Swagger (2021) s02e08 Episode Script

1
[JACE] It's important
to note the three of us
are all from different walks of life.
One of us grew up in
a seven-bedroom house.
And one of us grew up in the projects.
One of us grew up in
San Juan, Puerto Rico.
And yet, there is something that
brought the three of us together.
Hoops.
[CROWD CHEERING]
[AMBER] Jace and Nick play on the court.
I'm mostly on the
sideline as a cheerleader.
Jocks need to overcome stereotypes.
Arguably, cheerleaders need
to overcome them even more.
[CROWD BOOING]
[AMBER] When I have pom-poms
in my hands, no one is thinking,
"That girl looks like
she has a 3.8 GPA."
Or that Nick also has a 3.8.
Or that Jace, with as much
time as he spends playing,
has just under a 3.5.
[JACE] When you're the
bottom seed in the playoffs,
expectations are low.
[JACE] But you happen
to win a game or two,
they act like it's a damn miracle.
It's a game where individual
performance matters,
but no one person wins by themselves.
Nick!
[GRUNTING]
[FAN] Come on.
Come on, baby. You got this!
- [BUZZER SOUNDS]
- [CHEERING]
- Yeah! Let's go!
- Yeah!
Yes!
- [JACE] The thing is
- Whoo!
we never believed
what they said about us.
Let's go!
[JACE] We knew the miracle would
be if the haters could stop us.
To our illustrious
teacher, Dr. Emory Lawson
[CHUCKLES]
we have toiled through
our class readings in earnest,
in search for the
answer to the question,
"Is democracy a
destination or a journey?"
With all due respect
we'll have to answer it our way.
["DAY ONES" PLAYING]
[MEG] We'll get another shot
at Hilltop Central from Chicago.
They beat us in our regular season,
but we're gonna see 'em
again at the championship.
It's gonna be held at a neutral
site: Los Angeles, California.
- Really?
- [PLAYERS GASPING, CLAMORING]
Mm-hmm.
They're the number one seed. So what?
They won the National
Championship last year. So what?
Some say they might do it this year.
Y'all don't know what
you're supposed to say yet?
So what?
[PLAYERS CLAMORING] All right.
Yeah. All right, so what.
Somebody's paying attention. Thank you.
But there's something else
they're not considering.
[PLAYER] What's that?
Those bright lights in Los
Angeles? They were made for us.
- They're made for me.
- [CLAMORING]
[NICK] Freedom, like a
championship, is won by conquest.
- [CLAMORING CONTINUES]
- [NICK] And our mission was clear.
No one gets to stand in
the way of our future.
- No one.
- [CHANTING]
Without Jace's leadership,
they would not be headed to California
to play in the National Championship.
I can assure you, I am a believer.
We just have to be sure others are too.
Let me explain what
we offer as a service.
We have successfully placed
2,000 athletes in D1 schools.
Our database has contact
information for over 350 D1 coaches.
We will create a highlight reel for you
and send it out to big
and mid-level programs.
And we will lobby on your
behalf so you don't have to.
In a month, every D1 program
will know the name Jason Carson.
I'm sure most of them know
my name is Jace Carson.
I apologize for that,
Jace. Of course they do.
And we'll make sure colleges have
the right narrative
regarding our athletes.
The narrative is that
Jace is a top-30 player.
If they want a shot at
him, they need to step up.
His ranking has dropped.
There are also questions
about his character.
Aside from being a vigilante, he
posted his confession on social media.
He lied and said his
teammates were not involved.
They should respect me
for trying to protect them.
- May I be blunt?
- By all means.
I don't believe in living in fear.
However, I do believe in facing reality.
Your standing in the collegiate
community is spiraling.
No top programs are offering you
a basketball scholarship. Is that right?
I mean, that's why you're here.
What about smaller schools?
[SIGHS] Delaware
State. East Mississippi.
Not exactly what you
envisioned for yourself.
I need a pathway to the NBA.
You can finish the application
and payment process online.
As soon as you do,
we will fight for you,
so you can just focus
on the game you love.
How much does the
recruiting service cost?
It's $10,000 for the first month.
If you want us to continue after
that, it's only 5,000 monthly.
But as our client
testimonials will attest,
this is an investment
into your child's success.
Hmm. We'll think about it.
I already thought about it. We're good.
We need to have a discussion.
This is humiliating, Mom.
He doesn't even know my name.
