Swagger (2021–…): Season 1, Episode 7 - #RADICALS - full transcript

You good. Aight.

Yo, your pops rented us the bus
and everything?

I don't know.
Maybe he made a donation or something.

- Morning, Meg.
- Morning.

Okay, Mom. See you later.

Be safe. Love you.

I love you too.

You forgetting somethin'?

Oops.

Have a good game.

Good morning, Coach.



- Got them rapid test results?
- Yeah.

Hop on.

All right.

Hello, sir. I'm Jace.

Good morning, young man. I'm Mr. Wright.

Right as in not wrong,
or right as in not left?

Wright as in W-R-I-G-H-T.

Got it, sir.

What's up, Jace? How you feelin'?

Excited to hoop again. Tired.

All right. We got a long drive. Rest up.

Okay.

- Hey, Coach.
- Hey, Nick.

We're at capacity
as far as social distancing.



Jump in with Meg.
It's probably more comfortable anyway.

All right. No problem.

We are what America looks like!

- What you got, man?
- Shit.

Line 25

I play so much 2K
I'm ready to hoop again

Dish the rock off to Drew
He ready to shoot again

His headband been retired for too long

He been in Zoom with his camera off
Getting answers wrong

All right, listen.

Hope you boys ready to play, yo
Jace, bro

'Bout to smash this other team
Like Play-Doh

Hope he gets to dunk the rock
From the free throw line

Hey, even lay it up
I know it's been some time

Yeah, it's been some time

We used to be the Grind
Now we still on the grind

- Okay.
- Hey, got Swagger on my mind

Got 20/20 vision
So we can never be blind

And you know I never lack, yeah

Hey, when I'm back
And I'm runnin' up, attack, y'all

Hop up on the beat
I can never be wack, y'all

Back where I'm from
They call me ninth-grade shot

And I get it right back...

What are you talking about?

Man, I was so excited
to start high school.

Now everything's online.
How am I supposed to meet girls?

My school's in person.

But we gotta wear masks
and social distance,

so I don't think that's the best thing
for a brother's love life.

What about you, Nick?

Basketball's my girlfriend.

Bro, you realize how creepy that sounds?

Hey, even though
we're going up against your old squad,

I want you to treat this
like any other game.

I will.

Hey, they're gonna livestream this, right?

- Right.
- You know my fam in PR is gonna watch?

Gladiator is gonna use this
as one big commercial

for them and the Dominion Ballers.

So how about we burst their bubble?

Wait, but you just said
to treat it like any other game.

Yeah. That too.

Hey, yo, bro...

You gotta relax.

You need some hand sanitizer.

Relax, man.

Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo! Keep it down.

You know, months ago
you yelled at them like a coach.

Now you sound like a dad.

That reminds me.
I ain't show you how big she gettin'.

Look at the baby.

Yeah.

She don't look much bigger
than the pictures you sent me yesterday.

Hey, how you doin'?

Fine. You there yet?

Not even close.

I gotta tell you something.

What's up?

Know my teammate Michelle?

Yeah.

She and some lady
who played for Coach back in the day

are testifying against him.

They're gonna tell all the things
he did to them.

I thought I'd be good with that,
but… I'm not.

What are you saying?

I need to testify too.

You said
you never want to talk about it again.

And I don't. But… I have to.

- I'm gonna tell my mom.
- When?

Today. After church.

That's good.

It's the right thing to do.

Think so?

Yeah.

What if I testify…

and they ask me what I know
about the attack?

I mean, do you know anything about it?

'Cause I don't.

Nah, I don't.

All right. Ball out.

Always.

Get off the bus.

- Yo, I'll be right in.
- Okay.

- Here's a whole… group.
- Hey, what you doing up so early?

It's like 6:15 out in Cali.

Yeah, I know. I know.
It just feels like I should be there.

You should.

Well, Grandma needs us.

Yeah. If I didn't have to work,
I'd be there too.

Your mom's telling me you don't wanna talk
to that therapist she found.

Look, just 'cause I'm nervous about
the whole pandemic doesn't mean I'm crazy.

