" Where are we at?" " A lot of action on Platinum." "Move the line." "I want to hold the pointspread." "All right, people, bring them up." "How many times did the Lakers play against the Celtics in the finals?" "Ten." "Which Knick became a United States senator?" "Bill Bradley." "Hold up." "It's the money calling." "What it do?" "Yo, Tech, it's on." "Midnight." "Cool." "I'll be there." " Hey." " Dawg, it's going down tonight at midnight." "Yo, man." "I don't know about this." "Come on, man." "What is there to know?" "You promised." "I know I promised, man..." "Look, you owe me, man." "You owe me." "All right." "All right." "I'll be there." "I'll see you there." "Let's go." "Pay attention, y'all, something about to delight you." "Watch your heads!" "Is that the money?" "Let's roll." "Three grand on Platinum." "Come on, hurry up!" "Yo, I don't want to miss Jewelz!" "Come on!" "Three Gs on Platinum." "All right, listen to me." "I don't want you calling every single foul this game, okay?" "This is street ball, not the NBA." " All right." "I got you." " All right." "All right." "What?" "Look at you." "Come here, girl." "Was it hard to get away?" "No." "Being a partner of a law firm has its perks." "Of course, it does." "Look at you." "Look at you." "Come here." "Damn." "How is your mom?" "She was surprised that I came all this way to see you." "Of course." "So what happened to dinner and a quiet evening in?" "Well, I was thinking that we could get dinner at my club." "But there's something I really want to show you first." " Okay." " Right over there." "Come on." "Come on." "Yo." "I'm sorry I'm late." "My class ran late." "This is my man Cruise right here." "This is Stretch, Double A, Big Man, and you know Up." "Hope you're worth the wait." "Oh, snap." "Is this a new ride?" "Oh, yeah." "It's a graduation present from my grandmother." "Well, let's do the damn thing." " Yeah, come on." " Oh, for sure." "I don't care what anybody says about Jewelz." " Yeah." " This is our house tonight." "We got your back." "Enemy of the State, baby." "Double A!" "Double A!" "Right here, baby!" "Here!" "Hustle down!" "Hustle down!" "Open it up, Big man!" "Get in the paint!" "That's my boy right there!" "That's my boy right there!" "That's Tech!" " Tech!" "Give Tech the ball, man!" " Cruise, I see you." "Split them, Tech!" "Split them!" "Oh!" "New kid on the block!" " The man is good." " Yes, I know." "Time to go to work." "Give them the business, baby." "Here you go I.V. Yeah." "Let me see that thing." " Okay." "This isn't like the pros." " No." "Oh, oh!" "Putting on a show!" "Putting on a show!" "What are the rules?" "Okay." "The name of the game is 21, by ones." "You get to 19, your last shot is worth two, 21." "Well, what about fouls, traveling, stuff like that?" "This is street ball." "See, the players have a lot of leeway." "Maybe they can razzle-dazzle, overhand palm, but no four, five steps to the hole, and no flagrant fouls." "If they foul, they forfeit the game." "If they fight, they forfeit the game." "And if they argue with any of my referees, they forfeit the game." "Other than that, it's good, clean fun." "Dead ball!" "Dead ball!" "I'm off to a good start on that ass!" "Get off me!" "Ball in!" " This is my house!" " Come get some of this, baby." "Throw it, Tech!" "Over here, man!" " I own this court, man!" "I own this." " You got nothing, man." " There it is!" " Yeah!" "That's what I'm talking about!" "I got that." "What did I say, man?" "Don't turn this into a thing." "Man, just 'cause you say it don't make it right!" "Now, I came to break him, and he gonna be broke!" "Come on." "You got them, Tech." "My turn now, baby boy." "Yeah." "Yeah." "Oh, my God!" "The Violator!" "Help me out!" "Cruise!" "I taught him everything he knows right here, ref." "Yo, Tech, give it up." " What, now?" " They got nothing." " What, what now?" " Do something with it." "Tech!" "17-15." "We've got it." " I got Jewelz!" " Let's see some defense on here." "Hey, they fouling." "Ref, they foul..." "No fouls?" "No?" "Not in this game?" "All right, here we go!" "Here we go, let's push!" "Okay, pass the ball to Tech!" "Tech, got that jumper!" "Where you at?" "Off their head!" "Off their head!" "What the fuck?" "All right, baby!" "Yeah!" "Cruise!" "Bring the ball up man!" "Come on!" "Okay, that's what I'm talking about!" " Come back!" "Come back down here." " You got him." "You got him." "Who the hell is that kid?" "19-17." "Two more points, we win." "Let's do it!" "We have an upset here." "We have an upset in the making." "Hold him!" "Hold him!" "Come on, Big Man." "I'll make you big." "Come on." "And two to us." "Here we go, y'all!" "19-18!" "Next basket wins!" "Let's go." "Where you going?" "Where you going with that weak-ass handle?" "Throw it!" "Come on, Ref!" "He's faking!" "Look at him!" "Man, watch the game!" "Go, Jewelz!" "Go, Jewelz!" "And it's a tied game, y'all." "But the game is 21." "Go, Jewelz." "Go, Jewelz." "If he misses one, we can take these chumps!" "You turned this into a thing." "Miss it!" "Miss it!" "19-up, y'all. 19-up." "One time." "One time." "One time." "Just miss it!" "Come on, you're going to miss it!" "Just miss it!" "Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" "Come back." "Come back down here!" "Ball." "Ball up." "Here we go." "We got this." "Let's do it." "Let's do it." "Yo, Tech!" "Tech!" "Over here!" "Pass the ball!" "You got them, man!" "All right, Tech, shoot the ball!" "Shoot!" "Tech, shoot!" " Tech!" "Tech!" "Tech!" " Defense." "Defense." "And game!" "Defense!" "Come on!" " Hey, right down there." " Come on, end it, right here." "Defense!" "Defense!" " Come on, baby." "Let's go now!" " Defense!" "Tech, go!" "Do that move, man!" "Y'all know we could really use the win here, right?" "Come on, Big." "Not today, man." "What happens on the court stays on the court." "Yo man, I'm just saying." "Ain't no "l" in "team", you hear me." "Ain't no "we" in team neither, so you need to chill out with all that B.S., man." "When I say Platinum, y'all say Jewelz!" " Platinum!" " Jewelz!" " Platinum!" " Jewelz!" "When I say Platinum, y'all say Jewelz!" " Platinum!" " Jewelz!" " Platinum!" " Jewelz!" "Good game, man." "Let me know when I have a bad one." "Sucker." "When I say Platinum, y'all say Jewelz!" " Platinum!" " Jewelz!" " Platinum!" " Jewelz!" "When I say Platinum, y'all say Jewelz!" "Yo, look, man." "We