Thank you for coming, Mr. Daniels.
- [JACE SIGHS]
- [SIGHS]
- [KATHRYN] Hi, Mommy.
- Hi, baby. How's your day going so far?
Miss Smith said I can
bring Penny home with us.
Oh. That's nice. And who's this here?
Larrina. Well, that's
a very pretty name.
You maybe wanna bring
her home with us too?
No. I just want the pretty doll.
Did she use those exact
words, "the pretty doll"?
Yes, Ike. Your daughter. Okay?
The one who reads the books
with the beautiful Black
illustrations in them said that.
It's like that experiment
in the late '30s,
where they were studying the effects
of segregation on Black children.
[SIGHS] She not messed up like
the kids during segregation.
She can still drink from
the same water fountains,
but baby, she is one of two
Black children in her class.
- [SIGHS, SCOFFS]
- And I remember
I remember being so relieved
that she wasn't the only one.
But [SCOFFS, SIGHS]
What kind of message is she
receiving in that place? This place?
[SIGHS]
[CROWD CHEERING]
- [WHISTLE BLOWS]
- Jarrett! You're in.
[PLAYER] All right, get it.
- [CHEERING CONTINUES]
- [WHISTLE BLOWS]
This is my show!
[CHEERING]
[GRUNTS]
[CROWD CHEERING]
Crystal, I know it meant the world to me
to be named a McDonald's All-American.
How does it feel to be here?
It's been great. It's such
an amazing achievement,
and it's been an honor to play with
the top female athletes in the country.
Well, I can say from all of us
that we are so proud
of how far you've come.
So what's next?
I'll be declaring my college soon.
But, um, in the meantime,
I'm meeting with Gladiator Sneakers
to work on some of my initiatives.
Mr. Powers, would you like
to discuss this with us?
Um, no. Tha That's [CHUCKLES]
not necessary right now. No.
He's modest.
However, he'd be the first to say
he believes in financially supporting
women's sports and holding
sports clinics for girls,
and, to top it all off,
he plans to rebuild the gym at the
high school I'm graduating from.
[NNEKA] Can you confirm
this, Mr. Powers?
- Every single word.
- [PHOTOGRAPHER] Can we get a picture?
New gym, that's a nice touch.
Ah, I know.
[PHOTOGRAPHER] Perfect.
[JACE] Welcome home.
This is nice of you.
Six points at the All-Star
game, a steal and three assists?
Yeah, you are the
undeniable queen of the DMV.
Thank you.
Not like you need me to tell you.
What's wrong?
When I found out I was named
a McDonald's All-American,
I didn't tell you right
away, and that hurt you.
I don't wanna make the same mistake.
Okay.
After my McDonald's
game, I got another offer.
USC. Full ride.
I know it's not UCLA
where you toured, but
It's still in Cali.
Thanks for telling me.
Is University of Maryland
still a lock for you?
I, uh, haven't made it official yet.
[CLEARS THROAT] It's been
hard to focus, 'cause
there's something else.
I'm late.
You mean
Nah. We've been responsible.
Have we? The third time? Remember?
- Yeah, but I was so careful not to
- Come on, Jace. Stop.
[BREATHING SHAKILY] I'm scared,
okay? I'm late. And I'm freaking out.
And I just
Okay.
[CRYSTAL SIGHS]
Which one do we need?
I don't know. I've never
done this before. You tell me.
I've never done this before either.
Let's go. [SIGHS]
[CASHIER] You're very welcome.
Crystal Jarrett?
[CHUCKLES] It is you. Oh, my God.
You are truly one of the
most incredible people
that I follow on Instagram.
[CHUCKLES] That's so nice of you.
My nine-year-old daughter
literally said the other day,
"When I grow up, I wanna
be like Crystal Jarrett."
Thank you. I'm I'm honored.
[INHALES DEEPLY]
I'm outta here.
What about the test?
I'm too recognizable. You buy it.
Maybe you haven't noticed,
but in some places around here,
I'm kind of a household name.
No offense, but in your dreams, bro.
[CUSTOMER] Excuse me, can I
get a picture with you, Jace?
For sure.
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
- Respect, brother.
- Thank you. Thank you.
Don't say it.
So now what?
We're just gonna have to find
someone else to buy it for us.
- [SIGHS]
- [SIGHS]
[BELL RINGS]
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
- Here.
- Thank you.
Yeah, I got you two different ones.