No. No. No, son.
Getting therapy doesn't mean you're crazy.

We're just concerned.

Feels like you're troubled, and it doesn't
feel like you know how to talk about it.

I'm not.

I'm not, all right? I promise.

You know, I'm...

I'm just gonna go back to sleep now.
All right?

Okay. Aight. You gonna watch later?

Yeah, of course.

- All right. I love you.
- I love you.

- Hey, make sure you say your prayers.
- All right.

All right.

Can I get the whole group
on one bill, please?

- Yeah. Okay.
- Huh?

Oh, yeah. It's me, Jace Carson.

Sorry, miss,
I really can't take no selfies right now.

Take one with you and before you know it,
it's a huge crowd.

Okay.

I guess we can get one.

You know, my parents
still don't know how good we are.

They watching online?

Well, said they would.

Either way, I'm gonna handle mine.

Man, after today,
everyone's gonna know how good we hoop.

You know that because…

Premonition.

Think your old teammates
are gonna try to end you?

Probably. I know they added some bigs.

You're not nervous?

Not as nervous as they should be.

Man, I'm nervous.
All those people watching.

Hey. If you don't want to screw up,

then just stop worrying about screwing up.

- All right?
- All right.

Can I help you?

Can I get three orders
of hash browns, please?

Trips I took with my team
were some of the best days of my life.

I hope they don't take it all for granted.

You mean like we all did back in the day?

Nah.

With everything that's going down,
they probably get it more than we did.

Big man.

What's the matter?
This place not good enough for you?

Four-star only, Coach.

You know, McDonald's, Burger King.

Nah, but I'm still full
from that breakfast

that you and Miss Tonya made this morning.

She and I have been talking

about switching our couch with a pullout.

Be more comfortable for you.

That's not necessary, Coach.

I'm sure once my mom gets out of jail

that my living situation should go
back to normal.

Oh, you think we doing that
thinking about you?

No, no, no.

See, I don't want
your big ass messin' up our furniture.

Yeah, okay, Coach.

- I'm serious.
- Aight, okay.

I'm just...

Listen, I'm trying to understand
something. Like…

- We have no masks for basketball.
- Right.

- We have no masks for eating.
- Uh-huh.

Does any of that make sense to you?

No, none of it. None of it's making sense.

I got a newborn at the house.
Tonya already told me I can't come home.

She been burning my clothes.

Straight khaki,
just iron them in the morning.

They good as hell. They good as hell.

Yeah, all those players.

Dang, the syrup's stuck to my knife.

I know you gonna shoot the lights out.

Just sayin', bro. You're crazy.

Is something wrong, officers?

We got called about a disturbance.

We're not disturbing anybody.
We're just eating our food.

And some of the patrons complained.

Are you here for that protest?

We're just a basketball team
on the way to our game.

It'd be a good idea
if you all got yourselves goin'.

- Excuse me, Officer?
- Meg.

No, I want to know
if he's asking us to leave or telling us.

- Just so we're clear.
- I'm telling you.

It'd be a good idea
if y'all just cleared out.

It's a free country.
I ain't goin' nowhere till I eat my food.

Facts.

And one!

- Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down.
- Wait, wait, wait.

All right? Just please calm down.
There's no problem here.

Excuse me, deputies,
these boys aren't hurting anyone.

Please step back, ma'am. Appreciate it.

Everybody, hands on the table
and stand up now.

- For what?
- This is bullshit!

Hey! Shut the hell up.

There's no problem. We're complying.

Slowly, I need to see
your hands on the table.

It's gonna be all right.
Just stand up. Come on.

Anybody have any outstanding warrants?

No, I don't have any damn warrants.

No.

No warrants.

We're gonna need to see your IDs.

Okay.
I gotta reach in my pocket to get it.

Can I get a warrant check
on an Isaac Kennedy Edwards

and Naim Malik Rahaim?

Roger that. Standby.

What kind of work do you do?

I work at...
I work at Independence Tool and Repair.

And you?

Contractor.

That is valid. No warrants.

They're clean.

Okay.

You can all leave.

No. We're still eating.

Get your stuff, and let's go.