took an "L", but overall I think we did all right." "Good ball movement." "Good teamwork." "Well, come on, you've got to love this." "I'm impressed." "Nice?" "See, Greek meets Urban." " It's hot, right?" " It's hot." "So, this is your life now?" "This club and underground basketball games?" " It's a living." " You were making a living." "I was a sports agent in Los Angeles, emphasis on the "lost"." "Yo, I was a doormat, Nikki." "Look, the World Series and the NBA finals are the two most bet-on games in the country." "But I bet you that they're not all made in legal houses in Las Vegas." "See, at least this way, I'm giving these kids an opportunity to make money doing what they love to do." " How much are you paying them?" " A G a player." "Two, if they win." "And you always know who's going to win?" "You don't think they always know who's going to win in Las Vegas?" "Nikki, I didn't go to college to work in some mailroom and answer phones." "At least here, I run the place." "They don't run me." " Hey, Ma!" " Yeah?" "Hey, Ma." "Hey." "I got some milk and stuff from the store for Melanie and Malik to have with their breakfast." " What's up with the candles?" " They turned off the lights." "I thought Joe was gonna take care of that." "Joe's in jail." "What happened?" "They say he robbed a liquor store or something." "Whatever, he didn't pay the light bill." "I made some extra cash, so, I'll take care of the lights tomorrow before I go to class." "You're a good son." "I don't know what I'd do without you." "I'm gonna go next door to Miss Waters, see if she'll let us put these groceries in her fridge." "You do that." "I'm going to bed." "Hey, Ma'Dere." "How did your class go, baby?" "Good." "What are you doing still up?" "You know I can't shut my eyes knowing you're out there on that motorcycle." "I don't know why I bought that thing for you." "It's gonna be the death of you!" "Oh, come on, now." "You bought it for me because you love me, you love me so much." "Give me some sugar, woman." " Got some mail." " Oh, yeah?" " I'm gonna lay it down." "Sleep tight, baby." " Okay." "Don't stay up too late." "You know you gotta work in the morning." "Yeah." " Hey, Tech, what's up, man?" " What's up?" "I got one for you." "Who was the first 76er to become rookie of the year?" " You got to do better than that." " Who was it?" " Your favorite player, Allen Iverson." " Wrong." "I like A.I.'s crossover, but Isiah Thomas is my favorite player." "Deep from the "D"." "But am I right?" "All right, I'll give you..." "I'll give you half a point for that one." " Hey, you wanna run one real quick?" " I can't, man." "I'm late." "Well, can I go with you?" "Look, aren't you supposed to be in school or something, man?" " This is summertime." "School out." " Damn." " Well, can we run one later?" " Yeah." "Later." " You're late." " Look, I'm sorry, man." "I had to pay the light bill for my mom's." "You're trying my patience, Tech." "Now, they gave you the mornings off so you can get that GED thing, so you can improve yourself." "Because you need improvement." "So you can improve and get here on time." "Look, I'm sorry, man." "It won't happen again." "Oh, I know it won't happen again." "Just so you know, in case it does, you're gonna find yourself on the outside looking in, bro." "Improved or not." "It won't, dawg." "All right?" "I promise." "Get out there and go to work, boy." "What up, dawg superstar?" "Got my confirmation for the orientation at California University of Los Angeles." " Congratulations, dawg." "I'm proud of you." " Thanks, man." "Hey, check it." "I get two tickets to the orientation." "And you know Ma'Dere ain't about to get on a plane, so if you wanna roll..." "You ain't even gotta ask me twice." "Then it's on and popping, man." "You and me in L. A?" " Well, she's not ready." " Please." " What's that?" " I'm caking you out for last night's game." "Oh, no, man." "Keep it." "Man, this is $1,000 cash." "Real money." "Come on, man." "You know I didn't do it for the money." "Look, Tech, as long as I've known you, you've always had my back." "Especially after Mom's died and I had to move across town with Ma'Dere." "Thanks a lot, man." "I appreciate it." "Hey, look." "I'm about to go to the bathroom." "Hold it down." "Go pinch that loaf, dawg." " Please." " I've got your back." "The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only." " So you got everything?" " Yeah." "I think so." "So you figure out the answer to your question?" "I knew I wanted to be with you when I met you in L.A. 10 years ago." "So when am I going to see you again?" "When you get your butt on a plane and move to L.A., make an honest woman out of me." "So you want me to give up everything I've built here?" "I'll tell you like my dad told me." ""A fast horse don't run long."" "It's not about the run, Nikki." "It's about being able to be in the race." "It's also about what you're trying to win." "Yeah!" "Excuse me?" "Oh, snap." "I probably look real stupid, huh?" "No, I'm not even laughing at you." "You know, getting my Mary J. Blige on." "Okay." "Okay." "I was into Ice Cube, so, today was a good day." " Weren't you at Vaughn's last night?" " Oh, my God!" "You were there?" "My team, Enemy of the State, was running against Platinum." "I didn't see you." " I'm Tech." " Eboni." " Nice to meet you, Eboni." " Likewise." "So, what can I do for you?" "Well, some friends of mine are having this tattoo party tonight, and I was wondering if I could leave these flyers here?" "Say word?" "Put them wherever you want." "Okay." "You know you should come through." "It's going to be really nice." " Are you going to be there?" " Yeah, I could put your name on the list." "Then I might have to make that happen." "Hey." "Yo, we gave them the business last night." " Yeah, we showed up." " Hey, y'all, check this." "Hey, get what y'all wanna get." "Everything's on me." " Cool." " You got to get that?" "Hey, let me get these in a 10 and a half, all colors." " Make that real simple." " Yeah." "Jewelz." "Tech." "Is that you?" "I didn't know you worked here." "This is so cool, because you're about to come up on some serious commission." "Yo, check this." "After that spanking we gave y'all last night, the honeys been blowing me up." " I wanna look right for them." " Well, good for you." "Look, this thing is not working, man, so I gotta do it on the calculator." "Count