Ballers (2015) s04e08 Episode Script

1 SPENCER STRASMORE: What if I told you that the greatest athlete is gonna shock the world with his decision? You're not worried about bettin' your future - on the word of a teenager? - Do I look worried? (HIP HOP MUSIC PLAYING) It's about to sink our deal, do you understand that? I guess I told them what they wanted to hear.
What am I supposed to do? I got an idea for a dope new SB campaign.
What if it's more about a whole clique? Illegal Civilization.
- PREPPY GUY: We got a kneeler! - (LAUGHING) Let's respect the movement, okay? - Don't drag the flag into it.
- Y'all made it about the flag.
SPENCER: Is there a problem, officer? MAN: We wanted to make sure that we had your undivided attention.
You sauntering in here and this, doesn't scare me one bit.
The kid stays.
And if not, we're coming for you.
Kane is in the building (MUSIC PLAYING) Now tell me how you love it, you know you at the top When only heaven's right above it, we on 'Cause we on Who else is really trying to fuck with Hollywood Cole? I'm with Marley G, bro Flying Hollygrove chicks to my Hollywood shows And I wanna tell you something that you probably should know This that "Slumdog Millionaire" Bollywood flow And, uh My real friends never hearing from me Fake friends write the wrong answers on the mirror for me That's why I pick and choose, I don't get shit confused Don't like my women single, I like my chicks in twos And these days all the girls is down to roll I hit the strip club and all them bitches find the pole Plus, I been sippin', so this shit is moving kinda slow Just tell my girl to tell her friend that it's time to go.
(CELL PHONE CHIMING) (SIGHS) Q, you better not be calling me from the ER.
Spence, they're in the fuckin' house.
The fuck you talkin' about? Who's in the house? Suits from the NCAA.
They're talking to my mom right now.
Fuck.
All right, Q, listen to me Why would they show up here, Spencer? Fuck, man.
They're poking around, asking questions about you.
Is this your idea of handling it? It's OK.
You didn't do anything wrong.
No shit! What am I supposed to do? Go out there right now and ask them leave as politely as possible, and let me handle it.
I feel like I've heard this before, Unc.
This does not feel fucking handled.
I'm gonna hop on a plane as soon as we got off this phone and find out what the hell's going on.
It's Ohio State, man.
I shoulda never messed with them.
I should have just gone and did what they wanted me to.
You don't owe them a fuckin' thing, OK? This is your life.
Do you hear me? Yeah.
Now, you wanna be a Buckeye? Go right ahead.
Or we can keep going together, me and you.
We already gone this far, right? That's right.
Family, right? Family.
- He's out, Charles.
- But he deleted the tweet! In this climate, we can't afford any more distractions.
We've already got that goddamn kneeling nightmare that never goes away.
I don't really see it as a nightmare, sir.
'Cause it's not your money.
Look, just give me a couple of days to fix this thing.
I really believe we can spin it in our favor.
The internet never forgets, and the public never forgives.
We need Ricky.
And he really needs us right now.
- (SIGHS) - Just two days? All right! I'm gonna make you look smart.
"-ter.
" I'm gonna make you look smarter.
Charles, get out of my office.
JOE: So, before the meeting, the kids were feeling a little, I dunno, peckish? So stupidly, I pulled over at a taco truck, which was really, like, peddling leftovers out of the back of a Nissan Let me save you the energy, Joe.
It's a soft pass, but not the for the reason you might think.
- Oh, come on, Yanni.
- It was a decently clever stunt, Joe, but you think I'm shocked to see dumb kids act like dumb kids? - Let me talk them - They're cool, man, but they're an amusement, they're not a brand.
Maybe in a couple of years they'll hone in on their thing, but for now they're just a disposable Insta-story.
No.
You're wrong.
With all due respect, you're wrong.
These kids have something special.
They have an authentic edge that other companies are gonna shell out big for.
OK, then prove me wrong, Joe.
Make me the dummy.
I'm not gonna make you the dummy, Yanni.
I'm gonna make you rich.
Julian, everything is under control.
JULIAN: This is under control? SPENCER: Yes, it is.
I'm strolling through my house hooked up to an IV, and my sutures are starting to itch.
- Everything's under control? - It will be.
This is just a minor glitch.
You said that everything was worked out, that the kid was in the bag.
He was until Ohio State started acting like a bunch of bitches.
It's OK, they don't have anything.
This is the NCAA, Spencer, it's not a court of law.
They can do anything they fuckin' want.
And if they think you're sticking your shiny bullet head up their ass, - they're gonna come down hard.
- So let 'em.