- But, Coach...
- Jace!

You heard me. Let's go.

Can't breathe in here anyway.

All right, you're up, young lady.

You're good.

Next. How you doing?

- Hey, y'all.
- Look who showed up.

Bring it in.

I wanna talk to y'all.

I'm sorry for what happened back there.

The whole situation sucked. I know.

But it's our job to keep you guys safe.

Y'all are safe.

Now, let's get warmed up.

Let's... Let's get our heads right.

"Get our heads right"? Are you serious?

Yeah, get your head right.
You got a game today.

- That was a punk move.
- What you say?

That white lady stood up in the restaurant
more than you did.

And what would you want me to do?
Brawl with them?

We should have told them to go to hell,
Coach.

That we weren't scared.

I was scared.

We should've called the cops on 'em.

- Call the cops on the cops?
- Are you serious?

I'm just saying. They ain't have no right.

Y'all finished?

'Cause I'd rather have y'all pissed at me
than to see you in jail or worse.

That's real.

I have their badge numbers.
We'll make a complaint.

Folks in that gym,

they don't give a damn
about what happened to us in that place.

The country is tired of hearing this shit.
They are.

And in a few days,
them cops won't remember.

But y'all will remember this
for the rest of y'all lives.

What I want you to know is that
today they tried to stop you.

You came out and played your best ball.

Let's go, y'all.

Jace.

Your job is to pull everyone together
and lead your team.

I tried to lead in that restaurant,
and you blocked.

We could have done like the '60s and
had one of those sit-outs or something.

You mean sit-ins.

Yeah, that.

All right, a reality check.

If y'all were ten white boys,
no one calls the cops.

- That's a news flash?
- This is.

Maybe I wanted to cuss them the hell out.

Tell 'em you're gonna have
the type of success in life

the rest of us could only dream of.

I wanted to tell 'em

if they had you and your teammates
as their teenage sons,

they'd be fortunate.

But if people can't hear you,
you can't change them.

- They weren't trying to hear us.
- Scream loud enough and they'll hear us!

Scream loud enough
and they'll hear 6'4" and Black.

I had to get you out.

If that make me a coward in your eyes,
I won't lose sleep.

We got a basketball game.

And none of your teammates are hurt.

Pull them together, Jace.

Dad. What...

What are you doing here?

Well, you said I never came
to any of your games.

I'm here now.

Well, thanks.

- I gotta...
- Yeah, you go ahead.

Do your thing.

Welcome, everyone,

to our next spotlight game
of the Soldier's Basketball Shoot-out.

Brought to you by Gladiator Sneakers.

Let's give them a round of applause.

Thank you.

This event,
sponsored by Gladiator Sneakers this year,

honors our soldiers,

past and present,

North and South.

Real-life gladiators.

And now, to sing your national anthem,

please welcome 14-year-old
Marianne LeFlore.

O say can you see

By the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed

At the twilight's last gleaming

Whose broad stripes and bright stars

Ah, shit.

-Through the perilous fight
-What the hell are you doing?

That's so played out.

What happened to us at that restaurant
is more than played out.

O'er the ramparts we watched

You tell me what the hell
that shit got to do with this.

Were so gallantly streaming?

We need to be heard.

And the rocket's red glare

The bombs bursting in air

Gave proof through the night

That our flag was still there

O say does that star-spangled

Banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free

And the home

Of the brave?

You should be ashamed!

- Such a disgrace!
- Let's go.

Let's go. Let's go.

Don't worry about it, let's go.
Let's go. Let's go.

Disrespectful!

Go on, get out of here!

Where's your respect?

Come on.

Get on out of here! Go home!

Yo, let's go. All right.

Stay together. Let's play our game.

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

- Criminals!
- Bring it in.

Swagger on three.
One, two, three…

Swagger!

- Oh, yeah! Let's go! Come on.
- Come on, boy.

Technical foul.

- What? Are you serious?
- For what?

Hanging on the rim.

Yo. You're not gonna say anything?

We took a damn knee
at the Soldier's Shoot-out.

We ain't getting the calls today.

