Original subtitles

♪ Hoop dreams ♪

[Announcer] And welcome to the 38th annual NBA All-Star game...

A standing-room-only crowd.

A steal by Jordan. He spun it away from the Mailman.

[Announcer #1] And the chances of a West comeback are slipping away.

Right now, I wanna, you know, play in the NBA...

like anybody else would wanna be.

That's who - That's something...

I dream and think about all the time -

He's just doing something that he loves so much.

He just love it so much. I'm just happy for him.

If somebody can understand the way William play...

that'll make me feel a lot better.

The way they should have understood the way I played.

[Game Announcer] This Chicagoan is making his seventh All-Star appearance.

When I get in the NBA...

the first thing I'm gonna do...

I'm gonna see my mama, I'm gonna buy her a house...

I'm gonna go there and make sure my sister and my brother's okay.

Probably get my dad...

[Woman] Something real long.

[Father] Dominique! Ooh!

[Woman] He dreams about it.

He look at those basketball commercials...

where they be advertising these Nike shoes?

He'll tell his little, small brother...

I don't even think about it, if he don't make it.

Just 'cause I'm so -

♪ By the time we hit the courts Roll hard, you know, squad up ♪

♪ I'm just a young man with a dream but the streets continue to test me♪

♪ Like a full-court press, G I ain't even tryin' to hear that though ♪

♪ 'Cause gonna make it automatic like a free throw ♪

♪ See, in my neighborhood the streets are law, but not for me ♪

♪ And I will never let the hood destroy my dreams ♪

- ♪ Hoop dreams ♪ - ♪ Where dreams are made or broken ♪

- ♪ Hoop dreams ♪ - ♪ One in 100,000 fulfill this dream ♪♪

I'm off to Central...

and the Congress Expressway -

a park over there where there are some pretty talented young men.

[Narrator] Earl Smith works downtown as an insurance executive.

On weekends he's an unofficial talent scout for several area high schools.

This is the job of most of your freshmen coaches...

and guys like me who - who played a little bit of the game...

I will bet you a steak dinner in four years you'll be hearing from him.

I don't even know anything about him.

a chance to see Arthur perform.

[Smith] Your role today, Arthur...

is to impress the coaches.

Try not to be too fancy.

Take the open shot when you have it.

Play good defense and make good passes.

The rest of it, just play natural, you know.

Well, if he be there...

I'll be shocked...

'cause that'd be my first time ever seeing him...

up close, you know, real life.

Basketball has to be second to your academics.

If you don't get your grades, you're not gonna play.

If you work hard at the grades, and if you work hard at basketball...

And I guarantee this.

I can't promise you where you're gonna go and if you're gonna be a star...

that would be best for you.

I'm making a commitment to you...

there are a few like Arthur that Coach Pingatore is recruiting.

[Arthur] It was like million of guys trying to be better than the other...

but, to me, I was better than all of them...

except for Isiah.

high school all-American...

all-American from Indiana University...

five-time NBA All-Star...

In everybody's neighborhood, there's a guy who can really play.

He can shoot the lights out.

Every time down the court - Swish, swish, swish!

and the guy gets cut.

You say, "But Tom was real good. Why did he get cut?"

See, Tom didn't learn the fundamentals of team basketball...

which is what you're learning how to play.

[Arthur] He told my daddy that he knew I could play...

But I don't see the confidence.

He had that total combination of personality, confidence, talent...

intelligence.

I think I see it in one kid that's coming here.

He flows with a smoothness and confidence...

and strength...

that you don't see in every kid.

But he could become a great player.

I'm trying to let him know right now you gonna get hit, get knocked down...

you gonna get banged around, so you better get used to it now.

Stop it. One-hand hook.

All these basketball dreams I had, they gone.

All I see - All my dreams is in him now.

[Woman] If they want to play basketball and stuff, that was always okay.

But I was gonna make sure all of 'em got through high school.

[William] My mother, she was like mother and father to me.

'cause of the gangs.

I'll at least get a good chance to go to a good college.

That would be good for me.

[Arthur's Father] That was my first son.

I said, "That's Daddy's man," so we just started calling him "Man."

Get around it!

I could have been a good college player.

Most likely I would have made it to the pros.

But, you know, once I had my son...

I knew then something good was gonna come out of it.

I think the talent gonna be passed on.

He told me, "I'm so scared of growing up." I said, "Why?"

you know, have a better life than what I had.

I don't want him experiencing bad things that I went through in life.

both Arthur and William make a three-hour round trip each day...

between the city and St. Joseph's.

[Arthur] That was strange for me going out to a far-out school.

Come on.

- Three, four, five or 10? - Ten.

You got it. Three, four, five?

[Narrator] Arthur wins the starting point-guard position on the freshmen team.

Ettmeyer, four.

Hey, Arthur, you know if you miss free throws...

Then if you don't pay it, they gonna make you run 50 laps, and still you have to pay the money.

- You still gotta pay the money? - That's way out.

[Pingatore] When Arthur first started at St. Joseph's...

he was a good kid, from what we saw...

but he was very immature.

He might have been a little more disruptive, speaking out...

getting into childish things.

He wasn't used to the discipline and the control.

He reverted back to, maybe, his environment, where he came from.

I just never been around a lot of white people and...

it was different, because at a black school I could associate with the people.

You know, they talk the way I talk.

We kept saying up in the stands, "Get the ball to Arthur...

because he's going to do it for you."

[Cheering]

[Sheila] I noticed a change immediately after he started going out there.

To see your child mature, you say, "Oh, maybe this is good for him."

the top-ranked squad in the state.

from Division I schools -

Marquette and Rice and Creighton, Illinois State...

to name a few.

Beat him! Beat him! Beat him! Keep back!

Hold it up! Hold it up! You're killing us!

Why did he get to the ball before you?

[William] He asks me, do I wanna be a great player? And I keep saying yeah.

He said, "For four years, I'm gonna be on you every day."

So he said, "You might as well get used to it now."

Hard left. No, no. Go hard left.

Not bad. Do it again.

you have detention.

And they'll suspend you quick at the school too.

They'll suspend you quick.

The kids that are willing to do it...

[William] Back in grammar school...

academics really didn't matter too much to me at all.

It was playing ball for the team - really, we was the standouts in the school.

If you showed up in class, that was good enough for them.

[Narrator] Arthur also entered St. Joe's on a fourth or fifth-grade level.

[Arthur] Nobody in their right mind is crazy about school.

If the president brought up a thing right now that say, "Close all schools"...

Okay, fellas. Good.

[Sister Marilyn] At the end of the year, he was still in the lower group.

[Photographer] One, two, three!

[Narrator] For Arthur, the season is over.

His freshman team finished second in the conference.

Against Proviso East, William plays his best game yet.

St. Joe's made it downstate five of the last six years.

I think by not doing it, it cost us a state championship.

[Narrator] In the sectional finals, Fenwick challenges St. Joe's title hopes.

William scores 16 points to lead the Chargers to the sectional title.

[Man] From Chicago, it's The Sports Writers On TV.

I think I may have seen the next Isiah Thomas.

St. Joe of Westchester has a kid named William Gates...

who is starting as a freshman.

Remember, you heard it first from Bill Gleason.

to decide who will go downstate.

William plays more like an intimidated freshman than a freshman sensation.

But in the third quarter, William takes over again.

William's 13 points in the second half...

[Game Announcer] Eric Anderson!

[Narrator] Despite the loss, William's gutty performance...

bodes well for next year.

