[bright music]
Downloaded from YTS.MX
[gentle music]
Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX
No one in the United States picks up a basketball to go play overseas.
You pick up a basketball to play in the NBA.
Basketball is life, man.
It is that real to people, right?
And it is that real for me where the only thing
that's satisfying enough is playing in the NBA.
[dramatic music]
Those two games I got last year, that shit felt right.
- [net whooshing] - [faded cheering]
I'm playing against James Harden, and I'm playing Kyrie.
I'm playing Kevin Durant.
[announcer] To Durant on the rack attack.
So in the second game I'm about to come in at the scorer's table, and he's walking
from the free throw line towards the scorer's table.
You always hear things about, like, guys coming
into the league on a 10-day or two-way contract, whatever,
and stars are looking at the back of their jerseys, like,
"Oh, yeah, I'm about to have 40 on you," or, "Yeah, I'm 'bout to do you dirty,"
like, just trying to get in people's minds from the jump.
So I thought he was gonna come over there and try and big-boy me.
I was just going, "All right, man, yep, you got it."
Like, you know, you not gonna bark with KD.
[laughing] And so he just came up to me. He's like, "Hey, man."
He's like, "I seen what it took to get here.
- I seen that shit, like, congrats." - [dramatic music swells]
And I really wanted to give him a hug at that point,
like, "Damn, man, I appreciate that."
Like, he had no business needing to come up to me
and talk to me, like, Kevin Durant.
But getting on that court, playing against those guys,
being able to defend those guys,
score on those guys was like, that shit felt right.
And so I just knew I had to come back and try again.
[dramatic music continues]
- [distorted squeaks] - [music intensifies]
- [street noise] - [music continues]
[echoed dribbling]
In any section of life, when you're on the margins,
you have to make sure that you do every little thing necessary to gain an edge
and to get to where you want to go.
We got, what, 500 people in the NBA?
[echoed cheering]
There's probably another 500 people or so in the world
that could play with us, right? So there's probably 1,000 people
that may or may not deserve to be in the NBA right now.
So it's about understanding how fragile your situation is
and how many people are trying to fit through that bump.
- [audience cheering] - [dramatic music continues]
You know, the G League, everyone's fighting for their life out there…
Um, to put food on they tables, whatever it is.
So you gotta embrace all that.
Whatever you going through, embrace it all because you not there.
You not in the NBA yet.
- So you better work. - [music intensifies]
In the G League, mental is the biggest challenge…
and not everybody gets through it.
It's all guys really just fighting for a couple jobs
at the highest level, so you have teammates
that you're also competing with. Mentally, it is tough.
It wears on you, it grinds on you 'cause you work so hard.
I've had a lot of teammates who just gave up on the game
'cause they weren't really seeing the fruit
of all the labor they were putting in.
[distorted humming]
That journey in the G League is just preparation,
you know, for the right opportunity and the right timing,
you know, just to come out and show the team
- that I can help 'em win games. - [dramatic music continues]
At the end of the day…
there's only so many undeniable Giannis-level superstars.
There are a lot more guys between 300 to 700.
There's that margin that is hair thin where some make it, some don't.
The G League's just kind of a microcosm of that.
[dramatic music continues]
[music fades]
[gentle music]
The Winter Showcase…
everybody from every team in the G League is there in one hotel.
We play in one gym.
People from all over the world, you know, coming out
and playing in this league, and everybody's playing,
you know, for the same reason.
They all love it, and they're all trying to, you know, make the NBA.
The G is tough.
You know, obviously I'm not gonna say like guys that's in the league
are just a little bit better than the guys that's in the G League,
but it's pretty close. Guys that's in the G League,
some of 'em could be in the league.
- [shoes squeaking] - [audience cheering]
[announcer] Pass is good for Matt McClung.
Every single team is here, the GMs, [laughing] the assistants, the owners,
vice presidents, presidents, they're all here trying to watch all of us play.
[players grunting]
[net whooshing]
[Denzel] It's a lot on the line between winning
between, you know, NBA call-ups.
- [net whooshing] - [audience cheering]
[hyped] Whoo.
Whoever the case may be, it's a lot of pressure.
[dramatic music continues]
[footsteps plodding]
[music fades]
[crew] Okay, here?
[announcer off screen] Henderson, little shake-and-bake.
Don't reach on him. Don't reach on him…
'cause Scoot Henderson will do that on you.
You reach, Scoot Henderson will teach.
I'm Scoot Henderson. I'm 18 years old.
I play for NBA, G League, Ignite.
- What's going on, man? - What's going on, dude?
- [Scoot] Great. What's this? - Chicken strips.
- Got chicken strips, mac and cheese. - And mac and cheese.
Sweet potato fries.
- It's kinda outta my diet. - [crew 2] It's a present for you.
Basketball has always been big in my life.
Like, sports have always been big in my life,
but I feel like basketball is just like, it's like a religion in my family.
- [dramatic music] - [shoes squeaking]
It kept me busy. It kept me always doing something.
My dad always wanted us to find something we were great at,
and he wanted to continue to work on it.
- [announcer speaking indistinctly] - [crowd cheering]
[triumphant music]
My dad had always embedded in me and my siblings
to always be strong and confident.
He'd always just try to put that into our mind,
to have that fight in you, have that edge in you
'cause you playing for something. You playing for my last name, so.
[announcer] Here we go. It's showtime.
Scoot Henderson, learn the name.
[dramatic music continues]
[interviewer] So you became a big-time recruit,
took the journey a little bit different than other young men have done,
and you went for the NBA G League Ignite team.
How's it paid off for you?
You know, offers started to come in, like, around, like, 10th grade summer
going into 11th, around that time.
But I never imagined myself, like, playing for college.
When it was college, it was more of football.
So I never really dreamed about being
on that college basketball court or anything like that.
My main goal was to get to the league.
I was trying to play the highest level of competition
I could possibly play at, you know, 17.
And I was blessed to get the chance to come here,
so here, and I'm trying to get drafted.
[announcer] Scoot Henderson, you're projected number two overall pick
in this upcoming NBA draft.
That's because of a certain Victor Wembanyama…
[camera clicking]
7'3" out of France 'cause in any other year…
Scoot Henderson would be the top pick.
Not that I listen to 'em a whole bunch, but the critics were saying, too young
or, like, "He should have went to college,"…
even the critics saying anything about my shooting or my leader ability.
[announcer] Ignite with a chance, Henderson, yes.
[cheering roars]
Now, I went in here and continuing to work.
You know, it's just all starting to pay off a little bit,
and I'm gonna continue to work, too.
[announcer] So Henderson looking to run. He'll challenge.
He'll get all the way to the basket.
[announcer 2] Look at the body on that guy…
- [net whooshing] - [dramatic music continues]
I put a lot of pressure on myself, just wanting to be great…
so I'm just trying to maximize my talent,
so you know, just gotta work.
[rim clattering]
The basketball God's gonna pay you back. That's what my dad always say.
So, like, as long as you work, you know, and work hard…
- [net whooshing] - the basketball God's gonna always know.
[dramatic sting]
- [net whooshing] - [ball thudding]
[announcer] York for the win. Ball game.
- [audience cheering] - [announcer] Go time. Gabe York.
Gabe York is a human torch.
My name's Gabe York, 29 years old, play for the Fort Wayne, Mad Ants.
This is my eighth year pro, so I've been all over the world,
played in Greece, France, Germany, Italy, and Israel.
Some people get it at 20 years old,
and they only have to do one year of college,
and it just works out that way for some people.
And that's great, but for me, you know, my journey was a lot different.
[interviewer] And lastly, 29, basketball is kind of, it's older, people would say.
[dramatic music swells]
I had an opportunity to go to Spain this year, and a lot of people say Spain's
the second-best domestic league in the world,
and I had an opportunity to go out there, and it didn't feel right.
You know, I didn't pick up a basketball
at three years old, and my mom's not showing me pictures
of me at three years old sleeping with a basketball to go play overseas.
I could care less about the bread. It's what basketball means for me.
My game has proven over the last two years' showcase
that, you know, I belong where I belong.
I know I'm an NBA player, I know I belong there,
and it's just a matter of one team giving me that opportunity to be like,
"Here, go ahead and showcase what you can do."
[announcer] And now, the starters for the Fort Wayne, Mad Ants.
[announcer continues speaking faintly]
[Gabe continues off screen] But it's crazy how this shit works out, man,
because you know, I've been playing so well this year,
changed my body type, changed everything, and these two games were supposed to be
the focal point to show GMs, owners,
all these NBA teams for the improvement to this year.
[gentle music continues]
- [shoes squeaking] - [ball thudding]
[announcer] Gabe York, the leading scorer for the Mad Ants, averaging 25 a game,
he is out due to a non-COVID illness.
That's kind of the nature of the G League, next man up.
[music swells]
[footsteps plodding]
That's fucked up, man. It's hard for me to come here and
knowing where I'm at in my career, knowing that these games
are something that I can't take lightly,
I can't take for granted, and to not be out there today
and still be there, though, it was very hard for me today.
- [coughing] - [phone buzzing]
[Adina over phone] Are you feeling better?
- [Gabe] Feeling better. - [Adina] That's good.
I was able to hold down the food today, so that's a plus,
but all I had was a banana and some pudding, so.
- Yeah, you should get some ginger shots. - [Gabe] Ginger shots will help?
- Yeah. - Appreciate it, doc.
You're welcome. [laughs] I'll fix you.
- [net whooshing] - [balls thudding]
- [unintelligible chatter] - Let's go, man.
Let's bring the most energy, get the fuck outta here.
- [player] Yeah. - [player 2] Yes, sir.
Let's go, man, come on. Another day the office, boy, come on.
[buzzer sounds]
[announcer] Here's Gabe York…
- [rim clattering] - [shoes squeaking]
[announcer] He's missed his first two shots.
- [audience cheering] - [unintelligible chatter]
- [announcer] York… - [player] Hey.
[announcer] He is trying to fight back from that illness he had.
He's 0 for 5.
[dramatic music swells]
Fuck.
Can't fucking breathe.
- I'm moving dead weight out there. - [music intensifies]
Over the last eight years, I've just had to learn patience,
had to learn that, like, whatever I want for myself,
like, it's not gonna come right then and there.
Like, whenever God's timing wants me to have
what is meant for me, it's going to be there.
[singing in Hebrew]
How would I put my basketball dream in words?
[continue singing]
To try to inspire people to be proud of who they are.
My name is Ryan Turell.