I done lost and I can't win

-Oh, Lord
-So much pain and suffering

-I done lost the joy
-I done lost the joy I had

Hey.

Hey, you hear me? Look at me.

Learn some damn respect.
People fought for that flag.

So much pain and suffering

Heavy burdens weigh me down

What is it, baby?

Coach Warrick.

I mean...

He would do these things

that he didn't do to anyone else.

He made me think I was special.

He touched me.

What are you saying?

I'm so sorry. So sorry.

Yeah!

Let's go, boys.

Way to go, Dominion! Let's go!

What? Tell me where I fouled him?

This is bullshit.

Did you teach 'em how to foul, Osama?

So much pain and suffering

So much pain

- Up top!
- And suffering

Come on! Let's go! Let's go!
Come on!

Suffering

Yeah

What the hell, bruh?
What are you doing?

Get ahead! Get ahead!

No foul!

Foul! What?

No call? Come on, Ref!
Give me a damn break!

Good call, Ref!

Technical foul on gold. Coach. Two shots.

Yeah, let's go.
Let's go! Let's go!

We are holding two of the best players
in the DMV to single digits.

Huh? Huh? Great job out there. Right?

Their heads are all scrambled.
They're not in the game.

You keep disciplined.
You keep up the defensive pressure.

Keep attacking.

Phil, on the inbound,

you gonna have Vince and Nick
set the double screen for Jace.

Get the ball to him.

Vince, I need this screen
for Nick to get open.

Jace, you find him.

All right. We're down 12.
Let's pick it up!

Come on. Let's get it.

Swagger on three!

- One, two, three! Swagger!
- Swagger!

Our team looks good.

Yes, sir.
They're really good for the brand.

Side out, gold!

Hey, zero.
You should have some damn respect, huh?

My taxes paid for your kicks
and your food stamps.

Get your stupid ass down here
and say it to my face!

Get outta here.

- Hey, hey, hey!
- Tee 'em up! Tee 'em outta here!

You're an embarrassment.
You're an embarrassment to the game!

You're an embarrassment to the country.
Embarrassing.

It's terrible!

- Go back to Africa!
- Get 'em outta here!

- That's enough of this shit. Call it.
- What?

They're playing against
the Dominion Ballers, the refs,

this crazy-ass crowd.

- Nothing good is coming of this.
- They don't wanna quit.

They already quit.

Commie! Un-American!

Get ready to help!

Get ready to help! Deny him!

- You guys are trash!
- Great pass, 25!

Such a disgrace!
Our team can play better!

Will you please just be over there?

Hey, hey! Can I have the ball?

Get that!

It's all day! It's all day!

Hey, shut your mouth, ese,
or I'll call Border Patrol!

Yeah, I'm callin' ICE!

- Come on, Jimmy.
- Yeah!

ICE! ICE! ICE! ICE!

ICE! ICE!

He's Puerto Rican, assholes!

Whatever!

Hey. Yeah.
It's getting kind of crazy out there.

- Shut it down?
- Yeah, yeah. Shut it down. Shut it down.

ICE! ICE! ICE!

You suck!

Please, hold on!

Look, look. Let's keep it classy, huh?

Now, I know some of y'all were offended
by the actions of these young men.

But our soldiers also fought
for freedom of speech!

Two wrongs don't make a right!

Okay, folks?

Come on, you with me?

Come on, guys.

We could get out of here and leave.

Coach Meg, Coach Naim…

They feel like y'all had enough
for one day.

And you know what? Maybe they right.

Folks in them stands…

forgot y'all were kids.

Just like at the restaurant.

And maybe I forgot that too.

You wanna leave, no hard feelings.

But if y'all wanna stay?
Play y'all asses off!

It's your choice.

Coach, players only, please?

What?

Players-only meeting.

Okay.

All I'm sayin' is
there's a time and a place.

No, you're right.
You're absolutely right.

I get it.

I'll be right back.

If I were them, I'd leave.
They've got nothin' to prove.

My pops would say,

"Every great athlete
has somethin' to prove."

- Coaches too?
- Sure.

What you tryin' to prove?

I don't know.