[Announcer] There will be an announcement on ticket sales immediately following the game.

[Man] Rewriting 7,300 times 10...

to the negative fifth in scientific notation.

- 7.3... - 7.3...

Very good.

[William] When I went out there, I was very intimidated...

'cause I just knew that everybody out there was just smarter than me.

As the year went on...

I just felt like, "Hey, I'm just as good as them."

Now what you have to identify -

[Narrator] Both William and Arthur have partial scholarships from St. Joe's.

a Cabrini Green organization.

But Cycle can't cover this year's tuition increase.

[Woman] I was called on by Brother Edwin Duprais.

He was trying to raise money to help kids...

that couldn't otherwise go to those kind of schools.

It really touched a soft spot in my heart...

and so I decided that my husband and I would participate on a personal basis.

William was selected as the kid...

that was able to go to school, based on our contribution.

- Nice to see you. - Nice to see you.

will be free.

and the increase comes at an especially bad time.

Worked for Sara Lee, got laid off.

Uh, worked for Scala's Meat Packing. Got laid off there. You know.

And you got your bills due here, your bills due there.

I got called down to the office.

I was staying out, like, two and three weeks and stuff.

By the end of the freshman year...

whatever balance there was for tuition was never taken care of.

Consequently, going into the sophomore year...

we had the balance plus the new tuition...

and scout out these little basketball players...

and get 'em to come to their school and offer them these scholarships.

Then once they get out there, the story is totally different.

[Narrator] Finally, with the Agees owing $1,500 in back payments...

St. Joseph's forced Arthur to leave the school.

You have to draw the line because, as I said...

tuition is something that, as a school, we depend on...

for 90% of our revenue.

I guess he thought I wasn't gonna be that big of a ballplayer.

So why would he just waste some money on me staying there?

Or, you know, he thought I wasn't gonna grow.

He kept on saying, "When are you gonna grow?"

If I had known that all of this was gonna lead to this...

Arthur would have never went to St. Joseph's.

and myself - the anguish of it...

and then to put him out in the middle of a school year -

[Man] IDs, ladies and gentlemen.

All right. Okay, okay. All right.

[Guard] Can't take no beepers in here.

Give me my beeper, man.

Mr. Wade, I need to see you at the front door.

Now where you gonna go? Your friend go to jail. No beepers in here.

[Narrator] Arthur is accepted at the public high school near his home.

He's been out of school for two months and lost a whole semester's credit.

If he was going out there and he was playing like they had predicted him to play...

he wouldn't be at Marshall.

He's not making it like they thought he was gonna make it on the basketball court...

so he's not there, simple as that.

It doesn't take no brilliant person to figure that out.

[Sheila] He was so depressed and devastated, he just closed himself off in the room.

I would go in there and tell him every day, "Hey, things will look up."

[Woman] What kind of techniques were being used...

to take away the freedoms that had been earned?

- Jeannetta. - Poll tax.

Poll tax. Okay, Arthur, what other techniques were used...

to keep black Americans from voting?

[Woman] In comparing Marshall High School to St. Joseph...

I don't think that there is any comparison.

People can afford to send their children there.

Whereas our students, if they get out of high school...

a lot of them, it's an accomplishment.

[Man] Trinomial. What's this gonna be? Both of these are what?

Because, uh, I wanna help him with his little dream.

[Kids Shouting]

as a nurse's assistant...

because of chronic back pain.

kids don't even have a playground or play area...

[Narrator] In June, after 20 years of marriage...

Arthur's dad leaves the family.

Make sure you look at how many shots have been taken.

Jordan might shoot, uh, 15 out of 40.

Fifteen out of 40?

I'm just saying, for instance. He's done it.

But see, if you do that, you're gonna know about it.

Ooh.

[Emma] Curtis tells William, "The most important thing...

[William] He's always telling me, you should do this and you should do that.

Seems like everybody I know is my coach.

[Curtis] I know a whole lot about basketball.

[Cheering]

[William] When he went to college, and Michael Jordan first came to the NBA...

they would, you know, sit around and argue over him - who could play the best.

but he also developed a reputation for being uncoachable.

Curtis's idea of being real good is...

you don't follow the rules, you do what you wanna do.

Security. Can I help you?

[Curtis] I'm used to everybody in the neighborhood loving me...

and knowing how good I can play.

It just seemed like people looked up to Curtis Gates when it came to basketball...

[Announcer] Welcome to the prep game of the week...

[Announcer #1] Gates! Good!

William Gates is one of the premier sophomores.

[Narrator] William scores 17 points in the first half...

as the Chargers look to return to the state finals.

[Announcer #1] Gates.

Good!

[Announcer #2] Can they get it done here now?

[Narrator] In the second half, Gordon Tech turns to their own sophomore star.

[Announcer #1] Three-point lead with 12 seconds left.

My guy's William Gates.

I'd like to see him get it, just get to go one-on-one and pull up and ice it.

Oh, boy. This is it.

- Gates is the man with the ball. - That's the one I would want.

Come on.

[Narrator] Arthur's season ended well, and he has high hopes...

to play for the varsity next year.

Whoo! Lots of iron on that shit.

[Narrator] Arthur's dad shows up.

Watch this.

[Narrator] Increasingly, this playground court...

has become a place to buy and sell drugs.

[Sheila] "Dear Mother...

who can provide and take care of me.

You are the one that makes our family work.

You are the one that I will miss so much when I go away to college.

No one can replace you ever.

Love always, Man."

[Wier] I said to him, "What are you gonna do this summer?"

He said, well, he didn't know.

all sorts of stuff.

But I just pushed myself to come out here...

because I know, in the long run, it's gonna be good for myself...

All she done for me, I don't think there ever be enough that I can get to pay her back.

I drew on these. Look at my name.

I had heard that his nickname used to be Tuss, so I just started calling myself Tuss.

Say "Tuss." [Laughs]

[Chuckling]

[Sheila] You know, I say, "Man, you may not make it to the NBA."

He said, "Don't keep on telling me things like that.

That's just like showing me you don't have any trust in what I do."

I said, "I do, but don't just keep putting everything into this."

Go first. [Laughs]

[Sheila] I say, "Hey, it's your dream. What can we do?"

Yeah!

"We are going to kick off the season with a midnight madness celebration."

$500 in there for you too."

[Laughing]

Did you see Isiah play the other night?

Yeah, I caught the end of it.

[William] The whole school see me as being a Isiah Thomas.

I'm trying to build my own identity.

When I leave, they're gonna be, like, "You're gonna be the next William Gates."

[Announcer] Everything he does is what a coach is looking for.

What an eye!

You're actually a better shooter than Isiah from the outside.

- [Chuckles] - True.

[Announcer] That's heads-up ba - Oh! Thomas! What a move.

[Pingatore] That means you have a lot of responsibility, William.

- You wanna go downstate? - Yeah.

You gotta do something about it. You have two years to get us down there.

It's going to be all on your head.

[TV Announcer] Isiah Thomas has just hit his 20th point.

[Pingatore] Go!

Stras shoot the ball there, or you stop in here and shootin' the ball?

- Me. - Well, shoot it!

[Narrator] William practices today having just recovered from a slight knee injury.

Come on. Let's go. You're playing soft.

William? Does it bother you?

Hold it. That's bullshit!

Go!

Go!

Go.

Now we start all over.

You people just refuse to work.

Give me a good reason why I should keep you on this team, Corey.

