Starting 5 (2024) s01e03 Episode Script

1
[commentator] Edwards finds an opening
and goes down hard.
[tense music playing]
Holding that right hip.
[man] Come on, get up, five.
You good. Come on.
[commentator] He did hit
that right hip hard.
[announcer] Foul is on 34.
[commentator] Oh my.
[announcer]
That's his second personal foul.
[commentator] It is quiet here
at Target Center
while the medical staff tends to
Anthony Edwards.
We'll take a quick timeout.
3:33 to go in the third quarter
in a tied ball game.
[Edwards] I fell on my hip versus OKC.
I be mad for real when I miss a game,
I mean, 'cause I wanna play every game.
And I was like, "Damn, I wish I could be
out there." Be out there to help my team.
[commentator] Timberwolves win!
[Edwards] But there's some
you can't control.
But then you gotta deal with it.
[music fades]
[Edwards] Ah shit!
[man] Hurry up too, man.
[Edwards] I rarely get hurt.
But I was fucked up a little bit,
for sure.
[Shannon laughs] Step in, like
- What's happening?
- On my All day.
I gotta go do something
for multiple hours.
I don't think that's a good thing.
That's not fun.
- [Shannon] They tell you how many hours?
- It's fucking six hours. Stupid as fuck.
[Edwards] The recovery was hard.
First couple days,
it was still, like, hurting bad,
so I really didn't do anything.
Then the next couple days, start hurdles,
trying to, like, just keep my hip moving.
It kind of got swole up on me.
And I had to, like,
let them get in there and rub it down.
Make sure it was straight.
And then I had a couple practice days.
And then I came back,
and I was feeling good.
And now I feel great.
Yeah ♪
If you know, you know ♪
[Edwards] Taking care of your body
My first couple years,
I was just, like, showing up.
Just trying to go out there and hoop.
That wasn't working.
I needed to get stretched,
get into mobility, weight room.
If you know, you know ♪
That's the reason we ball for ♪
Circle 'round twice for the encore ♪
If you know, you know ♪
[Edwards] I wanna play for,
like, a long, long time in the NBA.
That's all I wanna do.
I needed to start eating better
and building better habits.
So I think taking care of your body
is super important.
All that's in your life ♪
The Domino's here?
You gotta look inside
You gotta look inside ♪
[Edwards] Ooh, look at mine!
With TB. Terrific body. Terrific body.
[drum music playing]
- [ball bouncing]
- [sneakers squeaking]
[Butler] What's the dumbest question
that I've ever been asked?
[exhales]
There's gotta be a answer to this.
Wow.
The dumbest question I've ever been asked
That's a good-ass question.
We gonna have to come back to this
'cause I gotta think.
["Untitled (How Does It Feel)" playing]
How does it feel? ♪
Feel ♪
How does it feel? ♪
Said I gotta know right now ♪
How does it feel? ♪
I'mma take off your clothes ♪
And I'm ♪
[vocalizing]
[Butler] There's so many other things
that sports can teach you
to get the body ready.
Day in and day out,
you have to be doing something
to make sure
your body's working the right way.
[commentator] Welcome
to the most famous arena.
A lot going on tonight.
We got the Knicks and the Heat.
[commentator 2] Miami needs to win
to advance.
[commentator 3] A huge game
for the regular season
and the In-Season Tournament
against one of your rivals
in the Miami Heat.
[Butler] With the In-Season Tournament,
you definitely can tell the difference.
Every possession matters.
You need to be playing
your absolute best basketball.
Just like in the playoffs.
If you win, good things happen.
Let's show 'em what we selling ♪
[indistinct chatter]
[Butler] Pass it or dribble hand off.
We're all we got. We're all we need.
And we stick together.
- Together on three. One, two, three!
- Together!
[commentator] As this In-Season Tournament
goes toward the knockout rounds
As the Miami Heat, so far undefeated
What's that? Let's go ♪
Where your feet work at?
What's that? ♪
[commentator] Butler fires
and knocks down the three.
What is that? That's 100%!
Come on! We're all right.
Man, I wanna know about the transition
to the emo stuff.
Oh, you like that?
Man, if you're not having fun
while you're doing something,
why are you truly doing it?
And I really, really, really enjoy
playing basketball.
You have to smile.
You have to make others smile.
