Blue Chips (1994) - full transcript

(Nile Rodgers' "Baby,
Please Don't Go" playing)

(men speaking
in hushed voices)

You gotta
bust him out.

All right,
come on, now.

(door slams)

How bad can it get?

Just how goddamn bad
can it get?

This is by far the worst team

that has ever sat
in this locker room.

You son of a bitches,
you don't deserve a locker room.

You don't deserve a locker room,



the way you're playing
this year.

You should be playing
without uniforms.

You should be playing
in your jockstraps.

Goddamn it!

Every time we get ready to play,
I just wanna throw up.

I'm goddamn sick
of watching you guys play.

There's not one of you,
not one of you,

that's learned how to win.

We got hammered
the last four games,

and it stops right now!

If you keep playing
the way you're playing,

we're gonna get our ass beat
again tonight.

I'm so depressed

I don't even
wanna talk about it.



I'm through fighting,
you sons of bitches!

(pen clatters)

You're the dumbest team
I ever coached.

You guys think of something.

(door slams)

All right, guys.

The guards--

Honest to Christ,

I just wanna go home and cry
when I watch us play.

Don't you boys understand?

Don't you know how bad
I wanna see this team play?

I wanna see this team play
so fucking bad,

I can taste it.

Honest to Christ!

You boys,

the only joy I have right now

is I only have to
watch you guys play

two more games.

Goddamn it!

(door slams)

All right, guys,

let's start thinking
about the game.

Let's start thinking

about what we're
gonna do out there.

I can't tell you how sick I am
of basketball right now.

I never thought I'd see the day

when Western basketball
is in the state it is right now.

If I never see
another game

in my life,

that's just fine by me.

Dwayne,

you can get
through college

half-assed.

Richard,

you can get
through life

half-assed.

But I'll guarantee you boys
one thing.

Sure as hell,
I'll guarantee you this:

You cannot win half-assed!

I wanna win this ball game!

Let's go!

(playing
"Land of a Thousand Dances")

(crowd cheers)

Yeah!

Go!

Yeah! Whoo!

Yeah!

("Land Of A Thousand
Dances" ends)

(cheering)

(snare drums pounding)

(marching band playing
"Dolphin Fight Song")

TELEVISION REPORTER:
And welcome to the Dolphin Dome

for tonight's game between
the Texas Western Cowboys

and the Western University
Dolphins.

Coach Pete Bell for Western
is on the hot seat.

He's in danger of having
his first losing season ever,

but a victory tonight
would ensure a winning season

for Coach Pete Bell.

It's gonna be tough, though,

because Texas Western
is tournament bound.

They are well-coached
by Rick Pitino.

They've got
a dynamic backcourt duo

with Sam Crawford
and Rex Walters,

and they should get
up-front court help

from Chris Mills
and George Lynch.

It should be a great game.

First-half action coming up.

(both grunt)

(crowd roars)

D-up, man.

Play him up.

Hands up, Hack.

BELL:
Deny those leads!

Dwayne, pick up the ball!

Hands up, baby.

He's going
to his left!

Get in front
of him.

Two shots.

BELL:
Bounce it. Bounce it.
Screen across.

Pick him up,
pick him up!

Play yourself,
Mitch.

Help on the ball.

BELL:
Mitch, use your feet!

Come on, Ed,
come on.

That's a foul.
(whistle blows)

ANNOUNCER:
Personal foul...

Oh, for chrissakes!

What the hell's
the matter with you?

Goddamn it,
we're not moving the ball.

Just standing around,
for chrissake.

Let's go to the four-man motion.

If they go to their one man,

don't worry about the big guy,
he's not gonna handle it.

Don't trap four and five.

Only trap one, two and three.

Take him to the hoop!

(whistle blows)

What the hell is this?

Great call. You're the best.

What in the hell
is this, for chrissakes?

What, have you got
blinders on tonight?

I mean, you haven't made a call
all night.

Look out.

That's why you're
a good official.

PITINO:
Now look, now look.

Up and under, George.
Up and under.

Move, George, move.

Move, George.

Nice move.
We got it.

Stay with it.
Stay with it!

(whistle blows)

What the hell
is that kind of a call?

Explain that
to me.

You've got your last warning.

You sit down.

You've got your last warning.

I'll ring you up.

Horseshit!

BELL:
Get back, get back,
get back!

Full speed.

(crowd gasps)

Son of a bitch.

(ominous theme playing)

PITINO:
Three.

Now, now, now, now.

There it is.

Good job.
Rebound, let's go!

Go slow.

Stay in it.

Stay in it!

They're getting tired.

They're breaking down right now.

They are not in great shape.

Come on, fill the lanes.
Let's go.

George!
There it is.

Did you see that?

That's it, take away
the middle. Dunk it.

He fouled! Foul!

Rebound it.

Rebound it, yes!

Rotate.

Watch, he's coming!

(whistle blows)

They're fouling me
every time I get the ball.

I don't give a shit!

The tempo is ours.

Go strong, Rick.

He got killed.

Plug up the middle.

Plug it up.

Nigel, goddamn it,

get over
on his left foot!

(whistle blows)

Ray Charles
could've made a better call,

for chrissake.

Call that in the box!

You're standing over,

and you know
he didn't touch him!

I'm here! Goddamn it!

He's over there!
I didn't call it.

(shouting)
I didn't call it!

I swear to God...

(crowd jeering)

That's the third
fucking time

you did that!

He was pushing off
all the way in there--

He was not pushing.
What, are you blind?

What do you want me to do?

You son of a bitch!

(blows whistle)

You son of a bitch!

You son of a--

You get out of here!

Get out of here!

MAN:
I got it!
I got it!

Am I wrong?
Was I wrong or what?

He had a different
angle than you.

Bullshit!

Am I wrong or what?

Ah, piss it.

ANNOUNCER:
Coach Bell is ejected
from the arena.

(water trickling)

Yo, coach.

It's your friendly
athletic director.

Thought I'd better
stop by

and officially comment

on your behavior
out there tonight.

Well, goddamn it, Vic.

If I have to get
on these kids

as hard
as I did tonight

just to get them
to play good,

I don't know
if I can take

another goddamn game.

Coach, relax, will you?

It's the end
of a long season.

You know how it works.

You'll feel
better about it

in the morning.

There's no goddamn way in hell

I'm gonna feel better about it
in the morning.

You know I'm gonna feel worse.

I'm just gonna get
angrier and angrier.

Take all day.

You'll feel better
by tomorrow night.

You know, if we keep losing,
you're gonna be out of a job.

God, tell me something
I don't know.

(camera shutters clicking)

My congratulations
to Texas Western

and their wonderful
coaching staff.

They played a terrific game.

That's about
all I have to say on that.

Any questions,
stupid or otherwise?

All right, Allan?

Yeah, coach.

We'd like to hear your side

of the basketball-kicking
incident.

The basketball-kicking
incident.

All right, next question.

Allan, you used up
your question.

That was stupid.

Ed?

Do you think it's fair to say

that your inability
to get the program back on track

is strictly related
to recruiting problems

that started
four years ago

after the alleged
point-shaving incident?

How long you gonna
keep this bullshit up, Ed?

Huh? You know goddamn well
there was no such incident.

There was an alleged incident
which you invented,

in the same way
that if I assert

that you sleep
with sheep,

then it is alleged

that you sleep
with sheep!

That's out of line,
coach.
What do you mean?

If you can't take the heat,
get out of my face.

Goddamn it, you know
nothing like that happened here.

Listen, I didn't say
that it happened.

I merely asked you
if you thought

that the allegations
hurt recruiting.

I didn't say it happened.

Listen, if this is the level
of questions

I'm gonna get here tonight,

this press conference is over.

(reporters murmuring)

He's a beauty, huh?

(reporters clamoring)

Did you see the game?

No rebounding.

You got beat on the boards.

Yeah, no rebounding.

We're not
aggressive enough.

Actually, I thought the kids
played their hearts out.

Yeah, they did.

They did the best
they could.

Don't put the game tapes
in the VCR.

I want to just--
We'll just watch this tonight.

Not tonight.
Mm-mm, mm-mm.

Mm-mm.

All right.

You should've
pressured the guards more.

Yeah, we should've
pressured their guards,

but we're not quick enough.

That's the good stuff,
coach.

You're gonna
drink like a fish,

there's some cheap stuff
in the kitchen.

Now you're trying
to slow me down?

Always.

How was your day?

My day?

Oh.

I had 20 first-graders
making valentines.

Yeah,

hearts are tough to cut out.

Easier than pumpkins.

Yeah, well...

(exhales softly)

Honey, you okay?

Yeah.

You sure?

(clears throat)

Oh, that damn Ed Axe.

He'll be in on
the Daily Ne rider.

He brought up
the alleged incident again.

That's bullshit.

I'm looking
at my first losing season.

I just can't handle it.

Don't you think it's a bit much
for a 50-year-old man

to be kicking basketballs
up into the stands?

I hope it didn't hit anybody.

No.

(chuckles)

I just--

I don't do well with losing,
do I?

You've won
two national championships.

Go on.

This is two more
than most coaches dream of.

You've won
eight conference titles.

I don't call this losing.

You've got great kids.

The cleanest program in America.

They all graduate.

You make a lot of money

doing exactly what it is
you wanna do.

I could go on and on.
No, do. Do.

I'm not going to,

because
I'll get angry.

Do you like it
when I'm angry

because it turns you on?

You think it's sexy?

I do.

Do I look sexy?
Yes, you do.

Suppose you wanna do
a little one-on-one?

Yes.
No.

Can I stay here tonight?

No.

Oh, come on.
What do you say?

No.
Come on, let's go.

(sighs)

Come on, come on.

Let's go.

Why are we divorced,
Jenny?

Because you're impossible
to live with.

Besides that.

Good night.

(grunts)

Mm-mm.

(electric guitar theme
playing)

(clicks)

Texas Western 74,
Western University 59.