And I suggest that you handle
this before our mom comes home.
So I just pee on it and wait?
Yeah, that's [SIGHS]
basically it.
Jack, do you mind leaving
for a little while?
Oh, you want a nice little
private moment. That is so sweet.
But I don't think so. I bought
the test, so I'm staying.
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
How much more on time?
A minute longer than the
last time you asked me.
[GIGGLES]
[GIGGLING]
When I'm really nervous,
I-I I laugh sometimes.
It's [STAMMERS] Just please
don't have a medical emergency
when I'm around. [CHUCKLES]
I'll be cracking up.
I'll keep that in mind.
It's crazy that your whole
lives could change right now.
Thanks for the reminder, Jackie.
[PHONE BEEPING]
[JACE] The decisions and
choices we make mean everything.
There are so many ways
our lives could go.
- It's negative.
- [EXHALES SHARPLY]
Thank God. [MUTTERS]
Looks like y'all dodged a bullet.
But if you're still late in a
couple days, go see a doctor.
Do you wanna be pregnant?
Not anytime soon.
So you're trying to be a daddy now?
- No.
- Then use the condoms.
[JACKIE SIGHS]
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
[TONYA] In the experiment,
the Black students ascribed
the positive characteristics
to the white dolls,
but the negative characteristics
to the Black ones.
Doctors concluded that Black children
living in a society that was unbalanced
had come to see themselves
in a negative light.
Wow, that's disturbing and
powerful. Thank you for sharing that.
- You've never seen it?
- No.
I think it should be required
for anyone working in
early childhood development.
There's always more to learn.
Drop-off's going to
begin in a few moments.
I'll make this quick. We
have purchased some books
featuring some beautiful
Black girls and women.
Reading books like this
in school and at home
would not only raise the self-esteem
of the Black students here,
but also the awareness
of the non-Black students.
I appreciate it, Mr. and Mrs. Edwards.
Every book on our shelf has
been hand-selected by me.
I prefer to take a color-blind
approach in my class.
Color-blind.
They have the rest of
their lives to worry about
race and issues that divide us.
Mary, given our daughter's feelings
on white dolls versus Black ones,
you might consider the possibility
that they're already impacted by race.
Rest assured, I love Kathryn and
all the children who come here.
I'm sure you do.
Children of Cedar Cove
employees, like your daughter,
will always be treated with
the utmost care and respect.
I have to go welcome our students now.
What just happened?
I have no idea.
[IKE] Come on.
[IKE] Focus! Come on, Jace.
Head up! Let's go.
I feel like I'm drowning.
Okay. I'ma give you five seconds
to feel sorry for yourself.
You done?
What if I play in Nationals
and a major school
still doesn't recruit me?
I haven't given up.
And you haven't either.
- What do we do with outside noise?
- Ignore it.
Okay. All the greats had to.
Kobe, MJ, LeBron, KD.
- Don't let other people's opinion
- Become my reality.
Okay. [CLAPS] Come on.
Come on. [BREATHING HEAVILY]
I don't care about makes and misses!
I care about consistency.
Come down soft. Keep that elbow up.
Same shot every time, Jace Carson!
[IKE] Yeah!
- [JACE] Like most of us
- [IKE] Let's go.
[JACE] I am lifted up by others
who have had someone in their life
lift them up.
Yeah. Hey, great work today.
- You got this.
- All right.
[IKE] We'll pick it up in
the a.m., all right? [CLAPS]
All right. Thank you, Coach.
- [IKE] Yeah, man.
- [JACE] Yo!
Miss you, Coach.
- Miss you too, young king.
- All right, I gotta bounce.
[IKE INHALES SHARPLY, CLEARS THROAT]
You wanted to talk?
Uh, yeah. Thanks for coming.
How you making out?
I'm great. Alhamdulillah.
How's Tonya and Kathryn?
You remember that Black/white
doll test they did back in the day?
Yeah.
Well, uh, Kathryn's tripping,
thinking the Black doll's not pretty.
[SIGHS] Damn. I'm sorry to hear that.
Yeah.
And this place, i-i-it
can do some good and
def do some bad.
[SUCKS TEETH] How it changes people.
Yeah. I was thinking the same thing.
How long we been ride or die?
[BLOWS] Long-ass time.
Twenty-five years.
And you quit on me.
You quit on my kid.
My son. How could you think I'd
be down with some mess like that?
