain't making that.
Today's flavor:
offense.
- Now we talking.
- Now, l have a sister.
Her name is Linda.
Linda is smart, she's political.
Well, actually, she's radical.
Linda's got a big Afro.
Linda is our pick-and-roll offense.
Before we get into that,
let's warm up.
Give me a lay-up line.
- Let's go.
- All right.
Let's do it.
- Damn, how many sisters he got?
- Who knows.
- Come on, get two more over here.
- Break it out.
- Let's go, guys.
- Energy, guys, energy.
We got this, let's go.
- l'm open.
- l got him, l got him.
Right here, right here.
l'm open. l'm open.
l'm sorry.
- All right.
- Hey, hey, hey.
- Come on.
- lt's not my fault.
- He was early.
- Hey.
Yes, it's important to move
without the ball,
but you gotta be patient
on the weak-side screen.
Set up your man
and come off his shoulder hard. Okay?
Okay. Switch it up.
We got it, come on.
Let's go. Let's get it.
- And call out them picks.
- Yeah, yeah, all right.
What is your deepest fear,
Mr. Cruz?
That you're inadequate?
Give up, Mr. Cruz.
Go home.
All right, l want seven passes
before you shoot.
- Seven.
- All right.
- l got him. l got him.
- Get that ball in there.
You know your task is impossible
before Friday, right?
Move.
Work it, work it.
Run it back.
What time your mom getting home?
She doesn't get off for another hour.
Oh, that's Myles.
What?
Say, ''Hi, Uncle Kenyon.''
Say, ''Hi.''
All right, don't worry about it.
He'll go back to sleep
right after his bottle.
Right, boo-boo?
Yeah, probably in time
for your mom to get home.
Or when your cousin get back
from getting her hair fried and dyed,
like she can afford all that sh*t.
lt's her baby anyway.
Well, my mother had to work
a double shift,
but they cut her overtime.
And my cousin,
don't be trying to dis her.
You said we'd be alone.
You call this alone?
Well, that's why we need
our own spot.
Did you turn this off?
- Yeah, it was boiling.
- Oh, come on.
Well, turn it down, not off.
This is milk, butter and cheese.
We can't afford to waste this.
And hold him up.
Making the baby's bottle for Myles.
All right, Myles, here we go.
Gotta cool off a minute.
Ever think about what you were
gonna do before you were pregnant?
What you mean,
going to junior college?
Yeah.
l mean, yeah, l thought about it.
l could go later, l guess.
You have to get some work
after you have the baby.
Me too.
- So l'll work.
- How you gonna go to school?
Why you asking me
all these questions?
And you gotta put your hands
under his arm.
You gotta sit him on your chest.
Hold him.
- l am holding him.
- You ain't doing it right.
You gotta soothe him, Kenyon.
Look...
l don't know how to do this.
You'll get it.
Right?
Look, l gotta help my mom
with some stuff.
- See you later, all right?
- All right.
Call me later, okay?
Later.
All right, keep it riding on somebody.
- Don't get lost in there.
- Move it. Move it.
Stay with your man.
- Box out, box out!
- Position.
Guys...
Up. Up.
Hey, hey, hey.
You don't get to your man, stand,
watch the ball.
When the ball goes up,
get in good defensive position,
get your body on your man
and explode to the ball.
All right? Let's go.
Run it. You got it.
- Go on, do it.
- Forward pass. Forward pass.
- Work it.
- There you go.
Mrs. Fenton, the police are telling
a very different story.
l wish you would.
Yes, ma'am, l'm here all week.
Mr. Carter, how are the boys?
Oh, they're great, ma'am. We're 1 -0.
Very good.
How may l help you?
Well, l had my boys sign contracts
requiring them to meet
certain academic standards.
Yes, l believe one of the faculty
members mentioned that.
Very interesting scare tactic.
Well, in order for that
to be successful,
l need their teachers to fill out
weekly progress reports
so l'll know how the boys
are doing in their classrooms.
- Okay.
- Well, l haven't received anything
from their teachers.
l don't see how this ties in to your job
as the basketball coach, Mr. Carter.
Well, l took this job with the
understanding l could do it my way.
And you can.
Our next faculty meeting
is in two weeks.
l'll remember to bring it up.
Why, that would be great.
Thank you, ma'am.
Thank you, sir.
Bring it in, guys.
Let's go, hustle up.
Yo, bring it in, y'all.
All right, that's it for today.
We have a game tomorrow,
so get some rest tonight.
And remember,
ties and jackets tomorrow.
Clyde.
Mr. Cruz.
l'm impressed with
what you've done.
But you came up short.
You owe me 80 suicides
and 500 push-ups.
Please leave my gym.