The Dolphins out of it,
now at .500

and in danger

of their first
losing season

under Pete Bell.

In closing, it is time
to tell Coach Petey Bell

of the Western University
Dolphins

to take a hike.

He has clearly lost the touch
he once had.

This year's team
is the least disciplined,

the least fundamentally
sound squad

we've seen in years,

and his sideline antics

are becoming boorish
and embarrassing.

To the alumni,
to the chancellor,

to the athletic
director

Vic Roker,

it is time to tell
Coach Petey Bell

to take a hike.

BELL: Move it,
move it, move it!

Keep your spacing.

All right.

Keep your spacing there, Phil.

Widen out.

Where's
the goddamn spacing?

When I'm coming down here
and I'm setting this screen,

give it here.

Lock him off. Lock him off!

JACK:
Don't get lazy on us.
Come on, Rick!

BELL:
Set it.
Roll, Tony!

Tony, when you get
on this screen,

you've gotta get this foot
locked here.

If your footwork is here
and this is open,

you're trying to rotate,

he's got all the room
in the world.

But if you lock here...

Now try to go this way, Steve.
See?

But if you got this foot back,

here, set the screen like this,

now I'm trying to rotate,
I can't get there.

But if I set this foot in here
and I rotate, I'm here.

Tony, son,
it's footwork.

JACK:
All right, let's go.
Let's go.

Got that?

Spin and roll.

Hit and spin.

Move right
to the basket.

Come on, now.

Free throws!

Tony!

Tony, come here.

What's up, coach?

You've been
looking down lately.

What's going on?

How you doing
in your classes?

Well, actually,
I'm flunking a class.

You're flunking
a class?

What class?

TV.
TV?

How can you be
flunking TV?

Coach, that's
a tough class.

You don't just
watch the tube.

How's it going
with that little girl?

Oh, man, she's cool.
She's not pregnant
after all.

It's all right.

Now, remember, you've got
a responsibility there,

so you take care of it,
all right?

All right,
go on back in.

All right, coach.

Mel, come here.

Get a tutor
for Tony for TV,

all right?

Freddie, take Tony.

Take him to a pharmacy

and get him
some prophylactics.

Coach!

Come on, baby,
what's wrong?

Coach.

BELL: When other teams
used to come in

and see these banners,

it scared them to death.

All these banners
were worth, what,

eight points anyway.

But everything changes,
huh?

Everything changes,
coach.

Yeah, there's
very little in life

that man's got a control over.

Things just happen,

so when you got a chance
to make a statement,

goddamn it,
you gotta do it.

We haven't
been making a statement.

When we were
winning conference titles

and going to the Final Four,

we were making a statement.

The kids are working
as hard as they can, you know.

They just don't have the talent.

Yeah, well, I can't beat anybody
with banners.

I need players.

I need horses.

You got horses.

What you need
are thoroughbreds.

Well, everybody in the country

is buying these kids
out of high school,

giving them cars
and money under the table,

God knows what.

Don't you ever miss?

(chuckles)

That's the idea
of the game,

put the ball
in the hole.

There's two reasons
I'm incapable of cheating.

You wanna hear them?

Tell me.

One, if I break the rules...

and I get caught,
I'll get kicked out of coaching.

And what's the second reason?

I might not get caught.

Miss the goddamn ball once,
will you?

Jesus Christ.

You can't even miss left-handed.

All right, does anybody know
what this is?

ALL:
A heart.

That's what it is.
It's a goddamn heart.

That's what it is.

Boy, I'm beginning to think

there's some intelligence
in this room.

Now, if you guys show me
you got one of these,

we're gonna
win this game tonight.

Tony, you got one of these?

Yes, sir.

Tony, do you know

what we're trying to do
on defense,

and how it triggers
our transition game?

Yes, sir.

Do you think the entire team

understands
what we're trying to do?

Yes, sir.

Good, because I'm holding you
personally responsible

for this whole team

understanding
this philosophy.

Do you accept
that responsibility?

Yes, sir.

(crowd roaring)

Phil, get in for Dwayne.

Byron, come here.

Nice pass, Tony.

TONY:
Play it all the way through,
let's go.

BELL:
Good steal, Mitch.
Good steal.

TONY:
Post him up,
Richie.

Post him up, baby.
Post him up.

Yeah, take him,
take him.

BELL:
Nigel, get back!
Full speed!

Pick up the open man,
Richard!

Oh, shit!

Protect the ball!
Shit!

Get your hands up.
Man, come on.

(grunts)

MAN: Hey, coach,

you better get
a new day job.

(buzzer sounds)

REPORTER:
Have you given it
any thought

you may be
20 minutes away

from your first
losing season?

These kids have played
their heart out this year.

I'm not answering
that kind of bullshit.

I don't mean to ruffle feathers.
Good luck in the second half.

Pick up your man.

Move out on the ball!

Move out
on the ball!

Pick up on the point guard
in there.

Make the point guard
have to work in there.

Whoever's got the point guard,

pick him up high

and keep him going to his left
in there.

BELL:
Set her up, Tony.
Nice move.

Take it.
Take it, Tony.

Take it.

Yeah, yeah, got you!

All right!

That's what we need.

(players grunting)

(Jimi Hendrix's "All Along
the Watchtower" playing)

(growls)

TONY:
Better get them
rebounds.

Do it!

Too many
offensive rebounds.

Let's go.

Come on, guys,
come on.

Move the ball.

Lay it out, lay it out.

(grunts loudly)

BELL:
Get back!
Full speed!

Somebody gonna
block out Rogers?

Somebody gonna block out
Rogers tonight?

His tenth dunk tonight,
guys, let's go.

(crowd booing)

BELL:
Get around on him, Ricky!
Full speed!

Stop the ball!

(booing continues)

TONY:
Come on, now.
Don't quit on me.

(buzzer sounds)

(showers trickling)

(players chattering)

Okay.

You call me, now.

All right.

Guys.

Guys, listen up.

Listen up.

I just wanna thank you all again
for a hell of a season.

I want you to remember
one thing, goddamn it.

When we leave this locker room,
we're not losers.

We're winners, okay?

(scattered applause)

We're losers.

We're an absolutely
mediocre basketball team.

Yeah, but these kids

are a great bunch
of guys, coach.

I know they're
a great bunch of guys,

but goddamn it, not one of
them can play basketball.

Except Tony,
and he's flunking TV.

What the hell happened?

How did we sink so low so fast?

Kids are going east
to play.

They want
the television exposure.

Well, that's
part of it, Freddie,

but goddamn it,
I think what it is

is we've been
sitting on our butt.

We haven't been
going out there.

We expected the kids

to come here
out of tradition.

That's not happening anymore.

What the hell happened
to the Jones kid?

He was right
in our own back yard.

Cedric Jones,
yeah, I remember.

I had six meetings
with his family.
What happened?

We lost him to the East,
to a big bag of dough.

I mean, come on, guys,

maybe it's time
we should start anteing up.

No, goddamn it.
We ain't doing that.

We ain't opening
that Pandora's box.

Ask Freddie.

I don't recommend
under-the-table recruiting.

It's a personal hell you're
letting yourselves in for.

Let's get these guys.

Goddamn it,
let's get on the phones,

and let's stay here all night
if we got to.

JACK:
All right, tell us
about Cornelius Brown,

6-foot-7 power forward.

By way of Pluto,
he's a major headcase.

He can stick it from anywhere,
but, I mean,

I think he's committed
to Western Nebraska

with a phony job
from an alumnus congressman.

Okay. All right.
Willy Hutchinson.

We heard this guy
was on the verge

of signing
a letter of intent

to Eastern.

And his old man's been seen
driving a Mercedes-Benz

since the day
he signed the letter.
Lot of rumors.

There's a lot of rumors.
Do yourselves a favor.

Chop off the bottom eight names
on your list.

They are irrelevant.

The top two guys
are the ones you want.

Okay, that's, uh, Butch McRae.
Chicago?

FREDDIE:
Yeah, he's from
St. Joseph's.

And Ricky...

Ricky Roe.
We got him there.

6'8" power forward.

The Butch and Ricky show.
You get those two guys,

you are in the Final Four
next year.

(Nile Rodgers' "Baby,
Please Don't Go" playing)

(blues theme playing)

(muffled cheering)

(cheering)

(cheering)

(conversing indistinctly)

What do you think, guys?
He looks pretty good, huh, Tark?

He's a great player,

but I don't think
we can get him in

academically.

You don't think so?

I don't think so.

What do you think, Jim?

I don't think
he can play for you.

You don't?
Too many bad shots.

Can he play for you?

Well, maybe.
Yeah, that's what I figured.

MAN:
I hear his mother's
a pain in the ass.

BELL:
Yeah, his mother's
a pain in the ass.

What has he got?
He's got 27 points now?

You guys looking
for Rhodes scholars?

Yeah, Rhodes scholars
who can dunk.

Coach Pete.

Will you tell
Father Dawkins

I'm here?
I sure will.

And we can send
these ugly guys home.

Father Dawkins,

Coach Pete is here.

Uh-oh.

There's blood in the water.

Must be a point guard
on the block

around here somewhere.

All right, gentlemen,
what am I bid?

Give me $50
for this strapping young boy.

Seventeen
and getting bigger every day.

Dig deep in your pockets,
gentlemen.

They say

he's a potential all-American.

And he can read and write.

The boy can actually
read and write.

He got 1250 on his SATs.

He ain't no problem, either.

His name ain't Abdul Ahmad X
or nothing like that.

The boy's actual name is Butch.

With a name like that, he ought
to have him some freckles.

Now, what am I bid,
gentlemen?

Dig deep in your pockets.

Dig deep!

Hey, Pete, step inside.

We're in trouble.
I think we're in trouble.

Yeah.

How's Tony?

Tony's fine.
Tony's fine.

Is he going to class?

Yeah,
he's going to class.

He's trying.
It's a struggle, though.