- Shit.
- I'm not talking to you.
- What? Say "good pass."
- [man] Come on, Kev!
- Good pass!
- [Butler] Thank you. Say it into the mic.
There we go.
- Here we go.
- Stop touching me, man.
Feet work, hit it
Feet work with it, feet work with it ♪
[commentator] And here's Lowry.
- [Butler grunts]
- [commentator] Butler catches down low.
Misses, though, from point-blank range,
and he comes up limping.
I don't know
if he landed on somebody's foot.
Man, I was so high I could taste the air.
And then I came down on my ankle.
I can taste the air now.
That shit hurt like a bitch.
Huh? Nah, I'm just goofy.
- That shit hurt.
- [man 2] I know.
Feet work at? Where your feet work at? ♪
I'm good! I'm good!
Feet work at? Where your feet work at? ♪
[commentator] RJ Barrett
trying to get untracked.
Spins against Butler, gets inside.
- [Butler] Goddamn it!
- [whistle blows]
Shit!
Dog.
I just rolled my shit again.
[groans]
[whistle toots]
[Butler] Playing through pain
is part of the game.
I'm not saying that you should do that,
and with that being said,
I wanna win every single game.
That's the reason why I do choose
to play through a double rolled ankle or
Look at my finger.
James smacked my finger.
James Harden smacked my finger.
You see that? It hurt.
[crowd cheering]
You know I'm going for the win.
[commentator] Knicks leading by one.
Still 15 seconds to go.
- [crowd] Defense!
- Six seconds to go.
Butler has it. Four seconds to go.
Butler, step-back. Three-pointer!
Won't go!
Randle, the rebound, and it's over!
The Knicks with a thrilling comeback here
at home at Madison Square Garden.
And the Knicks get
an all-important victory
for the In-Season Tournament.
The Heat do not advance
to the knockout round.
And Butler still walking gingerly
on that ankle.
[Butler] I'm always gonna go for the win.
And myself and everybody else
that's riding with me,
we're gonna live with the, uh, the result.
But I guarantee I'm making the next one.
[birds chirping]
[Butler] Come on.
Let's go back to the house.
Good job.
[toy vehicle whirring]
- Good morning.
- [man] Good morning.
That's our house.
Welcome to the neighborhood.
- [Butler] Thank you.
- All good?
Yeah, great. Really good.
Turn.
Or not.
Don't cry if you don't make it.
You're gonna hit the wall.
[Butler chatters indistinctly]
[Butler] There's so much that goes on
just to be able
to get your body back ready to play.
But if my body's banged up,
I'm just not able to hoop.
All the work you have to do just
to get back to the game that you love,
those are some of those unseen hours
that nobody knows happens. They just say,
"Oh, well, you just sit on your tail.
You come back whenever you come back."
[man] The foot is the in our opinion,
the lowest hanging fruit from injury.
When I first started working with Jimmy,
we had to start working on the foot stuff.
80% of our stuff is done
from the knee down.
You know, 50% of our workout
is from the ankle down.
We work out barefoot.
There's no going back.
He won't work out with shoes on.
[Butler] If somebody's not fit to hoop
or their body's not feeling right,
how can you be mad at that?
You gotta make sure
that your ankles are right, your feet.
This is stuff that I had no idea about
earlier in my career.
But now, you know,
you take pride on making sure
that everything's clicking
and moving the way it's supposed to.
That means you gotta have good balance
in order to stand on it.
You know how to stand?
I know how to do it,
but it's 'cause I'm older than you.
[Butler] I care about my body.
I wanna be able to do stuff
with my kids later on in life.
So I have to take care of my body.
Good job.
[jazz music playing]
What's up, beautiful people?
Milwaukee, Memphis, now here.
There's more after this.
[LeBron] On the road,
you're without family, without kids.
You're literally by yourself.
Nine times out of ten, if I'm on the road,
then I am playing my video game,
getting my treatment,
and then getting a good night's rest.
[LeBron] Beautiful people.
I read an article. They said
you wouldn't join us until the next city.
- Good to see you, baby.
- Good to be seen, killer.
Hell yeah, good to see you.
Hey, R, what's up, you creep?
[man] No. I ain't the creep.
You got people following you around
like usual?
It's my 5G network.
Make sure my phone always working.
- Know what I'm saying?