I am 23 years old, and I play for the Motor City Cruise.
[announcer off screen] Ryan Turell, he's trying to be
the first-ever Orthodox Jew to play in the NBA.
Amongst all levels of collegiate basketball last year,
he led the country in scoring.
This is the number one question from all my teammates
in the past and all the people.
"How the heck does that stay on your head?"
We got clips on the inside.
- [Coach] Cut, get a piece. - [whistle blows]
- [overlapping chatter] - Go to work, go to work, stay at it.
- [Coach] Eight, seven… - [players] Shoot it, shoot it.
- [shoes squeaking] - [Coach] Just shoot.
The G League is a very competitive basketball league.
I mean, it was a hell of a transition.
- [unintelligible chatter] - [uptempo music]
- [Coach] Good stop, good stop. - [player] Come on, come on, Cruise.
I went from a division-three school, you know,
which is very half-court basketball to, you know, the G League,
which is [laughs] one of the fastest
if not the fastest-paced basketball in the world.
[overlapping chatter]
Athleticism would be one of my weaknesses,
so it took me a little bit to get used to the speed.
Strength would be one of my weaknesses. I'm 195, so I gotta get my weight up…
but you know, my strength is shooting.
[announcer] All right, Turell pops it again.
- [net whooshing] - [announcer 2] Whoa, what was that?
- That was from outta this world. - He shot that from Space Jam planet.
"Three" and "D" will be my ticket into the next level.
- [announcer] Puts it in. - [audience cheering]
Gotta be able to knock down shots, and gotta be able to defend people.
And I think I'm starting to get closer to my stride, and as time progresses,
I'm gonna start getting comfortable and start playing better.
- [Laurel] Pass it. - [unintelligible chatter]
Come on, baby, come on. Oh! Yeah, baby.
- [cheering] Yeah, baby, yeah. - [cheering] Good shot.
My mom has always been at every game since I was four or five years old,
- cheering her head off. - I get excited. [laughs]
- [game sounds] - Here we go.
[Ryan] My dad, you know, he's my biggest fan
and biggest critique at the same time.
[Brad] Oh, shoot it… [yells] shoot it.
[clapping]
In my 51-point game in college, he had some critique.
"Okay, on this shot, you didn't square your shoulders as much."
- You gotta shoot that. Don't you think? - [Laurel] Yeah.
Jews love basketball, [laughs] you know,
and to have such an amazing foundation and support system
- in my parents and the Jewish fan base… - [Laurel] That's pretty cool. [laughs]
It's awesome.
- [audience cheering] - [unintelligible chatter]
Hey, how does it feel to, like, be one of the most popular players in the G?
- [dramatic whooshing] - [overlapping fans chatter]
- I'm just a player, man. - You gotta know it. [laughs]
10 years down the line, I hope to see, you know,
a few yarmulkes on the court in an NBA game.
That would be the ultimate dream and goal.
Oy vey is, like, what we like to say.
[Laurel] The announcers go "mazel tov". Well, that's-
[relative] Yes, it's hilarious. Like, when you make a shot, hearing the…
- "Mazel tov". - [relative] broadcaster, "L'chaim."
- Happy Hanukkah, everybody. - Happy Hanukkah.
- [Laurel] Happy Hanukkah, happy Hanukkah. - [Ryan] Yeah, right.
Gotta get this treatment. You know what I mean?
It's very important, very vital to being consistent on and off the court.
Like Giannis say, "It's lonely at the top". [laughing]
Just trying to be great, man. [laughing]
[announcer] Mason Jones with a hand in his face, there's a three.
[announcer 2] He is a killer offensively. I'm telling you.
My name is Mason Jones. I'm 24.
I play for the Mexico City Capitanes.
[buzzer blaring]
[announcer 3] Friday night in Mexico City.
[Mason] I like Mexico City. The way they love basketball.
I can see an NBA team being in Mexico City
just 'cause how the fans support their team so much.
- [announcer 3] Mason Jones taking over. - [net whooshing]
Nobody better in the G League right now than Mason Jones.
I am the best player in the G.
In the G League, I feel like I can get wherever I want,
and I feel like a lot of people know I'm very good.
A lot of people know that I can do this in the NBA.
It's just about, like, the other things, like I said, how do they define you?
[weights clanging]
[continues off screen] Basketball was a big thing in our family.
I had a brother that was a McDonald's all-American.
I had a sister that was a McDonald's all-American…
and I was like the fat kid that ran around and just tried to play at timeouts.
[uptempo music]
Coming from where I was, you know, I mean, I always had people telling me
I was Matt Jones's little brother. I was Jordan Jones's little brother…
and I always carried that with a chip on my shoulder.
My sister, two-time defensive player of the year SEC, only person to do that.
My brother, he ended up taking a scholarship
to Duke University, so just seeing him go there,
and fulfill his goal, and win a national championship.
But then the older I got, I just feel like…
I'm not out here to try to play for them no more.
I'm not out here trying to prove people wrong.
I'm just out here trying to prove myself right.
- [feet thudding] - [inspirational music]
You know I mean? I feel like if I can wake up at 4 a.m….
work out, work out again, work out again,
I feel like that gives me the chance to showcase
the things that some people have questions about.
[announcer 4] And we see Mason take a deep three.
[announcer 3] He is unstoppable.
[announcer 5] The SEC's leading scorer.
[Mason] I played for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
[announcer 6] How does he do it?
[Mason] I went undrafted. I signed with the Rockets.
[announcer] The three ball from Jones.
My first year in the NBA, I didn't do no G League.
That was my goal for all first year.
Even though I was undrafted, I wanted to show that I'm able to stay on the roster.
I'm capable to know that, when my opportunity's called, I'm ready.
- [crowd chants] Defense, defense. - [net whooshing]
[announcer] Dead-on three ball, Mason Jones.
I played with the Rockets till half the season,
and I got cut 'cause I started asking too many questions,
like, "Why am I not playing?" or like, "How can I get better?"
where I shoulda just stayed in the back and continued to work hard,
continued to do the right things as being a professional.
Following year, I went to the Lakers.
- [announcer] Jones gonna stop the clock. - [announcer 2] Wow.
- [net whooshing] - [audience cheering]
[announcer] Good playing by Jones.
[announcer 2] A slap on the hand from LeBron James.
They was like, "We gonna start you off G League."
And I just knew like, "Oh, okay," you know what I mean?
I feel like every position God puts you in, you learn from it.
"Oh, okay, let's put you in LA.
You just was in Houston. Let's see if you learn from it.
Okay, you learned from it in LA, but we feel like you're still not ready.
Let's send you to Mexico City, see if you pout,
or let's see if you like, 'Oh, they doing me wrong.'"
That's not how I look at it. Day by day, I continue to get better and better.
- [ball thudding] - [shoes squeaking]
Like LeBron always said, you gotta have a little luck in this game.
You know what I mean? For me to continue to really stay firm
and know what I wanna do in his life, I feel like my luck's gonna come.
- [ball thudding] - [echoed chatter]
- [hard slap] - [player yells] Foul!
[Coach] That's a foul.
[announcer] Shot clock's at four.
Valentine takes a peak, spins, throws it up. That is good.
Valentine, [cheers], put that on the highlight reel.
- [overlapping chatter] - [player] Hey.
[announcer groans] Denzel Valentine, he's not playing around.
I'm Denzel Valentine.
I'm 29 years old, and I play for the Maine Celtics.
My pro career has definitely been a journey.
[announcer] The Chicago Bulls select Denzel Valentine
from Michigan State University.
Yeah, we got young Michael, we got young Michael in the making.
This guy's right here. [laughing] Look at him, look at him.
[shoes squeaking]
[announcer] Now, Valentine wheeling out.
- Outside, Valentine. - [net whooshing]
- [overlapping chatter] - [shoes squeaking]
[announcer] That was gold.
Played in the NBA for multiple years, and then now I have to come back down.
[overlapping chatter]
[Daniel] I don't hear y'all now. Fuck outta' here.
Just emotions, you know a couple bad injuries, frustrations.
Get a fucking stop.
Just everything that comes along with being a NBA player…
um, you know, that kinda led me to where I am right now.
[Preacher through TV] That was in the elevator.
When the doors opened, an older lady stepped out.
I hadn't seen her in years, but I always knew that she prayed for me.
Coming in, you kind of gotta put your pride to the side,
put your ego down, and just kinda relearn how to be successful at the highest level,
and you gotta kinda just figure it out.
I'm just happy we got some sunshine, man.
We don't get a lot of sunshine in Maine.
It's gonna be difficult.
You're gonna have ups, you're gonna have downs,
but you definitely just gotta stick with it.
Yeah, it's all in here. I mean, we're all good,
especially if you get to this level. We are all, like, successful,
so it's pretty much just about the mindset.
[Preacher continues] I heard God saying,
"Whatever you're worried about is going to be fine."
What he starts, he finishes.
[Denzel grunting] Definitely.
[door clattering]
In the G League, everybody may not believe in you.
You have to believe in yourself.
[elevator bell chiming]
I know my goal of mine is to be back in the NBA,
- so if it happens… - [buzzer blaring]
[Denzel continues] I will be ready.
- [player] Win on three, one, two, three. - [all players] Win.
- [overlapping chatter] - [ball thudding]
- [player] Man, fuck. - [net whooshing]
- [gentle music] - Hell naw, hell naw.
[continues off screen] Every year, I watch the finals…
And I just, like, envision myself playing on that stage, and hitting big shots,
and playing big defense, and winning the championship…
and that's definitely one of my dreams.
- [whistle blows] - What?
[continues off screen] To win an NBA championship.
We right here. It's a lot of game left. Come on.
- [ball thudding] - [whistle blows]
- [music fades] - [overlapping chatter]
- [player] Ref! - Fuck.
[buzzer blaring]
[announcer] Ball game… Clippers win 124-112.
If you have a dream, and you really believe in something,
no matter what happens in your journey,
I just believe you just gotta just keep going…
and no matter what people say, "Ah, you can't do it.
You had your shot," or whatever they may say,
just keep believing in yourself in no matter what your circumstances are.
Keep going. Um…
The storm can't last forever, so you just wake up, you know,
don't fight it, just take the punches, and just keep going.
[announcer] Payton the second of the other run,
- and he dunks it with authority. - [net whooshing]
There's gonna be a light at the end of that,
but you gotta just chop wood every day.
You gotta do the same thing over, and over, and over,
and over again, but you're working towards something,
and sooner or later, it's for sure gonna pay off.