I love him,

but if he flunks,
he deserves it.

Oh, I'm not gonna
let him flunk.

You're here
because of Butch McRae,

aren't you?

Yeah. Yeah.

He's something, huh?

Yeah, he's the best
we've had.

And he's smart too.

He's got his head
screwed on straight.

Doesn't make
any mistakes.

His father's not around, right?

No.

I hear his mother
is a piece of work.

Ohhh...
She's a powerful piece of work.

I hear she wants money.

She wants money
just to talk.

She only charges
the schools she doesn't like.

Well, did she like us?

She likes
your science department

a whole lot better

than she likes
your basketball program.

I don't blame her. They have
a better record lately.

I can get her
to waive the grand,

but if you try
to bullshit Lavada McRae,

she will eat you alive.

(slow blues theme playing)

(distant siren wailing)

(latch rattles)

Coach Bell.
Mrs. McRae.

Lavada McRae.

You have any trouble finding us?

No.

No problem
whatsoever.

Come on in.

All right.

This is my son, Butch.
Good to meet you, Butch.

Thanks a lot.
A pleasure to meet you.

Wonderful game.
Thanks.

This is my mother,
Miss Dorothy.

Oh, how do you do?

It's good to meet you.

My daughter Qiana.

Hello, Qiana, how are you?

My baby, Britney.

This is Alicia.

All right, Britney.

That's Alicia.

Alicia,
good to meet you.

Britney, it's good
to meet you.

It's nice to meet you too.

Mrs. McRae, your children
are well-mannered.

That's good Catholic upbringing.

You know what, I'm Catholic too.

I'm not.

I just send them all
to St. Joseph's

because the priest and nuns
don't take no shit.

Butch, is there anything
you wanna ask Mr. Bell?

I don't know, Mom,
L.A.?

L.A. is a long ways
from here.

Yes, it is.

That's part
of going to school.

Getting away from home,
meeting new friends.

We'd love you
to come out to Western

and visit the campus.

I don't know, coach.
I'll think about it.

I'm kind of scared

to take
the college courses.

That's normal, Butch.

I mean, Dr. George Howe,

the head
of our science department,

he's world-famous.

He loves
basketball.

Are you implying

that classes are rigged
for athletes?

Mrs. McRae,
my players take real classes.

My players do graduate.

I think the thing that I really
wanted to ask you is,

will I start next year?

Well, you'll get the opportunity
to start, Butch.

I mean, our whole offense

is gonna be geared
around the point guard.

And that's the position

we'd love you
to come in and play.

I've been doing some thinking
about this, and...

Um...

Let me show you.

Mrs. McRae,
do you mind if I do this?

Kids, come on over here.

I got something.

You guys are gonna have
a lot of fun.

Stand right here for a second.
Can I use this lamp?

Is this lamp--? Yeah,
it's on an extension cord.

Oh, Grandma, can you
come on over and help us?

Yeah, come on
over here.

I want you
to guard this chair.

Now, put your arms out
like you're guarding.

Qiana, I want you to guard
this lamp right here.

Come on, this will be fun.
This will be fun.

Now, you're the off guard.

This pillow, this is the ball.
Here you go, Butch.

Okay, you pass it to your mom
over there. That's it.

Now, you pass it him,
Mrs. McRae.

Pass to Butch.

Pass the ball over here.

Butch, you cut around
right there.

Throw it in
to your brother.

Lay in it there.

Beautiful.
Yes.

Beautiful.

I have a family
to consider.

Oh, of course.
Of course.

And if Butch chooses
to become a Dolphin,

I plan on moving
to a new and better job.

I have references.

Well, there are rules.

I would also like
a house with a lawn.

My children
have never had a lawn.

Mrs. McRae,
do you know

how the NCSA
regulations work?

Mr. Bell, I don't know
a great deal

about basketball,

but I do know this:

A foul is not a foul

unless the referee
blows his whistle.

Mrs. McRae,
do you really want your son

to start out life

by learning how to bend
and break the rules?

What's he gonna be
when he grows up,

and then he's out in the world?

Now he's responsible

and the leader
of other young men.

What's he gonna become?

A millionaire?

Mm-hmm.

(Creedence Clearwater Revival's
"Looking Out My Back Door"
playing)

♪ Just got home from Illinois ♪

♪ Lock the front door
Oh, boy ♪

♪ Got to sit down
Take a rest on the porch ♪

♪ Imagination sets in
Pretty soon I'm singing ♪

♪ Doo, doo, doo
Looking out my back door ♪

♪ There's a giant
Doing cartwheels ♪

♪ A statue wearing high heels ♪

♪ Look at all the happy creatures
Dancing on the lawn ♪

♪ A dinosaur Victrola
Listening to Buck Owens ♪

♪ Doo, doo, doo
Looking out my back door ♪

("Looking Out My Back Door"
ends)

A white farm boy
with a basketball?

Oh, I don't know, son.

I don't think
you're ever gonna make it.

Can't run, can't jump,
bad back, pathetic.

How's it going, Pete?

I'm doing good, Larry.

I was just driving around,
I was in the neighborhood.

I thought I'd stop by.

Yeah, you and every other coach
in the country.

Well, you know,
all those years

I spoke for free
at your basketball camp,

those stock tips I gave you?

Cut the B.S., Petey.

What do you want?

Ricky Roe.
You know him?

Yeah.

Will you
call him for me?

When?
Whenever
you got time.

Let's go.

Hello.

Hi.

Welcome to French Lick,
Mr. Bell.

Thank you,
thank you very much.

How are you, Mr. Roe?

Fine.

Fine.
You can call me Pete.

I'd just as soon
keep it businesslike,

if you don't mind.

My wife, Lucille.

Hello, Lucille,
how are you?

My son, Ricky.
Yes, hi, Ricky.

What's up, coach?
How you doing?

Come on in.

Dear Lord, we thank you
for the blessings

you've given to us.

We thank you
for this food,

please bless it to the
nourishment of our bodies

and our bodies
to thy service.

These things we ask
in Christ's name, amen.

Amen.

Well, this looks
wonderful.

Oh, meat loaf, great.

So, what direction

do you see your college studies
taking you, Ricky?

Actually, I haven't
given it much thought.

Well, there's no reason
you have to decide now,

you have plenty of time.

He'd like to take over the farm
someday.

I would?
Yes, you would.

The truth is,

I haven't even decided
if I wanna go to college at all.

Well, what are you
interested in?

You really wanna know

what I'm interested in,
coach?

Yeah.
Girls.

It's girls

and just playing
basketball,

you know.

Girls and hoops.

Those are good interests.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You know?

But, you know, Ricky,

let me tell you
something.

You know,
you got an opportunity

to use your
basketball skills

to get into school,

and you gotta take
that opportunity.

I mean, now,
don't get me wrong,

we got a lot of girls
at Western.

Hell, we got
a million of them.

They'd like what
I can do out there.

I think I could go out
to California

and just, you know,

show them what I got
out there.

Yeah, well,
take this opportunity,

get your education, you know,

even if you don't
come to Western.

You know,
the girls are gonna wait.

They'll be there.

Boy can shoot.

Yes, he can.

But does he wanna
go to college?

Oh, yeah.

And I still have some
influence over that.

You know,

it's a very
funny thing.

A lot of coaches
have been by here,

asking me
what I needed.

I told them

I need a new tractor.

Look at that thing
over there.

Old Farmall,
44 years old this month.

Hard work making it
with a small farm anymore.

All them big combines.

Tractor, huh?

Yeah.

Now, I didn't ask
for nothing.

I just keep getting
offered farm equipment

by this school and that.

Whether it's bending
the rules or not

don't bother me none,

'cause they
ain't my rules.

So, what you're
saying is,

somebody's gonna
give you a tractor?

That's what I'm saying.

Well, I want my boy,

if he was to decide
to go on to college,

to be with a coach
that's gonna watch over him.

Well, maybe it's time
to let him go a little.

Maybe.

But in that case,

I'd like him
to be with someone

who's a...

Well,
a churchgoing type.

Well, for whatever it's worth,
Mr. Roe,

I was raised a Baptist.

First Baptist
or Southern Baptist?

First Baptist, of course.

Well, thank the good Lord,
Pete.

We don't think too much
of Southern Baptists

around here,

if you catch my drift.

Mm-hmm.

(band playing "Columbia,
the Gem of the Ocean")

Hi!

MAN: (over speaker)
And now a special treat.

Riding with our own Ricky Roe

is the grand marshal
of the parade,

the man who went

from the Blackhawk
black, white and gold

to the clover green
of the Boston Celtics,

French Lick's
very own Larry Bird.

Let's give them all
a big French Lick welcome.

(cheering)

♪ Bother me tomorrow
Today I'll buy no sorrow ♪

♪ Doo, doo, doo
Looking out my back door ♪

(Them's "Baby,
Please Don't Go" playing)

Welcome home, coach.

Slick. What are you
doing here?
Waiting for you, Pete.

Me?
Yeah.

'Cause I got a hot one
for you, baby, come here.

And you're telling me
nobody's ever heard of this guy?

Well, I've been
watching him for a while.

Hell, the kid
never even played ball

in high school.

He went to Army,
played in Europe.

He grew eight inches
in two years.

He got too big
for Army regulations.

And he played
a little JC ball

in New Mexico.

But when he finally
stopped growing,

he got all
his coordination back.

He showed up
at a gym recently

with some pros,

kicked butt bigtime.

Why are you bringing him to me?

Even though this kid

is still a project
with a lot of rough edges,

I know your program's
so screwed up right now,

my boy will move
in the starting lineup.

You wanna take a plane ride
to meet him?

Plane ride?
Yeah, see if I'm right?

Where is he at?
Algiers.

Algiers?

♪ Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog ♪

♪ Before I be your dog
I get you way down here ♪

♪ I make you walk the log
Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

For chrissake!
Oh, come on.