the paper I'm about to spend." "You know what?" "Forget that." "Add it up in your head." "My brother's girlfriend's sister said you were in that GED class with her, so I know you've got it down." "So... $125..." " $35..." " Don't forget this." "$125..." "Come on, man." "What?" "You don't know how to add or what not?" "Yo, I got this." "All right, let's see what we've got." "$125, $35, $20..." "That'll be $186.99." "Oh, wait a minute." "I forgot the tax." "You know what?" "Forget that." "I'm good." "No, you only think you're good." "I proved that to you last night." "Oh, yeah?" "But this isn't horseshoes." "This is street ball." "You want to know who the winner is?" "Count your paper at the end of the game." "You and your man came up short." "Got me messed up." "Hey, man, we out." "Yeah, but sure, you can't let that cat Jewelz get to you, man." "Forget Jewelz, man." "I'm worried about this GED test, man." " Christine, you got the usual for us?" " Yeah. $8.76." "Please, it's on me." "No, we're good." "Yo, Vaughn, what's up, man?" "I didn't see you as the type of cat that would be down here slumming with us." "I don't slum, bro." "So what you here for then?" "Calm down now, and get your panties out your ass." "I'm not here because you brought a ringer to my game." "I dropped the pointspread, but I made out all right." "Look, he's not a ringer, man." "Don't talk to me like I'm other people, Tech." "That is Noah Cruise, point guard for Pershing." "Named Mr. Basketball by The Associated Press." "Yeah." "So I guess that's why we lost." "No, I guess you lost because of a serious lack of character." "Character?" "Yeah, right." "Damn right I'm right." "You wanna blame somebody?" "Look in the mirror." "Oh, you're a technician." "Yeah, see, you've got that little spin and the crossover, and the off-the-foot, the off-the-elbow, you got the stop-and-breathe, the entire package." "Except you don't have the character nor the discipline to be a team ball player." " And Jewelz got character?" " But Jewelz got greed on his side." "See, Jewelz loves money too much to let you win." "So much that he even gave up the winning shot because he understands that it is not about the points, it is about the game." "Now, your man Cruise here, that brother got fundamentals." "See, that's the difference between street asphalt and NBA hardwood." "You know what?" "I've lost my appetite, man." "Let's go back to work." "Oh, you lost your appetite for the NBA?" " Look, I ain't interested, all right?" " You ain't interested?" "That is every black boy's dream." "And I guess you are gonna be the one to give me the dream." "For a small percentage, right?" "Yeah, you know how to talk the talk." "Ran into a whole lot of slick cats like you in my sophomore year." "Promised me the stars, and the moon as a bonus." "Well, you've seen me play." "I got a scholarship to Cal U.L.A., but it's a ride to medical school, not the pros." "Tell me, Dr. Cruise, have you ever seen one of these?" "Snaps, son." "That's a championship ring." "You see, this is what players dream about, and they pray to God that they get before the end of their career." ""To Vaughn, the real MVP."" "You're damn right." "You see, this is what it's all about." "This was a gift from a client I got placed on the team, and I garnered him a multimillion dollar endorsement deal." " Yeah, well, it's not about the money." " Bullshit." "Then why would you risk your eligibility to play in that game last night?" "But I ain't take no money." "I paid Tech, and Tech paid the team, and you were on the team." "Yo man, look." "That ring is hot to death, but Cruise ain't like that, dawg." "Come on, man, look." "Vaughn didn't mean nothing by that, man." "He was just busting my balls 'cause he thought I brought a ringer to the game." "No, it sounded a lot like he was threatening my eligibility, man." " I can lose my scholarship, Tech." " But Vaughn wouldn't do that, man." "Growing up, his name was the only one I used to hear in the hood." "'Cause he's known for getting brothers to the pros and the money they deserve." "Man, he the real deal." "He probably just wants you to play in some more of his games or something." "Yeah, well, you know I can't do that." "I just did it for what you did for me." "Forget all that, man." "We got other things to celebrate." "It ain't every day somebody take their best friend to L.A." "That's right!" " Hey, yo, let's go to the movies later." " What?" "A movie?" "We just got invited to a tattoo party by two beautiful young breezes." " What beautiful young breezes?" " Those beautiful young breezes." "Damn." "Man, baby girl is off the chain." "What time the party start?" "You always bothering me." " So what?" " I'm gonna tell Tech on you." "Stop, leave me alone!" "Go somewhere." " Tech?" "Tech, Malik is bothering me." " No, I'm not!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Come on." "Hey!" "Stop running before I call Mama!" "Now, Malik, leave your sister alone." "Hey, Up, what's going on, man?" " Man, I've been waiting for you, dawg." " For what?" "You said we was going run one, and I've been working on my game and everything." "Oh, with that little crackhead crossover?" "Man, whatever." "Yo!" "Check it out, man." "I'm sorry, man, but something came up." "We'll have to do it tomorrow." "Oh, you must got a date." "What are you talking about?" "All I'm saying is, I see you pulling out the button-down with the fresh Jordans, and most cats don't get slick like that unless they've got a brizzle on the vine." " Oh, what do you know about that?" " Look, I put it like this." "If you ain't putting nothing on the table, then you must be taking something off." "Most chicks show up hungry and empty-handed." "What Piston won back-to-back defense player of the year award?" "Isiah Thomas." "Wrong." "Dennis Rodman." "See, these breezes got you slipping already." "Whatever, dude." " Come on, Up." " Hey, whatever." "I don't wanna hear it." "Look, I'm sorry, man." " Yo!" " Hey!" "You made it!" "Vanessa, this is Cruise and Tech." " So, this is a tattoo party, huh?" " Why, you want one?" "Oh, no, let me think about it." "No!" "Ain't nothing that important where I need to have it plastered all over my body." "Cruise, I like that." "You want to cruise with me?" " Yeah, whatever's clever." " Come on, Daddy." "So, how long have you been working at the mall?" "About four months." "And