[announcer] Quickly up to Payton… [cheers] Gary Payton with the flush.
- [audience cheering] - [music intensifies]
[Spencer] Sometimes in life you can't let go of the rope.
[announcer] Spencer Dinwiddie dribbles to the right elbow,
puts up a jump shot, knocks it down.
And I think one of the truest tests of mental security and confidence is, like,
not letting go of the rope.
[announcer] Dinwiddie pulls one over White, and it's good, Dinwiddie.
[Jalen] Just grinding, all of us is just grinding, and we we're working.
[announcer 2] Jalen Green getting to the rim.
That's what built us and got us ready.
We all took our mentality, our work ethic to, like, a whole nother level.
[announcer 2] Green on the attack, Jalen Green.
[audience cheering]
[alarm blaring]
It was a grind every single day to get up, go to practice,
go to games, the travel, obviously, tough at times,
playing back to backs, flying commercial. That's not where you wanna be long term.
- [shoes squeaking] - [announcer] Curry.
[announcer 2] Oh, he's rolling now, the hot hand.
Just you want to make the most of it and move on from it.
That's part of the motivation of working up every day,
going to practice, going to those daily league games is
I want this to be in my past, not where I am forever.
[announcer] Curry! You bet! Flames from Seth.
[overlapping grunting]
[Spencer continues off screen] Too many people think it's physical.
It's not just physical, man. It's all of it.
You're in that position to learn something.
There's something that you need to learn
in that environment for you to come out of it.
You know what I'm saying? Or God, or if you're not religious,
the universe wouldn't have put you there, right?
So, the grind can be mental, the grind could be spiritual,
the grind could be physical as well, so it's about, like,
embracing all of those challenges could just be to test
how resolute you are in your will to keep going forward.
[dramatic music]
- [switches clicking] - [lights hum]
[thematic music]
- [shoes squeaking] - [balls thudding]
[Jason] The next step is not physical. It's the mental.
Oh, my God. I told him it was mental from the beginning.
[Jason] Yeah, but he learning that, though.
I told him yesterday, I said, "Get used to it.
- You not getting drafted to the Bucks." - Right.
You might have to build patience, character, leadership skills.
Even during the game, I had to tell, I was, like,
"Forget the play, I gotta talk to you"…
- Right. - "'cause you getting frustrated."
- Right. - You got a lot frustrating nights.
- Oh. - [music builds]
But 'cause he be so killer, I coach him like he 26.
- I be forgetting he 18. - Yeah, for real.
First met Scoot, um, he was a quiet, shy kid…
and then, um, he got on the court, and I couldn't believe it
'cause I've been around basketball a long time,
and I had never seen nobody that good at 17 years old.
So I knew it was something special. And then watching his work ethic,
that made me think he was a different breed.
[thematic music continues]
- [net whooshing] - [ball thudding]
I mean if you're trying to make it to a place
where it's only 400 slots for the whole wide world
to put all your eggs in this basket and try to make your dream come true,
then if you not really working insanely, you're wasting your time.
College is a great game. I went to college for four years,
but, the Ignite offers a program to where you can really focus
- and hone into your dreams earlier. - [net whooshing]
And so the young men that we bring here trying to chase that dream,
they understand that they gotta come in and work
at an uncomfortable level. And I think that he starts with Scoot.
- [chair clattering] - Hey.
Some of the personnel has changed since we played 'em last.
We just gonna watch, try to get used to what we playing against.
And then, fellas, this is our practice.
Yeah, the G League's been, you know, just a whole bunch
of growth day by day, game by game,
like, practice by practice, film session by film session,
playing against guys that are really skilled
and getting a different look every night.
[unintelligible chatter]
Things I needed to work on coming here was mainly like talking.
If I'm calling a play, and somebody over here,
and they supposed to be over there,
I gotta be able to put the players in the right position
every single play. The G League teaches you that.
If you telling, "Hey, Leonard, you got head,"
- oh, I gotta be on my shit, too. - Yeah.
You gotta remind 'em. Remember I told you. I sent you had a little clip.
- Yeah. - I said, "Draymond, hey, who got here?
You got here. Leonard, you heading, you heading, dawg.
Hey, Mo, Mo, Mo, watch yours, watch yours."
- Yeah. - Gotta do that, hard work,
but it's our position.
[continues off screen] I throw so much at him because he can handle it,
and, um, I think he's doing a admirable job,
and he's only going to continue to get better,
and I gotta remind myself he's still 18 years old.
- [gentle music] - [unintelligible chatter]
- What you doing today? - Uh…
When I first met Scoot, and I was, like, "Wait, hold on, hold on.
Hey, bro, I'm 20 years older than you? Like, I'm 20 years older than you?"
And that's when it really hit me, and I was like, "Wow."
The type of talent and type of gift that God has given Scoot was more, like,
"Okay, I know why I'm here."
- When do the 49ers play again? - [unintelligible chatter]
- What's that on? - January 14th.
- What, this? - Yeah.
- Siri. - On Instagram?
- No, you just hold it up. - Oh, my gosh.
- Hey, come on now. - Oh, man.
- I don't have… - Why you don't have Siri, though?
- You got an iPhone? - Yeah, I got an iPhone.
- You was on Instagram. - Uh-huh, it's any app.
- Hey, Siri. - You gotta enable it.
- You gotta go back to the settings. - Hey, Siri.
- Hey, Siri… Hey. - Hey, Siri.
Hey, Siri.
- Try to hold… - My phone, I got a ghetto phone.
- You do got a ghetto phone. - So, I say, hey, Shaquita.
- [laughing] No. - Shaquita.
- No, that's… - Hey, Shaquita.
- This is incredible. - No, this dude is funny, bro.
- Hey, Siri acting like one of my kids. - [Scoot laughing]
[gentle music]
I am Eugene "Pooh" Jeter, III…
and this is my second year playing with Ignite but 17 overall,
and I am the oldest player in the G League, the point guard,
the veteran, the coach, the connector.
Like, with Scoot, when he comes out of the game,
and I'm on the bench, he comes and sit next to me.
That's just how we are.
And I feel every NBA team should have a vet like this.
Every NBA team should have a vet like me
that are able to be that type of player-coach.
You feel me? Like, you know, if I'm gonna be that OG…
you know, I'm gonna make sure that these young'uns is on the right mission,
you feel me, like, making sure they do the right things
for them to be better than me.
- [street sounds] - [gentle music continues]
This is my bro, Steve. Well, I be calling him Lil' Steve to this day.
- I'm big Steve now. - You feel me?
Oh, we grew together. I've been knowing Pooh's since…
- like, five, six years old. - [Eugene laughing]
I used to love going to Pooh's games just to hear
his dad say, "We love free throws."
- [laughs] Why? - [both] 'Cause they free.
I'm really excited about watching this game
because of MarJon Beauchamp, right?
MarJon Beauchamp was with us last year.
I'm waiting for MarJon to come in. Matter of fact, he's in the game.
Okay, MarJon is in.
Here go that, uh-huh. Kick it to him.
Okay, okay, oh, yes, sir.
[laughing] Yes.
Look at him. Come on, MarJon. This is perfect timing.
[gentle music]
I told Scoot today that I'm gonna be at the draft.
Like, I told him, I said, "I'm gonna be at that draft, bro." Um…
And we have, like, a little thing going on to see
- if he's gonna cry or not, you know? - [Steve laughing]
But I was like, "I don't know. Man, I dunno if Scoot gonna be crying
- when he get on that stage." - I'm gonna be ready.
- I'm gonna be like- - [Eugene] Finally.
- Damn, where you been at? - For real.
[gentle music continues]
[Eugene] Us having this amazing relationship,
I'm gonna be sad, you know, when he leave.
You know it's, like, "Job well done."
[dramatic music]
[Andee] How did you feel
when they announced that you got player of the month?
- [echoed cheering] - [music swells]
[announcer] Mason Jones taking over this first half.
[audience cheering]
[announcer 2] He can turn it on in a heartbeat.
- [net whooshing] - [audience cheering]
At the end of the day, I won that last year,
and you know, my expectations is higher than that.
So going into this game, I think I'm more locked in.
Maybe tonight you guys can get up and down,
lot of fast breaks, play your style.
Yeah, I text you at every halftime, every game.
Like, "What do you see?" And I know you always texting me,
- "Leave the refs alone." - [Andee laughing]
- Yep, yep. - Shoot the open threes.
'Cause you're emotional, but your energy does change
- the dynamic of the game. - That is true.
I feel like I'm the best player in the G, first team all-NBA G League last year.
I'm on the same path this year. I feel like I should get MVP.
How are you feeling for tonight?
Um, tonight's gonna be a very big game
'cause also it's on ESPNU, me against Scoot Henderson.
That's the top-two pick, and then you got me,
- high-profile player in the G. - Yeah.
I think that people's gonna get their money worth.
[dramatic music]
The G League is full of tough players that you might not know…
guys that's been to college already,
guys that experienced the league multiple times already,
having a whole family and, you know, trying to feed them.
But I got a family that I'm trying to feed one day, too.
That's why I just try to come in with that same killer mindset.
Knowing I'm about to kill whoever's in front of me.
[Scoot grunting]
All right, man, let's win this game.
I feel like this is where another test is being performed…
two of the most highly respected players in the G League going at each other.
When you get that, that's like a LeBron-versus-KD in the NBA matchup.
Top teams, you know they're gonna be tough to us
'cause, obviously, we're younger.
You know we have, like, that target on our back almost.
[announcer] Mason Jones went undrafted in 2020, the star out of Arkansas.
Mason Jones with a hand in his face. There's a three.
[Tom] I thought you were gonna say Scoot Henderson.
[announcer] Well, it's always Scoot Henderson, Tom.
Here he is going to the bucket.
Take a sec, like talk, talk, talk, talk.
I feel like this year I'm kind of stepping into that leadership ability.
Trying to continue to talk every possession,
like, repeatedly every possession.
Hey, you're by yourself. You're by yourself.
[announcer] He's practicing how to be more vocal on the court.
[Tom] And for some guys that comes natural.
Some guys, they have to really work on it.
- [dramatic music swells] - [shoes squeaking]
- [Mason] Down low. - [squeaking continues]
- [audience cheering] - Damn, come on man.
You better get out that hedge. You better get out that hedge, coach.
What I was saying is you can't do that. You gotta stay, you going to a solid team,
so your part of your development is staying with it, bro.
God didn't bless me to go to be a franchise player.
That's you, so when it ain't going good, bro, you can't go south.