- [Reaves] Good Wi-Fi.
I'm good. I got good Wi-Fi
everywhere I go with them. You know?
[upbeat music playing]
[Vincent] That shit crazy.
Your three toes springboard off
your big toe when you're jumping.
And that motherfucking pinkie
is aerodynamic. It don't hit the ground.
So I'm like a frog,
you know what I'm saying?
You know what I'm saying?
I'm aerodynamic, you know that?
[woman] Your dad's feet
- No comment.
- Nah, no comment.
Yeah, I mean,
I know y'all seen his feet a lot.
Yeah, everyone's seen his feet.
You don't need to know no more about that.
[Zhuri] The funny, like, funny funny thing
is, like, when his, like, toe is,
like, on top of the other one. [laughs]
[chuckling]
[LeBron] Have you ever seen a Porsche 911?
When the fin go up, that's when you know
that bitch really about to take off.
Yeah, you know? That's me.
My pinkie toe is my fin.
So once that bitch go up, it's over.
I can crank it into sixth-speed gear.
[indistinct chatter]
- What's up, brother?
- [man] Nothing much.
- You got spacers?
- [man] Just Yeah, I do.
I got some new orthotics.
- Oh, perfect.
- So we're rolling.
- Ain't no shootaround tomorrow, so
- [man] Yeah.
[man] Off days are are vital.
You have an off day,
which means you can rest
so you're not on the court pounding.
And, uh, off days, it gives us
an opportunity to to work on the body.
[funky music playing]
[Mancias] Space these guys up.
Toes like Rikers Island. Overpopulated.
[Montgomery] We've all heard Bron
talk about how he takes care of his body.
We know that he invests in his body.
Over a million dollars every year is spent
to make sure that he can be
the best player that he wants to be.
LeBron spends a million dollars
on his body a year just to be great.
- A million on his body?
- [man] Yeah.
I've I've heard this crazy notion
about how much money
I spend on my body per year.
And, uh, I kind of just chuckle.
That is a number that I will not disclose.
But more importantly,
I think it's just the time.
We do cryotherapy.
Cold tub, hot tub.
Red light.
Hyperbaric chambers.
[woman] So the hyperbaric chamber
is crazy to me.
Like, I It's giving coffin.
I don't like it. It's very loud.
I I can't get with it.
The recovery and the treatment sessions,
that's really important to me.
My wish for him is to come out of it
the same way he went into it
so he can enjoy his life post-career.
The way that he treats his body
and, you know,
I don't see that being an issue.
But I do know that,
you know, it's a lot of pounding
and beating up.
I love the Normatec machine,
which basically is recovery for your legs.
They're, uh, sequentially
deflated and inflated just to push,
like, the gas, out of your legs.
It just helps refresh the legs,
get 'em ready for activity,
and, uh, it just helps with the pain,
the swelling, any soreness that he has.
Yes, sir, Deebo.
Yes, sir, Deebo.
He is too close.
He got two timeouts. What the fuck?
How could they give that up? [chuckles]
Got his ass!
Got his ass!
Got his ass!
Ah!
[Mancias] We tried it all in 20 years.
But the most important thing
is what he gets for free,
and that's sleep.
It's a non-negotiable.
There is no altering it.
And it's almost like,
you know, how you, like, see a kid,
and they start getting real silly
and doing, like, crazy stuff
when they don't get their nap.
Boom!
[laughs]
It's almost like you would prefer.
Like, "Go ahead and take your nap."
Like you have to get
this energy out of you.
He like, "You know I'm sleepy."
All right, about to take my nap.
You ain't gotta go home.
You gotta get the hell out of my room.
I'm like, "Yeah, go take your nap."
[laughs]
[lullaby music playing]
[LeBron] Sleep is the best recovery
that you can have.
It's basically equivalent to you
putting your phone on a charger
when you go to bed.
Am I able to do it every single night?
Of course not.
But if you try to get
the most sleep that you can get,
that is the only way
that you're gonna get back to 100%.
[alarm clock blaring]
[LeBron] Well, a typical game day ritual,
home game for me that tips off at 7:00,
usually starts early morning.
I like to get here around 8:30-ish.
Shootaround is usually at ten o'clock.
I get in cold plunges,
ten to fifteen minutes at a time.