Do I have to remind you how much I sank into these rights thanks to your sure thing? You assured me that it was totally kosher.
There's nothing illegal about our buy.
Plus, they'd have to stretch to link the kid.
Wait, link the kid? Link the kid?! Are you telling me that he's involved? Do not fucking tell me that he's involved.
No, of course not.
All right, listen to me.
USC is threatening to pull out of this deal, Spencer.
And if I was not in danger of losing an obscene amount of money and I loathe losing money, do you hear me? I loathe it, I would just as soon lose a testicle I would beat them to the punch.
Now get your shit together.
I just landed in Indy.
I'm handling it as we speak.
I hope so, because you'd hate how I'd handle it.
Morphine! I hope Jason was gentle with y'all on that deal.
"Gentle" isn't exactly the word I'd use to describe him, but you know how he does.
California! Nothin' like it.
What are we doing out here? Checkin' out your fly view? You know, my mom, she used to put trash bags on the windows so the landlord wouldn't know we were there.
Used to get hot as hell in there, too.
In the summertime it was boiling.
I remember the smell.
Kinda like cookin' plastic? I thought that shit was normal for the longest time.
For what it's worth, I didn't know that cereal wasn't a dinner food until about high school.
Look at all this, Chuck.
Look at what you got.
What we earned.
And we earned that shit, Chuck.
People out there hatin' on us speaking out.
Like we should be grateful that we making millions.
(LAUGHS) Like we ain't? Like they don't complain about their lives or jobs.
Bullshit.
And we can't complain about injustice? And these same people actin' like they just gave us this shit.
Like my dreams, life, house, were just given to my black ass.
And my talent, my hard fuckin' work and savvy, ain't have shit to do with it.
- That shit ain't right.
- No, it ain't right.
But this tweet, Rick.
Man, you really got people riled up this time.
I'm gettin' pressure from my higher-ups to make some kind of That tweet wasn't even about white people.
It was about my neighbors, it's their names.
The Whites.
Ohh.
I'm gonna straighten that out, though, 'cause they cool as hell, lovely people.
Really.
But more importantly, I want to have the freedom to say what I want to say, man.
Not just for me, but for our children, man.
For our kids.
I wanna play for a team that ain't gonna try to muzzle me.
Well, you can do that, you just gotta finesse it in a way - Where the white folks approve.
- No, that your bosses approve of, fool.
- Right.
- Regardless of their color.
Everybody out here just trying to get his paper, right? Everybody's about the green? Don't try me like that.
I don't believe that, and neither do you.
Look do what you gotta do, man.
I understand, yo.
Fine me, whatever.
I get it.
But know that when you're lookin' at your life and the man you want to be, ask yourself the question what are we doing out here? Big L, rest in peace, rest in peace Uh uh uh uh uh (SONG CONTINUES) MAN: Mr.
Strasmore.
They're ready for you.
I don't think they are.
Mr.
Strasmore, we can do some small talk off the top here, keep it polite, if that would make you feel more comfortable.
No, Robert, it's OK.
That would be out of my league 'cause you guys have become very rich men by saying bunch of shit that you don't mean.
So why don't we just get the show on the road.
What's your relationship with Quincy Crawford? - How do you mean? - Your relationship to him is what? You want us to arrange it a few more ways? It'll mean the same thing, Spencer, so answer the question.
Quincy's mother and I are pursuing a romantic relationship, so I guess that would make me a family friend.
- With benefits.
- Yeah, if you want to think about it like a teenager would.
Friend with benefits.
And how do these benefits extend to the young Mr.
Crawford? Well, Q, from time to time, will ask me for my advice, and it's advice that I feel I am uniquely qualified to offer him - What's the nature of this "advice"? - Specifically, it's just to make sure that he is not exploited and fucked over by a bunch of rich white guys who don't give a shit about him.
You really want to play the race card, Spencer? Yeah, why not, Robert? Because I find it really interesting that the only pro sports that require these athletes to pass through your clutches are the ones that are mostly made up of kids of color to begin with.
You mean football and basketball.
No, I'm talking about curling and fuckin' badminton.
(LAUGHS) That's a lot of righteous rage, Spencer.
Yeah, it is.
Does this moral outrage of yours extend to television network deals? Taking recruiting visits with high school students? Aren't you a registered financial manager? We understand your good pals the Anderson brothers have just secured the USC broadcasting rights, and in addition to committing a number of NCAA violations, I'm sure you've broken some NFL rules.
And God only knows what you tell your client.
- Quincy is not my client.
- Is that what you tell yourself? I'm gonna stop you right there.