- [Coach] Heads up, doc, right, right. - [Tom] Mason, John, telling you,
he's a scoring machine now.
[net whooshing]
People know I'm a very good basketball player,
but they wanna to see, like, how do Mason carry his demeanor?
Ref, he's grabbing my whole arm.
Yeah, you hit my whole arm, but they don't wanna gimme no fouls
'cause they feel like every, they say I'm the best player in the G,
so they be, like, I can't get no foul.
The label they put on me is, like, "Do we have an attitude problem?
No, he doesn't have an attitude problem." I think I just love to win.
- [panting] Cut, left, cut. - [music swells]
[game sounds]
- [whistle blows] - [player] Yes, sir.
What do you want me to do? What you talking about?
Kyle been turning the ball all game. Shut the fuck up.
That's a foul.
[music fades]
[faint game sounds]
[dramatic music swells]
I feel like my style of play is, like, whatever it take to win.
[announcer] He's got the clear out against Pacheco.
- Scoot Henderson, have some. - [cheering]
When I get in that mode, it's like I'm in that mode,
and I'm not gonna back down for nobody.
- [players grunting] - [whistle blows]
You're too little.
[announcer] And he starts flexing on him.
They cannot guard Scoot Henderson tonight.
I guess it's, like, that dog in me, you know.
- [music swells] - [bodies thudding]
[unintelligible chattering]
[continues off sceen] I got that dog in me for real.
Y'all ain't got no more timeouts, right?
And it's gonna come out when it need to come out for sure.
[audience cheering]
- [whistle blows] - [announcer] That's the ball game.
Ignite will hold on for a 123-122 win over Mexico City.
[music intensifies]
Fellas, we got a good enough team where we can win games.
We don't have to come out like Buster. You can come out and fight just like that.
Then, you gotta tighten up the second half.
[Eugene] Yeah, I tell them, like, yo, Scoot, just show them you.
Even though it is a lot of things going on
between him and Victor, who's one by one, number two,
you know, show 'em that you can run that team
but also be explosive and be the person you are
no matter where you get drafted.
[Scoot] It is gonna be a great day.
[net whooshing]
So just walk up on that stage and get ready for the next level.
[announcer] Good evening and welcome to the NBA draft.
- Next season starts tonight. - [dramatic music]
Draft night was crazy. My range was 10 through 20,
and I didn't know where I was gonna go.
I think it was an hour and a half from, like, when the program started
till I got drafted, and it felt like five hours.
It was so long, and every pick, it was just like,
"Oh, my God, when is it gonna happen?"
My senior year, I wasn't on no draft boards.
You may have saw me on, like, one or two, maybe, like, late second round.
[music intensifies]
But then we played Kansas in Chicago for the Champions Classic.
[announcer] Yeah, look at that.
[announcer 2] He's like the guard version of Draymond Green.
He could just do so many different things for them.
- [announcer] Yeah. - [announcer 2] Valentine.
Yes, it's the Valentine show. Michigan State has the victory.
[Denzel] And I had a triple double against Kansas, and then
I literally went from being barely on any draft boards to lottery pick.
Denzel Valentine right now the player of the year.
[Denzel] And then from that point on, my confidence went straight to the roof.
- [audience cheering] - [dramatic sting]
With the 14th pick in the 2016 NBA draft,
the Chicago Bull select…
- Denzel Valentine… - [audience cheering]
[announcer continues] from Michigan State University.
Once they said my name, I jumped up, and I kind of screamed.
The reaction was just so organic.
And as I'm walking up, I get the hat, I'm going up there,
I'm just, like, damn near shaking. Like, it feels fake.
Every day as a little boy, I used to sit and think about it.
And for this moment finally to come, it was like,
it was definitely just a blessing and a dream come true.
[continues off screen] Ooh, I was getting nervous there, you know, just, you know,
pick after pick, and you're just kind of sitting there wondering,
and you know, I'm just so glad
I'm going to the Bulls, and I'm gonna give them my all,
and I'm just glad to get this process going.
[gentle music]
When I was in Chicago doing my thing, I'm drafted,
you know, everybody wants a part of you. Everybody's talking to you.
Everybody's reaching out. "How you doing?"
Everybody's commenting on your Instagram, your Snapchat,
your this, your that. Now, I don't get the same likes.
I don't get the same attention. I don't get the same feedback.
But my family never switched up.
I talk to my parents damn near every day.
They always say, "You're gonna be back in the NBA.
You can do it. Your time is coming.
Like, it's always been that way. Like, Valentines, we're tough."
I keep everything where I need it to be at
just in case a team call. I'll be ready to go in 15 minutes.
So we had Denzel at the end of last year after he'd gotten cut, and you know,
I think he was a little weary of like, "Man, the G League."
Like, I haven't spent a whole lot of time here.
I think he played, like, two or three games when he was with the Bulls
in his whole career in the G League, and they were all just…
send him down for a day, play the game, come back up.
[gentle music continues]
[Alex continues] If you don't love basketball, this is a hard place to be.
You're not gonna love those four-hour layovers in airports
and staying at not-as-nice hotels,
having to get up at 7:30 to work out at eight before you go on a flight.
If you love basketball, the G League's a good spot to grind.
If you don't, it's gonna be tough for you.
- [upbeat music] - [shoes squeaking]
[whistle blows]
[Denzel] Just being in the NBA was definitely challenging.
- [announcer] Denzel Valentine. - [audience roars]
[Denzel] A lot of times where I was rolling, I'll get an injury,
and it'll kind of set me back a little bit.
I learned a lot from that experience. I got to play.
I got to show what I could do.
[announcer] Valentine for three. That's good.
[Denzel] I had a lot of really good games.
[announcer 2] His best game as a Bull. Here he is again.
[all grunt, cheering]
Gimme the hot sauce.
[Tom] Gimme the hot sauce, Denzel.
[Denzel] But it was definitely up and down.
My last year with the Bulls I probably would say
that was probably my worst year ever in basketball.
[announcer] Oh, my goodness, Valentine. Whoa no!
- [announcer 2] No, no, no. - [announcer] That is not the shot
- at that moment. - [announcer 2] That's a horrible shot.
[player] That shit outta here.
I know I belong at the NBA level.
- [net whooshing] - That's good basketball.
[continues off screen] I got a lot more basketball,
a lot more dreams to accomplish, so I just, it's not over.
[music fades]
[utensil clinking]
Would you make a 100 million dollars and be on a championship team
or make 250 and be on a bum team, be, like, the guy?
Yeah, the money good, man. But was up 60 games in a season.
- Man, I don't know, man. - Yeah.
I don't know. That's gonna be hard.
Yeah, as a competitor that would piss me off.
- [unintelligible stuttering] - 250, that's a lot of money.
- Yeah, yeah… - [Denzel laughing]
of course, you can go to Cabo after the loss.
Yeah, you can go get the Rolls Royce, of course,
like, real, like, James Bond shit.
Bro, I remember after a road trip, bro, it's like, you know,
landing in LA or whatever town at two in the morning.
We land, bro. I get off the plane.
I look to my left, I'd hear [imitating rotors whirring].
I'm like, "What?"
The chopper right there taking Carter back to San Diego at that day.
I was just like, "Wow."
I'm out here calling Uber to take me just 20 minutes, you know, outside the airport.
There's real levels to this.
[Denzel] So, like, coming out,
did you knew you was gonna be a first-rounder or like what?
So they said, "You less than 1% chance lottery…
Um… "11% chance first round, 42% chance second round."
It was less than 5% chance getting undrafted.
But when I saw 11% chance first round, I'm like,
"They told me I had 1% chance to go college,"
where you was like body of work. Like, you did it all, player of the year.
- Tight shit. - It was pretty easy.
Mine was like I still had a lot of prove in college.
- Right. - But you was like,
I remember when you kissed the floor in your last year,
- I'm like, "Yeah, he's done." - Yeah.
He's over with. Like, I watched that game.
- I remember that game. It was over with. - [Denzel laughing]
So it was crazy.
- Yeah, that's… - That shit was nothing in it…
- That was dope. - At all, man.
[dramatic music]
I've always sat there and questioned, like, what did I do wrong?
Or I kind of overthink the whole situation,
and sometimes you just can't do anything about it.
It always doesn't work out the way you think, you know.
You think you can come up here and match up with these guys,
and you know, do this every day,
and takes a toll on your mental and your physical health.
It's very hard, you know. It just takes dedication, work,
and you know, you just gotta stick with it.
[music fades]
[match hissing]
[soft praying]
[sniffles]
Good Shabbos, good Shabbos, good Shabbos.
- Good Shabbos. - Good Shabbos.
[sings] ♪ Shabbat shalom, hey shabbat shalom, hey ♪
♪ Shabbat, shabbat, shabbat, shalom, hey ♪♪
[dramatic music swells]
[Ryan] Grew up an Orthodox Jew that loved playing basketball.
- [spectator] Yeah, go Ryan. - [unintelligible chatter]
I went to Jewish schools my whole life while playing basketball at the same time.
The two have been intertwined when I was five years old all the way until now.
I said when Ryan was, like, seven, eight,
I thought he was gonna go to the NBA and they'd laugh at me.
In fact, Ryan used to say to me,
"Mom, stop. You know, you're putting that kind of pressure on me,"
and I'm going, "I just know that's where you're gonna go. Look out."
- [game sounds] - [unintelligible chatter]
[Ryan] I had a bunch of Big West, Ivy League,
and Patriot League division-one offers.
[music continues]
Ryan was recruited by West Point, right, Army basketball,
and they sent him a handwritten note every day
how much they wanted Ryan.
I actually verbally committed my junior year,
but we had a anonymous call to the Chabad rabbi there,
and he eventually pretty much said,
"If you're an Orthodox Jew, it's not likely you're gonna be
an Orthodox Jew when you're at West Point. It's gonna be tough."
We were making a plan for Ryan to go to West Point
on a visit, and he said, "I really have to tell you something."
And he goes, "I've changed my mind,
and I've decided to go to Yeshiva University instead of West Point."
I said, "Why?" And he said, "I wanna be a Jewish hero."
[upbeat song plays]
You know, I keep Shabbos. I keep kosher.
This is who I am. This is really important to me.
And at the end of the day, I don't wanna sacrifice that
just to say I played division-one basketball.
[announcer] Turell, three pointer. Bang, Ryan Turell is on fire.
He felt like this Jewish world didn't have a sports hero
that wore a yarmulke and said that I'm devoted to the religion.