This guy better pan out,
or I tell you,

you're never gonna come

to any more games
at Western,

goddamn it, Slick.

♪ Baby, please don't go
Down to New Orleans ♪

♪ You know I love you so
Baby, please don't go ♪

(children shouting)

♪ Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog ♪

♪ Before I be your dog
Get you way down here ♪

♪ Make you walk alone
Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ How I feel right now ♪

♪ My baby's leaving
On that midnight train ♪

♪ And I'm crying ♪

(crowd gasps)

♪ Baby, please don't go
Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ Baby, please don't go
Down to New Orleans ♪

♪ You know I love you so
Baby, please don't go ♪

Ooh!

Did you see that?
He went...

♪ Before I be your dog
Get you way down here ♪

SLICK: He ain't
just big, Pete,

he's quick,
he's got big hands.

Watch how he moves
away from the ball.

He's totally raw.

He's never been
coached.

BELL: Jesus Christ.

Oh, man.

SLICK: I'm not gonna
bullshit you, Pete.

He ain't no brain
surgeon, all right?

Took the SAT recently,

scored 520 out of
a possible 1600.

520?

You get 400

for just spelling
your name correctly.

That's it.

He messed up
on his name.

Slick, what up, man?

Coach Bell,
Neon Bodeaux.

Hey, bro, how you doing?

Fine.

Neon, did you
ever think

about going
to college?

I've thought about it
a few times.

All right,

there's a thing called
Proposition 48,

which says

that if your grades
aren't up to par,

you can take
the SATs,

and if you score
700 or more,

you can
get into college.

Would you be willing
to take the test again?

I don't know, man.

Them tests
are culturally biased.

Well, everything
is culturally biased, Neon.

I'm just trying
to get you in college.

If I couldn't
play basketball,

would you be trying
to get me in college?

No.

At least you're honest.

♪ Fill my soul
With the Holy Ghost ♪

♪ Please fill my soul
With your precious Holy Ghost ♪

What kind of church
is this?

Assemblies of God.

Pentecostal?

Hell, I grew up
in the Pentecostal Church.

♪ Please fill my soul
With your precious Holy Ghost ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

♪ Receive that saving power
Receive that saving power ♪

BELL:
I promise you boys this,

if you come
to Western University

you will enjoy
the finest athletic facilities

in the country.

We got 45,000 students,

60 percent of them are girls,
Ricky.

Sports are a way of life here.

Football team's
been in the top ten consistently

for the last 20 years.

Baseball team
is in the College World Series

this year.

Track-and-field team...

Track-and-field team,

eight gold medals
in the last Summer Olympics.

And look at this weather.

I mean, look at this.

No more cold weather.

Beats the hell out of those
cold, harsh winter nights

in Chicago and Indiana, right?

I mean, look at this.

There it is, gentlemen.

Students used to wait
all night long

just to get tickets.

Be back in a minute.

We're on the verge
of that again.

Have you gentlemen
ever heard

15,000 people
cheering for you?

Of course,
all the time.

All the time.

Twenty.

About 20
every game.

(faint chattering)

ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen,
the starting lineup

for the Western University
Dolphins:

At guard, 6-foot-9,

from Chicago, Illinois,

number 22, Butch McRae.

(crowd cheering)

At forward, from Indiana,

6-foot-11 inches,

number 42, Ricky Roe.

And from New Orleans,

at center, number 50,

standing 7-foot-4-inches tall,

Neon Bodeaux.

McRAE: Hey, that's great, coach,
but I'm not 6'9".

ROE: I'm no 6'11"
either.

NEON: I am 7'4".
BELL: You are 7'4".

Now, listen to me, guys,

that's how tall you're gonna be
when you play here.

♪ When I first came to this land ♪

♪ I was not a wealthy man ♪

♪ So I built myself a shack ♪

Hey. Jenny.

Jenny.

♪ I did what I could ♪

Neon.

♪ And I called my shack
Break my back ♪

That's Jenny
right there.

She's the greatest tutor.

♪ But the land
Was sweet and good ♪

♪ I did what I could ♪

Great, that was so good.
We'll do it again in a minute,

and you can play for a while...
um, I Spy.

Good. Really, really good.

Great.

Jenny, I want you
to meet someone.
No way.

No way.
No, this is Neon Bodeaux.

Neon,
nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

I am very sorry, Neon,

but I haven't tutored
college students in years,

not since Tony.

That's what you're
about to ask for, isn't it?

She's the greatest tutor
in the conference.

The '84 team,

she got the whole front line
into school.

And I kept them in school
for four years,

but that was then, Neon.

Jenny, this is special.

This is unusual.

Can he play
with the kids?

Of course, Neon, go
play with the kids.
Yeah, go on.

You sure?

Yes.
Okay. Thank you.

Look at him,
what do you think?

I've never seen
anything like this guy.

This guy is phenomenal.

This is outrageous.

What happened
to Butch McRae and Ricky Roe?

Well, I'm working
on them.

I never even heard
of Neon Bodreaux.

Bodeaux. Bodeaux.
Neon Bodeaux.

Nobody has.

He's a project,
like Tony.

Look, you got Tony
admitted,

and look how wonderful
he's doing.

I thought Tony
was flunking TV.

Well, he's having
a little trouble,

but that's
a tough class.

You know, you don't
just watch the tube.

(children shouting)

Neon, please try

and not step
on the children.

Okay, all right.

Jenny, come here.
Come here, come here.

Now, listen.

Listen, I found this kid

in the sticks
in New Orleans, okay?

Mm-hmm.

He's had a tragic life.

I mean, his father
was a gar fisherman.

He had
a boating accident,

he got eaten
by an alligator.

I know
that sounds funny,

but he doesn't have
any relatives or a sister,

and nobody knows what
happened to his mother.

Oh, cut the crap, Pete.

Can he rebound?

He's the next Olajuwon.

What are his SATs?

Six...
Pete.

520.
Oh, God.

Well, those tests
are culturally biased.

Oh, now you're
a sociologist?

Oh, just this once,
Jenny.

You know, I'll never
ask you again, please?

He is incredible.
He can rebound, huh?

BELL:
Look at him.

He owns the paint.

For you?
Yeah.

No.

For Neon, maybe.

For Tony...yes.

Maybe I'd like
to see Tony

have a little help
on the boards

his senior year.

That's just--

Don't you kiss me.

All right, I'm sorry.

This is not for you.

It's for the ball club.

Now, get out of here.

Okay.

Take him with you.

What?
Take him with you.

Oh, yeah.

Thank you.

Hey.

Happy, where the hell
have you been?

Oh, you know,
here, there, everywhere.

There's a table
ready and waiting.

Yeah, yeah, just one second.

I got somebody over here
I want you to meet.

Come on over here.

Pete.

I want you to meet
two big Dolphin fans.

This is Wendy,
this is Karen.

This is Coach Bell.

How are you?
Nice to meet you.

Hi.

Let me tell you
something,

that was a great job
you did

on that sportswriter.

They're all a bunch
of jerks, you know.

Hey, why don't you
go over to the table.

I'll be right
with you, okay?

Let me ask you
something, Pete.

Why do you hate me
so much?

Because I think you

and the 50,000 alumni
you represent

are a bunch
of obnoxious slobs.

Oh, you're pissed off,
that's good.

You're a better coach
when you're pissed off.

Good night.

Going home, coach?

Hey.

Why are you walking away
from me, coach?

You never walk away

from anything
in your life,

I know you.

You don't know shit.
I know everything.

I know what Butch McRae's
mother wants.

I know you got a kid
named Neon Bodeaux

being tutored
by your ex-wife.

I know what Ricky Roe
is gonna want.

I know
the amount of money

that it's gonna take
to buy out your contract

is the same
that it'll take

to get Butch and Ricky
to sign letters of intent.

We don't buy athletes.

Let me tell you something,
in case you don't know.

Our football team

ranked in the top ten
for the last eight years,

has got a linebacker,
a tailback,

an offensive tackle,
two safeties

and a quarterback

all recruited
by friends of the program.

I don't like football.

They're all graduating
this year.

We're clean.

My money is untraceable.

It's been washed, scrubbed,

laundered
within an inch of its life.

You got a future in politics,
asshole.

Why don't you run for office.

These athletes generate
millions of dollars

for the university.

What do they get? Nothing!

What do you get?

You get
a multiyear contract.

You get a six-figure
shoe deal

so your team can be
a walking billboard,

and that is all legal.

And then you get
another six figures

for that lousy TV show.

Get out of my face.

(engine turns over)

We owe them this money.

(tires squeal)

We owe it to them!

(whistling)
Okay, Neon,

tell me the country
located immediately north

of the United States.

Spain.

Tell me the country
located immediately south

of the United States.

Canada.

All right, I'll give you $50
if you will tell me the country

located immediately south
of the United States.

Fifty dollars?
Fifty.

Mexico, followed by
Guatemala, Belize,

Honduras, Nicaragua,
El Salvador and Costa Rica.

Where's my $50?

Oh, I was lying.

Crazy.

Yeah, I was married to Pete.
What's your excuse?

You start off insulting me

with these third-grade
geography questions.

You think you're liberal,
but you're nothing but a racist.

Why'd you score 520
on your SATs?

Because I wanted to.

That makes a lot of sense, Neon.

When I was young,

my 'hood was so dangerous
I joined the Army,

and we invaded the Persian Gulf
for a vacation.

I make my own sense.

So why are we here?

We're here because

maybe I wanna go to college
and maybe I don't.

I won't know until I get in

and find out how much bullshit
it really is.

Okay,

I'll make you a bet for real.

I bet you $100

that you can't score 700 points

on your SATs.

I'll score 700 in my sleep.

For $100, I'll score 800.

(doorbell chimes)

Be right back.

Hello.

How's he doing?

He's interesting.

Good.
Yeah.

How's it going, Neon?

Your old lady's tough, bro.

My ex-old lady's tough.

Now I see
why you left the bitch.