what did you do before that?" "Time." "Eight months, Mound Correctional Facility." "Missed my senior year of school." "What did you go in for?" "Look, I hit a guy." "You all right with that?" "You didn't hit a girl and you weren't selling any drugs." "I mean..." "People make mistakes, right?" "So you play basketball, huh?" "Kind of, sort of." "Well, not really." " But you played the other night?" " Yeah." "Yeah." "But that was just a favor for my man, Tech." "And I get to play when I get to Cal U.L.A. For my scholarship, but, you know, it's not my thing." "So you're going to school in California, huh?" "Yeah." "Yeah." "Pre-med." "So what do you wanna be when you grow up?" "I'm just trying to get my GED right now." "I mean, if I had my wishes, I'd be playing ball." "In the NBA?" "Come on, now." "Every team got a short man, but let's be realistic." "I mean, but there is AND1, the CBA, Europe." "Just got to get some light on my game, gotta get the right people to see it." "I mean, there's this casting director in L.A., says she'll put me in a commercial." "I'm gonna go out with Cruise when he doing his orientation." "Oh, okay, that's hot, you know." "A friend of mine was telling me that if you want to be a real make-up artist, that you have to move either out to New York or L.A." " You any good at playing basketball?" " When I'm playing..." "I mean, when I'm doing my thing, I mean, really doing my thing, it's like I can run coast to coast, and the ball is a part of me." "I can feel it." "When to let it go, how much, touch, timing, it's all net." "Running on all cylinders." "And playing street ball the way nobody's ever played it before." "You know, I've never heard anybody talk about anything that way before." "Oh, snap." "Yo." "Yo, I almost forgot." "My boy's having a pool party tonight." " At midnight?" " Yeah." "Yo, he a real baller." "You know, and it's invitation only." "It's supposed to be hot." "He lives up in Palmer Woods." "So are you and your girl down?" "Yeah." "Okay." "This is the pool party that you was talking about?" "I mean, how many girls have you told this lie to?" "Ain't nobody lying." "This is Palmer Woods." "This is my man, Cruise." "This is his crib." "And the four of us can make a party." "Oh, as long as we don't wake up my grandmother." " I don't know about this." " I do." "When was the last time you've been over somebody's house that had their own pool?" "I don't know what you're doing, but I'm getting in." "Come on, Daddy." "You're my man, and I love you, but she called me Daddy." "You got a girlfriend, Mr. Cruise?" "No." "You got a man?" "None to speak of." "You want a girl, Mr. Cruise?" "Yeah." "I'd like that." "'Cause you've got this water glistening all over your body, girl." "You know, I've never been to California before." "That's big." "It's probably real romantic if you're there with the right person." "You know what I mean?" "I mean, at least it looks like that in music videos." "Well, are you the right person?" "So you're probably wishing you hooked up with Vanessa." " I didn't say that." " Yeah, but you was thinking it." "I think I'm the best judge of what I was thinking." "Look, Tech, I can't front." "I'm feeling you." "But I can't put myself out there if you ain't gonna be real with this." "Look, I can't front either." "And I can't speak of what's gonna happen with us tomorrow or the day after, but right here, right now..." "I wouldn't want to be with anybody but you." " Now, is that real enough for you?" " I don't know." "Let's try it again." "See you later." "Vanessa!" "Goodbye, Daddy." "I was kissing him, if y'all don't mind." "Man, I am feeling her!" "You know she used to be with Jewelz, right?" "She's with me now." "We go together." "Oh, really?" "So where the hell are y'all going?" "Yo, I asked her if she would go to the orientation with me in L.A." "So she's got you open like the freeway at 4:00 in the morning." "But, come on, man." "I'm not mad at you." "She's a fine little chick, for sure." "I've got to get my money right, and we can make it a double date to L.A." "You asked Eboni." "Yeah, I asked her." "So what?" "Look who's open like a freeway at 4:00 in the morning." "You're talking about me." "This guy, man." "And how you going to get the paper?" "Vaughn ain't running no games no time soon, so..." "I'm gonna have to do what I do." "Now, look, cats know who you are out there." "Be careful." "Hey, if a man wants something he ain't never had before, he got to do something he ain't never done before." "It's 9:45 in The Motor City." "Yo, Up!" "Come open the door, man!" "Yo." "What up, Tech?" "What up, dawg?" "You want to run with me?" "Like, are you serious this time?" "Look, man, I'm sorry." "Come on, let's play some ball." "Let's make it happen, captain." "Go." "Come on, come on." "Come on, put some clothes on." "Did you bring me something to eat?" "Guys, come on." "Come on." "Game!" "Come on, man." "I finally won one!" "Yo, that was luck, sir." " Luck!" " It was luck." "Man, I just crossed the man A.I. Style." "What are you talking about?" "Hey, are you serious?" "You lost four in a row!" "Your drunk ass was bound to get lucky once!" "Like that?" "All right." "So why don't you and your man put your money where your mouth is?" "I bet me and..." "I bet me and four-eyes over there can beat Tweedledee and Tweedledum in a two-on-two." "You talking about Shorty right here with the glasses on?" "You know it." "Yo, Shorty!" "Yo, four-eyes!" "Yo, man." "You want to come run one?" "Whose team am I on?" " Just bring your little ass over here." " Come on over here and cut me the talk." "Come on, man." "Give me the ball." "I'm talking "the Truth" right now." "Get going." "Check the ball." "Check the ball." "Come on, man." "Come on, I'm taking all my jewelry off." " Play defense." " Come on, I'm taking all my jewelry off." "Come on." "Best game of my life." "All right, double or nothing." " Let's run another one." " Yeah." "I can't." "I can't." "I got to go to the store for my mom." "You gotta go to the store for your mama?" "Yeah, I was supposed to go earlier, but I wanted to watch your game." "Good game, little man." " Hey, Shorty!" " Shorty, ain't no good game..." " Hey, no, no, no." " Hey, give me my money." " This looks like a set-up." " Give me my money, chump!" "Here, man." "That one smells like Vivica Fox." "Halle Berry." "Hey, this is nice." "Real