How 'bout you, Reed? Give me a good reason.

What do you think, William?

I mean, how many of these people work hard?

- Not too many. - Not too many.

Wanna stay home when the state tournament comes?

[Beeping]

[Narrator] The next day in practice, William reinjures his knee.

[Machinery Beeping]

You, most likely, have at least torn this cartilage...

the inside cartilage of your knee.

And you may have a ligament tear in your knee, okay?

If the ligament is torn, William, you would miss this year...

entirely.

This is a lot to happen to you at an early age.

All you guys can't get large.

- Somebody accidentally - - What's up, man?

Somebody gotta wear medium. You little skinny guys wanna get in a large.

[Narrator] Junior year, Arthur makes varsity for the Marshall Commandos.

This is it. All righty.

Not too bad.

Fine.

[Narrator] Back home, the family's troubles have worsened.

Now I'm on welfare...

And trying to live month-to-month on something like that is very hard.

You have three growing kids that need this...

and it's just not enough to make ends meet.

Man! Sweetie, is Man in there?

[Sheila] I was never raised on welfare.

My mother and father both worked.

So, therefore, do you know what happened?

Our lights were cut off. Our gas was cut off.

And we were sittin' in the dark.

They had cut me off because I failed to meet an appointment.

[Machinery Whirring, Beeping]

[Machinery Whirring, Beeping]

The good news is that your ligament looks fine.

- Good. - Okay? Your ligament looks fine.

We can actually sew the cartilage back.

Possibly being able to play by tournament time.

Okay?

to kind of take the edge off of things, okay?

All right?

- I can tell. - Yeah.

If it stays there.

Probably go with the right post here and little stuff.

So what do you think that gon' do to his career?

I just wanted this one to make it.

[Narrator] Curtis lost his job as a security guard...

and has been unemployed for over four months.

Sometimes I sit around and my eyes just kinda get watery...

'cause I be, like, I ain't amounted to nothing.

You know, I ain't got nothing.

I can't even go out there and get a job making seven dollars an hour.

I'll be sitting there telling myself, "You ain't gonna get no better."

[Chattering, Indistinct]

[Chattering, Indistinct]

y'all get your own place?

We can all go to Arby's, baby!

- And get fresh Matt's Cookies. - And going to Jewel's for our meat.

- [Girl] That's a lot of food stamps. - [Boy] We ain't gonna need no food stamps.

[Sheila] Each day is a struggle.

Trying to deal with the kids' attitudes as well as my own...

[Laughing] Don't you say that about my son.

My son got a brain. Now, you cut that out.

- But he don't use it. - See that brain there?

[Narrator] Now there are two new members of the Agee household.

Arthur's sister Tomika has a baby girl named Jazz.

And Arthur's best friend Shannon moved in to escape his own troubled home.

[Arthur] Shannon is like me.

It's been crazy, as far as his father and his mother's breakup.

and beat on his mother and stuff.

[Game Announcer] Starting at guard, number 11, a junior, Arthur Agee!

[Arthur] When I played basketball, I knew what I wanted to do.

This is what I want, you know.

This is what I wanna do for the rest of my life.

Come on, win it, boy!

Get that ball!

[Bedford] He's way behind where I think he should be at this point.

I've had a few guys come to me from college -

"Ooh, I like that kid. He's quick, he's fast."

I couldn't handle two guys like that...

so I tried the lesser of the evils.

[Narrator] After spending most of the game on the bench...

Arthur gets another chance.

[Narrator] In the final minutes of a close game...

Arthur takes it strong to the hoop.

[Whistle Blows]

He's called for charging and fouls out of the game.

[Buzzer Buzzes]

[Narrator] The daily regimen of rehabilitation...

[William] I was just basically scared to tell people.

I was feelin' sick, you know...

holding all this stuff inside of me.

And I said...

"Oh... three, four months ago."

[Both Laughing]

He was like, "Three or four months ago?"

I was in the delivery room.

The nurses gave her to her...

[Chuckles]

Once we got her home William offered his help and stuff...

You know? Instead of the two of us.

So then, after a while we - I finally let him keep her.

Your numbers look real good.

I think you're two to three weeks away from being able to practice full.

- You know what I mean? - Two or three weeks?

I know you wanted to waltz in here today and I'd tell you to go back to practice right now...

[William] I felt that this was the year for me.

- ♪♪ [Pep Band] - [Cheering]

I look up on the scoreboard -

My name is not even on there anymore.

[Fans Cheering, Shouting]

[Narrator] William takes a makeup exam in math...

because he skipped the final.

Here's the cutoff point for passing.

I understand we, uh - we got the ACT results.

[Narrator] William scores a 15 on his first ACT.

He needs to score an 18 to qualify for an athletic scholarship...

We'll have to talk to Mrs. Wier. Okay?

Sometimes you have had the right answer and you changed it to the wrong answer.

the cost of the six-week class is waived.

[William] You just don't know the feeling...

not knowing if you gonna be able to play...

just because of a test.

I mean, as soon as you don't tighten one screw, everything falls apart.

- [Female Teacher] El caballo. - [Students Respond] El caballo.

- [Female Teacher] El caballo. - [Students Respond] El caballo.

Hey, Shannon!

[Bedford] Most of them that have come through here...

and had that type of attitude...

usually end up in the streets talkin' about they used to play for Marshall...

trying to find a job, then can't find a job, that kind of thing.

This is where he's headed, really.

♪♪ [Rap, Faint]

where they worried about the injury.

When this happens, they may never be the player they were.

♪♪ [Continues]

[Whistle Blows]

William should have shot it.

He gotta do that the whole game. He only do it when they leadin'.

[Man Shouts] Run it out!

[William] I always felt that Curtis...

should not be living his dream through me.

You gotta come out and start playing hard all the time.

Otherwise you're just another player.

You follow me? Just remember the way we talked.

Okay? As long as you're physically able. If you're not, you shouldn't be playing at all.

So nervous about the start tonight.

Now I can just...

get onto the floor more better.

[Chanting, Clapping]

Spread the floor to four corners!

[Narrator] St. Joe's has made it to the sectionals.

Always a clutch free-throw shooter...

he sinks four straight to help seal the victory.

[Chanting]

[Buzzer Buzzes]

[Narrator] In the sectional finals...

St. Joe's looks for revenge against Gordon Tech...

the team that knocked them out last year.

You are not working hard enough!

You understand me? They want it harder than you!

- [Whistle Blows] - At the beginning of the fourth quarter...

St. Joe's leads by a point.

[Buzzer Buzzes]

Got any pain with that?

- [Whistle Blows] - William calls time-out.

I want it down floor so we can get it to one of our good jumpers.

With six seconds to go...

William steps to the line with two free throws...

[Cheering Continues]

[Whistle Blows]

He shouldn't have been out there. He shouldn't have been playing.

- The knee? - I'm very disappointed.

Y'all get that on tape 18 times.

That ain't no excuse. He got out there, said there wasn't nothin' wrong with him.

That's an excuse.

If he was hurt, he shouldn't have got out there.

There's two possible problems you could have.

and still have a small residual tear.

[Narrator] William's brother-in-law, Alvin...

takes him to see Dr. Hefferon, the Chicago Bulls team doctor.

What you need to do is have your knee arthroscoped again.

- What side we gonna do? - Right side.

Coach kept sayin' it's really up to me...

and if you leave it up to me I'm goin' back out there on the court.

He'll have a higher incidence of arthritis as he gets older than you or I would.