I step out on the floor
before we start our shootaround at 9:40
for a 20-minute workout on the court.
Oh shit!
I'mma blow ♪
Yeah, I'mma blow ♪
Sometimes you gotta make your misses, man.
Sometimes you gotta
Sometimes you gotta make your misses.
I don't play ♪
With my mental, I don't play ♪
[LeBron] Oh.
And then miss your makes.
[man] We got a short agenda,
but we gotta get better today.
We got some things we gotta work on.
We'll start it up.
Let's have a good one. Here we go, guys.
- Together. One, two, three.
- [all] Together!
[man 2] Let's get in two groups, please.
Hey, let's get two groups.
[LeBron] Then we go through our
shootaround, usually done around 11:00.
And then right after that,
I usually head to get my nap.
I usually nap from, like, 12:00 to 2:00.
By 2:30, I'm at the arena.
[Mancias] We have a floor series,
and that's all just really trying
to fire in these deep core muscles.
And then we work our way out from there.
We go pretty hard.
That sets the tone for the evening.
In his mind, he's already beaten you.
You walk in, you're late.
[LeBron] And then I go back on the court
for my routine
where I step on the basketball floor
before everybody gets there,
before no fans, no nothing.
It's usually just me and the Laker Girls
on the floor. [chuckles]
And then I head back
to start getting my body worked on,
either stretching, massaging.
[Mancias] This In-Season Tournament,
in your mind, you had to trick yourself
that this was the playoffs,
that this was the finals.
You had to go all-in on these games.
So it was very, very intense.
[LeBron] What the In-Season Tournament did
was create some intensity
that we haven't had
throughout the regular season,
as early as this season,
ever.
We haven't had that ever.
But my process is the same.
We run out on the floor
anywhere between 17 to 20 minutes
on our clock.
And then boom. [snaps fingers]
Around 6:59, the powder goes into the air.
And you know it's game time.
[horns blows]
[commentator] It's the Suns and Lakers
for the quarterfinals
of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament.
Destination, Vegas.
When LeBron James
and Kevin Durant go head-to-head,
that is a special thing.
He dribbles up the left wing.
Blows past Prince to the baseline.
Jumps it up and in
from ten feet away. Kevin Durant.
You've gotta savor these moments
when LeBron James
and Kevin Durant are going head-to-head.
[commentator 2] But guess what?
Only one can move on.
[commentator] LeBron driving to the rim.
Got there. Lays it up and in!
Thirty-one for LeBron!
[cheering]
[commentator] A one-point game.
Twenty-two seconds to go.
[commentator 2] And a trip to Vegas
on the line.
[commentator] Austin for three.
It's good!
[screams]
[commentator]
The Los Angeles Lakers advance.
They're going to Vegas.
We put ourselves in a position
to be in Vegas
to be able to advance
to the championship round.
Felt great. My energy was great.
Ooh, ten o'clock.
I should be home by 11:15.
Eat.
Have a little have a little wine.
AKA a bottle.
[chuckles]
Play a little Madden.
Life is good.
I'll take that. I'll take that.
I'll take that, Max Lew.
Yeah. I'll take that, Max Lew.
You was fucking balling, boy.
- I appreciate it, man.
- Way to cook. Doing all the little things.
No practice tomorrow,
or get what you need, probably.
- [man] Get what you need.
- [LeBron] You know what I need?
Not the motherfucking facility.
Out of there.
[woman] Saturday night
Oh! Man, I am going home.
I'm tired as fuck.
Got the house to myself ♪
Don't need nobody else ♪
Ooh, ooh ♪
[pulsating music playing]
[beeps]
I asked if the main court's open
'cause usually I shoot on the main court.
[man] Beautiful, dog.
Papa, reach in on that.
You know how to try to
- [man 2] From the back?
- Front.
You know how, when he gets ready to go,
they try to Long arms.
- Got it.
- [man] Right there. Right. Yeah.
- Yeah.
- [Sabonis] Good.
[man] So make him move that ball.
Whenever we have
an opportunity that the floor is down,
I like him to get into the environment
and just get the feeling, the sight lines,
all the things
he's gonna experience in the game.
We're the same hand, same foot
that we worked on in the summertime.
Ha! You're gonna get him quick
'cause it's one dribble,
and you're on top.
[man 2] I'm the small.
- Yeah.