nice." "I'm glad you like it, baby." "It's my favorite place." "There something you wanna tell me?" "My friend hasn't come to visit me this month." " What friend?" " My period." "My friend." "Wow." "Look, babe, I love you." "Okay?" "And whatever happens, happens." "I just want you to be a part of my life." " So you're not mad?" " I've never had much of a family." "All I've had is Ma'Dere since my mother died." "I don't wanna be like them other cats out there." "And if we're gonna have a baby, I wanna do it the right way." "I want to get married." "Are you serious?" "Yeah." "Let's move to L.A. I'll go to medical school, and..." "So, is that a yes?" "Yes." "Baby, you planned this all along?" "You knew you were gonna propose?" "No, no." "I didn't order no champagne." "Compliments of the gentleman." "This is what the refs consider a make-up call." "It's to apologize for the other day." "Thanks, man, but I think that we're all right..." "And who is this beautiful young lady?" "This is my fiancée." "Vanessa, Vaughn." "Vaughn, Vanessa." "Can I talk to you for a minute?" "Baby, I'm..." "No, no!" "Stay." "You're his fiancée, you should hear this." "You sure?" " So, you're talking about going pro?" " Hey, what else is there to talk about?" "How come you're not talking to Jewelz?" "He's your number one boy, right?" "Jewelz doesn't have what it takes." "See, he's the king of the jungle." "He knows where he fits in, and he has no problem with that." "There are a lot of fruits in the jungle where he rumbles." "Sweet ghetto queens, monster trucks, loads of bling-bling." "The boy shines like a light." "But, man, you've got this gift." "The greatest game never seen." "And that face?" "Look at that." "Clean-cut, endorsement-friendly." "Boy, he's gorgeous, ain't he?" " Yeah, he is." " Talk to me." "All right." "You know I used to be a sports agent, right?" " Yeah, man, I heard rumors." " So I know some scouts." "We get you into one of their camps." "You've got two, three teams to choose from." "All in climate-friendly places." "Spring, summertime, year round." " And if all I get is a suntan, then what?" " Then what, what?" "There are ten guaranteed contracts, and five of them are open." "Look, son, I got faith in you." "I know that you gonna do really good at camp even if you're not high profile yet." "Brother, you..." "You get one of those five spots, and you can write your own ticket from there." " And if I don't?" " Then I put your name in the draft anyway." "It's a gamble." "But I'm betting that you're a winner." "And if that don't pan out?" "Then K.I.M., baby." "Keep it moving." "Keep it moving." "Well, like what, Vaughn?" "Pick-up games at St. Cecilia?" "Joe Dumars' Rec?" "Or we need a change of climate, we go on down to Atlanta to that place that used to be an old Kmart, The Run and Shoot?" "There's too many ifs, too many maybes." "Thanks, mister, but no thanks." "Nothing in life is guaranteed." "But this is the chance of a lifetime." "You know what?" "I'll bet your boy Tech would give his right hand for this." "What do you got to lose?" "A, my scholarship." "B, my time." "That's two things I can't get back." "You know, I'd like to stay, but you got a funny way of making me lose my appetite." "Come on." " We leaving, baby?" " Yeah." "Nice to meet you." "Nice meeting you too, Vanessa." "Want some of this, baby?" "Don't make me do the dirty..." "Sweep you off, and that's game!" "The Detroit Shuffle The Detroit Shuffle" "Give me my money, man." "Thank you for coming out." "God bless and good night." "Y'all have a nice little game going there, don't they, Heart Attack?" "Yeah." "Kind of reminds me of this kid named Tech from down at the train station." " Who's Tech?" " A kid that Jewelz busted up." "So you all want to run one?" " All depends." "What are you playing for?" " $50." "$50?" "That's all you've got, baby?" "Look, let's get them, man." "Twenty bones a point." "Straight up." "That's a lot of paper, dawg." "It's Friday night." "Just got paid." "Let's do this." "Okay." "We're with it." " You with it?" " Yes, sir." "Well, call it in the air then, homeboy." "Tails." "Tails it is." "You got that." " They're losers anyway." " Your ball." "Oh, we're losers?" " Right, man." " Okay." "Just for talking trash, you get nothing." " Yeah, we'll see." " Check ball!" "Don't be so serious." "Friday night and you got paid right here, huh?" "Do it!" "Play some D, man!" "D up!" "D up!" " Where you at?" " Right here, right here." " Tight D." " No, no, no." "Keep the ball." "Shoot that, J!" "There you go, baby." "Shoot!" "Back up." "Point game." "Just play it tight." "Play it tight, play it tight here." " Game, man." " Nice shot." "Give me my money." "Nice to meet you." "Nice to do business with you." "I didn't know..." "Making money could be this easy" " Oh, my..." " What a coincidence." "The two of you accidentally on purpose meeting up across town in a game." "Where you going, Shorty?" "Gotta go to the store for your mom again?" "Okay, my man." "I don't know what the situation is, but..." "Hey!" "Hey!" "Open up!" "Open up!" "That was close, man." "I forgot my ball." " Man, we can buy another ball." " With what?" "You tossed our ends." "A hundred singles looks like a lot more than what it is." "I like that." "You're the man." "Looking good, Mr. Cruise." "Feeling good, Mr. Tech." "I don't wanna act like I ain't never been nowhere before." "But you haven't." "Oh, girl." "When was the last time you seen a forest in a lobby?" "Oh, and let's not forget about a lake." " Okay, this is big." " Real big." "Defrost" "Breakdown" "The fraternities use the common area for stepping during the summer months." "Okay." "That's cool." "That's cool." "A lot of them will be after you to pledge." "Especially since you'll be playing ball." "Yeah, well, I don't think I'll be joining a fraternity." "I'm spending most of my free time with my girl here, Vanessa, and studying." "Let me show you something over here." "The director's ready for you now." "If you want to chill with homechick till I get back, it's all right." "So, do you get a lot of work doing makeup for commercials?" "Yeah, once you get your hours in and join the union, the work's pretty steady." " You looking to get into the business?" " I'd like to." "Thank you." "I'll bring her over to the set after she's done here." "Okay." "All right and cut." "Very good, man, very good." "That