Thanks, Clyde.
Gentlemen, see you tomorrow.
l'll do push-ups for him.
You said we're a team.
One person struggles,
we all struggle.
One player triumphs,
we all triumph, right?
l'll do some.
l'll run suicides too.
l'll do some too.
Clyde, keep count.
Call me when they're done.
Defense! Defense!
Push it. Push it. Move, move!
Let's go.
Ball, ball, ball.
Ball, ball, ball.
- Yeah!
- Go.
Move your feet, move your feet.
Go, defense. Go.
Good job. Good job.
- Worm.
- White ball.
Palms up, move your feet, right?
Come out. Come out. Come out.
- Mr. Cruz!
- Good game, boy.
Hey, hey.
What is your deepest fear,
young man?
Go on.
Why he keep saying that, ''What's
your deepest fear?'' What that mean?
Come on, let's go.
Let's go. Let's go.
Move. Move. Move.
No, one more pass.
Hands up.
Three points, Cruz!
What the hell are you doing, Cruz?
You allergic to lay-ups?
You do that again and you're going
to be glued to the bench.
- Swing it.
- Right here.
Come on, last kick.
Kick it in. Kick it in. Let's go.
You can't guard me, can you?
What you gonna do?
- Can't do nothing about it, can you?
- Delilah. Delilah.
Come on, come on, come on.
- Shot.
- Yeah, Jason.
Kenyon, pose for me.
- Smile.
- Kenyon! Maddux! Get back!
Just play the damn game.
Linda, Linda, Linda!
There he is. Yeah.
That's me, baby.
That's me. l did that.
l drew that up. Yeah.
Run it again.
All right, 1 -4, 1 -4.
Linda, Linda, Linda!
All day, baby. All day!
Can't stop that.
Can't stop that!
- Hey, coach, your shoe's untied, sir.
- Thank you, Mr. Worm.
Look at that bow. Look at that.
l tied that. l tied that sh*t.
Can l get something on the bow?
Let me get some.
Are you crazy?
What is wrong with you?
What's wrong with all of you?
Since when is winning not enough?
Playing hard not enough?
No, you have to humiliate
your opponent.
Taunt him after every score.
You won four games last season.
Four.
What gives you the right
to taint the game that l love
with trash talk and taunting?
What gives you the right to wear
Richmond on your chests
and act like punks?
- Coach, they were jawing too.
- So?
You can't show some class?
Act like a champion?
You owe me 500 push-ups apiece.
On the line. Now.
- Damn.
- Oh, man, come on.
Listen, shorty, l'm just gonna be real
with you, okay?
You're my girl.
l get out on that court
and everything is just getting crazy,
all l gotta do is just think about you.
Mr. Lyle.
Why aren't you in...
- ...geometry?
- l'm going there right now, sir.
- Sir, this is Betty.
- Bella.
Bella. Bella. This is Bella, sir.
Go to class.
Don't forget that these projects
are due at the end of this week.
- So if any of you need extra time--
- Excuse me, sir. Are you Mr. Gesek?
- Yes.
- l...
...don't see Junior Battle
in this class.
Junior Battle is like a solar eclipse.
We rarely see him, but when we do,
it's always special.
Thank you.
''Surprise arrival to the poll
is Richmond High at 1 9th.''
- Top 20, baby.
- We're 1 9th, dog.
''The Oilers have posted
a perfect 9-0 mark,
winning on the road against
perennial powerhouses
Xavier and Baxter Union.''
Junior, you should read
the rest of this.
They blowing you up
in this paper.
- Come on, man, read it.
- Man, you know he can't read.
- Man, shut up.
- Shut up, Maddux.
''Richmond center has been big
as the Oilers are 'boyed.'''
Buoyed. The word is ''buoyed.''
''Buoyed by Junior Battle's
See, that's my big nigga
right there, son. Hey.
lf you was any bigger,
you'd be my bigger nigga.
Sit down. Sit down!
''N*gger'' is a derogatory term
used to insult our ancestors.
See, if a white man used it,
you'd be ready to fight.
Your using it teaches him to use it.
You're saying it's cool.
Well, it's not cool.
And when you're around me,
l don't wanna hear that sh*t.
- We clear?
- Yes, sir.
- Yes, sir.
- Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Worm,
what is it you want
out of this basketball season?
To win that state championship, sir.
Well, who won the state basketball
championship last season, Lyle?
Hell if l know, sir.
Does anybody know?
Okay.
What's your father do for a living,
Mr. Lyle?
My father's in jail, sir.
Well, l'm sorry to hear that, sir.
But that doesn't have to be your life.
My point's this:
l have four seniors on this team,
Junior, Lyle, Kenyon and Worm.
