Glory Road Page #2

You gonna put your career at risk.

my career at risk and Moe's career at risk.

If that wasn't bad enough, we ain't

even got enough gas money to get home.

Ain't it lucky you don't got

to worry about that?

'Cause you'll be out on the first bus

to New York tomorrow.

You're sending me there for schoolyard

players? You gotta be out of your mind.

And who's paying for all this.

if you don't mind me asking?

You wanna win, you gotta

recruit. That's how the big boys do it.

It was a good game, man.

Hey, kid, you got a minute?

Mama baked a pie. One piece left.

it's got my name all over it.

Hey, kid, you got a minute?

- You know that guy?

- What? No.

Kid, you got a minute?

Run. Run!

Hey, Charlie!

Hey. Mama. You're not gonna believe

what just happened to me and Alvin.

Almost got jumped

by a couple of crackers.

I'm just dying for a piece of that...

-...pie.

- Ma'am, this pie is so good.

it makes me mad at my mama.

This is Mr., Haskins.

He come all the way from El Paso, Texas.

He want you to play basketball

on a scholarship.

Texas? To get lynched?

Now. El Paso's not like the rest of Texas.

It's, um... It's more cosmopolitan.

Pops already got me a good job

at the factory...

- I always wanted an education for Harry.

- They got schools here.

I don't feel comfortable

sending my boy that far away

and trusting him to a stranger.

I know. I understand. I will look

after him like he's one of my own.

- You ate my pie.

- We're church people around here.

Are you?

I won't lie.

I hadn't been to church in so long.

I can't remember

which day of the week it falls on.

I'm ashamed to say I'm... I'm just a wretch.

Well...

We all fall short.

And we're saved by grace.

- Tell me more about El Paso.

- No. Mama. Mama, come on, now.

It's lovely, ma'am. It's right on the banks

of the Rio Grande. It's a little oasis.

Nah.

- I got plenty of offers.

- Yeah?

From who? Duke? Kansas?

- I'm playing for the Globetrotters.

- It's probably for the best.

You're better off with the Trotters

playing its team of patsies every night.

You can't get past an average defender in

our league with that fancy dribble of yours.

Man, no offense, but that's bull.

Hey, brother, no offense.

but without work.

I don't think you'd get past

a beat-up old-timer like me.

Get past you?

I would go past you, through you.

over you, under you, around you.

As a matter of fact.

I'll spin you like a top.

eat your lunch, steal your girl

and kick your dog at the same time.

Get past you.

- Come on. Orsten!

- Hey, come on.

Do your thang.

- You fouling me.

- You call that a foul?

My three year old calls that a love tap.

Ooh! Come on, man.

Hey, hold it, hold it.

You expect me to react to all

that head-shake and body gyration?

It's activity without accomplishment.

You got the ball in front of you.

You ain't going anywhere without it.

Try this. It's called a rocker step.

You ready? Get in your stance.

OK?

The difference between me and you

is I got the ball protected.

It looks like I'm starting to dribble.

so you react, and when you do.

cross over, dribble right by you.

Try it. It's simple, but it'll make

that pretty little shot of yours work.

First time. There it is.

Excuse me!

I'm looking for three guys. Uh...

Names of Nevil Shed.

Willie Worsley and Willie Cager.

They're colored boys.

You know them?

- Did he say "colored"?

- He said what I think he did.

Yeah.

And I don't think he was talking

about no television set, neither.

He got a nice car.

These New York kids may be

from the street, but they sure can play.

Little guard plays like a giant.

Forward runs like an antelope.

Never seen anything like him.

- How long till you can have 'em out?

- A week maybe.

How's it with Lattin?

These boys play big, but they ain't big.

Hey!

You want me to fill this thing up?

I called his coach, but he run me off.

I still got one more roll of these dice.

though.

And one more little thing, Don.

I had a little misunderstanding here.

Do you think you could wire me

another hundred dollars?

Where on earth's this coach taking us?

I don't think we're even

on earth anymore, brah.

- Say. Willie.

- Yeah.

- You got a dime?

- For what?

I gotta call my mama.

Tell her I'm an astronaut.

Looks like we're the first black men

on the moon.

What's this dead stuff

on the side of the road?

Players from last year's team

trying to crawl back to New York.

We driving into hell, plain and simple.

El Paso. Texas! Ain't no place like it.

Big ol' west Texas sun shining down

about 330 days a year.

Yes, sir, you're in God's country now.

If this is God's country, obviously

the good Lord don't want no neighbors.

Say, man.

this place looks like Bonanza.

Hey, look, just smile at 'em

and say "howdy."

Howdy.

To him you gotta say "hole-ah."

Like this, see.

Hole-ah!

- Man, what this "hole-ah" mean?

- It means. "Hello. Puerto Ricans."

You've signed some black players, Don?

That's right.

Seven of them?

I'm not sure that all the boosters

are gonna like it. All right?

It's a little different

than what they're used to.

You hired me to put a team together -

that's what I'm doing.

No, Don.

I hired you to ride herd

on the athletic dorm.

I've got a little more

than I bargained for.

Those our new teammates?

Ross said things

were gonna be different.

Doesn't look like he was kidding.

- I ain't never seen one of them before.

- One what?

One of them - a colored.

You've gotta get off the farm more.

I'll have some of that and some of this

and some of that.

- Save a brother some scraps.

- Back off, midget.

Who you calling midget?

You big-toothed clown.

Grab your red hat and lantern

and get back on the front lawn.

I'll let you know

when the full-sized men are done eating.

Easy, choppers. I seen Pontiacs with

smaller grilles than those teeth of yours.

- Taco, nacho, burrito?

- No. I'm looking for hot dog-o.

Taco, nacho, burrito?

No, no. Hot dog-o.

Hot dog-o.

Nacho?

What are you lookin' at?

Ain't you never seen a black man before?

Yeah. I've seen plenty of folks like you.

So, are you from Harlem?

- You think all blacks are from Harlem?

- Are all of you from Mayberry?

- Take it easy. He didn't mean nothin'.

- Mind your business, man.

Hey, look, guys. My name's Togo Railey.

I'm from El Paso.

Where y'all from?

Bobby Joe Hill, from Detroit.

Yeah. I'm Willie Cager. South Bronx.

Forward.

Jerry Armstrong. Eagleville. Missouri.

All-State. 19 boards a game.

Starting forward.

Whoo!

- Go. Miners.

- That's it. Jerry.

Harry Flournoy.

Gary. Indiana.

United Steel Mill day shift.

The starting forward.

Back to the cows. Jethro.

Come on. Flournoy, get that.

Get it. Flournoy. Get it, get it!

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Throw the ball, come on!

- Hey, hold the basket still, bite-size.

- Orsten, shut your tusk! Cager! Cager!

Get off me.

Cager! Cager!

Downtown. Willie, take it downtown!

Oh!

- You moved the basket!

- Advantage black man, for once.

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