He doesn't need
tutoring,

he needs a good kick
in the butt.

There's a test
in two weeks.

He should sign up
and take it.
Great.

Get your money ready,
'cause I'm gonna win that bet.

Come on, baby,
let's play.

Play him hard.
Play him hard.

I got him, I got him.

Yo, man, why don't
y'all help out?

Jesus,
what a mismatch.

Listen, let's take
some pride, y'all.

I got him, I got him, I got him.

This is like
streetball, man.

Hey, come on,
play some defense.

Let's see what
these guys have got.

(players conversing
indistinctly)

Come on,
make him work.

BELL: All right,
there's Calbert Cheaney.

MEL: Right.
All right?

Okay, so we don't even want
him to get the ball, right?

JACK:
Deny him the ball.

So let's shut him down,

and we gotta
double-team Cheaney, right?

FREDDIE:
So we'll cut
Reynolds loose?

Yeah, let's cut
Reynolds loose,

and then Graham out here,

he's gonna take shots,
so we gotta shut him down.

JACK:
You gotta
get up on him.

(knocking at door)

All right. Yeah?

Hi, coach.

Hey, how you doing?

Can I talk to you
a minute?

Yeah, come on in.
Bring a chair over.

What's up?

How you doing, Rick?

How are you guys
doing?

Played good
out there.

Oh, thanks.

That was
a good workout.

Yeah.

These girls out here,
I look at them,

I gotta shake my head.

I mean, I'm blown away.

I mean, these girls
are amazing.

I just shudder at it, but...

It's great,

and I think I'd like
to come to college.

All right.
BELL: Hey, that's great.

Good, Rick.
Good.

So I guess that leaves
a little bit of business

we have to discuss, though,
I think.

Business?

I figure a white,
blue-chip athlete like myself

deserves something extra.

So, you know,

this is what
I'm looking for,

is about 30 grand.

Um...

I'd like to have it in cash,

and, you know, just toss it

in one of those gym bags
you got.

You know, I've seen
a lot of things now.

I've been around a lot.

You know, they've offered me
this much money already.

If you guys
can match my offer,

I'm yours, coach.

Get the hell
out of here, Ricky.

Goddamn it,

get the hell
out of here, Ricky.

Get out of here!

Get back in that gym,
get your stuff,

get the hell out of here
and go on home.

Take off
that damn uniform!

You don't deserve
to wear it.

Get out of here!

(chair clatters)

Son of a bitch.

I wanna know nothing.

You know about
your football team?

I know nothing.

Oh, for chrissake, Vic,

come on,
tell me something.

Don't give me--

What the hell does
"I know nothing" mean?

Jesus.

Listen to me.

Maybe if just once...

you get
the ball players,

we just get things
back the way they were,

and we'd never
have to touch it again.

How many times
do I have to tell you?

I don't want any part of this.

(marching band playing
"Dolphin Fight Song")

(sighs)

Coffee?

(grunts)

Just tell me how it works.

You don't wanna know
how it works.

Let's just say
there are friends of the program

who'll take care
of everything.

I hate friends
of the program.

Yeah, but you
hate losing more.

Relax,
we're gonna be on top again.

I got a little
confession to make too.

I screw a hell of a lot
better

when we're winning,
don't you, huh?

(John Lee Hooker's "Money
(That's What I Want)" playing)

♪ The best thing in life
Is free ♪

♪ But you can give it
To the birds and bees ♪

♪ I need some money
Oh... ♪

♪ Need some money
Oh, yeah ♪

♪ That's what I want ♪

♪ (exhales deeply) ♪

♪ Your love give me
Such a thrill ♪

♪ But your lovin'
Don't pay my bills ♪

♪ I need money ♪

♪ Need some money
Oh, yeah ♪

♪ That's what I want ♪

Mr. Bodeaux?

Yeah, what's up, bro?

Congratulations.

You're the owner
of a brand-new Lexus.

I didn't ask for this.

I just deliver them,
I don't know nothing.

This one goes to the right
of the blue couch

in the living room.

This one goes opposite wall
nearest the den,

and please wipe your feet.

Yes, ma'am.

Are you guys
gonna be hungry soon?

Yeah.

Girls, are you hungry?

Yes.

Who wants
to play tennis?

I do.

You Rick Roe?

Yeah.

This is for you.

Thanks.

♪ Money don't get everything
It's true ♪

♪ What it don't buy
I can't use ♪

(telephone ringing)

♪ I need some money
I need money ♪

Yeah.

Mm.

Okay.

It's done.

Right.

♪ I need some money so bad ♪

♪ All of my bills are behind ♪

♪ I need some money right now ♪

♪ I know your lovin's
So good, baby ♪

♪ I need some money ♪

Letters of intent

from Butch McRae
and Ricky Roe

to attend
Western University.

He bought them, Charlie,
I know he bought them.

No way, Ed,
not Pete Bell.

Are you shitting me?

He paid for them, baby.
I can smell it.

(people chattering)

Yeah?

I have a surprise for you.

Mr. Bodeaux?

960.

(clapping and cheering)

All right.

He improved 440 points.

Somebody owes my ass $100.

Way to go, Neon.
Way to go.

Congratulations.

Oh, look at this.
What do I see?

Jenny. Jenny.

Somebody take him down
to Administration

and show him around.

Jenny, I'm gonna--

Hold up, hold up.

You didn't hear what I said.

Somebody here owes my ass $100.

PROFESSOR:
And as the razor-sharp blade
of the sword of Sir Gawain

descends a mighty blow
on the neck of the Green Knight,

through the amazement
of the steed of verdant hue,

and the head
of the Green Knight,

thus lopped off
cleanly...

What the hell
is he talking about?

...is kicked around
like a soccer ball

by Arthur's
noble warriors.

Whereupon the headless
Green Knight

strolls casually among

Arthur's best
and brightest,

reaches down,

picks up his own head

and places it back
upon his shoulders,

where, magically,
it becomes

part of his body
once again.

And there they dallied
and drank

and deemed it
good sport

to enact their play anew
on New Year's Eve.

But Gawain asked again
to go on the morrow,

for the time until his tryst
is not two days.

You see these legs
over here, man?

The host hindered that
and urged him to stay,

Where you going, man?

and said, "On my honor,
my oath, here I take

"that you shall get
to the Green Chapel

"to begin your chores

by dawn
on New Year's Day."

This is a lecture, Mr. Bodeaux,
not a discussion.

May I speak?
It's not your place
to speak.

Well, I'm making it
my place to speak.

I just wanna point out
to this class

that this course
is culturally biased.

(students laugh)

Culturally biased?

What do you mean
by that?

How come we ain't talking
about African folk tales

or something?

Well, this is a course
in English literature.

How come we're not talking
about African literature?

Well, because we're not.

I suppose you did read
the course description

before you took this course.

I gotta take this up
with my coach.

You told me to take this.

That's certainly
your privilege.

Got me in this classroom
listening to this crap.

I'm gonna keep my eye
on you, Mr. Bodeaux.

All right, man.
Thank you. Appreciate it.

Now, let us continue.

ED: That's Butch's mom

in front of their
new house in Chicago.

The house is in her name with a
co-signer, who we can't locate.

The bank officer
who approved the loan

is an alumnus
of Western U.

Friend of the program.
You got it.

Thataway.
Way to go, Butch.

Way to go.

Just go for the front
of the rim, now.

All right, let's use
the crossover, Butch.

Nice form, Butch.

ED:
That's Ricky's dad in front
of his new tractor.

Now, we can't
prove anything

except Mr. Roe
had bad credit.

Too bad to be purchasing
new equipment.

Now, the biggest distributor
of farm machinery

in the state of Indiana

was Happy Kuykendall's
classmate.

All right, Ricky,
use the reverse.

Attaboy.

That's it, get square.

Thataway, Ricky.

That's the Lexus
they tried to give Neon.

He didn't ask for it.

They tried to give it
to him anyway.

(grunts)

Stay low,
don't come up.

Extend that ball.

Protect it
with your body.

Now use your left.

Point the lead foot,
unlock the left hip.

All right,
now take it in strong.

(grunts loudly)

These violations are flagrant,

but the paper trail
on this stuff

is well covered up.

We could never prove anything
against the football team.

Hey, Charlie,

we gotta keep digging.

It's all right here.

We're gonna get this guy.

We're gonna get
the great Pete Bell.

I know,
it's unbelievable.

Right this way.

Mrs. Bell,
good to see you.

How are you doing?
Good to see you.

Okay. All right.

Looks like you're
back in business, coach.

With you?

Don't get
carried away.

Hi, coach.
Hi, Mrs. Bell.

Hi.
Hi.

So, what did you do,

sell them on your recent
losing tradition

so they know
they'll start?

Well, there's
an advantage

to having
a losing season.

Enjoy
your dinner.

Thank you.

Well...

I just wanted to say
congratulations.

Thanks.

Getting the players you wanted
without selling out.

You know, the rules,
they don't make much sense,

they're hypocritical.

There's a lot of people
on the take,

and I can't blame them.

Why are you getting defensive?

No, I'm not defensive.

Coach, may I have
your autograph?

Sure, you may.
What's your name?

André.

André. Okay.

Saying you're not defensive
is defensive.

Well, saying
that I am defensive

means I am defensive.

So if I say
that I'm not defensive,

then I am defensive,
and if I say--

Thank you.

You know,
I'm screwed either way.

Wait a minute,
look me straight in the eye.

What?

Did you cheat?

No, I did not cheat.

Swear to God.

You were getting so nervous
about it.

WOMAN: Excuse me.
Yes.

I hate to interrupt.

Do you think my son

could have
your autograph?

Sure, sure.
What's your name?

BOY: Mark.
Mark?

Okay,

you a basketball player,
Mark?

Yeah.

Oh, good.

Just a couple of divorcées
out on a date, right?

There you go.

Thank you.
You're welcome.

WOMAN:
Thank you.