was incredible." "Hey, if you need some more, let me know." "I got more moves, man." "I can do this all day." "I think we're good." "It was great working with you, man." " Well, thanks for the opportunity." " All right, all right." "Okay, everybody." "That's a wrap on Tech." "I'll let your girlfriend know you're done while you change over." "Cool." "Hey, you think a lot of people gonna see this commercial?" "Yeah, it's a national spot, so it'll be playing everywhere." "Yeah." "Hey, that dude got on the same clothes that I got." "Yeah, he's the actor you're doubling for." " Doubling?" " Yeah." "Nick Harvell." "He's the star of the commercial but he can't play ball." "But, with your help, he's gonna look like Michael Jordan." "You want to meet him?" " It's all right." "That's all right." " I can grab his autograph for you, man." " He do it all the time." " Look, I just said, that's all right!" " We're out." " Hold on one second." " Shelli's just giving me some information." " No, look, didn't you hear what I said?" "Now, let's go." "I said, we out." "What's wrong with you?" "Why are you acting like this?" "Tech, stop!" "You're hurting my arm!" " Hey, man, what are you doing?" " Mind your own business." "Look, take it easy..." "You all right?" "This is nice, baby." "Yeah, it's wild." "Eating lunch outside at school." "It's quiet." "It's serene." "Yeah, weather sure does make a difference." "I wanted to make it official." "Oh, my God." "Wait till Eboni sees this!" "See now, you've got some karats to go with that salad." "You like that?" "Baby, can you afford this?" "You know, my grandmother helped me out." "It's gonna be kind of rough on us at first, so I figured I'd go all out for the ring." "So what, are you thinking about going pro, baby?" "You sound like that cat, Vaughn." "I really didn't know what he was talking about, but he sounded like he knows how to make us some money." "Well, you know, could be." "Look, I don't know how much it costs to have a baby, but I do know it's more than what we've got." "Vanessa, I've thought about it." "But..." "But what, baby?" "The night my mother died," "I get to the hospital and there was this orderly there doing whatever it is that they do." "What?" "He says he saw me score 40 points in the game against Oak Park." "My mother is laying there dying, and all he can talk about is me scoring 40 points?" "I don't know, I guess in the scheme of things, basketball just didn't seem that important." "So, I'm going to play ball, and I'm going to walk out of here with a degree on their dime, and go to medical school." "Aren't you afraid Vaughn's gonna tell you took some money?" "No, I didn't take any money." "But it doesn't even matter, all right?" "He's not gonna say anything." "He's got nothing to gain." "It doesn't matter anyway." "I'm on your team." "And you're the captain." "I'm the captain." " You're the captain." " That's right." "I'm the captain." " You think that's a really good idea?" " This is a great idea." "Look, Tech, I know you're upset about the commercial..." "Play your role." " Play my role?" "What role?" " Like you don't know?" "Like cute girl latches onto ambitious young guy for a free trip to L.A." " You think that's why I'm here?" " You tell me." "You didn't even know I existed until I told you I was coming to L.A." "Then, all of a sudden I became very special." "Look, you really need to slow your roll right now, because you been drinking a whole lot, and you're talking real stupid right now." "So now I'm stupid?" "I don't need a GED to see the type of trick you're in." "Nigger, I don't know who you think you're talking to, but I'm not one of these skanks that you'd have met after a pick-up game." "You think I need your shit in my life?" "Like your life was so special before you met me!" "What?" "A nail technician?" "I mean, what is that?" "That's like a janitor calling himself a sanitation engineer." "Just because your dreams ain't coming true doesn't mean you get to shit on mine." "Oh, and for the record, I'm here because I actually like your sorry ass." "If you wasn't so caught up in your own self-pity, you'd recognize when a real sister got her man's back." "Only in L.A., huh?" "Hey." "What's wrong?" "How did the commercial go?" "He got into a fight, and he's been tripping ever since." " What's going on, man?" " Nothing." " Then why did you get into a fight?" " Look, I hit a guy." "It's not a big deal." "Is that why you're drinking?" "Like you can talk, huh?" "Mr. Perfect?" "Mr. "l-can-do-no-wrong"?" "Noah, don't let him talk to you like that." "He should be grateful you're letting him stay here, anyway." "Hey, hey, hey." "This ain't got nothing to do with you, all right?" "He's just jealous 'cause of what you've got, who you are, and who he's not." " Vanessa, stay out of it." " It needed to be said, so I said it, yeah?" "'Cause you don't have the smarts, nor do you have the talent." "So you hang onto him, try to live through him." "You ain't nothing but a thug that wished you had his life." " Vanessa." " Girl." "He wouldn't have that life you admire so much if it wasn't for me." "He'd be just another ex-con struggling to get his GED." " What is he talking about?" " Would you stay out of it?" "Go on." "Tell her, Noah." "Tell your fiancée of all of five minutes how I mortgaged my future for yours." "Taking that assault beef?" "Tell her about the party." "Tell her about how you got drunk and you hit that rich kid, and I took the rap, because I didn't wanna break your grandmother's heart." "'Cause I'm a thug like that." "Noah, is that true?" "Thanks, friend." "I'll find my own way back to Detroit." "Hey, girl." "I'm going to pick up a bucket of chicken, grab a movie." "We're going to have a big date tonight, girl." "I'll holler at you in a minute." "Welcome back, Bigtime!" "How was your trip?" "You know, it was all right." "All right?" "California?" "Yeah, right." "Did you see any stars?" "Did you see Halle Berry?" "Man, tell me you did not see Halle Berry, 'cause there's some things I wanna do to that girl, man." "Yo, man." "I didn't see Halle Berry." "What about Gabrielle Union?" "She's hot, too." "Carl, it was an orientation, all right?" "I was at school most of the time." "That's too bad." "Hey, listen, do you know if Tech is working today?" "You will not be seeing him around here no more." "What are you talking about?" "Yeah, he gonna come