This is a corrupt organization that has been rotting from the inside out for decades now, and you know it.
And the public is finally beginning to catch up, but they don't even know half the truth about how you guys chew up thousands and thousands of kids every single year under the promise of an education, then you squeeze out every bit of value that they have before you pass 'em on to the pros.
Or you just discard them as if they got no value at all.
And God forbid they get hurt.
You know how I know this? Because I saw it, and because I lived it.
Robert, look at me.
I know where all the dead bodies are buried.
Unless you want me digging them up and dragging them in front of the ESPN cameras that you guys love so much, here's what you're gonna do: you're gonna stay the fuck away from me and anyone who I care about.
Let me tell you motherfuckers something else.
The next time that you bring me to this shithole, it better be to offer me a deal and a huge check, because you're wasting my valuable fucking time! Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
Pass the ball.
- (WHISTLE BLOWS) - Pass Ohh.
Arrghh! Yo, man, can't you turn that shit off for a second? Joe, what the fuck am I doing here? You're pulling me off the poker table so we can watch Vernon play FIFA? VERNON: Chill, y'all.
This is sophisticated gaming.
This shit requires precision, fast-twitch muscles, and hand-eye coordination.
How 'bout I hand-eye coordinate my fist to your fuckin' face? Guys, guys, guys, guys, no one wants to be here less than I do.
That isn't true.
We're happy to be here 'cause we want to invite you in on the process.
Process of what? The process of raising the profile of Sports X and its young phenoms.
So you need my money and you need me to market your shit.
I wouldn't put it that way, exactly, but yeah, yeah, we need a little help.
This is gonna be fun as fuck! For real! You remember back in eighth grade how we used to do the backyard wrestling thing over at Dale's grandmother's? Oh, yeah! Didn't you get a wiffle ball bat stuck up your ass? This isn't the point.
The point is, look, man, we want to take that energy with a little side project we think is gonna help take this company to the next level.
And we're giving you guys the chance to become more than just the silent partners you've been.
Oh, we gotta act, too? - Yeah.
- OK.
Well, motherfucker, this is me acting like I don't want to fuckin' kill you.
- How am I doing? - Yeah, got it.
What the fuck y'all want us to do? (HEAVY METAL/RAP SONG PLAYS) New banger, new banger, Kano's got a new banger Not China, not Taiwan Kano was made in the bloodcart manor Where we raved on top of the Princess Alice Whine gyal to jungle but not no ballad If a some of man's jeans looking MC Hammered It's not that, he's just holding a hammer Police wanna pull me over Check my license and plates Wake up, Puke-achus! I guess you guys think your little stunt the other day really blew some corporate minds, huh? We were just fuckin' with 'em to see if they could hang.
Just like with y'all.
Well, it worked.
What?! He's still interesting in spite of your little prank.
I don't know why.
Probably because of it, to tell you the truth.
But do you want to know what he said? I don't think you do.
He said that you guys are nothing special.
He said that you're not shit.
Just some hood rats.
- Man, fuck that.
- REGGIE: Fuck that? - Fuck that.
- Fuck that.
You think they're wrong? Why? 'Cause we own our own shit.
Or own plane, our own track.
They can get with it, or whatever like that.
This is the thing right here.
This is what I was talkin' about.
There is a massive disconnect between what it is you guys think you're doing and what you're actually fucking doing.
'Cause what you're actually doing is fuckin' off.
- Fuckin' off.
- With a little talent and a little vibe.
But you still ain't shit.
Despite all that, we're gonna give you a shot, all right? We stole some very, very expensive cameras, and you guys are gonna take them and show us what it is you want the world to see.
This is Sizzle, this is Vernon.
Some big, bad motherfuckers.
With short attention spans and severe anger issues.
REGGIE: They gonna roll with y'all.
OK, but what is it that you want us to do? Hurt yourself.
Don't come back until you've broken your jaw or busted your fuckin' femur.
I wanna see your fuckin' bone through your skin.
You little fuckers in, or what? So, ya know, I couldn't tell Ricky today.
I was gonna, but he just got crazy real with me and I just couldn't.
He'll understand.
Now, I know you and Ricky are friends, but he always makes business-first decisions.
Remember that time you were out begging with your hand out for his new contract and he stuck his nose up at it? This is different.
There's something happening in the league.
In sports.
In the country.
When Kiki gets older and she looks back on this movement, what is she gonna think about her daddy? Oh, baby.
She's gonna think that he did everything he could to make her life better.
Better how, though? Like "Gucci hoops" better? Or "she didn't get killed during a traffic stop" better? Listen I love you.