Yes, we got a lot to celebrate.

I got a new basketball team.

And we're not screaming
at each other.

Not yet, anyway.

You know, Jenny,
I'm crazy about you.

I always have been,
ever since we first met.

Did you know that?

Mm-hmm.

Okay, I just
wanted you to know.

Okay.

BELL:
Come on, come on.

Slide, slide.
Move your feet, move your feet.

Let's go. Let's go, let's go.
Come on.

Stay low, stay low, stay.

Move your feet,
come on, come on.

Move your feet, move your feet.

Move your feet, slide, slide,
slide, slide, slide.

Right, left, left, forward.

Come on, boys, come on.

Come on.

Back, back, back.

Forward, forward, forward.

Let's go.

All right, let's go.

Two lines.

Let's go.

Get that ball.

Get that ball. Get the ball.

Here we go. Get that ball.

All right, now, spin baseline.

There it is, there it is,
there it is.

All right, try it the other way.

Now spin to the middle.

That's it.

That's it, Neon. That's it.

If you feel his body
going on this side of you,

spin that way.

If you feel this side...
Feel him. Feel him.

Think, think, think.

It's a thinking man's game.

All right, hold, hold, Butch.

Butch, wait a minute.

You gotta take that screener,
you gotta make that fake.

You gotta bring the screener...

You gotta bring that man
down here

so the screen can be set on him.

I mean,
you gotta take Mitchell...

Turn around, Mitch.

Take him this way
so that this screen

can come around
and be set on him.

Look, Butch,
I'll tell you something.

You can even
take a shot fake here.

You can take a shot fake.

If you get the man going up,
you can go in this side here.

You can roll this way
and come this way.

But you gotta make a fake
before you move.

Fake there.

There it is.

There it is, there it is.

There it is.

See what that does?

That takes that man down.

Now that pick can get set.

I thought that's
what I was doing.

No, no, no.
You took the ball,

and you just took off
around that way.

Play this two-man game.

Son, play
the two-man game.

For chrissake,
between you and Neon,

it's gonna be a great
two-man game, okay?

All right, let's do it.

Hit the board.

Go, go, go.

Hit the board.
Give it up.

Give the ball up,
big man.

There you go.

Come on, Kevin.
Get that right.

Hold it, hold it.

Butch, get that shirt off,
get a yellow on.

Phil, take Butch's place.

You're not going back on blue
until you get it right.

Come on, let's go.

That may be
the whole goddamn season.

(players chattering)

Coach.

Yeah.

I need
to talk to you.

Okay. All right.

Hey, Freddie,
can you go run Dennis?

Come on in, Butch.

What is it,
Butch?

Coach, I need
to talk to you.

Sure, sure.
Go ahead.

Coach, I'm homesick.

You're homesick?

Homesick, huh?

Well, let me tell you
something, Butch,

every year,

a couple of guys
come in here

and tell me
they're homesick.

Now, everything
is gonna be fine

once this season starts.
You'll see.

No, coach.
I don't belong here.

I mean, I've never ran
the motion offense.

That's not my style. I need
to be in a one-four offense,

where I can handle the ball
and dish to other people.

I mean, that's my style.

Butch, let me
tell you something.

You know, I don't know
if it's the right way,

but goddamn it, it's my way.

Coach, I don't belong here.

I guess what
I'm really trying to say is,

if I left school,

would my mom lose her house
and job?

Butch, you know,

I don't know anything
about that.

Coach, I think you're
gonna have to know

something about this.

Coach, this is my mom,
this is a life situation.

I don't know, you know,
but if your mother...

If you made some arrangements
that I don't know about,

then I just think

you're gonna have to live up
to those responsibilities,

that's all.

What responsibilities
are you talking about?

I'm talking
about my mom.

Well, I don't know.

You're the one
that's brought them up,

so you're really talking
to the wrong guy, Butch.

No, I'm talking
to the right guy,

and I'm not leaving here
until you tell me an answer.

Well, I told you, Butch,

I really don't have
any answers for you.

I don't know
anything about it.

You have to have some answers.

Look, Butch, I don't know

what kind of arrangements
you've made, so--

Is there someone you can call
to see if I left school,

my mom would keep
her house and job?

HAPPY: Hey, coach,
how you doing?

Huh?

Butch?

Arrangement?

Arrangement, my ass.

If that son of a bitch
is unhappy,

it's your job
to make him happy, huh?

Listen, you can sell ice
to the Eskimos.

You can sell this spoiled brat
on how happy he really is.

I don't even wanna have
this conversation.

Butch's mother
has got a new job

and a new house
with a lawn.

That is happy enough,
you got it?

(click)

(clears throat)

Better be at practice on Monday.

(door slams)

WOMAN:
Ladies and gentlemen,
your coach, my coach,

our coach, Petey Bell.

(applause)

(Jed Leiber's "Dolphin Tank
TV Theme" playing)

Hey.

Oh, Mel. How are you?

Good, good. How you doing?

Good, look,

Pete left these tapes
at the house.

Could you give them to him
for me?

Sure.
Okay, great.

Listen, we're going over
to the Belgrade after the show

to have some drinks,
eat some hot wings.

Would you join us?

Oh, um...

Come on,
it'll be fun.

Okay.

MEL: Okay, good.
JENNY: Sure.

Jenny.

You know, I gotta say,
every time I see you,

you look younger,
you know that?

Coach, how you doing,
huh?

Good.

Come on, man.

Hey, coach,
what's up, man?

He'll be a hell
of a player.

JENNY:
What's Happy
doing here?

He's a friend of the program.

Happy is a friend
of the program?

Come on, Jenny.

I mean, you know how things are.

Mel, I don't think
I'll have that drink.

I don't give a damn who does it,

somebody
called me on it.

Talk to Neon and Butch.

What the hell
are you doing here?

HAPPY: Hey.
That was a--
What the hell
are you doing here?

ROE: What did I do
wrong, coach?

What are you
doing here?

Don't you think we ought
to talk about this in private?

Yeah, I better
get out of here.

Oh, there you go.

What is this?

What?
What is this?

Did you
give him a car?

Did he give you a car?

Loaner.
Just a loaner, coach.

I'll give it back.

He's gonna give it back,
relax.

Get the hell
out of here, Ricky.

You get home,
I'll call you later.

You son of a bitch,

I do not want you
around my kids.

Oh, your kids?

You sound like Jerry Lewis,
for crying out--

Get your finger
out of my face.

I did not authorize a car
for Ricky.

But you did authorize

the friends
of the program

to do what
had to be done.

Listen, I wanna
tell you something

right now.

Ricky is a farm kid.

He's gonna
take that car,

he's gonna blab
all over town.

Tell him to shut up.

You're the coach.

Listen, you gotta
understand something.

The friends
of the program

are my friends,

and they are
friends for life.

What they've done
is untraceable.

What I've done
is unprovable.

There will be
no smoking gun,

because I am
the smoking gun.

Now, relax.

It's all working.

Happy, you're a scumbag,
you know that?

I didn't break any laws.

You did.

You broke
the collegiate athletic laws.

It's your career
that's on the line, not mine.

My career is in my own hands.

I own you.

I just open my mouth,
rumors start to fly,

about you, for instance.

I've lived through accusations.

I walked away from them.

The alleged
point-shaving incident?

Think again,
that thing happened.

Get out of here.

(Happy chuckles)

Tell me about it.

Why don't you try this one.

January 16th, three years ago,

I bought one of your boys,
coach.

No kid of mine
would ever fix a game.

Why don't you just
go to the videotape, coach.

I own you, Pete.

You're mine.

Damn it.

What's going on, Pete?

Happy said somebody
shaved some points

three years ago.

Happy's full
of shit, coach.

FREDDIE:
I remember this game.

I remember
seeing this on TV

when I was coaching
Oklahoma.

You guys won this
by eight.
BELL: Yeah.

Yeah. There's Tony.
Oh, yeah, sweet J.

That was his spot,
wasn't it?
Goddamn.

Bang them
from right there.

Oh, nice.

Bam, look at that.

What was
the spread?

What?
Point spread?

What was
the point spread?

Point spread?

We won the game.

Matter of fact,
we were up by a lot,

they came back on us.

It was
a pretty good year,

we were 16 and...

Sixteen and 12.
Twelve?

Yeah, went to NIT

and lost
the first round.
Yeah.

Should've won 20
that year.

No, this was
a rebuilding year, man.

All these guys
were freshmen,

they were kids.

How many
did he hit?

Twenty-two,
23.

Twenty-five points
that night.

Yeah.

He was all over
the place.

Yeah, he was hot.

BELL:
Guy just blew
right by him.

Standing there with
his thumb up his ass.

He pulled a hamstring
at practice that week.

Shouldn't
have been playing.

Uh-huh.
He was tough, though.

What was he doing

playing
with a hamstring?

Tough-ass kid
from Chicago.

BELL:
Now, who the hell did he--?
See, there's nobody there.

MEL:
Come on, man, we averaged 17
turnovers as a team that year.

Everybody was
throwing the ball away.

Hell, he averaged

20 points a game
that year, man.

Shit, he was
all-conference as a freshman.

FREDDIE:
Yeah, on offense.

Run a clean program
here, man.

We worked hard

to keep this program
clean.

I guarantee

you didn't cover
the spread that night.

There must have been
heavy action in Vegas.

Somebody got rich.

That's the worst case
of ballhandling I've seen

in the two years
I've been here.

MEL:
Look, he was a
freshman, Freddie.

He was making
freshman mistakes.

He had a bad leg too,
don't forget.

All night.
All night.

Mistakes all night.

FREDDIE:
Look at coach
on his ass.

MEL:
Coach is still
on his ass

four years later.

No way. No way.

(scoffs)

FREDDIE:
Looking at the clock again.

That's a good kid, man.

FREDDIE:
Now, what kind
of shot's that?

What kind of shot?

FREDDIE: There's
another bad pass.