- [man 2] Oh yeah, Domas.
There you go.
[Sabonis] I play a certain style that, um,
I get my body beat up every game.
I get hit all the time. You can go through
the history of my career.
[commentator] He had his hand
on Beal's back there.
[commentator 2] Ooh. Wow.
- [commentator 3] Got a cut under his eye.
- [commentator 4] Wow.
[Sabonis] I'm just trying to not get hurt.
[commentator 5] Monk puts it up.
And Curry's got the board.
- Green gets tied up.
- [whistle blows]
[commentator 5] And a technical
has been assessed.
I have no hard feelings.
Nothing, you know. Um
I don't know how to respond to this.
My wife has her own opinion. [laughs]
No, you have your own opinion
on answering these questions.
The stomp heard around the world.
Um, okay, let's talk [laughs]
Let's talk about it.
Where do I begin?
I was seven months pregnant,
so let's talk about me and the situation.
I was horrified.
I just remember, like, shaking,
thinking I was gonna give birth,
and then I just see them
put a towel over my husband's head,
and I was, like, done.
So it was like
Personally, it was not enjoyable.
[commentator] Sabonis
will be helped to his feet.
I think from seeing his dad go through
the injuries that he went through
because recovery wasn't a thing
when he played.
He had so many injuries.
I think he had, like, two torn Achilles.
Like, everything was broken.
- [commentator] Hoping that Christian goes
- [grunts]
[commentator] Sabonis might be hurt here.
[Sabonis] I was always told
since a young age by my dad,
"Take care of your body.
That's the most important thing."
So he's just always worried about me.
You know, he doesn't want me to get hurt.
Always wants me to take my time
and heal before I come out.
The worst thing, I feel like,
in basketball is being on the bench
and watching your team play.
[Arvydas speaking indistinctly]
This we talk from the first day
when he came to NBA.
And I say, "Here you have
the best of everything."
"You need to do whatever you need to do."
"This, uh, recuperation stuff, you know."
"This is more important.
If you be healthy, you play."
[Sabonis] Taking care of myself, my body,
it's what basically gets you
to the next level.
The In-Season Tournament,
anything you can do
to keep yourself mentally fresh
and the body right.
Game's at 7:00.
I might not be ready at 6:00.
By the time the jump ball comes up,
I'mma be ready.
[commentator] Let the fun continue.
The knockout rounds move on
in Sacramento on this Monday night.
[man] It's the In-Season Tournament,
So let's get that win!
[all] Yeah!
[commentator] Lyles finds Monk.
Long three.
- Okay!
- [cheering]
[commentator] It's that kind of night
to start for the Kings.
I definitely think
the In-Season Tournament's a big thing.
This win right now will take us to Vegas.
Everyone's watching.
[commentator] Sabonis with the slam dunk.
[Sabonis] I feel like everyone wants to be
part of something that they can win.
Being part of a final four is always
a lot of fun, a lot of excitement.
Yes! Yeah! Yes! Way to find him.
Let's go!
[Sabonis] Out the gate,
guards are shooting lights out.
We're moving the ball.
We're playing great.
We take a nice, big, early lead.
It's just going smooth.
You know, in the NBA,
it comes and goes real quick.
You can be on a high real quick,
and you can be on a low.
[commentator] Tough to stop that.
A freight train coming. Zion Williamson.
Help! Guys! You gotta get in!
You gotta get in! Come on!
[Sabonis] It's a whole trickle effect.
[commentator] The Pelicans put
the clamps down on Sacramento.
[Sabonis] The Pelicans, they really put us
in uncomfortable positions
where, um, they played us a certain way,
which was physical, smart.
- They came and punched us in the mouth.
- [whistle blows]
- [crowd clamoring]
- [Sabonis] Ah!
[commentator] Those Pelicans put
the pedal down here in this fourth quarter
and gonna take down the Kings.
And, Stan, they're gonna win their third
straight game against Sacramento
to advance to Las Vegas.
[Sabonis] To lose such a big game at home
really just sucks.
Post-game mental recovery, I mean,
it can go a lot of different ways.
Sometimes, you just wanna vent.
You wanna get it all out.
But, uh, you can't get too high
or too low, you know?
It's such a long season.
And as the years go on,
and you become more a veteran,
you kind of learn how to control that
and keep yourself always at a steady pace.