[announcer] What a performance.
Turell again, there it is, 51 points for Ryan Turell.
This is NBA-esque performance.
[song continues]
February 4th, the Long Island Nets game,
the Yeshiva fan base is gonna come out to that game,
and the New York Jewish community is gonna come out to that game.
- [music thuds] - [cheering]
[audience chanting] We want Ryan.
- We want Ryan. - [fans clapping]
[chanting]
We want Ryan.
[fans chanting indistinctly]
[audience cheering]
[announcer] And a big roar as Ryan Turell will come
into the game for the first time for Motor City,
and he has a big-time fan club here at the Coliseum.
[audience cheering]
[announcer 2] Trying to become the first Orthodox Jewish player to play in the NBA.
[announcer] He is the first Orthodox Jewish player
- in the NBA G League, so step one. - [announcer 2] There you go.
[fans chanting] RT, RT.
RT, RT.
- He's got, ugh. - [Ryan] That's good D, check, check.
- [unintelligible chatter] - [game sounds]
[rim clattering]
[Brad] It wasn't close. He's nervous.
[Laurel] Down, Ryan, shut 'em down, baby.
- [Brad] Doing good. - [Laurel] Shut 'em down.
- [Coach] Yeah, yeah, good D. - [buzzer blaring]
- Fuck yeah, the coach liked that. - The coach said good D to him.
[Coach] Yes.
[announcer] ShawnDre' Jones in the game, finds Turell in the corner.
- [net whooshing] - [audience cheering]
- [gentle music swells] - [crowd cheers]
[announcer] Turell, inside, nice move from Ryan Turell.
Oh, I'm low, I'm low, I'm low.
Let's go. Let's go RT.
- [announcer] He knocks it down. - [fans chanting indistinctly]
[audience cheering]
It's beautiful to see. We were sitting with people.
They live an hour from here, and the guy said,
"Because of Ryan, every kid on our team now where's a yarmulke."
He's a folk hero to New York City.
This person, who's my brother, means a lot to me
but it also means a lot to so many people.
[fans chatter indistinctly]
[camera clicking]
[audience cheering]
10 years ago, long-ass time ago…
high school comes around.
I go out there and start hooping, and people start recognizing who I am,
starting to dunk on people as a freshman. I had cameras following me,
Ballislife watching every game I played in,
people from the Philippines,
people from China sending me messages on Instagram.
Like, "Hey, like, you're my favorite player."
- [announcer] Boom. - [cheering]
That mix tape got ranked top 10 of mix tapes all time.
Think I was number 10.
[interviewer] If you could go back and talk to that Gabe York,
- what would you tell him? - [sighs] Man, I would let him know
that the journey's not gonna be as beautiful as it was in high school.
[dramatic music]
[water sloshing]
- [Gabe] The G League… - [utensil clanking]
is unpredictable.
You never know what's gonna happen on a day-to-day basis.
You never know what roster spot's gonna change.
You never know who's gonna get a call-up, where you might go.
Like, I'm playing for the Mad Ants. I might get a call tomorrow, like,
"Yo, you gonna go play for the Bulls." You know what I'm saying?
It's very unpredictable.
Last year, our last game I think was, like, April 4th,
and on April 4th right after the game, they're like,
"All right, y'all got one week, and it's wrap."
- Time to get out. - That's it.
That's all y'all get, one week after the season.
[train roars]
But you know, that's how it goes. You know, that's the profession we chose,
so you don't have a lot of security. It's one year.
It's not even a year, right? It's six months, so you got six months
to try and make something shake, and if not,
it's right back to kind of whatever's next for you.
This is my first year ever as a professional
coming back to a team for a second time.
If you look at my career, it's Italy, D-League, Germany,
Lakeland, France, Fort Wayne, and then Fort Wayne.
So it's the only time that I've done something back to back.
The coaches, the GMs, everybody, they know me.
They know what I bring to the table. They know the work ethic.
They know the game that I bring, and so it wasn't like,
"Damn, I'm coming somewhere and having to start over new in year eight."
She makes everything happen over here. Trust me on that.
And she always have Panera for lunch, kale smoothie with a squash soup
and a turkey BLT sandwich without the bacon.
- Is that right? Okay. - Right, yes.
Just knowing what I've already done this year
and what I've been capable of doing, I think I've hit a stride.
- Couple nights ago, I had 41. - [net whooshing]
- Night before that, I had 38. - [net whooshing]
[audience cheering]
And now it's just a matter of staying consistent,
and going out there on a nightly basis, and trying to prove that.
- [ball thudding] - [indistinct chatter]
Hey, real quick guys, in this business, it's rare we get
to celebrate saying first time in franchise history, right?
So when we do, we gotta come together as a group…
- Celebrate. - celebrate those moments.
So after a week of going four and one,
one after 32 a game, first time in franchise history,
three time in one season, player the week… Gabe York.
[cheering]
- Congrats, man. - [Gabe] Appreciate it.
[player] Yes, sir, yes sir.
- [player 2] Hot again. - [Gabe] Thanks, y'all. Appreciate that.
[Tom] Hurry up. Call it up, Gabe. Let's get five lines on the baseline.
[Gabe] Family on me, family on three. One, two, three.
- [all] Family. - [Tom] Here we go.
[Gabe] There we go. I'm on the back, I'm on the back.
Start ball side.
Gabe's just, he's a great kid that works extremely hard.
- [ball thudding] - [Tom] Shoot it.
He's a YouTube legend basically in high school.
Everybody knows who he is.
[Gabe] I love it. Y'all can still do that, yep.
He's an excellent player.
He just needs to catch a break with the right NBA franchise
that needs his skillset and size at his position.
[player] You're going to the rim.
What's going against him? He's a little bit undersized for his size,
and he's a little bit older.
[player] Go, go, go, good.
[Tom] When NBA teams want guys that are kind of at the end of their bench,
they wanna get younger guys that they think they can develop.
Oh, shit, oh, shit, look who it is.
Boy, old superman. Come here, hold up, dawg, you good?
- I'm good. - Good to see you, man.
That shit tough. Look at him. You see him?
You see what it is, yeah.
[player] Shoot, shoot, there you go. There you go.
My name is Trevelin Queen, one and only.
I'm 25 years old, play for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
I'm on two-way currently with Indiana Pacers.
TQ, he is an NBA talent.
You know, he was MVP of the G League last year.
[announcer] Trevelin Queen dribbling, look at his eyes up the entire time,
spin move, lay it in. Okay, Trevelin Queen, we see you.
[Tom] He can play multiple positions. He's got elite speed.
So I think he's right on the verge.
Every team I've been on, I've always kept my little plaque thing, so I walk in here,
always feel amazed by it. You know what I mean?
It's a blessing to even walk in here and see my name.
I don't really do much in here game day. I'm usually in the arena locker room,
so I just come here and see if they grabbed my shoes
'cause you know, life of a two-way.
They don't really do everything for you, you know what I mean, so.
Light broke. They gave me the locker with a broken light,
but I'm gonna still shine anyways.
I've been with the big boys for about eight, nine days, 10 days,
so it's been a nice little road trip.
Gotta play two, you gotta play two. That's you, yeah, shift, shift, shift.
Shift, shift, shot.
Mad Ants, they've been my guys all year. Like, I've been with them.
I've been going through more stuff with them than I have so with the guys up top.
I'm watching 'em on TV, and I see that they're doing
so much good when I'm not there, so seeing them again,
just being able to acknowledge them for that is just a great feeling.
- [Coach] Grab, grab. - [net whooshing]
You got it.
The human torch, bro.
Shout out Gabe York, man. Wish I could be just as cool as him.
- It's the man right there. - [Gabe] Weak rip.
It's a torch, literally a human torch. Like, it's not surprising at all.
What'd he have, 48 and 41, and then 39? Like, that's his OD numbers, man,
but he's been doing that his whole career, so I'm not understanding the NBA part
of him not being able to get the shot
when a whole bunch of team needs a scorer and a shooter, so.
Right this, right, right, right, right, right.
- [Tom] There you go. - [Gabe] Shift, shift, shift.
- [Tom] Good job. - [Gabe] Shift.
Good job.
When TQ is with us, I feel bad for Gabe
because he doesn't get the opportunities offensively
that he does when TQ's not here.
- Back. - [Tom] Good job. Everybody down here.
It has hurt him, and he's had some games
when TQ's here where he only gets eight or nine shots,
and he's usually getting 15 to 20.
[dramatic music]
[engine humming]
[players chatting indistinctly]
He's standing in my way, and I'm standing in his way.
And that's how it works for him. He's a two-way, so he's already got
a edge up, a step up on me.
And so it's like you take that to heart, and it's not like,
I don't wish no bad will. I don't wish nothing bad for you.
I hope you prosper. I hope you get everything
that you're looking for in your life,
but at the end of the day, I hope it happens for me, too.
[announcer] Queen on the breakout. Queen to Bay, Queen again.
He is feeling it.
I want it to happen for me just as much as I want it to happen for the next guy.
And so what does that do? It just creates an environment of competitive nature…
where, if you're not in your right mindset, it could be detrimental.
[train horn blaring]
[dramatic music]
- [shoes squeaking] - [grunting]
[announcer] York, his three is good.
Two guys in the face on him, and he drains his first three of the game.
Heat check from York, and he drains it, three for three from the three-point line.
[announcer 2] He's one of those guys that he can hit 10 threes tonight.
[announcer] Past week, he averaged 31.8 points per game,
shot over 47% in the game.
- [announcer 2] Gabe York. - [whistle blows]
I'm the only one on a game-to-game basis that gets defended the way I get defended.
There's nothing I can say to you as a GM.
Like, my game has proven in leaps and bounds
over the last two years, showcased that, you know, I belong where I belong.
If you're a GM, I'm just like, you gotta go watch tape,
and if you don't believe it, then that's on you.
- [shoes squeaking] - [unintelligible chatter]
- [rim clattering] - [audience cheering]
[Gabe] And that's my point.
[player] Ain't got to do him like, man. That's dirty.
[announcer] NBA G League player of the week…
impressing yet again tonight.
[announcer 2] What does that show, what does that tell you
- about who Gabe York is? - [whistle blows]
[announcer] Gabe York another 35-plus-point game,
his seventh of the season.
[announcer 2] He doesn't belong here.
Mentally, it is tough. It wears on you. It grinds on you 'cause you work so hard.
So it's like, am I ever really gonna get an opportunity
to show what I can do and play?