Shut up, Freddie.

All right?
Tony was my guy.

All right?

My guy.

Tony.

(Jimi Hendrix's "All Along
the Watchtower" playing)

Tony.

Tony, open the door.

It's me.

Tony!

Coach, what's up?

You've gotta tell me the truth.
Now, you tell me the truth.

What's up
with you, man?

Did you or did you not
shave points?

Coach, man, it's me, Tony.
I didn't do something like that.

Cut the bullshit.
Did you take money?

Did you shave points?

No, I didn't.
I swear to God, no.

Son of a bitch.

Come on, coach.
I would not--

You tell me the truth!

What's wrong with you, man?
You tell me the truth!

Just once!
Man, just one.

I mean, we won
the damn game, right?

We just didn't cover
the goddamn spread.

I mean, who cares
about the spread?

That's just
for the damn gamblers, ain't it?

Coach, man, I'm sorry.

♪ No reason to get excited ♪

♪ The thief
He kindly spoke ♪

I'm sorry, coach.

♪ Who feel that life
Is but a joke ♪

Son, haven't I always
been there for you?

Whether your girlfriend
got pregnant

or you're flunking TV

or whatever the hell
it is.

Are you
a better basketball player

because of me?

Are you a better man?

Yes.

Yes.

You lied to me, Tony.

Son, you took
the purest thing in your life,

and you corrupted it.

And for what?

For what?

(sniffles)

(doorbell chimes)

(rattles doorknob)

(doorbell chimes)

Jenny.

(chain slides)

Jenny, I gotta talk.

It's 1:00 in the morning.

Well, come on,
it's me.

That's another reason.

Why? What's wrong?

You looked me
straight in the eye,

and you lied to me...

without a hesitation.

And I believed you.

God, Jenny.

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

So I don't trust myself
around you anymore,

because I thought I knew you
and I don't,

so you can't come in.

Jenny, wait.

Don't.

No, wait.
Listen to me.

Three years ago...

Three years ago,
Happy bought Tony.

The alleged incident
is true.

Happy owns Tony.

He owns me.

I coached a fixed game.

No, you didn't.

No, I coached
a fixed game.

I talked to Tony,
for chrissake.

Tony admitted it to me.

Can we just have a drink?
No.

I know you're feeling abandoned,

but I can't help you
with anything anymore.

Lock the door before you leave.

(door slams)

(ominous theme playing)

(door opens)

All right, boys.

We got a job to do.

We got a job.

Now, goddamn it,
we're not going out there

to make a good show
or just put up a good fight.

We're going out there

to beat the best goddamn team
in the country right now.

Now, let me
tell you something, boys.

You may not know this,
but I know it.

I've been there before.

There is the talent in this room
to do just that.

To beat Indiana.

All right.

Butch, the ball is yours.

And our first option

is to get the ball
in to Neon.

And, Neon, goddamn it,

you take it to the basket
and you take it hard.

Now, they're gonna make
an adjustment,

and when they adjust

and double down
and triple down on Neon,

we're gonna move the ball
out to Ricky.

And, Ricky,
you can put it up

from where you're at
all night long.

The basket is the same height

as it was at your father's barn
in Indiana.

Boys,

Indiana is over there
in the other locker room

wondering what the hell
we're gonna do.

Well, I'll send a note over
to Bobby Knight,

and I'll tell him
exactly what we're gonna do.

I'll give him our offense,
I'll give him our defense.

Because it's not what you do,
goddamn it,

it's how you do it.

Now, we're gonna go nose-to-nose
with them,

and we're gonna
beat them

at both ends
of the court.

And you're gonna play better
than you ever dreamed of

because, goddamn it,
that's what I demand of you.

All right, let's go.

(all shouting)

(marching band playing
"Dolphin Fight Song")

(crowd cheering)

Fight!

Hi, everybody, I'm Dick Vitale.

Tonight is the night
we've been waiting for.

Basketball fever.

Unbelievable, baby.

Kicking off the new season.

Western University,

coached by Pete Bell,

two national championships,

coming off a subpar year,

against the number-one team
in the nation,

the Indiana Hoosiers.

Yes, Pete Bell
wants to start winning.

What did he do?

He recruited the best
freshman class in America.

Three dynamic diaper dandies,
headed by Neon Bodeaux,

the 7-footer,
scintillating and sensational,

from Louisiana.

And then he went and got--

You ready for this?

That's right, Butch McRae,

a 6'7", silky-smooth guard.

And then he went
and he got Ricky Roe,

from French Lick, Indiana,
a 6'8" forward.

Yes, they are ready
to take on the Hoosiers,

with Calbert Cheaney
and Bob Hurley.

It's gonna be awesome, baby,

with a capital A.

I'm so excited.

I can't wait.

We got an unbelievable matchup.

Heavyweights.

Pete Bell against Bobby Knight,
the General.

This place will be
rocking 'n' rolling.

The Hoosiers are number one
in the nation.

Western University,

quite a turnaround this season
from last year.

Pete Bell's excited,
Bobby Knight's excited.

Hey, baby, this place
is gonna rock 'n' roll.

It's gonna be awesome, baby,
with a capital A.

Let's go, baby.
Heads up, now.

Let's go.

Thattaboy.

Thattaboy!

BELL: Hit the boards,
hit the boards.

Rick.

Come on, Kevin,
you gotta get on him.

BELL:
Pick up the ball.

Move out of there,
Kevin.

Screen. Screen.

(Bell groans)

(crowd roars)

Nice pass, Butch.

All right. Way to move, guys.

Beat those cutters.

Move, Joe,
don't stand.

Rebound! Rebound!

All right, all right.

Let's get some movement going.

Like if the guard--

Say, Bob dribbles the ball off,

step up, reverse it,
step out and go.

And then just get
some back-picking going.

Put them in some situations
where they gotta switch.

We've gotta be alert
for the back pick.

They're back-picking us
like crazy.

So when they come up
and set that back pick,

make sure
that back man steps up.

Now, listen.

On offense,
let's force them to switch.

You force them to switch.

And let's set some screens,
goddamn it.

We haven't been doing that
all night.

BELL: Get out
on the ball, Ricky.

Close out quicker.

KNIGHT:
Play some defense, Greg.

Run the motion, let's go.

Aw, come on!

KNIGHT:
Goddamn it.

BELL:
Kevin, get out on the ball.

Beat the cutter,
Butch.

(grunting)

Attaboy.

That's nice,
Butch.

KNIGHT:
Oh, no.

(whistle blows)

And one, baby.

(crowd roars)

Way to go, Butch.
Way to go, Butch.

BELL:
Weak side,
rotate, rotate.

(crowd boos)

Blow your goddamn whistle.

(whistle blows)

He got that ball on the way up.

What the hell call is that,
for chrissake?

Oh, shit.

I got ball.
No help, no help.

I'm here, I'm here.
I'm on you, I'm on you.

What you got now?

Get one shot, now.

Come on,
catch the ball.

Oh, man.

Outlet! Outlet!

Give it back, Phil.

(crowd roars)

Yeah!

Whole new look, baby.
Whole new look.

Get that stuff
out of here.

(grunts)

Let's go, set up the lanes.

Let's go.

Set it up, Butch.

Let's go.
Let's go.

Look inside.

Patience, baby.
Little patience.

Take it up strong,
Neon.

(cheering)

(buzzer sounds)

Bobby starts across with it.

Keith, you're over here.

Scottie, you step out.

Calbert starts across,
back cut, lob, dunk shot.

Good dish.

All right, Ricky,
I want you to fake out,

go along the baseline
and curl around that screen.

Walker,
you bring it back to Phil.

Phil, dribble it on down,
hand it off to Ricky.

Ricky, you come out
to the foul line.

You should have a shot
right here.

Hands, hands,
hands, hands.

Right through.

Right there, Phil,
hand it off.

Let it fly.

ANNOUNCER:
Basket by number 42, Ricky Roe.

Move the ball on the perimeter
and screen.

Come on.

Little defense.

He's got the ball now.

Gotta help him,
gotta help him.

Nice, nice, nice.

Fast break.

Rebound.

Go, go, go!

If you haven't got the ball,
roll, for chrissake.

Let's just don't play
this throw-it-up game.

When you guys are on top,
you guards, make a move inside.

Don't stand there looking
for somebody, get it moving.

(shouts)

(grunts)

Stop the ball!
Stop the ball!

(grunts)

If he's over his back,
that's a foul.

What?

I can't see it
from the tram.

Huh?
I can't--

That's bullshit!

Well, you can
sure as hell

see the guy over him.

Then move your fat ass
down where you can see.

Stop the ball.

ANNOUNCER:
Basket by number 50,
Eric Riley.

He's going all night
like that

if you don't
stop the ball.

Good hands.
Good hands, Phil.

(shouts)

All right.

Stop ball! Stop ball!

Go, I got it. I got it.

Get out the way.

By yourself.

Yeah!

(crowd cheers)

All right,
listen...

(whistle blows)

(timeout buzzer sounds)

Watch the clock,
and we get down

into the last
ten or 12 seconds,

we can take the shot.

But let's make them work
to play defense now.

No quick shots

unless it's
off the break,

period.

Jump, jump, jump.

Pump fake.

(coaches shouting)

Come on,
cut him off.

Rebound.

ANNOUNCER:
Basket by number 34,
Dan Godfried.

Here we go.

ROE:
That leaves us with, I think,

a little business
that we need to discuss.

You know, this is
what I'm looking for,

30 grand.

I'd like to have it in cash.

HAPPY: Why don't you just
go to the videotape, coach.

I own you.

JENNY: You looked me
straight in the eye,

and you lied to me.

And I believed you.

(whistle blows)

(crowd cheers)

Call a timeout.

Butch, dribble on over here.

Mitch, come back,
get the pass back from Butch.

Give it right back to him
and go down to the low post.

Neon, as soon
as you see Butch going over,

you flash out to the foul line.