Do what you need to do.
(CELL PHONE CHIMES) SPENCE: Joe, why you blowing me up? Tell me this isn't happening, Spencer.
- What's not happening? - I just got off the phone with a couple of heavily medicated Andersons, - and they had a lot to say, man.
- Are they being irrational? I think the better question is, are you being rational? Your golden goose just got himself grounded by the NCAA.
You're talking about the Q thing.
It's a little bit more than a thing.
They're ruling Quincy ineligible.
The Andersons are losing their minds over this rights issue.
- Fuckin' NCAA! - What did you do, Spencer? Please, please don't tell me that you decided to take on one of the most corrupt and powerful organizations in all of sports.
I did.
(SIGHS) Fuck you.
I knew they were gonna bite back, I just didn't think You didn't care who they bit.
Look, I'm on my way to see Q right now, I'm gonna make sure that they do not take him down.
I'm also gonna make sure that the brothers don't take Sports X.
- Vivian Ramirez.
- What? Who's that? Vivian Ramirez is the head of housekeeping here at Sports X.
She has not missed a day in over three years.
She supports two families, one here, one in Ecuador.
She stayed on with us because she values loyalty more than anything else, and she said that you have a face that she could trust.
Are you gonna guilt-trip me right now, Joe? No.
I'm trying to give you a dose of reality that there are real people involved here besides yourself.
Did you think about Vivian when you decided to gamble her livelihood on this absurd scam? Did you think about her or me or Q or anyone besides yourself? All right.
Joe, I give you my word.
I'm gonna take care of everything for you, for Q, and especially for Vivian.
Yeah.
Great.
Because your word means everything these days.
(SIGHS) Fuck.
(EXHALES) Searching for your touch I been feeling lonely I know that it's my fault Honey, I'm sorry - Jayda, listen.
- Don't stand there and tell me you haven't been lying and hustling me behind my fucking back.
- Just give me a minute, OK? - You messed with Q's future! - How fucked up are you? - This is what the NCAA wants us to do.
They want us to fall apart so they can swoop in and be the heroes! And you can't stand that, because you gotta play the fuckin' hero.
I just want what's best for Q! I care about him, and I care about you! You don't care about anybody but your fucking self! He told me.
Everything.
Q told me everything.
See, unlike you, he has integrity.
He doesn't lie to people he cares about.
I was offering him a way to buck the system so he could get paid his actual value and not get used by these greedy fuckin' old white dudes who don't give a shit about him! Mm-hmm, 'cause you had nothing to gain from it, right? I did, yes, I we did! Come on, I'm crazy about you both! You're worse than them.
Don't say that.
At least they're up front.
"Here are the rules, here's who we are.
" That's not true, they're fuckin' snakes! No, you're the fuckin' snake, Spencer.
It was you all along.
It was you.
Stay away from my family.
And enjoy your slice, you earned it.
Jayda.
Jayda! (DOOR SLAMS) - That moment.
- Half man With the body of a shark That impact (MUSIC CONTINUES) when you feel their weight on you.
Your body just goes numb trying to protect you from that pain.
That hurt! - corrosive touch - (LAUGHING) I just lost too much SIZZLE: But only when you embrace it It's nothin'.
can you cross through to the other side.
(MUSIC CONTINUES) Where pain becomes pride.
- Holy shit.
- Yo.
Now, that's a comeback.
(APPLAUSE) - (SIGHS) - Hey.
Make this quick, Charles.
I've got that twit from Papa John's, and a hornet's nest of shareholders are gonna plow through this afternoon, so come on, let's go.
I'll be brief.
It's about Ricky Jarret.
Went that bad, huh? No, actually it went great.
- Really? - Yeah! Yeah, we're not gonna cut him.
That's a joke, right? No.
And not only are we gonna keep him, but we're gonna back him and his right to speak up for his beliefs.
Charles, you know that this is a business, right? It's not a not-for-profit.
Yeah.
Where's the new stadium again? - Inglewood.
- And who lives in Inglewood? - People.
- Black people.
Black people live in Inglewood.
It's OK, you can say it.
- Yeah.
- And those same people would probably love to see the team that represents them on the field represent them in their real lives.
Great.
Maybe we can get the Black Panthers to sponsor us.
Come on, Charles.
We should be so lucky.
There's a tide happening in this country, sir, and we can either ride on top of it or get swept up under it.
This is L.
A.
! This city has been at the center of the struggle for equal rights since the sixties.
I'm not saying that we have to endorse everything that Ricky or any of the other players are saying politically Charles, what are you saying? We set up a team-sponsored fund that fights social inequality and injustice right here in Los Angeles, and we make Ricky the face of the whole thing.