So you just kind of working and waiting for the opportunity
at the next level to prove yourself in front of the NBA community.
[dramatic music]
[announcer] McClung is the first G League player ever
to participate in the slam dunk competition.
He was signed this week by the 76ers to a two-way contract.
[announcer] Mac McClung has to come up with something unique
because the first reaction's gonna be like, "Who?"
- [audience cheering] - [hip-hop music playing]
[announcer] Mac McClung has saved the dunk contest.
[cheering, laughing]
[announcer] A G Leaguer has saved the dunk contest.
- He's got a prop here. - [announcer 2] High school jersey.
[announcer] Yeah.
- [rim clattering] - [roaring cheer]
- [announcer ]It's over… - [announcer 2] It's a wrap.
- It is over, ladies and gentlemen. - [announcer 2] That's a wrap.
- [music continues] - [cheering continues]
[audience cheering]
- [unintelligible chatter] - [cheering continues]
Oh, my goodness.
[dramatic sting]
[street sounds]
I seen Mac last night in the club. He was lit.
- I bet he was. [laughing] - Turnt up over the dunk contest.
- Boy, he deserved it, though. - Yeah.
That was the first, like, actually, like, good dunks
- I've seen since Aaron Gordon… - Wow.
- Zach LaVine, like, excitement. - Yeah.
So it was cool. Good for him, good for the G League.
Who woulda thought I'd be in the All-Star events, though?
I mean, it's not the real NBA one,
but it's still participating in the All-Star event.
Took you work to get there.
Hope my knee don't hurt when I get to this gym, though.
If my knee don't hurt, I'm going for MVP. My shit hurt, I don't know.
[Gabe] It's good to be here, another opportunity.
NBA Scouts execs, they get to see me, see what I bring to the table.
[thematic music]
I'm trying to get there.
[announcer] This is NBA All-Star weekend.
Everybody does not get to play, so just to even be here is a big deal.
[music intensifies]
[music continues]
[buzzer blaring]
[announcer continues] Ball's in play, and captain Scoot Henderson
starts things off for team Scoot.
[Scoot yells] Hey.
[hip hop music plays]
- [players yell] - Nah.
- [announcer] Mac making history. - [buzzer blaring]
As a G Leaguer, you have so much to represent out there.
Oh, I mean, I felt like it was a privilege.
I really wanted to show out for the G League, and I haven't taken it all in.
It's kind of a blur right now. So just trying to enjoy the moment.
- [music continues] - [buzzer]
- [net whooshing] - [cheering]
[announcer] Feverish pace here, through the legs
and off the backboard to Scoot Henderson.
[audience cheering]
[announcer 2] They gave us a dunk contest to end the game.
[music continues]
[announcer] And that will do it. Team Luka wins it, your final score 178 to 162.
- Yes, sir, I'm ready. - Good luck to you the rest of the season.
[audience cheering]
[street noise]
[thematic music]
The next up game was an opportunity to showcase my talent,
and I wanted to be in it just to say I was in it.
I feel like I was on a path to get signed at All-Star break,
and I broke my ankle.
[announcer] Uh-oh, Mason Jones goes down, and he is in pain.
And I was on a fast break, and the player just stuck his foot out.
I tried to avoid his foot, and I just heard a pop.
That thing got swelling real, real quick.
Went to go get an MRI, found out I broke a bone in my foot.
[dramatic music continues]
I was on a great path this year.
I know a lot of people was texting my agent,
and a lot of people was telling me, like, "You're real, real, real, real close,
not just being in the NBA but to sticking."
It's real hard right now just knowing that I wanna come back, I wanna play,
but it's something I can't rush back.
Already tried to play a game, and it didn't go well.
My ankle wasn't really responding like I thought it would so.
[announcer through phone] Huge impact right now,
he's made his last seven shots. He's got Arkansas within two.
Jayhawks with the ball and the lead, trip to the Sweet 16 on the line…
Okay, you down two. Get to 149.
[announcer continues] Razorbacks a team with so much talent,
and as Eric Musselman said,
"We have the kind of team we can beat anybody anytime."
Then, my NBA dream was sparked my junior year in college
with Coach Musselman and Arkansas Razorbacks.
[announcer continues] Davis, oh, he scores it.
Okay, okay, Devo.
- [announcer] We're tied at 61. - Come on.
He came in the locker room, he was like,
"Mase, I'm not gonna give you anything. I want players in that gym,"
'cause in my head, that's how I knew,
"Okay, I think this is a coach that's gonna take me to the next step."
[announcer] Boy, Mason Jones steps up from long range.
And Jones just continues to dominate.
From that day forward, I was like,
"Okay, Mus, I'm gonna do everything you ask me to do.
I'm gonna wake up in the morning and be in the gym,"
and it paid off.
[announcer] Jones for three. He makes it in.
[audience cheering]
[Mason] I end up being the SEC player of year.
[audience chanting]
[announcer] And the crowd speaks its mind.
[thematic music]
[announcer through phone] And Arkansas can add to their lead.
Me and Mus always talk. We talked this morning.
I sent him a message at 5:00.
- [interviewer] What'd you say? - Another day to be great.
[announcer continues] Three seconds to go, Arkansas by two,
Hit's the bank. Arkansas gets it in…
Three seconds left. Yes.
[announcer continues] Oh, that's it, and the Razorbacks…
Oh, we won.
[announcer continues] survive and advance…
- Ah, we won. - [announcer continues] to the Sweet 16.
- Arkansas wins it. - [cheering fades]
- [mellow music] - See what I'm saying?
That's why you got pesos… just to give away.
Kindness is the best form of life.
[festive music]
[unintelligible chatter]
Here you go, little man, this for you.
Always.
Oh, look at the dog.
Oh, Mexico a different vibe. You gotta come see it for yourself.
Can I get M and J?
MJ… For me, MJ.
- [paper rustling] - [music continues]
Oh, my God.
[continues off screen] It's crazy that I get this much love
out here in Mexico knowing that I'm new.
Thank you.
This all came from helping the Capitanes, just being able to play in front of them
and also just being able to display who I am
off the court and on the court.
I feel like Mexico City is phenomenal, really.
And I'm from Dallas, Texas.
Now, I'm playing with the Mexico City Capitanes.
[music fades]
Yes, sir, Mus.
Look, Mus, and I've been doing this film watching the game.
You just gotta get a shout out to them. You gotta say what's up to the film.
This is my guy, Mus, Sweet 16, [yells] baby!
[continues yelling]
Yes, sir, coach, that's all I needed.
Yes, sir. Whoo, whoo.
[upbeat music]
Whoo.
[upbeat music continues]
Whoo.
[upbeat music continues]
Whoo team! Let's go, Caps.
[chants] Capitanes.
[cheering swells]
[announcer] The Capitanes leading scorer, Mason Jones, again sidelined in this game.
[overlapping chatter]
Oh, good pass, G.
[announcer 2] One thing that Mason Jones has not stopped doing
was being a part of this team.
Justin, you know what you got. You got zero.
[announcer 2] If his body's not ready, he mentally is ready to come back.
- [announcer] The Capitanes miss him. - [fades]
[gentle music]
[leaves rustling]
[wind gusting]
[Scoot yells] Mommy!
- What? - What's the Wi-Fi?
[Crystal] Um, let me ask C.J.
- C.J. know all the Wi-Fi passwords. - He does know all the Wi-Fi.
Let me see. I think it's…
- That's not sweet, though. - Can I share it with somebody?
That's not mom's cake. That's just a cake that I bought.
- Yeah, that's not mom's. I can tell. - I'm sorry.
What's the Wi-Fi, C.J.?
Hello. I'm at the house in Vegas.
- [Scoot] Why are you screaming, though? - Because I,
Okay. Can you look it up now? See?
We got the same password.
Yeah, so I don't understand why people keep changing it
because it makes my life very difficult.
- Did that work? - No.
Actually, it might have.
- Oh, it did work. - See? I'm great.
- Good job. - All right.
- Okay. - Thanks.
You good?
[audience cheering through computer]
- [Scoot] Whoa. - [announcer] That's rude, folks.
[Scoot] Thanks. [laughs]
What is this?
- Russell Westbrook. - And who?
Just him.
- [Crystal] Oh. - [Scoot] Being him.
- [Crystal] Him being him? [laughs] - [Scoot] Oh, my.
He just go with emphasis every time…
every time, whether it's a layup, pass.
[announcer] Westbrook, shows the basketball, goes to the rim.
- [roaring applause] - [announcer 2] Wow, that is nasty, man.
You don't have to watch it. It's 17 minutes.
All right.
Good job.
I've always been around my family, you know.
I'm just a family-oriented person.
Sometimes last year, when I was only 17, I was in my hotel room just by myself
not really having anybody to talk to
'cause after the game it'd be, like, 2:00 in Georgia,
so I couldn't call my folks or anything.
You know, it was a tough time for sure,
just trying to handle it on my own and really just trying
to just breathe through it
and keep my head where it's supposed to be.
[interviewer] Pretend like we don't know anything about you.
Who is Scoot Henderson?
Scoot Henderson is, you know, just a kid
from Marietta, Georgia, that had a dream to feed his family
and to have generational wealth.
- You know, that's a new one. - Which one is that?
Ooh-ee, I was asking for the white with the red, too.
- What's the interior? What the interior… - It's a red interior.
I've always wanted to get my mom and dad, like, a house.
Get whatever my sisters want, whatever my brothers want.
They always like, "I want this." I'm like, "Bet, like, bet, got you."
- I don't know about that. - Which one you getting?
[Crystal] Nothing. We not getting nothing.
- The Vette? - A Vette?
What am I gonna do with a Vette?
- Nothing, but that's what you was saying. - Nah, I said a McLaren.
- I can't own no Vette. - Oh, actually, you said McLaren.
- No. - I can't own no Vette. For what?
- What'd you do with a McLaren? - [Crystal] Nothing.
- Something better than a Vette. - All right, y'all good with me?
- I wanna a McLaren. You get one. - [Chris] Nah.
- What you really needs a… - [Scoot] I need something.
- [Chris] Prius. - No, bro, no, no.
- [Crystal laughing] - You be real low key.
Nah, I ain't never been low key.
- I know, but you gonna have to. - [dramatic music swells]
I'm excited when we get at these boys in the league.
Let these boys know what time is.
- Action. - Tear they ass up.
- [announcer] On the take Henderson. - [cheering, laughing]
[announcer] Oh, my goodness…
Ignite is, like, the center of attention. Every other G League team hated us.