But in terms of his basketball career, he has a good chance of performing fine.

- There's the medial meniscus. - [Nurse] Wow.

is makin' it down there.

I want to be able to go all out the whole year.

No setbacks, no nothin'.

At least Coach won't have to say, "William, you didn't play hard this game"...

'cause when I step on that floor I'm gon' be all business, and that's it.

- ♪♪ [Organ: Upbeat] - [Clapping]

[Narrator] One year after he left...

Arthur's dad Bo rejoins the family.

He spent seven months in jail for burglary...

and overcame an addiction to crack cocaine.

- [Woman] Man might fail ya, but Jesus never fails! - ♪♪ [Organ Punctuating Sermon]

Praise God! Whoo! If you haven't tried him, try him!

- Even in the midnight hour, he's there. - Amen.

- Hallelujah! - Hallelujah!

Glory to God. Even in the beginning, Lord, you blessed that first family.

Send strength, Lord, glory to God, wherever there is weakness.

Please, Lord...

let the love prevail.

♪♪ [Organ]

- Yeah! - Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Lord!

♪ I've had my ups and downs ♪

That's right.

♪ And, Lord ♪

♪ I wanna thank the Lord for protectin' my family ♪

- [Clapping] - ♪ I just wanna say thank you, Lord ♪

[Bo] I just hope this be a lesson to my children...

to see me turn my life over to the Lord.

[Shouting, Scattered Applause]

♪ You washed my tears away ♪

[Woman] Oh, yeah!

♪ The Lord has brightened up my days ♪♪

- ♪♪ [Continues] - [Arthur] When I was little...

he had let me down.

People used to come up to me - "Your father a drug addict" and stuff.

And I'd just be, like, "Yeah, okay."

You know?

And I used to take so much, you know...

Give me a hug before you go.

- Give your granddad a hug. - Thank you!

[Bo] The closeness was not there at first, when I come back home.

And then Arthur, he was watchin' me -

What move would I make now?

Am I just...

bein' like this since I just come back...

or am I gonna break bad again?

He hasn't lived with the family since William was a baby.

The car that I was gonna give you, uh, I didn't finish it up yet.

It never popped in my mind.

- The car back there? - No, that's the car right over there.

That black Cutlass right there.

[William] I think he's, like...

"Oh, he really must be able to play some basketball."

I think now he sees somethin' at the end for himself.

I remember one time he tried to whup me, but I wouldn't let him.

I said, "You may be my dad biologically, but as far as being there -

[Alicia, William Chattering]

Alicia, you're my only friend.

[William] I always knew that I was gonna be a better dad than he was.

I wouldn't just leave her like that.

- Alicia? - Hmm? Yes, Mama?

[William] If Alicia has a problem, then I have a problem.

[Babbling]

She's believing whatever she said.

[Babbling Continues]

[Catherine Laughs]

used by many of Chicago's pro athletes.

Both of William's operations and rehabs have been paid for by the school's insurance.

- [Girl] No, you don't! - [Class Laughing]

- [Chattering] - [Teacher] What about the woman's perspective?

[Teacher] All right, quiet down a minute here!

[Narrator] For the second straight year, Arthur and Shannon must take summer school.

- [Class Laughs] - Shut up!

[Narrator] This class is for freshmen, sophomores and juniors...

who have failed English.

The basic problem here...

Because exactly what is having sex...

but engaging in an act that doesn't fulfill -

[Kelly] Shannon really didn't care...

so he just stopped coming...

and he was dropped from the roll.

[Narrator] Even if Arthur passes summer school...

he may not graduate with his class next year...

because St. Joseph's is refusing to release his transcripts.

[Kelly] I called up the school.

The lady explained to me that he owed $1,800...

so I felt, well, they have a school policy there...

and there's, uh, nothing I can do about that.

[Man] About how much can you afford?

- 13. 10. - Oh.

13. 10?

[Man] 1,813. 10.

Well, to total that out...

[O'Brien] We're looking at somewhere around -

It's 181.30 per month.

- Sure. - Could his credits be released too?

I will get a promissory agreement drawn up. Okay?

As long as you show me good faith after the first two months...

I'll release 'em, uh -

- Then I'll send 'em to Marshall. - Okay. That would be fine with us.

- I really appreciate this. - How's Arthur doing, anyway?

- Yeah. Me too. - Well, things -

- Things happen, you know, and - - [Sheila] Things happen, you know, and -

- Hey - - That's part of life.

- I can't let him down no more. - Good.

- Okay? Very good. - All right. Thank you very much.

- Have a nice day. - Take care now.

Okay. Very good.

I almost threw my life right along with it.

He can just look at my life...

and say here's a good example of what not to do.

If he had my ways...

[Cash Register Rings]

Hey, look at that Georgetown coat. Man, I might get that.

How much?

Seventy bucks even, no tax.

A'ight.

[Chattering]

[Chattering]

[Bell Tolling]

[Man] While you're sitting here today...

You are one of a hundred of the best high school players...

in this country, the United States.

My mother, God bless her, she's in heaven today.

She used to always say to me, "This is America. You can make something of your life."

- [Shouts] - [Chattering]

- Come on! Come on! - [Whistle Blows]

- Okay. - [Whistle Blows]

All the coaches from over here. To the stands, please, coaches!

If you a player, somebody up there gonna recognize that you a player.

[Man] So there's 250 of us here.

There aren't very many kids at any level, including the NBA...

that really understand what basketball is all about.

We always say, you're going to war, would you want him behind you covering your flank?

If you're pouting, they're gonna also recognize that.

And don't tell me they're not gonna write it down in that book.

[Narrator] At the prestigious Nike camp...

One, two, three, four!

♪ Check, check, check, check it out ♪

- [Horn Blows] - [Whistle Blows]

[Whistle Blows]

A few coaches - more coaches comin' around to look...

and others of you will not make it.

[Man] This is summer for them. They don't wanna be sitting in a classroom.

Fifteen hours a week for basketball. How many hours do we have up here?

[DuBois] The statistics on Division I players graduating from college are really frightening.

[Instructor] Let's assume you're playing big-time college basketball...

[Voice Fades] and your team travels -

The only reason why you're here -

you can make their team win.

If their team wins...

these schools get a lot of money.

[Chattering]

There's one particular kid who's here now...

I've watched him since sixth grade; I've watched him blossom.

That's when you wanna get on 'em - when they're young -

and start writin' 'em before everybody else writes 'em.

Try to get any edge you can in this business.

you know, and serve professional meat.

[Shouting, Chattering]

What schools do you think are most involved with William right now?

I would say DePaul...

Marquette, Indiana, Michigan.

- [Whistle Blows] - Excellent.

Great job! Way to go!

Bob Gibbons done seen me play my best game out here.

Turned in 16 points, 12 assists.

Bob Gibbons over there like this - "Hmm."

[Boy Laughs]

Give me a slice of the crust.

[Boy] Probably will.

- Thanks a lot. - [Laughing]

Look.

Hey, Mom.

[Laughing Continues]

[William] Right now I'm feelin' good about myself.

I really feel like, since I been down here, that I was all-American.

When I go back home I'm gonna feel unstoppable.

[Man] This one eyebrows up. This one eyebrows up.

[Chattering, Shouting]

[Man] I'm gonna pull up on it, okay? Tell me if it hurts more.

Easy does it, now.

It's on the muscle. It's not on the joint. It's above the joint.

Okay?

- ♪♪ [Hip-hop] - [Chattering, Laughing]

- Six. - Six?