Just know if we leave now, like this,
the way they feelin',

I might never get them to buy in again.

They feel angry at the world, Ike,
and you know what that feels like.

And I know how the world sees 'em.

Just 'cause I took a knee
don't mean I'm blind to that shit.

High school, college coaches?

They know how to rehabilitate a kid
that messed up on drugs or something.

They don't know how to rehabilitate a kid
who thinks he's Malcolm X.

Y'all seen that statue outside the gym?

How they gonna lift up people
who fought against slavery

and lift up people who fought for it?

They try and have it both ways.

Like some of us in this room.

Tryin' to be on the team
without bein' with the team.

- What the hell are you talkin' about?
- Why didn't you kneel, Nick Mendez?

Because I don't jump
when Jace Carson says "jump."

I'm not with the team?

After everything we went through today,
you should've been down with us!

If I'm down for one of you,
I'm down for all of you!

Ain't that how it's supposed to go?

Bro, what the hell are you sayin', bruh?

If I took a knee,
Royale would've been standin' by himself.

I wasn't gonna let that happen!

You should've been down with us too.

Your family's money stop the cops
from messin' with you today?

- What does it matter?
- What?

What does it matter?

- It matters!
- No, it doesn't!

You all full of shit!
Talkin' 'bout brotherhood.

If I kneel, if I stand,

it's not gonna change how you all see me.

Or how you all treat me.

Look, I didn't like what went down
with the cops either,

but that's how you make me feel
every single day.

Like I don't belong.

And why?

'Cause my parents got money?

- 'Cause I don't live in Seat Pleasant?
- I don't either.

- So what?
- You don't think I can play!

That I don't know the game.

Am I right?

- He ain't lyin'.
- A whole nother conversation.

That's why I'm not one of y'all.

But I can play.

And I do know the game.

You wanna know why number five
on the Ballers is killin' us?

'Cause he's attackin'
with the off-ball screen.

Same when we played 'em before.

Last game, he came off
the double screen 13 times.

He did that to you four times, Drew.

And Vince, he pump-faked you twice,

'cause you play too aggressively.

The last seven times,
he attacked the rim after the catch.

Three times he beat Ricky to the hoop.

And the other four times,
he dished off when Phil came to help.

- Damn.
- What?

Yo, dude learns by memorizing.

Yeah, that was some freaky shit, bro.

- For real.
- That shit crazy.

Boy, you analyzed the hell out that game.

Totally.

Hey, man. Thank you for having
that announcer guy tone it down.

Nah, listen. It's no problem.

Makes no sense for these people
to treat your team like that.

Well, I appreciate it.

I was just comin' to watch my kids
trounce the Gladiator-sponsored team.

But if you knew what it took for us
to get here, it just seems superficial.

Well, there's nothing superficial
about teaching kids

that there's a time and place
for everything.

Excuse me?

Come on.
Look, that was a dumbass move, Meg.

You guys tried to ruin my event,
but it's not gonna happen like that.

Your event
with a Confederate flag on the wall?

I wish it was red, black, and green. Okay?

Actually, I kinda like knowin'
where people are comin' from.

You can't be that oblivious.

Is that a nice, liberal way
of calling me a sellout?

I've been called worse.

- Enjoy the second half.
- You too.

Felt like the crazier the crowd got,
the crazier we got with each other.

You mean like you yellin' at me?

Or you yellin' at me, bruh?

On the strength,
I really don't care if y'all knelt or not.

I don't care about that crowd.

All day, people been lookin' at us
and assumin' they know us.

They think we don't got the right
to have swagger.

Right? That's bullshit.

We're America.

Right here, in this room.

And whether we decide to leave or stay…

we gotta be together on this.

Family.

We're stayin'.

Let's go.

- Yeah. Let's get it.
- Come on, y'all.

Left! Hang left, hang left!

Hey, talk to each other!

Rotate!

Yeah, bro! Let's go!
That's how you do it, all right?

Let's go, bro.

Get 'em. Get 'em! Get 'em!

Hey, get through! Get through!

What you gonna do, bro?
What you gonna do? Get outta my face.

Slow down. Hands up! Hands up!