I didn't quit on him. I quit
on the offense I was running.
You are ruining my
son's love for the game.
CJ get more minutes
because CJ's more explosive.
High school sophomore with NBA
legacy in his blood and crazy hops.
Now, I know you don't
wanna hear that shit,
but I've known you for
too long to bullshit you.
Musa loves the game.
Musa just hates disappointing you.
[NAIM SIGHS]
I haven't told anyone, but
[SIGHS]
I'm leaving Cedar
Cove after this season.
This whole world where board members
play God with everyone's lives.
[NAIM] Mmm.
How they turn their back on our kids.
We just chess pieces here.
I'm not cut out for that shit.
Now, Musa's minutes will be down,
but he's still the emotional
engine of this team.
He's one of our leaders, and
we wouldn't be here without him.
And I've told him as much.
You know this ain't about basketball.
It's about us guiding them to be men.
And
I wouldn't be here without you either.
- Nah, you wouldn't. [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLING]
But I feel the same way.
So what, you unquit?
I unquit.
- Man.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
I'll be in LA tomorrow.
[JACE SIGHS]
- You look good. You look ready. [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLES]
- Think so?
- I do.
[CHUCKLES]
What?
I'm just thinking to myself,
you taught me how to tie a tie.
I'm good for something. [CHUCKLES]
Can you throw me up a prayer?
Of course.
Hmm. Dear Lord
cover my son.
Shower him with blessings,
help him to serve you well,
and help him to reach his dreams. Amen.
Amen.
Thanks, Mom.
You're welcome.
Mmm. Let's get you to the airport.
[AIRPLANE PASSING OVERHEAD]
[CHUCKLES]
[PHONE RINGS]
Hey, Coach.
Nah, actually, I'm in California.
[CHUCKLES] Actually,
I was, uh, wondering
if you would like my extra ticket
to the National Championships.
Listen, seeing Jace Carson
up close and personal
is something special, man.
Yeah. Yeah, we can talk about it.
- [CROWD CHEERING, WHISTLING]
- Yo, yo, huddle up. Huddle up, huddle up.
All right, y'all.
You deserve to be here.
Play together. Play for each other.
That's right, y'all. Hey, look around.
All these people, they here for us.
Today, this is our
house. Not theirs. Ours.
- That's right.
- And this is home sweet home, baby.
- Yeah.
- Hey, hey, hey.
Hey, come on now. Let's go.
Hey, "Home sweet home"
on three. One, two, three!
- Home sweet home! [CHEERS]
- [PLAYER] Yeah!
[MUSA] Let's go, let's go, baby.
- Your shoulder good?
- Nah, it was just sweating, my G.
- Yeah.
- You know.
Let's go!
Moose!
Come on, Jace!
[PLAYERS CHATTERING]
[WHISTLE BLOWS]
- [CROWD GROANS]
- Okay. That's all right!
Calm down, man.
All right.
- Set it up.
- [PLAYERS CHATTERING, GRUNTING]
Defense!
[GRUNTING]
[DREW SHOUTS] I'm open!
- [PLAYER] Let's go, let's go.
- [PLAYERS PANTING, SHOUTING]
[HILLTOP PLAYERS CHEERING]
- Really?
- [SIGHS]
Come on!
[PLAYERS CHATTERING]
[NICK] Knock it down, Jace.
Communicate!
[NICK] Communication
feels like a lost art.
But on the court, it's vital.
Moose, tie your shoes!
[CROWD CHEERING]
[WHISTLE BLOWS]
[CROWD CHEERING]
All right, y'all. We're together.
Come on. Ey, yo, we together.
Ey, yo. Flash five! Flash five!
That's good, Moose!
[SCREAMS]
Let's go!
Swagger, let's go!
[CHEERING]
Yeah!
[WHISTLE BLOWS]
CJ, Royale! CJ, Royale, Drew, Moose!
[FAN] Yo, CJ, come on, you got it, man.
All right. Hey, hey.
Hold up, boy. Good job.
Yeah, let's go. Come on! Come on.
Defense! Defense!
[CHEERING]
That's what I'm talking
about. Yeah, man. What?
[LAUGHS] Whoo!
That's how we do it!
[FAN] Hey, set that set.
Hey, stay strong, boy.
[CROWD GASPS]
- Time out, time out.
- [WHISTLE BLOWS]
[JACE] Get outta my face.
- [PLAYER] Let's go!