[Narrator] Arthur's transcript from St. Joseph's has arrived.

If you pass all of the classes that you're presently taking...

you can graduate from summer school.

When do you plan to take it?

Sometime soon.

What institution are you planning on going to? Have you decided that?

I was, um, thinking about, going to, um... Alabama.

But you need to take Algebra-Trig. Okay?

Do you plan to take that?

[Laughs] I don't know.

You don't know?

So you just barely gettin' by again.

Now, you gonna have to do better than that if you wanna go to Alabama...

or any other school.

St. Joe's just messed everything up. Shouldn't have even went there.

Thought I had more credits than this.

They gon' kick me out 'cause I ain't payin' 'em money. Man!

[Arthur] That's all right, though. I'm gonna still make it.

[Emma] "Don't let your best opportunity get away from you.

You can have a great experience at Marquette University.

Once you visit our campus...

I feel confident that you will know that Marquette is the right place for you.

I like these.

I been gettin', like, two a week from the school for...

a couple of months.

So that's quite a few.

[Woman On TV] I know you're game, but, Monica, you seem very overwrought.

[Curtis] I had Division I offers.

I had even signed at Marquette 'cause they thought I was gonna make the grades.

The great ballplayers...

they care about basketball more than they care about school...

and I know they do.

then the Marquette Warriors are for you.

[Narrator] William's first home recruiting visit.

[Man] If you don't make the test score, it doesn't mean we don't want you...

because we still do - that's what I'm telling you.

If you tear your knee out again this year...

and you can't play ever again...

The bottom line is this - we want to win the national title.

Number two - I wanna make you the best player I can.

I wanna give you an opportunity to, maybe someday...

be one of those guys that makes some money in Europe or in the NBA.

You're one of seven guys that we're recruiting right now.

- You're recruiting seven guys? - Seven guys for three spots.

Well - Well, that's what it's gonna come down to.

If I tell you that, hey, you're our guy and this and that...

and I lose you to Kansas, Indiana, North Carolina State or something...

I'm out of luck.

The president's saying to me, "I thought you were recruiting a guard."

[Ellis] It's a great place.

We're gettin' ready to have it rockin'.

The best is yet to come.

Lot of serious ballplayers been through this building -

Junior Bridgeman, Sidney Moncrief, Bob Lanier, Oscar Robertson.

Big difference from St. Joe's, now.

[William] We stayed at the Hyatt.

Man, it was nice. Real nice.

They had these balloons all hangin' up on the ceiling, everything.

They - They really did it up.

And I must say, we did it up too.

We - Room service. [Laughs] Man!

Gates launches a running one-hander! It's on the way!

- It is good! - [Tape: Fans Cheering]

Gates buries a 13-footer just ahead of the horn...

Obviously, if you wait you'll have all the other schools that were on you before...

like Kansas and Indiana and North Carolina State.

- [Boy] Poop! - Yeah!

- [Cork Pops] - Yea!

Boo!

- [William Laughs] - [Glasses Clink]

Is there any cash with this?

[Alvin Laughs] Uh, it's in the mail.

I am fixing him a birthday dinner today.

Everything that you can imagine was going wrong with this family...

but now everybody's together.

It's his favorite cake.

He's a great kid.

And some kids don't live to get this age, you know.

That's another thing to be proud about -

that, you know, it's his 18th birthday, he lived...

and to get to see 18, that's good.

- Ohh! - Hey-hey!

- Happy birthday! - I love you too!

- Where you goin', homes? - [All Laughing]

♪ Happy birthday, dear Arthur ♪

[Narrator] Two months after his 18th birthday...

Arthur is cut off public aid.

I was gettin' 368. Now I get 268.

And that's to take care of me from one month to the next.

[Tape: Man #1] A message to the Oreo cookie.

No matter how much you wanna switch, here's what they think about you:

big-thighed, fast-runnin', high-jumpin', spear-chuckin'...

360-degree basketball-dunkin'...

[Frequencies Tuning]

[Man #1] Play the music, motherfucker! Put the music on!

- Bam! - [Rapping] ♪ Tune into the radio ♪

♪ Listen for a minute Yo, G, stick a fuckin' tape in it ♪♪

Shoot it.

[Man] Rebound! Go, go, go!

[Buzzer Buzzes]

I don't believe the other players have complete confidence in William.

They were in awe of William when he was a sophomore.

They're not in awe of him anymore.

[William] Sophomore year...

I was just carefree.

[Pingatore] Go!

Hold up! That's crap!

That is dog-shit crap!

Why did you have to do something unnecessarily?

If you would've kept it over here, William - Look at me!

If you had kept it over here, wide, you could have gone all the way.

What is that crap, the shovel pass?

[William] There was never any point in our school...

where we just - just played outright, you know.

[Chattering, Laughing]

All that bullshit that you be playin' -

You play half of a game, for two or three minutes you play pretty good...

then you go to sleep.

[Bedford] When we start out, Arthur will be completely in the ball game.

But as the game progresses, then he digresses.

On a crucial possession...

the ball goes to Arthur.

[Buzzer Buzzes]

Hey, Arthur G! You ever got rich, they'd catch you for sure! Come here, dog!

[Chattering, Laughing]

I want it up high, G. I want it up high.

[Arthur Laughs]

♪♪ [Rock]

♪♪ [Rock]

[Narrator] Led by William's 16 points a game...

the Chargers have a 20 and 3 record.

But Coach Pingatore feels they're not ready for the impending play-offs.

[Pingatore] Alabama! Alabama!

Alabama!

[Fans Cheering]

Will you quit cryin'!

This team just drives me crazy.

It's been a struggle all year.

You think you're better than you are.

The two big guys are prima donnas.

They should be killin' people.

For you people that are really agonizing...

so you won't have to worry about it.

That's the point.

I wanna end this game in the next three to four minutes.

Otherwise it's gonna be a ball game. All right, let's go get 'em. Come on.

Hail Mary, full of grace.

[Pingatore] William's just too nice of a kid.

I don't know if he has the killer temperament.

I don't know if he has the eye of the tiger.

Remember, square up!

♪♪ [Pep Band: Fight Song]

- His coach is stingy and selfish. - My coach is not -

He just want William to run out there and play -

- My coach is not stingy and selfish. - Yes, he is!

The day she was gonna be born I told him he had to be there.

I don't care what his coach say. I know the game was important.

But this was more important, and his coach doesn't see it like that.

- [Alicia Cooing] - That's what I was tryin' to get you to say.

Especially around that time of the year too - state tournament.

It was simply out of the question.

He keeps sayin' in the fu -

Basketball was my ticket out of the ghetto.

If I wouldn't have been playin' ball, I would not even be goin' to college.

I'm goin' to college, and I have a daughter. So what's my excuse?

♪♪ [Stereo: Jazz Funk]

♪♪ [Continues]

[Alicia Babbling]

- [Squeals] - [Laughs]

[Curtis] I haven't been workin' for about a year.

And if it wasn't for William knowing Miss Wier...

I wouldn't even be here.

It ain't much better than a person without a college degree can get.

What you lookin' at?

[Arthur] I don't believe people when they be sayin', "Wow, school's hard!"

If I gotta do, like, a report or somethin'...

I don't like none of the topics, so I'll just pick somethin' that's simple.

No, man!

- I wanna hear it - - I'm just doin' this stuff!

I know, but I just wanna hear how you write.

"Well, as the people bloom into another year..."