But what about the pissed-off football fans, Charles? Fuck 'em.
- Fuck 'em.
- Respectfully, sir.
You're gonna fuck 'em respectfully? You want this team to have an identity? You want 'em to have a soul? Then this is where it starts.
We have to win over our city, our fans.
I promise you, this is important to them.
Maybe even as important as winning.
Maybe even more.
So it's not only good business, it's what's right.
OK, Charles.
OK.
But if this blows up in any way, you're the one that's gonna go down for it.
You understand that? - I do.
- Good.
It's impressive, Charles.
Your commitment and your passion very impressive.
Thank you, sir.
You can go now.
I know you somewhere, somewhere I've been trapped in my mind, girl Just holding on I don't wanna pretend we're something, we're nothing I've been stuck thinking 'bout her I can't hold on, I'll be feeling I'm in pain, wanna put ten shots in my brain I've been trippin' 'about some things can't change Suicidal, same time I'm tame Picture this, in bed, get a phone call Girl that you fucked with killed herself That was this summer when nobody helped And ever since then, man, I hate myself Wanna fuckin' end it, pessimistic All wanna see me with no pot to piss in But niggas been excited 'bout the grave I'm diggin' Havin' conversations 'bout my haste decisions Fuckin' sickenin', at the same time Memories surface through the grapevine 'Bout my uncle playin' with a slipknot Oh, you want some work, old-head? I'm not here to test your manhood, Q.
I'm just here to apologize to you.
Man, fuck your apology.
I trusted you.
My mother trusted you.
I can't even play for a fuckin' community college now.
It's not only about you, Q.
You said you would handle it.
Then I hear from Ohio State that you're in there swinging your dick around.
- How was that handling it? - It's not.
Yeah, no shit.
This whole thing was about you.
It's not.
It's about my brother.
I don't want to hear about your brother, man.
I'm walkin'.
Took his own life, Q.
Junior year, he tore up his shoulder in practice, he was never the same.
He couldn't play that year, they didn't give him back his year of eligibility.
He just spiraled out of control.
I could never get him back in the boat.
If that's true, that's some sad shit, but it has nothing to do with me.
And it doesn't explain your shitty behavior.
No, it doesn't.
It doesn't.
But I want you to know I never forgave the NCAA for how they treated him, how they left him out on his own.
And it blinded me.
And I'm sorry.
I came here to tell you face to face, man to man that I fucked up.
Yeah, you fucked up.
And as much as it kills me to say this I'm gonna leave you and your mother alone.
We almost had 'em, though.
Huh, Unc? Almost.
Pritchard says there's still a chance for me at Ohio State.
Hey you're gonna kill it there, kid.
What about you? The network, your bosses and shit.
Fuck it all.
I'm gonna take the NCAA down.
Brick by brick.
I can still feel the love Feel the love We them other niggas You bust down a Rollie, I bust down a brick Then I flood it, nigga I am not to be compared to you rappers Eazy-Duz-It, nigga I am more Eazy, you tryin' your best to become me, nigga She like them bottles with bubbles in it Buy her Loewe and other linen Why would I wait when there's other women? Why would I hate? We in love with winnin' Buy her bundles, fly her out Bring her friend, I try her out Ain't no worries findin' out, the details is ironed out Easily they plays along, hopin' that I play a song - Love to fuck to trap music - Feel the love - Dope money just came along - Woo! - Grrrat-gat - I can still feel the love Gat-gat, gat, ga-gat-ga-ga-gat - Grrrat, gat-gat-gat - Woo! Ba-ba-ba-ba, brrrat-tat-da-da-da, da Ga-ga-ga-ga, brrr-ah-da-da-da Brrr-ah-da-da-da, brrr-ah-da-da-da Brrr-ah-da-da-da, brrr-ah-brrr-ah Brrr-ah-ga-grrrat, rude-rude-rude-rude-woo! (INTENSE ROCK MUSIC PLAYS) It's been a minute, big bro.
Today, you and I are gonna take the fight to 'em.
Mr.
Robert Grimble, right? You've been served.
JOE KRUTEL: Spencer Strasmore is single-handedly changing the face of athletics.
What side of history do you guys want to be on? This whole thing is much bigger than all of us.
This is starting to sound personal for you.
It is.
We're talking about family.
What is this? An intervention? I mean, who are y'all? Your family.
JOE KRUTEL: People are not going to be happy until you're torn to shreds.
I've never been afraid of a fight.
Get ready for the revolution.
Payback's a bitch.