[announcer] National TV is here because of Scoot Henderson, because of Ignite.
The teams who come and play, they know that, too.
[Jalen] Just because you had those young guys, and we trying to get drafted.
- [announcer] But Scoot Henderson hacked. - [whistle]
[Jalen] People trying to come at us, embarrass us.
- Hey! - [overlapping chatter]
Every chance that they had got, they tried to, you know, get at us.
- [whistle] - [Jalen continues] It was good, though.
It helped us because when you get to the NBA, it's only gonna get times 10.
Nothing compares to this path, man. Like, we have a lot of eyes on us,
and you know, what better chance for someone
that's trying to go back to the league
than to play us where all the eyes are, where all the scouts are watching.
You know, I've went against player that's trying to kill
every time down the floor, that's gonna try to stop me,
so that's kinda how I grew these past few years.
- [faded fans cheering] - [air whooshing]
- [shoes squeaking] - [ball thudding]
We got nine games left. We're two games outta the playoffs.
Like, there's a small margin for error.
We've done such a good job these first 23 games, right?
Reward yourselves with these last nine games, right?
- All right, bring it in. - [overlapping chatter]
- [player] Let's do it, y'all. - [player 2] All right, together on three.
- One, two, three. - [all] Together.
- Just, right underneath the kneecap. - [Therapist] Yeah.
[unintelligible practice chatter[
Bro, just 'cause the cameras are here doesn't mean you gotta…
get some treatment or whatever this is, bro.
[Denzel laughing] Bro.
- [Alex] You old, bro. - I'm a old head in the G League for real.
Yesterday, one of they players, he funny for this…
- he talking about, "So who got OG?" - [all laughing]
He was talking about me. I'm like, "Ah, I'm a OG, okay, all right."
It was, like, one of those slick, disrespectful type shit.
I was like, "That's a funny one. That's a funny one."
[dramatic music swells]
[Alex] I think the biggest thing for Denzel this year is
that he's realized what he needs to do to get back to the NBA.
He's gotta be a bit of a different player than he was
when he was in the NBA and when he got drafted out of Michigan State.
[music intensifies]
- Go, go, go, go, go. - [player] Go, man, going to the left.
[Alex] They all know he can play-make and play off others.
- [net whooshing] - [cheering]
[announcer] Beautiful feed from Valentine. His vision is impeccable.
We can't just assume they're making shots.
Like, literally guard 'em like that. Like, absolutely disrespect them.
[continues] His meal ticket to get back to the NBA is to show that he can guard.
- [player] Hey. - [Alex] No, oh, my God.
[continues off screen] And he can make an open shot.
[announcer] Out to Valentine, left open for three straight away.
- It won't go, rebound tipped out white. - Fuck.
[thematic music]
[Alex] We tell the guys all the time,
the Boston Celtics aren't looking necessarily for the best player.
They're not. They're looking for the guy from the G League
that can help them win and impact winning.
Every possession matters…
- [player groans] - [music intensifies]
[Alex] He knows that.
[Denzel] Fuck, man.
[announcer] So the Lakers take two here, winning this one tonight 114-98.
[Denzel] I can just take it day by day.
And I'm human, so I deal with emotions and feelings,
but I don't know, you gotta take the good with the bad.
You know, we're out here for a week.
We're gonna enjoy it, enjoy the weather, enjoy the vibes, and make the most of it.
Just kind of just get my mind on basketball.
[interviewer] Does basketball come up in your music a lot?
- Yeah. - Yeah?
I rap about, like, when I'm going through, like, stuff that I'm doing.
So it's just a way for me to vent and kinda just like,
I feel like when I make music I'm fully present.
Like, I ain't think about nothing else.
When I'm in that booth, and I'm just like, got
the headphones in, I'm in my zone, like, I ain't thinking about nothing,
so that's where I feel peace at is like being in the booth,
- being in the studio with my friends. - [Brandon] It's like an escape.
Yeah, it's like an escape.
[practicing lyrics] ♪ Playing like I'm Popovich ♪
♪ I'm coming to play Like I'm pop ♪♪
[all groaning]
One more time, one more time, ah, one more time.
[off tune] ♪ Time, is that itty bitch for the dog ♪
[Brandon] 'Cause I wanna go back in like that.
- That's hard. - [Brandon] That's hard as hell.
[laughs, sings] ♪ Is that itty bitch for the dog ♪♪
- [both laughing] - [Denzel] Oh, shit.
Like, me being in LA is because of him, you know.
Me traveling the world, seeing new things,
experiencing new things is because of him having faith in me
and just being a good friend to him.
I thought about, like, maybe, like, one day in the future,
like, if it comes around to it, start my own label,
and trying to put people on for my city, Lansing, Michigan.
I used to have a studio in my crib in Chicago,
and me and KG would probably work, like, three times a week at least.
- It's definitely a good escape for sure. - [KG] For sure, for sure.
[gentle music swells]
[waves lapping]
I've always enjoyed making music. It's a good hobby,
but basketball is the most important thing,
and that's what I'm doing right now, so…
I just feel like I'm a winner just in general.
I definitely got that on my side.
I'm gonna come in, and be positive, and work extremely hard
every single day, and I'm gonna be a good person,
so I bring a lot to the table.
- [birds squawking] - [music continues]
But then it also is like, it's that devil on your shoulder saying,
"You're a failure. Why are you in the G League still?
[waves crashing]
If you're so good, then you know, why are you here?"
So it's like I got the angel and the devil talking to me.
I tend to listen to the angel a little bit more
because I don't know what's gonna happen
in the future, but I just believe in myself.
[music continues]
[street sounds]
[items clattering]
So we don't use electronics from sundown Friday night till sundown Saturday night,
no phones, TV, car…
so I need to be close to the gym to make the walk,
so a lot of the times I stay at a different hotel than my team.
It's really cool for a team to, you know, be so accepting
and understanding of that situation and helping me out through it.
What I do on Shabbat, you know, since you can't use
a microwave or, you know, cook anything,
I bring a hot plate with me on the road trips.
You just plug that in, you can put your food on top of that.
Pretty much on every road trip, I bring my food, you know,
to keep kosher and whatnot, so I keep it old reliable right here.
That's what I call it. It's the ice chest that I bring it in.
I got, you know, my pastrami blocks and rice pretty much, I'll get,10 of these.
Like, people walk, they see me, like, lining these up,
and they're like, "Oh, you must really like these."
And shout out to Rabbi Levy of Habad out in Fort Wayne.
He supplied me with the challah bread…
that is much needed and the grape juice that is needed for the Shabbat festivals.
[gentle music swells]
[street sounds]
To be traveling to a place like Sioux Falls, or Fort Wayne,
or, you know, all over the map, and having, you know, Habads coming out
and helping me out with food, you know, it's been super helpful,
and it's cool that they're a huge part of this journey,
and I know that it'd be really hard to complete this journey
if I didn't have all the people around me.
- [buzzer blaring] - Ky, Ky, Kyler.
Who you got?
When I get it in the game,
I just try to give as much energy as possible
and just be ready for the opportunity when it comes.
[announcer] Ryan Turell off the bench for the Cruise chases it down.
Ky, Ky, Ky, Ky.
This season was a real learning experience for me.
Coming from a division-three school, it was a big jump,
but I feel like I've made big strides in my game.
- [announcer] Turell with space… connects! - [Ryan] Time out.
- [whistle blows] - [audience cheering]
And I've definitely gotten used to the size and speed.
[announcer] Turell…
[announcer 2] Trevelin Queen all over him, one of the better defenders in the league.
[announcer] A fade away.
[announcer 2] That was a big-time bucket there by Turell.
He had to deal with a lot.
I could play at this level. And I'm excited to keep getting better.
[announcer] And hard looking for space… Turell, what a move, off the window.
[audience roars]
[announcer 2 chuckles] Great footwork by the young fella.
We're calling it the spinning dreidel. Saw a couple of comments on Instagram,
or Twitter, or whatever. It's spinning dreidel.
I like that name. That's a good nickname for that move.
[announcer] Saturday night, and at Summit City, a rookie with some savvy.
[gentle music]
I always wanted to play in Israel.
Even growing up, that was always a dream to me.
And even if the NBA dream happens as well, that would be the perfect career ending
would be going to play in Israel for of couple years.
But right now, I feel like the right move is to stay the G League path.
You know, when I was growing up, I never thought the NBA was attainable,
but I kept working hard and kept getting better,
and you know, now I do believe it's possible,
and I just gotta keep working to get there.
I coulda went overseas easily, and played, and did all that,
but I felt like I was good enough,
and the time was gonna come for me to get on a team
where they'll let me be me and use my abilities, you know,
to the highest level, so I decided to stay here,
and it took five, six years for that opportunity to come.
[ball thudding]
Early probably, like, year one through year three,
it was kinda rough, but I did get a call-up
at the end of my first year to the Milwaukee Bucks,
and you know, that kinda gave me more confidence
that I know that I can do this, and I can get a 10-day.
[ball thudding]
Last season, I got a 10-day contract with the Orlando Magic.
That was my first actual NBA opportunity at 28 years old.
[net whooshing]
So even just to hear that, it was special for me
to get that call at 8:30 in the morning from my agent.
Like, "Yo, like, you got your 10-day, man. Like, congratulations, like, it's time."
- [ball thuds] - [whooshing]
Those 10 days I was gonna give my all to.
Like, I knew, after that 10 days, I was gonna get signed,
and I know what comes after that.
- [ball thudding] - [grunts]
[whooshing]
They asked me, "Yo, what time are you trying to leave?"
I said, "I can get to the airport in fucking 30 minutes.
When you want me to get out?" I was so ready to leave and start that journey.
- [thudding] - [squeaking]
Get on the flight, land in Orlando at about 5:15.
By 5:40, I'm taking the Q test. They called me 15 minutes later.
"Yo, like, came back positive, but like, we're gonna do the PCR.
It'll come back at 6:00 AM, and we'll let you know in the morning."
[dramatic hum]
I don't sleep, and I'm just looking at my phone
just waiting, like, "Hurry up and call me. Hurry up and call me."
They called me at, like, 7:15. The doc's on the phone with the manager,
and that's when I knew it was bad. The doc starts talking,
and I don't even remember the whole conversation.
I just remember him starting off with, "Yo, I'm sorry."
- And then after that, it was like, oof. - [music swells]
Like, a whole cloud just fucking went over me,
and it was just like, this is not happening to me right now.