You know, the year just changed, January 1.

"The butterfly also blooms.

The butterfly are very beautiful flying objects."

Then it say at the beginning of the butterfly, it goes through a change and all that.

Then I keep goin', man. I just wanna, like, do that stuff.

- Millions of Americans break the law and use it. - [Beep]

Will you do me a favor?

When you see things are slippin' like this, give me a call and let me know.

Let me make sure I have the right phone number.

I say, "Where your book?" "We didn't have to work on the book. It's in my locker."

He gonna have to start showin' me somethin' better.

But I'm gon' stay up on his behind this time around.

I don't need nobody to push me.

All I gotta do is have the goal and the motivation, and I'm ready.

[Narrator] It's Sheila's graduation day...

from a nurse's assistants class at a local community center.

A high grade will assure her certification.

- You scored 89 on the exam. - [Gasps]

You're gonna get the highest grade point average for the class.

Really? Really?

No, no, no, no! [Laughing]

Oh, thank you, Miss Martin!

- [Laughs] - You did it yourself.

[Sobbing] Oh, thank you.

I didn't think I could do it. [Continues Sobbing]

Not just stop right here, but go farther.

And people told me I wasn't gon' be anything.

♪ I sing ♪

♪ Because ♪

♪ I'm happy ♪

- Miss Sheila Agee. - ♪ I'm free ♪

♪ And his eye ♪

♪ Is on the sparrow ♪

♪ And I know ♪

- ♪ He watches ♪ - [Applause Continues]

♪ Over me ♪♪

[Narrator] The gym is packed for today's game against West Side rival, Westinghouse.

Marshall's rebounded from last year's dismal 9 and 16 record...

to go 16 and six.

A lot of these kids won't talk to a junior college...

really until after they've seen the dream of, you know...

Illinois and Nevada, Las Vegas and Georgetown kind of fade.

[Wilson] It's just too bad those kids don't realize...

hey, if they had an 18, the door is so much wider open.

- [Bedford] You're in the middle! - ♪♪ [Pep Band]

They trail by one.

Defense!

- [Crowd Cheers] - [Yelling]

[Narrator] Derrick Zinneman's layup pushes Marshall to a one-point lead.

and then a double technical puts Arthur on the line with a chance to ice the victory.

[Crowd Cheering]

[Cheering]

[Cheering]

- Arthur Agee, you lead the books. - Junior!

You got seven.

Seven turnovers. Even for the guards, that's too many.

[Tomika] Oh, Mom. You know he did good. You're just killing me.

[Laughing] You know your mother's proud of you.

Like a real star. [Laughs]

- [Crowd Cheering] - [Man On PA] Number 11...

Arthur Agee!

- Where you been, man? - Where I been?

- Yeah. Where you been? - I've been workin'.

- Well, Jamal - - You ain't there.

- Yeah, you're right. I had to break out. - Yeah.

but I wasn't sure if you had time to do it.

[Cheering]

♪♪ [Pep Band]

- So you came in case you have to play St. Joe's? - Yeah.

[Boy] Arthur. Arthur. [Chuckles]

[Chattering]

- What's up, man? - What's up, man?

- What you been up to? You playing basketball? - What? Yeah.

- How'd you guys do? - We did a'ight. Still playin'.

Still playin'? When's your next game?

- We gotta play Crane. High school in Chicago. - That's cool.

It'll be all right.

[Crowd Cheering]

[Crowd Cheering]

William enters the game to go head-to-head with Nazareth star Sean Pearson...

his friend and roommate from the Nike camp.

[Narrator] But near the end of the game...

St. Joe's begins to unravel.

[Loud Cheering]

[Narrator] William takes control.

- [Whistle Blows] - [Loud Cheering]

Down by one, with just over a minute remaining.

And for William, there is no next year...

no more chances to get downstate.

[Crowd Cheering]

I'm trying to get it, man. I'm striving for the same thing.

Hey, man. We'll call you. Give me a ring. All right?

- All right. - You played a good game, boy. All right.

The team was dressed and already talking.

Then he came strolling in.

Um, now we look back on it as just one of those great moments in -

in our high school scene.

Our toughest loss to take, and we talk about it.

So that's what I look at, you know, with these things now.

- School. - Yeah.

All right. I'm watching you score. How's your grades?

- They're all right. - Good.

- They're all right. - We missed you.

Mr. Bedford said a lot of good things about you.

- You be in touch. Okay? - Okay. All right.

- Good luck. - All right. You too.

[Crowd Cheering]

[Narrator] Marshall's second-round opponent, Manley, presents little challenge.

This just explains a little bit about our program...

I like what you're sayin', and I want him close to home.

I'm Tommy Travis, Northeastern Illinois assistant coach.

- I'm over at Kennedy-King. - Kennedy-King?

- Yeah. - Okay.

May the best man win.

- I thought mom was a cheerleader. - Oh, thanks.

His parents seem to think he may, uh, pass the ACT.

That's when you'll be excited the whole year.

I'll be excited as soon as I step up in there - first day of practice.

If I graduate, I think I'll be the only one in my family...

besides my uncle, to finish college.

[Narrator] In the fourth round against heavily favored Taft...

Marshall meets their first true test of the play-offs.

[Whistle Blows]

But the Commandos have been bucking the odds all year.

Arthur plays one of his best games of the season...

scoring 19 points...

[Indistinct]

Do you guys feel you can play with any team in the city?

On any given day, we can play with anybody. We can beat anybody.

King High School, the rulers of the public league.

[Bedford] We don't understand what we're really doing to these young kids.

Falls back in the paint.

I'm not going to start recruiting in that manner.

[Cheerleaders Shouting]

[Narrator] King's strategy is to go inside to its two seven-foot starters.

And King's poor play keeps the game close.

I think they gonna take it.

[Narrator] But in the second half, King makes their move.

- What are you doin'? - [Man] Come on. Get in the game!

[Narrator] King grabs a four-point lead.

Hey, Mookie, Mookie, Mookie!

Y'all playing with no confidence whatsoever.

- [Whistle Blows] - [Loud Cheering]

[Yelling]

[Chattering]

[Bedford] Players, sit down. We got three minutes to go. Sit down.

[Narrator] Marshall grabs a six-point lead late in the game.

For the defending national champions, it's all over.

- ♪♪ [Pep Band] - ♪♪ [Singing]

And unranked Marshall will play for the city title.

♪♪ [Singing, Indistinct]

Whoo! 26 and 2 now!

I knew y'all was going all the way. I told ya.

I said, "You're going all the way."

This is your last year. You're going all the way. Yeah.

[Sheila] They got the best shot of him, you know.

And it's great. That was a great shot, wasn't it? [Laughs]

But this one in the, uh, Tribune is what I really like.

It says, "Arthur Agee stood as still as a statue.

Time after time was on his side."

Yeah.

Twenty-one years later I got a chance at getting a championship through him.

You know, you're always trying to build your children up...

and saying, "Well, you-all can do it"...

but, you know, really lying on the inside a little bit, saying...

"Well, you know, you got a long haul."

But, you know, this make you even more confidence...

because if he's sure of hisself, then you know you can bank on it.

And, you know, I haven't heard that in, uh - You know.

You can feel it, but I haven't heard it coming verbally from him.

- [Whistle Blows] - [Announcer] Busts this game wide open.

Did you see that? Did you see it? Did you see it?

[Announcer] They are celebrating because they know...

their high school is headed to the elite eight in Champaign.