- [ANNOUNCER] Time out, Cedar Cove.
Listen. Listen, listen!
Keep your head up!
Yo, 21. This shit not over.
[MUSA] Hey, hey, hey. Hey, boy,
you killing it. Walk down there
Hey! It's not over! It's not over!
- Yo, listen, listen, listen!
- Royale!
All right? All right.
Down by 3. We're playing
for overtime, all right?
This is how we gonna do it.
[JACE] On this journey,
life gives you moments.
[IKE] "Swagger" on
three! One, two, three!
Swagger!
Oh, everyone knows where the
ball is gonna go. Come on.
[WHISTLE BLOWS]
- [CHEERING]
- [WHISTLE BLOWS]
- [BUZZER SOUNDS]
- [CHEERING]
- [SCREAMING] Let's go!
- [WHISTLE BLOWS]
His foot was on the line!
- What?
- No way. We can't take a look at that?
Hold up, Coach. Let us review the play.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Wait. Nobody's Just wait.
After review, the call
stands. Two points.
[HILLTOP CENTRAL TEAM CHEERING]
[PLAYERS SOBBING]
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. [CRIES]
[SNIFFLING, SOBBING]
- [MUFFLED] Sorry.
- It's okay.
[CHATTERING]
You can't make this
Think it's time.
[SIGHS]
[SIGHS]
[MICROPHONE FEEDBACK]
I'm sorry about that. I guess
that's one way to get your attention.
[CHUCKLING]
Welcome to our end of season banquet.
We've had a season unlike any other.
I wanna take a moment
to thank my best friend.
This person has been with
me through the ups and downs.
And I'm so grateful for her.
My beautiful wife, Tonya.
Thanks to Alonzo Powers
from Gladiator Sneakers.
Alonzo promised that he would make
sure that the team looked good.
- [AUDIENCE CHUCKLES]
- I did.
And I think we all can agree
that we made them look
pretty damn good too.
[PEOPLE CHEERING]
[CHUCKLES]
To the amazing people behind me,
coaches Seymour Greyson,
Naim Rahaim and Meg Bailey.
- [GUESTS APPLAUDING]
- [PLAYER] Coach Meg!
[GUESTS WHOOPING, CHEERING]
When I came into this job,
I was hoping I could
navigate you into manhood.
But you you taught me
what it means to be a man.
In particular, CJ.
CJ, you are one of the most
courageous teenagers I have ever met.
And don't worry about
filling your pops' shoes.
You're already better than he was.
[CHUCKLES]
- No, no, no.
- [IKE] Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
- [LAUGHS]
- Oh. [CHUCKLING] Okay.
- [IKE] Take it easy.
- That's true.
And, uh, to one of our juniors.
Johnny Fitz, Johnny Fitzpatrick.
Probably the richest kid I've
ever had in the locker room.
[CHUCKLES]
But you're also the most humble.
Keep working hard, man. I'm
I'm so proud of you, Johnny. Thank you.
- [CHEERING]
- [PLAYER] Johnny!
And now, to our seniors.
I call your name, walk to half-court.
Let me first bring up Mr. Phil Marksby.
- [ROYALE] Yes, sir. Big Phil. Yeah, Phil.
- [CHEERS, APPLAUSE]
[PLAYERS, GUESTS CHANTING]
My Bad! My Bad!
My Bad! My Bad!
[GUEST] Whoo! Go, Phil.
Phil, you were feared on the court.
And I'm glad your opponents
never got to really know you.
'Cause if they did,
they would see you are
the kindest human being
that they might ever meet.
[AUDIENCE AFFIRMING]
I love you, man. My
wife Tonya loves you.
Now take this damn pin and
certificate before I start crying, man.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
- [AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
[CHEERING]
- [MUSA] Yeah, Phil.
- [EXHALES SHARPLY]
[INHALES SHARPLY, SIGHS]
I wanna thank my coaches
[CHUCKLES]
my father and my mom,
and my teammates.
I had days when, sometimes
I didn't wanna get out of bed.
But I got out of bed 'cause I knew
I'd I'd get to be on
the court with you all.
[CHUCKLES]
Tell them about college, man.
Oh, yeah.
And I'll be playing basketball
and studying criminal justice
at Howard University.
[CHEERING, APPLAUDING]
Mr. Drew Murphy.
- [PLAYER 1] Our brother!
- [PLAYER 2] Yeah, Drew!