to me, asking me for some time off, same time you was gonna be in L.A." "I told him, no, he took it anyway, so I had to let him go." " You fired Tech?" " He fired himself." "Good riddance." "He was always late anyway." "Wow." "Sexual Chocolate speaking." "So this fool is sitting on a sofa, watching daytime TV, and playing video games, talking about he looking for a job." "Please." "As if a job is going to walk up to the door and be like..." " "Who that?" "Job."" " Honey." "I thought you said he was a good man, girl." "Good-for-nothing is more like it." "Do you know, his credit is so jacked up, he went and got a cell phone in our daughter's name, and she's only four." "One word, trifling." "Well, look, girl, everybody can't have a man like yours." "You know, taking you to California and what not." "Girl, let me tell you, they have oranges growing right there in the trees in the middle of the city." "I mean, you can just reach out and get one if you want to." "Girl, you're lying." "And they must be giving Mercedes out, out there." "I mean, everybody and their mama got one." "Vanessa!" "Think your man gonna get you a Mercedes when you all move out there, girl?" "We might not even be moving to California." "Girl, shut up." "Don't tell me your man is thinking about going to the league?" "I mean, probably, I don't know." "You ain't heard that from me, 'cause I ain't trying to put my man's business out there in the street, you know?" "Y'all just gonna have to wait and see." " Hey, what's up, Eboni?" " Hey." "Is Tech home?" " Who?" " Tech." "T-E-C-H." "Tech." "Like technical foul?" " Yes." " No, he ain't here." " Have you talked to him?" " Not since he went off to California." " What are you doing here?" " Me?" "Yeah, you." "See, me, I'm just watching the house." "I make sure don't nobody steal it." "'Cause, you know, these days they stop breaking in." "Now they just take the whole house." "They're scandalous." "Right." "Well, if you talk to him, please tell him to call me, okay?" "It's important." "Okay." "I'll have him call you." "Thanks, Up." "I'll have him to call you" "Hey, Tech." "She knows you down here." "Them know you're down here." "Plus, lying to people ain't really my stilo." "Thank you." "What's up?" "You tell me." "Look, man, I'm sorry about what happened in L.A." "Now, why do you have to go and do that?" "What is wrong with you, man?" "I just apologized!" "That's what's wrong with me." "Why you gotta be the bigger man?" "Why you gotta be so perfect?" "Why can't you just be messed up, and let me be mad at you?" " What?" " That's right, man." "I wanna be mad at you." "Because everything your girl said was true." "Look, man." "I'm jealous of you because you've got the gift, and you don't want it." "And I do." "I wish somebody would give me a scholarship to college." "Well, so do I." "Yeah, that's easy to say, you already got one." "Well, not any more." "Somebody leaked that I played in the game against Jewelz for money." "It was in the paper, Tech." "They revoked my eligibility and pulled my scholarship, man." "Yo, I'm sorry, man." "I know how bad you wanted that." "How'd your grandmother take it?" "She wanted me to go to L.A." "See, man, it's not about the schools, man." "It's about the education." "So, you're not going pro?" "No, man." "I'm gonna stay here, and go to community college." "I guess we're more alike than I thought." "I'm going to community college, too." "You passed the GED?" "Yup." "Look, man, as much as I wanted it to be me," "I wish you were still going to Los Angeles." "Give me something to talk about." "Yeah, well, you know, you can still talk about it." "It'll just be about what we're doing together." "So, you told your girl you're not going to L.A. Yet?" "No, man." "I'm on my way over there now." "Just thought I'd come over here, make sure I get things straight with you first." "We straight." " And we always will be." " For sure." "So, you want to run on Friday?" "You want to go back and play against Jewelz again, man?" " Is that what you're thinking?" " That's all I've been thinking, man." "Look, I can beat him, Cruise." "I know I can." "Then we'll beat him together." "My people wanted you to know they don't need this type of publicity." "Well, you tell them that I didn't have anything to do with it." "Why haven't you called me?" "After you and Tech got into it in L. A, I just..." "I don't know, I had to..." "He probably badmouthed me." "Trying to poison your mind against me." "He is the reason why you haven't called me, babe?" "No, babe, no, he didn't." "A lot is going on in my life right now, and I just needed some space to think things through, that's all." "Baby, that's what I'm here for." "We're a team." "We gotta work through these things together." "It's gonna be cool." "That's why I came over here." "Vanessa, we're not going to L.A." "Somebody leaked to the press that I played in the game against Jewelz." "Baby, I lost my scholarship." "I'm sorry, baby." "But it's going to be all right." " You all right with it?" " I'm all right with it if you're all right with it." "And besides, now you can go pro, baby, so it's real cool." "I'm not going pro, babe." "I'm going to stay here and go to community college." "Yeah, well, things will be kind of tight at first, you know." "We'll probably have to live with my grandmother for a while, and, you know, when I get to medical school, things are going to be cool." "No, no." "The baby isn't yours." "What?" "I miscalculated." "I was with Jewelz before you, and he's the father." "And just when were you going to tell me this?" " Why do you think I've been calling you?" " I don't know." "But that should have been the first thing you said when you came out here." "You trying to say you got played?" "Yeah." "I played you." "I knew Jewelz was the father." "But you come along with a chance to move to California and go pro, why not?" "But now you ain't got nothing." "So bye-bye for you." "I can stay here and do bad by myself." "Go ahead, cry!" "'Cause you've gotta be stupid or sick or both to give up a chance to go pro." "I'm right here." "Ma'Dere's right here, baby." "Ma'Dere, Ma'Dere." "I'll be right here, baby." "Tech." "Oh, Tech." "Oh, God." "I should never have bought that bike for him." "He's going to be all right, Ma'Dere." "Oh, Lord, please let him be all right." "Oh, God." "No, no, no, it's going to be okay." "Please, Lord." "Tech, Tech." "Don't talk, man." "Don't talk." "Just relax, all right." "Vanessa..." "Was never..." "My baby..." "I'm sorry." "Come on." "Don't talk." "Take it easy." "She lied to me." "Take it easy." "Take it easy." " Why did you do it?" " Do what?" "What are you talking about?" "Cruise never did nothing to nobody." "And all he ever did was love you, so why did you do it?