[man] My thing is, like, beyond 6'10",
does it make a difference
with your game style?
[Tatum] Be 6'11? For sure!
[man] I'd pay
I would pay 50 grand to be 6'2".
- [Tatum] A year?
- [man] No.
[laughing]
[man 2] It can't be that easy, bro!
"A year? No."
[laughing]
That's the problem. I never felt short
until I started working in the league.
I never felt like I was short.
When I was in the clinic, college,
I was never the short guy.
Now I'm the short Asian dude
that's walking around with you guys.
With games every other day in the NBA,
it kind of forces you
to stick to a certain training schedule
where There's a saying.
You wanna keep the high days high
and the low days low.
[Sang] So five each side.
We do the same shit all the time.
[Sang] I'm originally from
Queens, New York. You know, I will admit,
I was a pretty die-hard Knicks fan
back in the day.
But I also can admit now,
I think I'm a bit too invested right now
to root for any team
other than the Celtics.
Eighty-two games plus a postseason
can be pretty taxing.
You know, a lot of these guys
just wanna focus on the on-court stuff,
but one of the advantages with him
is he really bought into the body work,
started really appreciating the process.
[Tatum] You wanna win the championship,
but what I've realized and learned
in my seven years of playing
is to enjoy the process
and not take things for granted.
You know, Nick has a direct impact
on the success that I have on the court.
You know, I've been
one of the most durable players,
you know, since I've been in the NBA,
and that is, you know,
a testament to staying consistent.
Right. We have a plan.
We have things we're trying to accomplish.
[Sang] You spend a lot of time together.
We joke, but, like, I probably see him
more than my family, my friends,
so, you know, inherently,
he kind of becomes,
you know, one of my closest friends.
[Tatum] He used to be
a dude from American Gangster.
He was a Black cop.
Remember, Russell Crowe had his crew.
- [man] Yeah. Oh, RZA?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- [man] From Wu-Tang.
So he did an interview
and was like, "Man, I did a scene"
He was like
he was in a scene with Denzel,
and Denzel didn't talk to him
the entire time they filmed the movie.
Didn't say one word.
He said they was at the movie premiere.
And he was with his wife.
He said he was walking,
and somebody just came up
and gave him a big bear hug from behind,
and it was Denzel.
He said, "Man, I was wondering,
like, yo, why didn't you talk to me?"
He said, "That was Frank Lucas.
You was the cops."
[laughing]
[Sang] Is it harder to be
a stand-up comedian or a, uh,
a Travis Scott performer?
- [man] Rapping shit is easy.
- Yeah, stand-up comedy.
[man] Fuck yeah, I mean
Everybody already know
what you're about to say when you
I think art, like sports,
is the only thing
where you're fighting to get, like
Somebody is actively trying to stop me.
[commentator] What a scene.
What an atmosphere here
at the semifinals
of this first-ever In-Season Tournament.
The winner advancing to Las Vegas.
[commentator 2] It is electric in here.
[commentator] Jayson Tatum
with the defender hanging on his back.
It's our ball. It's our ball.
[Tatum] The In-Season Tournament,
we've never seen anything like this.
And it gives teams
who may not necessarily be,
like, championship-level teams,
but, you know, on any given night,
they can beat anybody.
I think that's what
the In-Season Tournament was made for.
It just made it more interesting
that it was one game, single elimination.
Hey!
[commentator] Tatum frustrated
with all the physicality.
[Tatum] Hey!
[man] Jayson's made that conscious effort
on how to take care of his body.
Stay. Stay. Stay. Stay.
Stay. Stay. Stay. Stay hot.
I think he's benefiting from that.
All those things go into his ability
to perform at a high level
for longer periods of time.
[Mazzulla] Stay awake.
Stay in the game. Go get layups.
Make them have to try and follow us
to guard us. Don't settle for a three.
- [Tatum] Ah!
- [crowd cheering]
[commentator 3] Tatum looks like
he's been hitting the YMCA.
He added 12 pounds of muscle
in the summer,
and you can see it paying off.
[Tatum] And one!
[tense music plays]
[commentator] 1:42 left.
We are deadlocked at 105.
[commentator 2] It is electric in here.
[commentator] Inbound to Haliburton, who's
got plenty of time. Seven on the timer.