- Y'all should've stayed home.
- Go back to Mexico!

Here! I'm open!

Up top, up top.

Let's go! Let's go!

Ricky!

That's it. Let's do it! Come on. Come on.

What they talkin' 'bout?

Get outta here, man.

Coach. I think you should put
Royale in for me.

What, you... You quittin'?

Hell no.

Are you crazy?

I don't think so.

I think he's got this, Coach.

Royale!

You in for Drew.

- Yes, Coach.
- Sub!

You got this, man.

That's what I need!

Yeah!

- Yeah!
- Time-out.

Hey! Time-out!

Hey, yo! Your defense is on fire, man!
How you so locked in?

Well, 13 times he came off the screen.

The other six times,
he curled off the screen and made a three.

- The last three...
- Okay. Royale, Royale.

Just keep doin' what you're doin'.

Boo!

Go. Go! Get that double!

Yeah, shoot, yeah! Attaway, guys!

Yo, Nick! Yo, you got this!

- I know!
- Nah, man. You don't know.

But I'm telling you,
it's all outside noise.

They got me so jacked up.

Forget them. It's about us.

We here. Right here.

Come on. Let's go.

Hey. Maybe we should call time-out.

No, no, no. Let 'em go. Let 'em go.

Phil! Put it up, bruh!

Yeah! Yeah!

Let's go!

No basket! No basket!

He didn't get it off in time!

No! You're gonna rob my kids?

They kids! You can't do this to some kids!

Game's over.

That's a bad call. Bad call.

Bobby! Bobby!

That's impossible! You know that's a lie!

Sucks. Come on, man.

See what you've been missin'
all these years?

Is that the norm for your games?

Just another day at the office.

Can't say I... I liked seein'
you and your team take a knee.

But the way they treated them,

the way they waved off that last shot,
that was bullshit.

And I'm not just sayin' that.

I appreciate that.

Gotta get them home.

Yeah, do you think,
sometime in the next couple of days,

you could stop by the house?

Go over a couple of things?

Sure.

Treatments are going well?

We should talk.

Okay.

Thanks for coming.

Good job today.

Our boys pulled out a big win.

Yeah.
Bit of a controversial ending though.

Which keeps people talking
about Gladiator.

Well done.

- Give me a call.
- Yes. Yes, sir.

Just a basketball team
on the way to our game.

Everybody, stand up.
Hands on the table, right now.

- For what?
- Listen to these officers!

We're complying. There's no problem.

Anyone have any outstanding warrants?

No warrants.

We're gonna need your IDs.

Come on, y'all.

Can't breathe in here anyway.

I can't breathe!

What the hell's goin' on here?

I can't breathe!

What the hell?

I'll be back.

- Phil!
- Don't worry, Coach. I got him.

- Jace! But...
- I got him, Coach.

I can't breathe! I can't breathe!

I can't breathe! I can't breathe!

Ike. Ike!

- What?
- You got eyes on 'em?

Yeah!

- Then we're good.
- What?

They need this.

You get that, right?

We need this.

I can't breathe!

This more team building?

I guess so.

- You all right?
- Yeah.

There's no crying in basketball.
You know that, right?

I bet there's some old video of you
somewhere that would beg to differ.

I can't breathe!

Hey, yo.

You that team from Carolyn's restaurant?
Y'all took a knee at that game?

Yeah. Swagger DMV. How you know?

Yo, they're calling y'all radicals
on the IG.

Let me get a pic real quick?

For sure.

All right. Bet, bet, bet.

I can't breathe!
I can't breathe! I can't breathe!

I can't breathe!

Yo, respect. Appreciate you, kid.

Keep doin' your thing, aight?

I got you.

We are what America looks like!
We are what America looks like!

Now more than ever,
I want to get to Florida for Nationals.

Have to win every game
on the schedule to pull that off.

You said
that you wanted to tell those cops

that I would have the type of success
that y'all could only dream of.

You meant that?

Nah. I was lying.

Yeah, right. You meant it.

…what America looks like!

We are what America looks like!
We are what America looks like!

We are what America looks like!
We are what America looks like!