- [CHEERS, APPLAUSE]
- [PLAYERS, AUDIENCE CHANTING "DREW"]
You started playing
for me when you were 13.
He would take two buses from the suburbs
just because you wanted to be
a part of something special.
Something that wouldn't
be as special without you.
And wherever you go in life,
man, please keep that sense
of humor, keep that fire
and just know I'm so proud
of you, man. I love you.
[CHEERING]
- [PLAYER 1] Let's go, Drew.
- [PLAYER 2] Yeah, Drew.
[SIGHS]
I just wanna say I'm white.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
[CHUCKLES, SIGHS]
On our club team, I
was the only white kid.
But I learned so much about the world
in a way which which
I never would've learned
if I didn't take those two buses
into Seat Pleasant for practice.
And it showed me how how
separated most of us are in the world.
Our team was different.
We were all together,
and that's something that's gonna
stick with me for a long time.
Thanks, Mom and Dad,
for letting me be me.
My teammates, my coaches,
for all the adventures.
[COACHES CHUCKLE]
And I didn't get recruited,
but I'll be going to Georgetown
as a journalism major.
- [APPLAUDING, CHEERING]
- Yeah, buddy.
And I'll be a walk-on for
the basketball team, and, uh,
trust me when I tell you
the headband is not retired.
[LAUGHING]
[CHEERING]
Nick Mendez.
[PLAYER 1] Yeah, Nick.
[PLAYER 2] Let's go, Mendez.
- [CHEERING]
- [PLAYER WHOOPS]
Ooh. [CHUCKLES]
Nick, we had to convince you to trust us
when you first joined our club team.
And you insisted on having number 21.
Roberto Clemente's number.
[TERESA] Mm-hmm.
Your mental toughness is insane.
And I knew you were a
special, special player.
But you're even more
of a special person.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUSE, MURMURING]
I just want to say
thank you to my brothers.
And I mean it. Y'all are my brothers
[CHUCKLES] and I'm gonna miss y'all.
Thank you to my coaches.
- Pops, thank you for all your sacrifices.
- Mmm.
Mamí
you always believed in me.
You made me feel like I
could do anything. We made it.
Because of you, I'm going to
the University of Richmond.
And 'cause of you, I made the
Puerto Rican National Team!
[CHEERING]
[LAUGHS]
Baila, baila, baila! [LAUGHS]
Mr. Musa Rahaim.
- [PLAYERS CHEERING] Moose.
- [AUDIENCE CHEERING]
Moose.
[ALL] Moose.
- [JACE] Yeah. Whoo!
- [MEG] Go Moose!
I love you, son. So much.
So damn much.
When you were born, I became a dad.
When you held that
basketball, I became a coach.
Coaching you has been a joy.
[SNIFFS, CLEARS THROAT]
I want you to remember,
there is nothing you cannot do
if you remember to trust yourself,
- have a cause bigger than yourself.
- [GUEST] Yes.
And always remember
you got a cool-ass dad.
[ALL LAUGHING]
- I love you.
- I love you, Pop.
So proud of you.
[INHALES SHARPLY]
Uh, wow.
Uh, thank you for that, Pop, really.
I'm gonna take that with
me. And yes, you are cool.
- [CHUCKLES, SNIFFS]
- [CHUCKLES]
Um, I wanna say thank
you to all my coaches.
[INHALES SHARPLY, CHUCKLES]
This man. This man right
here, Coach Seymour.
You know, I learned that, sometimes,
the best thing to do in the game
and in life is to pause
[INHALES SHARPLY] press reset
and tie your shoes.
[CHUCKLES]
So, thank you for that.
Hey, my my shoes are tied, man.
[ALL LAUGHING]
My brothers.
Damn it, I You know,
I wish we could've got this
last one for the road, you know?
But it's okay because I
can tell y'all right now
there is no group of people
that I'd rather go to battle with
every day than you guys, right here.
I promise y'all, I mean that from
the bottom of my heart. I love y'all.
[SNIFFS] Um, gosh, uh, anyway.
I think now's a good
time to let y'all know
that next time you're in New
York, give a brother a call
because I am taking my
talents, my hip-hop talents,
to the Clive Davis
School of Music at NYU.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
- [PLAYERS] Moose.
- Moose.
[LAUGHS]
Mr. Royale Hughes. Please
come to the s stage.
- [PLAYER] Let's go, Royale.