Haliburton tracked.
Off-balance three!
He puts it in!
And a chance at four!
Wow.
[commentator 2] This is like
a heavyweight fight.
Both teams going blow for blow here.
I'm getting the ball.
I know you're getting the ball,
but where you getting it?
[crowd chanting] Defense! Defense!
[commentator] Eight to shoot, it's Tatum!
[dreamy music plays]
[Tatum] I always go in
with the mind I'm gonna make it.
And I'm comfortable with living with,
uh, if I miss.
- [crowd clamors]
- [buzzer sounds]
[commentator 4] Jayson Tatum,
he misses the three.
Pacers beat the Celtics
in the quarterfinal
of the In-Season Tournament, 122 to 112,
a playoff feel.
[Tatum] I was mad that we lost.
Had my bags packed. I was ready to go,
and, uh, we lost. I was sick.
[commentator] Fans,
welcome to T-Mobile Arena
for the first
In-Season Tournament championship!
["Blackout" playing]
[LeBron] We're in Vegas,
and we got into the final with with Indy,
and it's like, "We're here, so"
"Let's fucking win it.
What else are we gonna do?"
Let's rock and roll.
Let's get that motherfucking bag.
- Together on three. One, two, three.
- [all] Together!
It's just a part of my show ♪
It's just a part of my show ♪
[man] Let's get busy.
[LeBron] Waste no fucking time.
Get right to it!
- Come on, Goddamn it.
- [man] Get busy.
[hip-hop music playing]
[commentator] It all started
with 30 teams,
and now we are down to the final two.
[LeBron] Playing in the championship
versus the Pacers,
you have to be locked in.
[commentator] James,
clear path to the basket.
Lays it up and in.
That's two. That's two.
[commentator 2] The Lakers are saying,
"We're gonna keep attacking."
"Either you're gonna give us layups,
or we're gonna take fouls."
It was high, intense basketball.
Everybody around us
was just, like, completely in darkness.
You couldn't see much,
and the court was literally the stage.
[LeBron grunting]
[commentator 2] The Lakers came in here
with physical and a bully on mind.
- [LeBron grunting]
- [crowd cheering]
[commentator 2] I don't know what's going
on with LeBron, but he is into this game.
Yeah, two-three.
You're here. You're here.
[commentator] A little flexing going on
as the Lakers back up by four.
[commentator 2] Well, the Lakers
are trying to kind of play bully ball.
[commentator 3] If I had this body,
I'd be playing bully ball myself.
[commentator 2] It's amazing,
the intensity in this game right now.
- [LeBron] Oh!
- [whistle toots]
[heartbeat]
[interviewer] LeBron, does any part of you
think this could be your last season?
[interviewer 2] mentioned that
your basketball future was uncertain.
[pundit] talk to him about him
and his minutes, as he's getting older,
because all those things
talk about his mortality.
- [man] Are you good?
- Yeah. Yeah.
- [man] I tripped.
- I'm good. I'm good.
Bah.
- [man] I tripped.
- [LeBron groaning]
[crowd clamoring]
[indistinct chatter]
- [LeBron groans]
- [man 2] Hey!
[LeBron groans]
[groans]
I know. I know. I know, T.J. We're good.
[man 3] We've never seen
someone in their 21st season
still able to endure the punishment.
One thing about that that hardwood,
it don't give.
It don't give.
[LeBron] Hey, one more dribble.
Hey, he's a shot blocker,
so he wanna try to create space.
And when you go out here,
take one more dribble,
go to his chest first.
- [indistinct chatter]
- That alleviates his height.
Just throw him the fucking ball
in the post.
- [commentator] Davis goes hard
- [LeBron] Attack his ass.
He can't guard you!
[crowd cheering]
[commentator] Twenty-nine
and sixteen for Anthony Davis.
[LeBron] Obviously, that was a tough fall.
I felt it, and my knee kind of locked up.
I was just hoping that it didn't swell.
I was hoping
I was able to get back into it.
And I just kind of took that moment
to kind of just, like,
"I hope everything is okay."
So just, like, chill for a little bit.
And, you know, luckily, I was able
to get back up and continue to play.
Here. AR to the elbow.
[LeBron] AR enter
and then get to the elbow.
He gonna hit AR, and AD gonna flare DLo.
Cam, you're going over the top.