Mitch, I want you to come
right up on Neon's man.

I mean, screen him.
Pin him hard. Pin him.

Neon, you reverse,
go to the weak side,

go up for the lob.

We've got 12 seconds.

Butch, when you
get it in to Neon,

you get it in high.

PLAYER:
Finish it, big man.

(players shouting)

This is the number-one team
in the nation.

We can beat their ass tonight.

We're in this game.
Let's go. All right.

ALL: One, two, three, Western!

(crowd roars)

BELL: All right.

Let's go.

Come on.
Right now, right now.

MAN:
Here we go.
Here we go. Here we go.

(buzzer sounds)

No foul. No foul.
No foul.

BELL:
Push the ball.
Push the ball.

Now, Mitch, now.
Pin him, pin him.

Yes!

(crowd cheers wildly)

(all shouting)

Yeah, baby.

(marching band playing
"Dolphin Fight Song")

Good game, coach.

Yeah!

Whoo!

Way to go, Western!

(all cheering and shouting)

We did it, boy!

(camera shutters clicking)

Quiet down!

Everybody down.

Quiet down.

Good job, though.

Hold it up.

Yo, Neon.
Chill, baby.

Way to board, man.
Chill, y'all.

Yo, chill.

JACK:
Way to go, boys.
Thataway to go.

Way to go, coach.
Great game.

(players quiet)

(sighs softly)

Boys...

the rules don't make much sense.

But I believe in rules.

Now, some of us broke them.

I broke them.

I can't do this.

I can't win like this.

So tomorrow,

I'll talk to you all
individually

about your
futures here.

I love you all very much.

A hell of a game you played.

(chattering)

Coach?

Coach?

How did you like my spin move?

You did real good, Neon.

Real good.

Thanks, man.

See you later.

(solemn theme playing)

(applause)

Whoo-whoo! W.U.!

Whoo-whoo! W.U.!

Whoo-whoo! W.U.!

Whoo-whoo! W.U.!

Whoo-whoo! W.U.!

Whoo-whoo! W.U.!

Whoo-whoo! W.U.!

Whoo-whoo! W.U.!

(applause subsides)

HAPPY:
Number one, Pete!

You know,
I'll tell you something.

You know, 900 million Chinamen
couldn't give a damn.

They couldn't care less.

Not about this
press conference.

But I love basketball.

I'm a Dolphin
and I just love it.

You know, sometimes

the world doesn't make
a whole lot of sense

to me.

Except on the basketball court.

And that's
good enough for me.

Coach?

Yeah, Ed.

I gotta ask this question,
or I wouldn't be doing my job.

Would you care to comment
on the rumor

that you arranged

for an automobile
to be purchased

for Neon Bodeaux?

You know--

(sighs)

You know, Ed,

you've just gotta get your mind
out of the gutter.

You know, you just gotta start
thinking straight.

I mean, it's right there
in front of you.

For chrissake,
it wasn't an automobile.

I mean,
it was a fully loaded Lexus.

(reporters chuckle)

(scattered applause)

The damn car had everything.

It had everything,
didn't it, Happy?

I mean, that car
was fully loaded,

wasn't it?

No, no, coach.

It was a nuclear surfboard,
remember?

(all laughing,
scattered applause)

And the damn thing of it is, Ed,

is, you know, Neon,
he didn't want it.

He didn't want the car.

He didn't want a--

He didn't ask
for anything, but--

You know,
he wasn't for sale.

But we got it
for him anyway.

I mean, and I think,
personally,

that it would've been
a hell of a deal,

a good price.

I mean...

I mean,
what did Neon do tonight?

Does anybody know?

How many boards
did Neon have tonight?

MAN: Thirteen.

Thirteen?
Thirteen boards?

Well, there you are.

It would've been
a hell of a deal.

Can you imagine?

Can you imagine
what Neon would've done

if we had tried to give him
a Ferrari?

(scattered laughter)

I mean, for chrissake,

he might've scored
40 or 50 points.

I mean, who knows.

Who knows what
he would've done

for a Ferrari.

Now, you know,

Neon, he didn't
take anything.

He didn't want anything.

But some of the others did,
didn't they, Happy?

Wasn't there
some of the other kids?

What did we give them?

What, cars?

Tractors?

Gave a kid a tractor?

Another kid we gave a house.

Didn't we give him a house?

You know, bags of cash.

I don't know what
we gave these kids.

You know,
they asked for things,

we gave it to them.

I mean,
you guys asked me to win,

and I gave that to you.

Right?

And the alumni
are all jerking off

over this win,

which is the only time
the alumni ever jerk off, right,

is when we win.

Because this ain't
about education!

It ain't much
about winning,

and it sure as hell

ain't much
about basketball!

It's about money!

Just goddamn money!

That's what it's about, Ed.

And I bought into it.

I bought into it bigtime.

I'm a big part of the problem.

(camera shutters clicking,
reporters clamoring)

HAPPY: Stick a fork
in this creep,

because he's done!

He's dead meat!
You're finished!

You will never coach
in America again,

you got that?

Why don't you try Bulgaria.

Hear they're looking
for wimps like you!

Whiners!

Give it a rest.

No, goddamn it!

Get your hands off me!

I can walk!

Loser!

You lost three years in a row!

Gave you everything you wanted!

There goes Happy,
heading for the cash machine.

Oh, yeah...
Let go of me!

...he's gonna get himself
a middle linebacker.

That guy's got the best players
money can buy!

The best players
money can buy!

(camera shutters clicking)

You know, I'll tell you
something else.

You know, someplace--

Someplace in America right now,
there's some 10-year-old kid.

He's out there
on that playground.

And he's playing.

He's dribbling
between his legs.

He's going left,
he's going right.

He's already above the rim,
he's stuffing it home.

You know what's gonna happen
to this kid?

Five minutes from now,

he's gonna be surrounded
by agents

and corporate sponsors
and coaches.

I mean,
people like me

just drooling
over this kid

because he holds
our future employment

in his hands.

I mean, that's what
we've made this game.

That's what we've done.

You know, the best coaching job
I ever did,

that wasn't tonight.

It was last season.

You know,
when we were 14 and 15.

We had a losing season.

But goddamn it, those kids,
they gave me their heart!

They gave me
everything they had!

They played up
to the maximum of their ability!

They gave it everything!

And, you know,
it wasn't good enough.

Wasn't good enough for me.

Wasn't good enough for you.

Wasn't good enough for anybody!

That's pathetic.

I mean, it's really pathetic.

I've become what I despise.

Yeah.

I cheated my profession.

Cheated myself.

I cheated basketball.

There's two words I didn't think
could ever come out of my mouth.

I didn't think
I'd ever be able to say them.

I quit.

(reporters clamoring)

Oh, my God.

(clamoring continues)

(cheering)

(marching band playing
"Dolphin Fight Song")

MAN:
To our coach!

WOMAN: Great game,
Coach Bell!

(solemn theme playing)

BOY 1:
Come on, pass the ball.

Come on.

Cover him.

Pass it. I'm open.

BOY 2:
That's how you do it.

BOY 1:
Come on, right here.

Go in, go in.
You got it. You got it.

Take the shot.
Watch this.

Yes!

Yeah!

Come on.

Stop him.

(rim rattles)

What are you doing?

(upbeat blues theme playing)

Pass it.

Son, throw me the ball.
Throw me the ball.

Come here. Come here a second.

Give me the ball.
Give me the ball.

Son, look.

Come here, listen.

You're too good
a basketball player

to shoot
that two-handed jump shot.

You know, has anybody told you

how the mechanics
of a jump shot go?

No. Not really.

All right, let me
tell you something.

You know, when you go up
for your jump shot,

get your shooting hand
behind the ball.

Get that behind the ball.

Get your other hand
right along the side of it,

right?

And when you go up--

And then release the ball
and follow through.

Drop that arm down.

Now, look, get your legs
into the shot.

That's a way.
That's it. That's it.

All right, now, son,
let me see you.

Let me see you fake left,
go right,

out to the top of the key
and take a shot.

Okay.
That's it.

(John Mellencamp's "Baby,
Please Don't Go" playing)

That's a boy.

Let's play a little game.
Come on, guys.

Take it out. Let's go.

Come on, let's go.

All right, get loose.
Let's go.

All right, move the ball.
Move the ball.

Move without the ball.

♪ Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ Baby, please don't go
Back to New Orleans ♪

♪ You know I love you so
Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ Baby, man done gone
Man done gone ♪

♪ Baby, your man done gone
Man done gone ♪

♪ Baby, man's done gone
To the county home ♪

♪ With the shackles on
Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ Hey ♪

♪ Turn your lamp down low
Lamp down low ♪

♪ Turn your lamp down low
Lamp down low ♪

♪ Turn your lamp down low
Dig you all night long ♪

♪ With your shackles on
Baby, please don't go ♪

(kick echoes)

(inaudible)

♪ Don't you call my name ♪

♪ Don't you call my name ♪

♪ Don't call my name
Baby, way down here ♪

♪ I'm a ball and chain
Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ You disrespect me
Hey ♪

♪ Hey ♪

♪ Hey ♪

♪ I wanna be your dog ♪

♪ I wanna be your dog ♪

♪ I wanna be your dog
Get you way down here ♪

♪ Where you walk the log
Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ You got me way down here ♪

♪ You got me way down here ♪

♪ You got me way down here
Where the rain don't fall ♪

♪ Treat me like a dog
Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ Please don't go ♪

♪ Oh, baby, please don't go ♪

♪ Please don't go ♪

♪ Baby, please don't go
Down to New Orleans ♪

♪ You know I love you so
Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ Hey ♪

♪ Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ Please don't go ♪

♪ Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ Please don't go ♪

♪ Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ Please don't go ♪

♪ Baby, please don't go
Down to New Orleans ♪

♪ You know I love you so
Baby, please don't go ♪

♪ Hey, hey ♪

♪ Hey ♪

(marching band playing
"Dolphin Fight Song")