[Crowd Cheering]

[Announcer] And the Marshall Commandos have won the Public League Championship...

[All Yelling]

[All] Marshall, baby. Marshall!

Marshall!

Marshall! Marshall!

Uh, you've taken the test - Now, this was for the fourth time.

Now, if you add all those up, it comes out to 17.2.

In order to play at Marquette, you're gonna have to get the 18.

And they're very, very concerned.

One assistant called twice this week, and Bo Ellis called today.

Smile, William. It's not the end of the world.

- Right? - I hope not.

Well, you gotta work at this as hard as you worked at your jump shot.

And it was missing a lot this year.

Okay. [Laughing]

Now you are down to the final inning and the last strike.

[Sighs]

We're going, going downstate! We're going downstate!

Now let's, let's celebrate! Now let's celebrate!

[Bedford] Your Marshall Commandos!

[Chattering]

[Cheerleaders Shouting] Beat B-A - B-A-T-A-V-I-A!

Beat B-A - B-A-T-A-V-I-A!

Beat B-A - B-A-T-A-V-I-A!

[Announcers Chattering]

[Narrator] In the media glare of a statewide audience, Marshall shows big-game jitters.

[Announcer] Now bust out.

And Marshall missed the layup.

Sealed off, blocked by Williams.

You got easy shots. You gotta make your easy shots.

Luther Bedford looks like he's ready to commit suicide over there.

One, one, one, one!

Yes! That's the way you go!

- [Announcer #2] Here we go. - [Announcer #1] Picked him clean.

[Announcer #1] Like a lightning bolt, the Commandos have struck.

When I was at St. Joseph...

maybe we could have went downstate, and maybe we couldn't.

But we did when I'm at Marshall.

[Narrator] Arthur's big fourth quarter helps add Batavia...

to Marshall's growing list of upsets.

[Announcer] Spectacular comeback in the fourth quarter by the Commandos -

[Narrator] In the postgame news conference...

Coach Bedford labels his unranked team "the giant killers."

This is the first time in the history of the school that we've gone this far.

- Really? - In the history of the school.

[Sheila] Yeah. This is really, you know, something that a -

a child would really miss out on.

Like a whole different world.

He can get downcourt as quick as anyone I've ever seen.

[Narrator] In the semifinals...

Arthur goes head-to-head with Howard Nathan, the all-American.

Make him work for it, Man. Make him work for what he get.

All right! Let's go! All the way, Man! All the way!

Yeah! That's it! That's it! That's it!

[Announcer] Arthur Agee, spinning inside, tough shot. Good.

[Announcer] He's got it.

Get up for the Rams! Everybody get up!

[Narrator] But it's the Rams who don't miss a beat...

pressing the tempo against the tired Commandos.

You're not in the offense at all.

You're just out there playing individual basketball.

Completely.

Hey, hey, guys. No fouls. We want to keep the clock going. Remember?

[Announcer] Marshall showed us last night they have the ability to come back.

Let's see what they can do here.

This is Nathan.

Nice pass. Knock it down.

Biggest lead of the game now, and the Rams fans can smell it.

Been a great run for Luther Bedford's team.

- The string of upsets stops here. - [Whistle Blowing]

- And a foul on Agee. - [Announcer #2] He fouls out.

But he just never quit. He just kept going for the basketball.

[Horn Blows]

We're still number one.

- [Whistle Blows] - All right. All right.

[Narrator] Though they lose to Peoria Manual...

they finish third in the state, the highest a Marshall team has finished since 1960.

There is nothing sweeter than going downstate as a young person.

- You know, and you're part of that. - [Man] Yeah.

- That's part of history. - Ah!

But for you seniors, you know -

Mr. Williams and I will be around school...

as we always are - [Clears Throat]

to help you if you want to be helped, okay?

Winning five games in six days, that really takes a lot out of you.

Like Coach said, you just gotta sacrifice -

you know, sacrifice everything you have.

Like, if you love the game of basketball, you just go out there and give all your heart.

He got a little ways to go, but he's - he's gonna get there.

Hopefully he's got his head screwed on pretty good, you know...

and now, you know, he's gonna be on his own to do whatever.

They lookin' like: "Who they got on their team?" I had to come out and prove myself.

I think I could play Division I basketball.

'Cause all I need is just a scholarship. That's - That's all I'm looking for.

[Man On PA] Arthur Agee.

All right!

[Man] All this area through here is our new computer labs.

The strength that I see here is the tremendous teaching that goes on here.

That, and, uh - I like that and accounting.

- Like business. - Oh. Okay.

We enjoy winning things, but the primary purpose is your education.

[Gray] This is where it all happens.

Beautiful place. And it gets to rockin'.

- You gonna try it on there? - [Arthur] Yeah.

with two years of your college finished...

a scholarship to a Division I university.

Exactly where you'd want to be - on track to graduate in four years.

♪ My man Ben pulled a mack move and called a mack ♪

♪ To attack, take a track and stack it fat like a brother ♪

All the ballplayers on scholarship live here.

[Man] Get your ass up, nigga.

[Chattering]

[Narrator] Of the seven blacks in the entire school...

six live in this house.

Try to make a little home, you know.

We know who to trust, who not to trust.

[Arthur] I just want to go somewhere where I'm gonna play.

I can get the grades.

I love basketball.

How many of your players that leave there and they end up going to a four-year college?

- Thirty-one sophomores in a row. - Really?

She asked him to return today over Arthur's objections.

[Gray] I'll show you exactly what the scholarship entails.

[Sheila] Is this a full scholarship for the two years?

The reason I'm skeptical is because of the promises that was made in the past.

[Gray] From the time he comes down there until he leaves, you will not have a financial need.

Now, when you make this decision...

we will still pay - if you have to try to pay -

if we can put some - I'm just sayin'.

You - Understand what you're saying. You want to save somebody money, but still -

But you have to still do what is best from here.

But still we want the best for you - even if you have to -

You understand what I'm saying? I'm just saying. But still, the decision is up to you.

- What time is it? - [Gray] 1:56.

1:56.

Aw!

- You want to see it rain? - [Sheila Laughing]

- [Bo] Let it rain! - [Sheila Shouting, Laughing]

- You want to see it rain? - [Sheila] One more time.

Let it rain!

Oh!

Peoria Manual. Remember what they did to you now.

[Woman] You better stick to church music, leave that basketball alone.

[Laughing]

- [All Yelling] - Foul! Foul!

- He didn't hit nothing else! - It's 34-28, Bo.

- Bo's a sore loser. - All right!

- Yeah. - Ain't no con game going on no more.

- No more. Ain't no more. - The score is 32 to 28.

Now, you can play for 32 if you want to.

Game over with. I can con too.

Losers quit. I'm ready to play.

Now, youse a coward if you don't - Check ball.

- You're mad now. - Check ball.

- Throw it over there. - You ain't two years old. You ain't gettin' no pacifier.

Your mama ain't here to give you this ball. Let's go.

- Give me the rock. - Let's make it rain. Make it rain.

- ♪ It feels good ♪ - Right there.

- [All Shouting] - Bang. Bang. Right there.

Ha! Go sit down. Go sit down.

And you're on punishment when you get home. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[Girl] It's gonna rain on your head, Bo.

[Chattering]

and welcome to St. Joseph's Annual Basketball Awards Dinner.

We had a...

difficult year.

Most of you are aware of that.

That was all I did.

But it became more of a job than a sport to play.

[William] You know, Coach Pingatore just had these dreams in his head.