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "You're talking crazy." "It took me a minute to figure it out." "But you was the one that leaked the story to the paper, huh?" "And now my friend in the hospital." "Why?" "Somebody call security!" "Tell somebody to get here!" "All he ever did was love you." "He was going to take you with him!" "Why would you hurt somebody that loved you?" "Take your hands off her!" "Anybody could have called Frank at the paper." "I don't know what you're talking about." "Now, see, the author's name wasn't even in the paper." "I put that on my unborn child." "I didn't say nothing to nobody." "Yeah, the same way you swore Cruise was the father of your child?" "Cruise might not be able to play ball with a bad lung, but he can sure as hell be a doctor." "So you live with that." "Bitch!" " How much is it?" " Ten grand." " Where did you get it?" " They sent it to me for the commercial." "I must have did all right, even though nobody can knows it's me." "I mean, I still don't see how this is going to change anything." "True, that part." "I gotta do something." "This is me doing something." "As an adult," "I recognize a lot of people don't see the world the same way I do." "But my boy Cruise is in the hospital and he can't play ball no more." "And I think something should be done about it." " He's got medical bills." " I feel you, dawg." "Yeah, me too." "It's got to be done." "Let's do it." "It's from the heart, man." "I'm with you." "You think you're slick, huh?" "Hey, what's up?" "Please." "You didn't think I'd find out about you sending your girl up in there?" "20-to-1 odds that you and your boys are gonna hold" "Jewelz and his crew to 11, right?" "Look, ten grand." "That's all I've got, man." "My life's savings." "Yeah, well." "You know what, partner?" "You hold onto that because there's no bet and there's no game." "What's the matter, Vaughn?" "All Jewelz has to do is score 12 points and I'm done." "And you're up ten grand." "You can't win." "Jewelz's team hasn't lost a game in three years." "And even if you do, is that going to change anything?" "Look, you made Vanessa do it." "You went to Cruise and talked to him about it in front of her." "Jesus, all right, you know what?" "I am sorry about what happened to your man and all, but I had nothing to do with it." "Vanessa's from the "D" man, through and through." "She was born with larceny in her heart." "That's the type of chick she is." "You knew what was gonna happen." "Look, you put it out there." "You planted the seed, and watched it grow." "All right, you're on." "Midnight." "Call it." " I said call it." " It's okay." "He can take it out." "You wanna give me the ball for giving Vanessa to that chump Cruise?" "Get off me!" "Pull that again and both you guys are out of here." "Yo, save it for the game, all right?" "Look, man, I'm playing my game, Big Man." "You play yours." "Play ball." "You've got no handles, Jewelz." "Come on." "I don't think you're ready for this." "Come back, with some of this..." "That's one." "Come on, D up." "Roll them and fold them." "They get nothing." "Come on." "You go on get them, man." "Who's got me?" "Come on." "What are you doing?" "Go, Tech." "Go, Tech." "Go, Tech." "Oh, foul!" " Hold on, dawg!" " Take it like a motherfucking man!" "Go, Tech." "Go, Tech." "Go, Tech." "Go, Tech." "Go, Tech." "Go, Tech." "Two shots." "Max one plus one." "One shot." "Play the ball." "Let's go." "Let's go." "Let's go." "Watch your back, Big Man." "Clear it out." "Jewelz!" "Like that!" "Playtime is over." "Let's take these suckers out!" "Run two-two!" "Get off of me!" "Point game." "You can't get past me." "Where you at?" "Where your heart at?" "You call yourself a man?" "Need some help!" "Violator!" "Loose ball." "Hey, Up." " Yeah." " You did it, baby." "You're feeling real good right now, huh?" "But you know my people are not going to honor your bet." "Come on, man." "Winning was worth the price of admission, right?" "See, that's a very good, positive attitude to have, young man." "See, just 'cause you not gonna get paid, doesn't mean that you cannot come out on top of this situation." "This is for tonight's game." "Twenty grand." "That's all you." "So I'm your man now?" "Money talks, bullshit runs the marathon, and I ain't wearing track shoes." "I'm taking this national." "We're going on the road, son, a tour." "Stadiums of people chanting your name." ""Tech." "Tech."" "See that?" "You and me making so much money together, because great minds think alike." "See, that's where you're wrong." "Great minds think for themselves." "See, that's what my friend Noah Cruise taught me." "When everybody was running after him, trying to get him to go pro, as if getting an education and being a doctor wasn't good enough." "Find yourself another boy, man." "If you want to see me," "I suggest you get a job at the community college." "Vaughn was shocked that Tech wouldn't roll with him on that tour thing." "It must have messed with Vaughn in a big way because he sold his club, shut down the train station, and moved to the West to be with his girl." "Jewelz broke his ankle in a pick-up game." "So he opened up a strip club." "Turns out neither Jewelz or Cruise was the father of Vanessa's kid." "Vanessa had a couple of more kids, and I think she still works at the nail shop at the mall." "Tricks are for kids." "Silly rabbit." "Cruise got out of the hospital with a clean bill of health, graduated from community college and moved to the dirty South to finish up his degree at Morehouse to be a doctor." "Yeah." "Eboni moved to New York and got a gig doing make-up for commercials and stuff." "And I think her and Tech are still kicking it." "Tech did his thing in the community college, got his shine on, a scout saw him play ball, and now he's playing for the Euroleague, repping the "D" in a big way." "Detroit basketball." "Holding it down." "As for me, I'm working on my game, waiting to get my shine on, my crossover." "And it's coming, baby." "Hollerback!"