Hoop Dreams Page #13

Winning five games in six days,

that really takes a lot out of you.

Like Coach said, you just gotta sacrifice-

you know, sacrifice everything you have.

Like, if you love the

game of basketball,

you just go out there

and give all your heart.

He got a little ways to go,

but he's - he's gonna get there.

Hopefully he's got his head

screwed on pretty good, you know...

and now, you know,

he's gonna be on his own to do whatever.

Hopefully he'll do it right.

When we got down here, people don't expect

- "Marshall? how'd they get down here?"

They lookin' like: "Who

they got on their team?"

I had to come out and prove myself.

I think I could play Division I basketball.

'Cause all I need is just a scholarship.

That's -That's all I'm looking for.

Arthur Agee.

All right!

All this area through here

is our new computer labs.

We'll take you through

all those rooms.

Arthur's first recruiting visit...

takes him to a junior college

in Southern Missouri.

The strength that I see here

is the tremendous

teaching that goes on here.

Have you decided

what you want to go into?

Uh, communications.

Are you more interested

in the overall communications -

That, and, uh -

I like that and accounting.

- Like business.

- Oh. Okay.

We enjoy winning things,

but the primary purpose is your education.

What are some of your career goals,

may I ask?

I want to fall back to,

like, make - have my own business.

Like real estate.

This is where it all happens.

Beautiful place.

And it gets to rockin;

- You gonna try it on there?

- Yeah.

Those are about $ 120 apiece.

You need to be very careful

with this decision.

You know, if you come in and act right,

you're going out of here...

with two years

of your college finished...

a scholarship to a Division I university.

Exactly where you'd want to be-

on track to graduate in four years.

Mineral Area doesn't have dorms...

but it does have a basketball house.

All the ballplayers

on scholarship live here.

Get your ass up, nigga.

Of the seven blacks

in the entire school...

six live in this house.

You come in and look at this little house,

then after a while you get used to it.

Try to make a little home, you know.

Home away from home anyway.

We hang around each other most of the time.

We know who to trust,

who not to trust.

I just want to go somewhere

where I'm gonna play.

I can get the grades.

I love basketball.

How many of your

players that leave there

and they end up going

to a four-year college?

- Thirty-one sophomores in a row.

- Really?

Every last one of 'em he coached.

- hi. how you doing?

- Hey. how you doing?

- Arthur Sr.

- Bo and Sheila have been separated.

She asked him to return today

over Arthur's objections.

I'll show you exactly

what the scholarship entails.

Is this a full scholarship

for the two years?

The reason I'm skeptical is because of

the promises that was made in the past.

From the time he comes down there

until he leaves, you will

not have a financial need.

Now, when you make this decision...

you got to live and die with it.

'Cause it's your decision to make.

Now, I'm here to support you if you -

if you done searched this whole thing.

And it's what you really want.

Not, you know,

'cause Mama said this or your dad-

Or because you're saving

Mama money, because if we have to...

we will still pay-

if you have to try to pay-

if we can put some-

I'm just sayin;

You - Understand what you're saying. You

want to save somebody money, but still -

But you have to still do

what is best from here.

But still we want the best for you -

even if you have to -

or we have to go in the hole, you know.

You understand what I'm

saying? I'm just saying.

But still, the decision is up to you.

So, what do you think?

Ah.

- Ready to sign it?

- Yeah.

- Yep.

- Let's do it up.

- What time is it?

- 1:
56.

Come on, Bo.

Whip it to him.

When I was 23, how old was he?

And I whupped him then.

Aw!

You want to see it rain?

Let it rain.!

- You want to see it rain?

- One more time.

Let it rain!

You want to see it rain?

Let it rain!

Oh!

Peoria Manual.

Remember what they did to you now.

Yeah. Do you know howard Nathan?

And I strung him up,

just like that.

Uh-oh. Like father, like son.

What's up with that?

You better stick to church music,

leave that basketball alone.

Hell, no. You can't do that.

Foul! Foul!

Foul. Foul, foul, foul.

- That's 32.

- That's 34.

- 34!

- That didn't count 'cause he called "Bo."

- That's 34!

- That's 32!

- he didn't hit nothing else.!

- I did!

- he didn't hit nothing else!

- It's 34-28, Bo.

- Bo's a sore loser.

- All right!

- No. I know how to count though.

- Ain't no con game. I'm older now.

- Yeah.

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

- No more. Ain't no more.

- The score is 32 to 28.

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

Game over with.

I can con too.

Losers quit. I'm ready to play.

Now, youse a coward if you don't-

Check ball.

- You're mad now.

- Check ball.

- Throw it over there.

- You ain't two years old.

You ain't gettin' no pacifier.

- Give me that.

- Yeah.

Your mama ain't here

to give you this ball. Let's go.

- Give me the rock.

- Let's make it rain. Make it rain.

Bang. Bang. Right there.

Ha! Go sit down.

Go sit down.

Bo, it's raining.!

Bo, it's raining.

- It's raining, Bo!

- It's raining, Bo!

You're on punishment when you get home.

You're on punishment when you get home.

And you're on punishment

when you get home. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

It's gonna rain on your head, Bo.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen...

and welcome to St. Joseph's

Annual Basketball Awards Dinner.

We had a...

difficult year.

Most of you are aware of that.

When I first went to St. Joe's,

I really did sleep, eat

and drink basketball.

That was all I did.

But it became more of a job

than a sport to play.

Things here have not changed since-

You know, Coach Pingatore

just had these dreams in his head.

He just wanted me to go

the same route he took Isiah.

The most steals.

He played as a freshman.

Not even Isiah was a four-year starter.

You know, basketball was just like-

he was possessed with it.

You know, it was his life.

And he wanted it to be

everybody else's life too.

All-conference in the SCC.

All-state in the Sun-Times.

A McDonald All-American nomination.

M. V.P., 1990-1991 season,

William Gates.

When I had some real problems...

I couldn't go to

none of them about it.

You know, I was having some problems

with Catherine's family and my family...

and I said, you know, "Coach Pingatore,

their family's been getting on me about...

you know, I'm not doing this,

and I'm not doing that."

And the only thing

Coach Pingatore could say is...

"Write 'em off."

That was all he told me.

And I was, like, "What

kind of advice is that?"

Well, how's it feel to be finishing?

Uh, I mean-

Now, don't say anything

you don't mean, William.

I mean, I'm serious, Coach.

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