He just wanted me to go the same route he took Isiah.

The most steals.

[William] You know, basketball was just like - He was possessed with it.

You know, it was his life.

All-state in the Sun-Times.

A McDonald All-American nomination.

[William] When I had some real problems...

I couldn't go to none of them about it.

You know, I was having some problems with Catherine's family and my family...

and I said, you know, "Coach Pingatore, their family's been getting on me about...

you know, I'm not doing this, and I'm not doing that."

And the only thing Coach Pingatore could say is...

"Write 'em off."

That was all he told me. And I was, like, "What kind of advice is that?"

Uh, I mean -

Now, don't say anything you don't mean, William.

I mean, I'm serious, Coach. I enjoyed my four years.

- Who had run-ins? - Me and you.

- We did? - Yeah. Like that time you made me run 75 stairs.

- I never f - - You never forgot that.

But someday you're gonna learn that, uh...

everything that was done was for your benefit.

So that you can come back four years from now and say, "Coach, you were right.

"Everything that happened at St. Joe's helped me a lot...

and as a result I got a degree."

That's what I'm hoping for.

I'm going into communication...

- Okay. - I expect you to do a lot better.

I don't want this to be the -

- Yeah. - You know, the highlight of your career.

You've got a lot of bigger and better things to do.

I'll see you later. Good luck.

Well...

another one walks out the door, and another one comes in the door.

That's what it's all about.

I'm eligible.

You know, this is one of the greatest feelings in the world. That's about it.

I mean -

[Drills Whirring In Distance]

♪♪ [Band: "Pomp And Circumstance"]

♪♪ [Continues]

♪♪ [Continues]

all through high school really, really was proud of me.

but you got to throw your own dreams into yourself."

♪♪ [Continues]

she was, like, "This is it, one of my proudest moments."

[Chattering]

My baby graduated.

and his grades weren't good enough for him to go...

and now it's like he got the grades, you know?

[Woman] Excuse me, Curtis. You gonna give anybody else a chance?

What two countries are we competing with for world trade?

[Narrator] Before Arthur can graduate, he must pass summer school.

[Chattering]

[Arthur] We always said we weren't gonna never do no stuff like that.

We were just gonna go on and graduate and go on to college.

But, you know, he had to be the one.

[Chattering]

At first I thought he was gonna shoot me because I didn't have no money.

'Cause he kept asking me, "You got - You got some money. Where your wallet at?"

Be like, "What you driving a car like this for?" I was, like, "I ain't got no wallet."

and I was about to panic and stuff, and I just calmed down.

[Bo] I sit down and had a long talk with him and his sister.

♪ There's quite enough hope ♪

♪ For we are the future ♪

♪ We are the future ♪

[Woman] James Davis.

- ♪ And we're here in this very room ♪♪ - [Woman] Diana Stapleton.

- Arthur Agee. - ♪♪ [Vocalizing]

Please hold your applause so everyone can hear.

Christine Bowman.

♪♪ [Piano: "Pomp And Circumstance"]

Erica Byrd.

Sandra Crockett.

Arthur's self-esteem was really drained from St. Joseph's.

I said, "Well, you are somebody.

No matter where you go, it's what you have in your heart...

that you're gonna go somewhere."

Come on. Move out of the way, boy.

♪♪ [Ends]

[Chattering]

[Chattering]

- You know it. - ♪♪ [Hip-hop]

- These flame-broiled burgers - - ♪♪ [Continues]

♪ Right where you're standing 'cause, uh ♪

♪ Real live band ♪

♪♪ [Continues, Indistinct]

♪ Real live band ♪♪

- [Sheila] I thought you might hit me in my head, fool. - I didn't hit you in your head.

[Sheila] To my son.

I hope you pursue all your dreams and your desires...

that you have within you.

I love you very much.

- Ooh, that is so nice. - Whatever.

- ♪♪ [Drums] - [Girl] Oh, no!

And we ask you, Father, when he get in college, Lord...

- In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. - [All] Amen.

- [Bo] Oh, you can cry like a river, girl. - [Laughs]

You're crying so bad, I won't even make fun of you.

- [Sniffles] - [Chattering]

[Whispers] Oh, God.

[Chattering]

I done told you what to do.

Don't get no alcohol, no wine coolers.

[Child] Bye-bye.

I just hope he stay in there. That's what worries me most.

Once he get in the door, I want him to stay in there for four years.

[Arthur] When I was young - When I was little, that's all I used to think about - the NBA.

If I set my mind, I can - I can go.

I can st - I can go.

But if I don't, you know, I ain't gonna be no drug dealer, you know...

[Man] You don't think that you'll have the kind of tough times like your dad's been through?

No.

I can't say - I can't say that I will. I can't say that I don't. I don't know.

[William] Four years ago, that's all I used to dream about was playing in the NBA.

I don't really dream about it like that anymore.

You know, even though...

I love playing basketball, but, you know...

I want to do other things with my life too.

- "How you doing?" - How you doing?

- Say, "I love you." - I love you.

[William] If I had to stop playing basketball right now, I think I'd still be happy.

- I think I would. - [Alicia] Thank you, Daddy.

- [Catherine] Where'd Daddy get to? - [Alicia] Uh, Marquette.

[Catherine] Marquette?

[William] That's why when somebody say, you know...

"When you get to the NBA, don't forget about me," and all that stuff...

♪ So push it up and dish the rock while we hit the boards ♪

♪ We crash and dish and crash till our knees are sore ♪

♪ And that's just when the getting's good ♪

♪ We'll show why we're the kings that reign supreme on the hardwood ♪

♪ 'Cause on the daily we live and breathe the rock ♪

♪ And get it to the man fast when the trigger's cocked ♪

♪ Give me the rock, I'm in a zone Ooh, I got the range ♪

- ♪ Like the NBA, I love this game ♪ - ♪ Fast break ♪

♪ I'm, I'm on the fast break ♪

♪ Yeah, check it out Kickin' the fast break, huh ♪

♪ Uhh Out, out on the fast break ♪

♪ Check, check, check it out ♪

♪ So let's run and gun, excuse the pun No reference to the drive-by ♪

♪ I elevate, I get sky-high And, boy, I just can't be stopped ♪

♪ And to get with this you got to pump more in those Reeboks ♪

♪ See, nowadays the game's played above the rim ♪

♪ No fouls allowed Boy, you're playin' with men ♪

♪ On the break the game's at its pinnacle with Showtime ♪

♪ Like Magic run the Lakers you know I'm gonna gets mine ♪

♪ And you can bet when I come to the hole it's hard like steel ♪

♪ With the rim shaking like Shaquille O'Neal, huh ♪

♪ 'Cause like Barkley wreaks havoc on the court I'm rippin' down rebounds ♪

♪ See, some things just can't be coached ♪

♪ You come with heart on the blacktop or you get stomped like a roach ♪

♪ 'Cause on the court it's a test of wills Come on and "D" up ♪

♪ You keep the pressure on, boy I gets keyed up ♪

♪ That's when I take you to the other level ♪

♪ Where only few have gone before and where others revel ♪

♪ So here we go, here we go Once again it's on ♪

- ♪ So deal with the pace of the fast break ♪ - ♪ The fast break ♪

♪ Yeah Here we go, Here we go ♪

♪ Yeah I'm out on the fast break, huh ♪

♪ And here we go, here we go So, what you wanna do, huh ♪

♪ The fast break ♪

♪ Out, out on the fast break ♪♪