All of whom l think can play
basketball at the college level.
College.
That's a viable option for all of you.
But you have to perform in the
classroom to have that chance.
You have to have a vision.
Tell me, how do you
see yourselves?
ESPN, baby.
That reminds me, Mr. Battle.
Mr. Gesek tells me he doesn't
see you in his classroom very often.
Yeah, we cool, though, me and him.
Mr. Gesek is a big basketball fan.
Well, as of now, you're suspended.
Oh, you can practice,
but you can't play
until Mr. Gesek tells me
you're caught up in his class.
And that's a shout out
to the rest of you.
You signed a contract.
You made a commitment.
Now, l have your schedules and l'll be
getting reports from your teachers.
lf you don't perform in the
classroom, you will not play.
What's up with that?
Sit down, Mr. Battle.
All right, that's 500 push-ups.
Man, this is bullshit!
We won those games, not you.
That's 1 ,000 push-ups
for Mr. Battle, Clyde.
You wanna try for 2,000?
Young man, think about the choice
you're making if you walk out that door.
To the baseline.
All right. How about LaQuisha,
if it's a girl.
LaQuisha? Okay, yeah, the ghetto
called and they want they name back.
Girl, LaQuisha? Be for real.
You might as well call the baby
Food Stamp.
You're stupid.
All right, l was thinking
l could call her Harmony.
- l like Harmony.
- Harmony, oh, that's good. l like that.
- What did Kenyon say?
- Please, he want a boy.
- Figures.
- Speaking of Michael Jordan...
Yo, what's wrong with a girl?
Yeah, dog, boys grow into men,
and men ain't worth the trouble.
Don't you have someplace to go?
Something to do?
Guess he wants me all to himself.
See you later.
Don't forget,
l need your notes for history.
- All right, l got you.
- Yeah. See you later.
l bought us tickets to the dance.
Why you telling these
loudmouth girls about the baby?
Now everybody's gonna know.
People are gonna know, Kenyon.
- lt's not people's business, Kyra.
- Why you jumping down my throat?
What's wrong with you?
Look, me and coach been talking,
and he thinks l can play college ball.
All right, so?
So how am l gonna do that
and raise a baby?
l don't know. l mean,
l'm not saying it won't be hard.
Hard? lt's already hard.
The kid ain't even here yet
and l'm worried
about how l'm gonna feed it,
how l'm gonna pay for this and that.
Everything.
- l'm not ready.
- So, what are you saying?
You want out?
ls that what you're saying?
Go ahead and say it.
Look, if l wanted to be out,
l would've been out by now, Kyra.
That's not it at all. l love you.
l wanna be with you.
Yeah, as long as it's convenient.
l'm thinking about
what's best for us.
You're not trying to think about
what's best for both of us,
you're thinking about
what's best for you.
You don't want me to have this baby.
You wanna leave Richmond.
You wanna go play college ball.
So guess what?
We ain't got to be ready enough
for nothing, all right?
l'm ready enough to do what
l gotta do all by my damn self.
So you can take these
and go to the dance yourself.
Progress reports?
You're the basketball coach.
Look, ma'am, we talked about this.
l don't see what the problem is.
Do you know what the APl is,
Mr. Carter?
No, l don't.
The Academic Performance lndex.
They judge schools on a scale
of one to ten, ten being the best.
Do you have any idea
where Richmond falls on that scale?
No, ma'am, l have no idea.
We're a one, Mr. Carter, and have
been for the last seven years.
The state rewards schools
for their performance.
So every year l have less money
to pay faculty and staff.
- Look, ma'am--
- Can l ask what it is you want?
- l want my boys to go to college.
- College?
Mr. Carter, Richmond graduates
the higher percentage being girls.
Now, in my very educated opinion,
you have 1 5 players on your team,
you'll be lucky to graduate
five of them.
l'm sorry, ma'am,
but l don't agree with you.
Look, these boys signed contracts.
Maybe if you'd read one of them--
Your job is to win basketball games,
Mr. Carter.
- l suggest you start doing your job.
- And your job is to educate these kids.
l suggest you start doing yours.
Well...
...we had another good week.
Yeah, business is very good, Kenny.
But l'm on my own.
You're never here.
- lt gets crazy.
- Look, l appreciate everything you do.
And l promise you-- We're closed.
--as soon as the season is over,
l will be here for you.
Mr. Carter?
- l'm--
- Junior Battle's mother.
Yes, ma'am, l remember you.
Willa. Willa Battle.
How may l help you, ma'am?
Mr. Carter, l got a phone call today
from a coach at a junior college
in Sacramento.
Now, they wanna see
Junior play this Friday.