You see Myles Turner clocking me,
just throw it to AD, and I'm gonna chase
to the other block. All right? Read him.
[upbeat music playing]
[commentator 2] LeBron James
is playing chess,
and everyone else is playing checkers.
It's amazing how much smarter he is.
[LeBron] Y'all cannot guard that man.
Y'all can't guard him. Can't guard him.
[commentator] Pass inside.
Davis with the finish.
[LeBron] Ah!
Don't get bored. We're getting stops.
All the way to the finish.
Tighten the screws even tighter.
[commentator] James drives inside.
And the flush.
We got too many dogs born ready.
Too many motherfucking dogs born ready.
[Garnett] Definition of a dog is somebody
that actually believes what he's saying.
Has the confidence to go out here
and make the outcome.
He gonna give the energy
that everybody needs to keep going.
[man] Yes, sir!
[crowd cheering]
[commentator] The Los Angeles Lakers
win the first NBA Cup.
They are champions
of the inaugural In-Season Tournament.
- First ever.
- We're making history.
I was proud and happy
that we were able to be
the first-ever champions
of the In-Season Tournament.
We made history. Anytime you're
on the right side of history, you take it.
So first In-Season Tournament
belongs to the Los Angeles Lakers.
That will never, ever be topped. Ever.
This automatically makes you
the greatest player ever, right?
Automatic.
Add another one to the mantel. [chuckles]
[announcer] Kids, hand out the medals.
Thank you, kid.
Appreciate you, brother. What's your name?
[boy] Can you put this on?
Yeah.
[announcer] We have
our first-ever NBA in-season cup.
Laker team, come take your trophy.
[crowd cheering]
[LeBron] And every player got $500,000.
We had guys on our team that was rookies,
that were two-way players,
that were, you know,
basically on the G League team.
So $500,000 to them,
at this point in time in their life, is
is life-changing.
Appreciate you. [chuckles]
- Hell yeah! Yeah.
- Get that paper.
Where's Adam at? Where's the trophy?
Let's go, man. Fuck. I'm tired.
To be able to come through for those guys,
it meant a lot to me.
Hey. Hey, y'all. Hey, y'all,
wasn't that bitch like this all game?
That was boogying
like a motherfucker, man.
[LeBron] To see them celebrate
and know what was coming to them,
like, that meant a lot.
[announcer 2] The last trophy, the MVP,
to a man who, frankly,
there's nothing else to win
in this league.
The only thing I can say,
I'm sorry,
but it doesn't come with a franchise.
LeBron James, the MVP.
[all cheering]
[LeBron] Rockin' with the Lions
Rocking with the Braves ♪
[all] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we paid ♪
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we paid ♪
[indistinct chatter]
Oh shit!
[man] 'Bout five in jewelry ♪
- I mean, shit.
- [man 2] Oh my God.
They had us doing
Winning is winning. I don't give a fuck.
- Winning is winning.
- [man 3] What up?
- What's up, man?
- [man 3] How are you?
Oh my God, I'm tired.
This is always the part
where you be celebrating a little bit,
and then you get in here
and be like, "I'm fucking tired as shit."
[hip-hop music playing]
Uh, it feels great to to win.
I'm a winner. That's what I wanna do.
So whatever I'm doing,
I wanna win at it, so it feels amazing.
Now I can get home and cheer on my son.
That's the most important right now.
[emotional music playing]
[LeBron] I got right on the plane home
'cause the next day,
I knew Bronny's debut was happening.
My energy level had to be, you know,
extremely high for him.
I dedicated this season to Bronny,
uh, because of everything
that he's been through.
[reporter] Some good news
for Bronny James.
The son of NBA superstar LeBron James
warmed up
with his USC teammates last night
for the first time
since suffering cardiac arrest last July.
[LeBron] When I knew
he was healthy enough to play basketball,
it was an unbelievable feeling.
But it's just a lot of nerves, for sure.
A lot of nerves.
Because we almost lost him.
[commentator] And for the first time
this season,
four months after
suffering cardiac arrest,
Bronny James makes his collegiate debut.
[commentator 2] We are just happy
for the kid to be back playing basketball
and get into a real game.
And we would say that
whether it's LeBron James' son
or any player, right?
If you have a health scare like that,
just great to see him back on the court.
[emotional music playing]