- [AUDIENCE CHEERING]
- [PLAYER 1] Yeah.
- [PLAYER 2] Yeah, bro.
Royale.
Your mind, Royale, helped
me grow to love you.
It's your superpower.
The way that you analyze, problem solve,
and play defense is it's inspiring.
[IKE SNIFFS]
And now, I can't stand knowing that
I won't be coaching you anymore.
I love you, Royale.
You too, Coach.
Coach.
You made me a part of something
that I'll never be a
part of again in life.
My father grew up in DC, was poor
[INHALES SHARPLY] became rich,
and he pushed me. So, I
take nothing for granted.
My mother, from the motherland, Nigeria.
She pushes me, so I don't
forget where I come from.
But, Coach, you you push me to
help me realize where I could go.
You all did.
I'm going to Howard University
with my brother Phil here,
where I'll be a business major
and help provide analytics
- for the basketball team.
- [ALL CHEERING]
Royale!
- [PLAYER] Go Royale!
- [PLAYERS CHEERING]
Jace Carson, come on up, man.
- [PLAYER 1] Yeah, Jace.
- [PLAYER 2] Let's go, Carson.
[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
[PLAYER 1] Yeah!
[PLAYER 2] Good luck, JC.
[CHEERING FADES]
Man, uh
Can I just tell you how crazy
I used to think your mama was?
[ALL LAUGHING]
[CHUCKLES] She walked up
on me in the hardware store,
talking 'bout I need to be your coach.
And I'll be damned if she wasn't right.
[CHUCKLES, SNIFFLES]
I needed to be your coach.
I needed to be in your life.
My biggest fear
[INHALES SHARPLY]
was that you would
fall short of your dreams.
Thing about fear is that
it can become contagious,
take on a life of its own.
I have never seen you run
away from what scares you.
You face it head-on until that
three-headed giant is cut down.
Never be afraid to be afraid, young man.
Continue facing your fears head-on.
That's how you make your future.
That's what makes you great.
The universe has your back,
Jace Carson, and so do I.
I love you.
- You good? [CHUCKLES]
- Yeah. [CHUCKLES]
[CHEERING, APPLAUDING]
[SIGHS]
[SNIFFS, BREATHING DEEPLY]
Jackie. [SIGHS]
We didn't always get along growing up.
[CHUCKLES]
Things were hard, but I never felt
like we were poor because of you.
And when I maybe got too
much of the attention,
you never took it out on
me. You looked out for me.
[CRYING]
[SIGHS] Mom.
I had an idea about being
a basketball player. [SIGHS]
You taught me how to make that a vision.
[SIGHS] I don't know how you did it,
but I do know
the loudest voice cheering
from the sidelines is you.
- [JACE CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLES]
[BREATHES SHAKILY]
Coach [SNIFFLES]
I got this pocket
watch for my birthday.
It reminds me to always be
a 24-hour person, like you.
My relationship with my
father is a work in progress.
He checks in with you
to see how I'm doing,
but he also checks in with you
because he knows how
much you mean to me.
My mom taught me how to be a man.
You taught me how to do it with swagger.
And to my teammates, my brothers,
thank you for riding with me.
I love y'all.
[SIGHS]
And I apologize in advance
if I ever gotta face y'all
on the other side of that
court. I'ma give y'all hell.
- [JACE CHUCKLES]
- [ALL LAUGHING]
Oh [SNIFFLES]
my college situation.
[SIGHS] I'm undeclared.
Most of y'all know most
of my offers went away.
After the championship
Georgetown offered me a scholarship.
[ALL CHEERING]
[CHUCKLES] My boy.
[PLAYER] Nice job, Jace.
You did it, Jace Carson!
- Still the loudest. [LAUGHS]
- [CHUCKLES]
[PLAYERS] We brothers ♪
We brothers ♪
We brothers, so strong ♪
So what, so what? ♪
[JACE] My success is the
success of my mother
[SINGING, CHEERING CONTINUES]
my sister and
father and my brothers.
Tearing each other down and
stifling each other's voice
because we're different
has nothing to do with
the pursuit of democracy.
And since we have not yet achieved that,
it is our point of view that
democracy remains a journey.
Mmm.
Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
Very well done.
Now that you've concluded
your oral reports,
let's have a quick show of hands.
How many of you concluded
that democracy is a journey?
How many of you concluded that
democracy is a destination?
There's no American experience
without the Black experience.