Well, that's great, ma'am,
but Junior broke some rules--
And l agree with them.
l'm not here to argue
with your rules.
l'm not.
Almost two years ago now,
Junior's older brother, Anton, was...
...killed, and it's been confusing
and hard for me and for Junior.
After you lose a son...
...every time the phone rings,
your heart stops.
Now, l'm not asking
for special attention.
l agree he needs to get straight
with his classes.
But the idea of junior college
had never even occurred to my son.
Now, l could move to the Hercules
school district, and he could play there.
- But moving is not gonna solve--
- But l want him to play for you.
Look, l'm not gonna stand here
and say l know how it feels
to lose a son, because l don't.
And l do appreciate you
putting your trust in me.
But l need to hear that from Junior.
He in the car.
Junior!
Go on.
l'm sorry for what l said and did
at practice,
and l promise to get caught up
with my classes, sir.
Look me in the eye, sir.
Everything inside me tells me
if l take you back,
l'd be making a mistake
and you'll make a fool of me.
No, sir.
You owe me 1 ,000 push-ups
and 1 ,000 suicides
before you can play.
l'll see you at practice tomorrow.
Thank you, sir.
And you gonna do
every last one of them.
Quitting basketball like you pay rent.
l don't know who you think you are.
The next time you make a decision,
you better ask me first.
Yo, Junior,
you did your thing tonight, man.
- Good looking out, yo.
- Yeah, good shot, Junior.
- Yeah, no doubt.
- Gentlemen, listen up.
l just received a call from the director
of the Bayhill Holiday Tournament.
You have been invited.
- Yeah!
- Yeah, baby!
Now, l have more good news.
l spoke to Principal Garrison today.
She informs me that your teachers will
have your academic-progress reports
prepared by the end
of holiday break.
Sir, our grades are tight, yo.
Yo, not only are our grades
all right, coach,
- but we undefeated, homeboy.
- Yeah!
We undefeated
We undefeated
We undefeated
We undefeated
We undefeated
We undefeated
Big ups to everybody who came out to
the Richmond High winter dance, y'all!
Get down!
So give it up for the new
kings of Richmond, y'all!
Yeah! Give it up, baby!
Yo, we 1 2-0, y'all,
and l just wanna say
l wanna see all the beautiful people
up at that tournament.
You know!
Y'all gonna wanna see the look on
the faces of them rich fancy-schoolers
when the Richmond Oilers
roll into town.
Holla!
Kyra, what are you thinking?
You can't drink!
- You're pregnant, girl.
- Stop.
lt's soda, all right?
So why don't you just go
back downstairs
and find one of your little girlies
to freak with.
lt ain't even like that.
Some girl just danced up on me.
- That ain't sh*t.
- Whatever.
You shouldn't be here.
lf you're serious about this,
you need to check this bullshit.
Because if not--
lf not, what, Kenyon? You wanna hold
my hand through an abortion?
- ls that what you want?
- l don't know what l want.
You so damn sure you wanna
have this baby,
why don't you tell me how
it's gonna be.
Everything's great, right?
Your cousin is 1 9 with two kids
already, Kyra.
lt's great?
lt was great when we
was getting down.
You ain't having no second
thoughts about that.
You loved me
when it came to that.
Look, Kyra, l can't tell you
what to do,
but l look around and l see exactly
how l don't wanna live.
Paycheck to paycheck?
Dead-end job?
You make it seem like everything's
gonna be all good,
like everything's so wonderful.
You don't care about me.
You just wanna go to college,
play ball and forget about me.
- Kyra, that's not even how it is.
- l don't care what you say.
- l'm having this baby.
- And then what?
You got everything figured out, right?
So tell me what comes next.
The third and final day of
the 22nd Bayhill Tournament
finds the host team, Bayhill,
trying to win the championship against
the surprising Richmond Oilers.
Defense! Defense!
Get your hands up!
Get that ball!
Richmond uses their last timeout with
- and Bayhill up by six.
- Time out!
Come on, man.
We still in the game. Come on.
Don't panic.
We're six down with 1 :20 left, right?
We've been in these guys' ass
the whole game.
We can do this.
- This is our time, right?
- Yeah, yeah.
All right, set up the 1 -4.
Run Candy.
Damien's gonna hit the three.
Kenyon, Lyle,
set a hard screen down here.
When he hits the three,
go right into Diane.
Pressure the inbound pass.
Suffocate that pass.
l want the ball back!
- Come on, baby, lock up.
- Hands in.
- Let's go.
- ''Our time'' on three!
- One, two, three!
- Our time!
Come on, let's go.
One, two, three, Cougars!
Let's go, guys!
- Hands up! Hands up!
- Ball, ball, ball, ball!
Watch him!