However, the English curriculum
makes no attempt to reflect that.
And every time we
wanted to discuss that,
the head of school was too busy.
I can assure you, that's
all about to change.
[EMORY] Some of you drew
from historical events,
some of you drew from
current or personal accounts,
but they were all well thought out.
I never expected the head of
school to take such an interest.
We are fortunate to have Dr.
Lawson assume this interim position.
Thank you.
So, perhaps there's another
way to think about it.
In society, we have markers.
When women got the right to vote,
when Jackie Robinson
integrated the Majors,
when the Civil Rights Bill passed.
Many people thought those moments proved
that we are a fully democratic society.
And W.E.B. Du Bois said democracy
is enlightenment and learning.
So what if the point of democracy
is not to say we are
a democratic society
and there's no more work to be done?
What if the point is not to even say
that we've almost
reached the promised land?
What if the point is
to always be arriving,
always evolving, always
growing, always challenging,
always being enlightened?
What if
the journey is the destination?
[DANCE MUSIC PLAYING]
- [STUDENTS LAUGHING, CHATTERING]
- [CHUCKLING]
Okay. [CHUCKLES]
Who'd you come with?
Does it matter?
Look, the whole Cedar Cove
Four thing, it was all bullshit.
[STUTTERS] I couldn't exactly
tell you what went down.
All you need to know is
that it's all behind me.
I'm a good guy.
And I still wanna interview
you for my podcast.
And I'm not too bad a dancer either.
I think you are a good guy.
Let's find out about the dancing.
- What up?
- Whoo! Moose, what's up?
Hey, you looking fresh, boy.
- [CHUCKLES] Hi.
- Oh.
- Remember Tamika?
- Of course.
Good to see you. [GASPS]
- Hey, Tamika.
- Crystal, you look so beautiful.
- Thank you. You too.
- Thank you. [CHUCKLES]
All right. Shall we?
We shall. [CHUCKLES]
Thanks for inviting me.
Couldn't think of anybody
else I'd rather be here with.
You know, I've I've been
through a lot, but I missed you.
I missed you too. [CHUCKLES]
This one is for all
the lovers in the house.
[SLOW DANCE MUSIC PLAYING]
[CHUCKLES]
I received your letter of
resignation. I won't accept it.
You're gonna have to.
There is some flexibility
to renegotiate your contract.
It's not about the money.
What are you gonna do?
Georgetown says they could
use me on their coaching staff,
and I'm thinking about it.
You'll take the Jace
Carson show on the road?
[IKE CHUCKLES]
Could happen.
Tonya's planning on staying
another year at Cedar Cove.
Somehow, she's convinced that
the two of you might do some good.
[CHUCKLES]
You, um You still believe
in that Talented Tenth thing?
I do.
In fact, some might say that
you're part of the Talented Tenth,
especially after you
receive your college degree.
I'm just trying to be a good-ass dude.
In the spirit of goodness, in
our one-on-one game, I confess.
When the game was on the
line, I got away with a foul.
- You think? [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLES]
Congratulations on the
head of school position,
or should I say interim?
I'm told it's just a
formality. [CHUCKLES]
[DANCE MUSIC PLAYING]
Ooh, yeah.
[PLAYERS SINGING, CHANTING]
[CHANTING] To the left, to the left ♪
Sound off ♪
Down low, down low ♪
[CHANTING CONTINUES]
[ALL CHEERING]
You feel grown?
Everyone says we're adults.
I do.
I can't wait to be on my own.
At the same time, it kind of scares me.
[CHUCKLES]
[CHUCKLES]
At least we get to see
each other all the time.
I'm gonna accept the offer from
Maryland, and you'll go to Georgetown.
And, you know, it's not really that far.
You know, it's crazy though, right?
You'll be playing against
[CHUCKLES] Phil and Nick,
and we can see each other's
games on the weekends.
I got something to tell you.
What?
UCLA came back. They're
offering me a full ride.
- Wow. [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLES]
Now who's the one holding things back?
Just found out today.
That's your first choice.
I still plan on being one and done.
Next year this time, I'm
gonna be drafted into the NBA.
That could happen. You'll
be in the WNBA. Come on.
We'll get there.
So, you gonna tell them yes?
I don't know yet.
For now, I just wanna
live in the moment.
"The journey is the destination."
[CHUCKLES] I like that.
I love you, Crystal Jarrett.
I love you, Jace Carson.