Like, this is not, I didn't feel like it was real. I didn't feel like,
"Damn, my first NBA opportunity is gonna come down to this?", like…
And I felt like I didn't have no favor from God.
[dramatic music swells]
At that point, I called my girlfriend, and I was crying.
You know, I was bawling crying, and I was just asking like,
"What should I do at this point?"
Like, "I don't feel like this is worth it anymore."
What she was able to do for me was just be there for me,
be a shoulder to cry on, to just hear me out,
and hear my frustrations, and hear my cries,
and for who I am and what my career has been.
It was just like, "Bro, like, are you gonna stop and quit,
or is this just, you know, another one of those trials,
another one of those life lessons and battles
that you had to learn 'cause God's telling you, like,
you still not ready for this shit?"
[Adina] Gabe works extremely, extremely hard.
When we were home in the summer,
he worked out at least three or four times a day.
I couldn't get him out of the gym.
And I think a little part of his happiness is sacrificed
just because he's not where he wants to be.
So truly, I just, like, always make sure
I put at least a little bit of positivity into him.
He's working on that part of himself of getting fully happy
being where he's at in his career.
You know what time it is.
[Gabe] She's one of the people that has really helped change
my mental aspect on understanding that you need to enjoy
the process of what you're going through.
You need to see that there is beauty in the struggle.
You know what I mean? There is beauty in the trial that you're going through.
It's all just setting you up for whatever that main war is
that's coming up in your life, whatever it may be.
And for me, you know, I think my war is the NBA.
[announcer] Number 32, [louder] Gabe York.
[audience cheering]
[Gabe] Eight years I've been fighting to get to the NBA,
battling all these lessons, but I think once I get there,
that's gonna be the hardest part.
The moment you touch those doors,
it becomes harder than anything that you've done
even to get to that point to try and stay there.
[player] Come on, come on.
[announcer] Deep three, Gabe York, of course.
[announcer 2] That was a practice three. You can't do that.
You can't give him one of those. He's entirely too good.
[Gabe continues] And I think that's what has set me up over these last eight years
is to be ready for that opportunity.
I think that's why I am who I am today and where I'm at today.
Get in there.
And why I'm okay with being in the G League
again for a third full year for my caliber of player and what I've been able to do.
[announcer] York… book it.
- [audience cheering] - [player] Good shot, Gabe.
And that's where I'm gonna continue
to prove and showcase that I belong in the NBA.
[dramatic music continues]
[Coach] Let's move, move. Feels like dawn, don't got no miles on your body.
- You're, like, walking. - [practice sounds]
Scoot, that's my little brother.
Been with each other for the last two years,
we have this connection and this brotherhood.
[gentle music]
[Eugene] Right now, we about to go check out my son, EJ.
He's having a baseball game.
- He gonna go crazy seeing Scoot. - [Scoot chuckles]
[Eugene continues] Scoot is one of the best players in the world,
but he still takes the time out to do what's important.
- [baseball bat clanging] - [overlapping crowd chatter]
[Eugene] What'd you think?
- [all groan] - [Eugene] Oh, safe.
Feel like Pooh, like, he's, like, similar to my dad almost
just, like, how he thinks about things, you know, uh…
and I'm all ears whenever he speaks.
What made baseball so popular, bro?
- Man, it's America's… - It's a great sport.
- It's like America's sport. - [Scoot] Yeah.
It's hard, though.
[Eugene] Keep your eyes on it.
- [bat clanging] - [cheering swells]
- [spectator] Let's go, yeah, let's go. - [overlapping cheering]
- [Scoot] Yes! Keep going. - [Eugene] What you say?
Oh, that was a home run?
Him coming by, and watching EJ play baseball,
and taking pictures with the kids, and just being Scoot,
and I wished more people can see how special he is
and how big his character is.
- [friend] Two, three. - [camera clicking]
[friend] Good job, man.
So when y'all see the NBA draft coming up, he's gonna be on the NBA draft.
- No, he's not. He's staying on. - [all laughing]
[Eugene] No, I mean, when y'all play NBA 2K 24, he's gonna be on there.
[laughing] Yeah, now get on outta there.
[upbeat music]
- [player] Yeah. - [player 2] There he is. There he is.
- Oh, that's hard. - [Coach] You gotta set a screen on, Neil.
- [audience cheering] - [Scoot] Oh, he can't guard you.
[announcer] Johnson gets the lay up there,
getting the start in place of Scoot Henderson.
They decided to shut Scoot down.
The thought is he's shown enough, right?
He's expected to be a to-two pick in the upcoming draft,
not play the last four games or so for the Ignite.
[announcer 2] Yep, that means he's done his work. He put his work in.
He put his time in, and he's gonna be rewarded later on.
There's not just one journey to having a long career in the NBA.
There's a lot of different ways to get to where you wanna be.
A lot of guys like me who aren't drafted have a long career, still here.
A lot of guys who were drafted above me are gone, so as long as you keep working,
stay consistent, and you really love the game,
then you never know when your break
or when your lucky day is to show that you belong.
[dramatic music]
[announcer] At Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Delaware,
it's the regular season finale.
The Fort Wayne Mad Ants visiting the Delaware Blue Coats.
For the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, it's simple. Win, and they're in the G League playoffs.
Lose, and their season is over.
- [game sounds] - [grunting]
- [player] Hey, good shot. - [player 2] Red, red.
- [player] Shot. - [net whooshing]
[audience cheering]
[player] That's tough.
[whistle blows]
That was on TQ?
Don't start that soft-ass calls, bro. Don't start them soft-ass calls.
[announcer 2] We know Queen's gonna be very aggressive,
former MVP of the G League.
[announcer 2] He went out with two fouls early.
Gabe, dribble thumb, dribble thumb.
[announcer] Gabe York's so hard to guard off those screen-aways
'cause he can turn the corner and drive it,
and obviously, he can sit behind it and shoot it.
[Seth] Yeah, it's they ball. No, all right, so get out, my bad, my bad.
- [player] Ah. - [player] That way, that way, that way.
[whistle blows]
- [dramatic music continues] - You got Gabe.
- [shoes squeaking] - [player] Real fucking pass.
[announcer] Queen back in the game
doing what he does best, scoring the basketball.
77 away, here we go.
[ball thudding]
[Queen] Grabbed my whole wrist, bro.
That's a foul, yo. What the fuck, yo?
[announcer] This is a scrappy game. Both teams are definitely competing.
You see the Mad Ants competing for their lives,
and you see the Blue Coats saying, "Hey not on our watch, not on our home court."
[Queen] I never get that fucking call.
- No, Gabe's hand, TQ. - [player] Just let him have it.
- Just let him have it. - [Queen] I'm not coming out, bro.
Bro, I'm not coming out. I'm not coming out, I'm not coming out.
[announcer] He's got three.
Just let him have it, bro. Keep his head cool, bro.
[announcer 2] The Mad Ants need a win, and they're in the playoffs.
- [players grunt] - [announcer continues] If they lose,
- their season is over. - [music swells]
[soft grunting]
[announcer 2] Trevelin Queen… no.
[player] Shot.
Fuck.
[announcer 2] So far in this second half, a 14 nothing Delaware Blue coats run.
[whistle blows]
That's off as shit, yo. That's off as shit.
That shit light for real, all right. I'm telling you.
- [whistle blows] - [player] Right here.
[announcer] Somebody just got thrown outta the game.
[announcer 2] So Queen got teed up, and he's ejected from the game.
The Mad Ants will play the rest of this game down 11 without Trevelin Queen.
That's insane, man. That's crazy.
Gotta have some urgency, white. Gotta have some urgency, white.
[announcer] Fort Wayne, energy not there,
they really got to find a way here to turn it up
they're gonna have a chance to win this game.
[announcer 2] Their season on the line.
[music intensifies]
- [Gabe] Hey. - [whistle blows]
[announcer 2] Attack on, four-point play chance, York.
[overlapping chatter]
[game sounds]
[announcer 2] Four… He's got it going and more.
I'm him, I'm him.
[announcer] It's been the three-point shooting of Gabe York.
He's getting hot at the right times. Mad Ants still alive in his basketball game.
[player] Shoot it.
- [net whooshing] - That's a fact, that's a fact.
[announcer] I tell you what, Gabe York wants to win this game.
He's fighting. He's in there rebounding, shooting threes, driving the basketball.
He's everywhere.
[announcer] We talked about wanting to see some fire from Fort Wayne.
- This is it. This is for your season. - [announcer 2] Stockton says no.
- Three on, oh, York. - [Gabe screaming]
The throwdown, he's got 26.
[announcer] You gotta credit his effort in the second half.
He kinda ignited them to being able to feel like
they could still win the basketball game.
[announcer 2] Fort Wayne Mad Ants, for the first time since 2018,
they are going to the NBA G League playoffs.
[Gabe] Yes, sir, white. Yes, sir, white.
I told you I got you, boy. Hell, yeah.
Come on, white.
- Hell, yeah. - [overlapping chatter]
- [overlapping cheering] - [thematic music]
[interviewer] For someone who's never stepped foot on the floor,
what's something that you would compare basketball to
to help them understand how it feels?
Wow, that's a question right there.
[thematic music swells]
I think it's just the closest thing to, like, pure joy.
When you see the ball go in the basket, or when you stop a defender,
or no matter what it is, like, there's just something about it
that, like, I'm not ever thinking of sorrow, or pain,
or anything when I'm playing a game of basketball.
It's just all love, and joy, and, like, fulfillment, I guess.
Joy is definitely something I play with. If I'm out there having fun, talking shit,
being cool with my teammates, and just being present out there,
I'm definitely playing well, so I definitely love basketball.
It feels, like, perfect almost, like the sweat…
you gassed out, and you dead tired, and when you start to push yourself,
it's, like, something I needed to keep me, like, focused
and to keep me having my eye on the prize.
Everything else goes away. I just feel like,
when I get on the court, I'm excited. I'm in joy.
The definition of basketball is life.
It gives you everything that you put towards it.
All the energy that you feed into it, it brings it back to you.
[uptempo music]
Basketball, it's love. You know, just being on the court is…
where I feel most at home, I guess.
To be able to play is a gift, you know,
and I thank God every day that he allows me to do that.
I think I'd compare it to, like, really going to a movie.
You never know how the movie's gonna go.
- [dramatic sting, fades] - [birds chirping]
[gentle music]
I had a great season this year, but unfortunately, I broke my ankle.
Before I got hurt, we was 12 and 5.
We were second in the West, and it just took a left turn,
and you know, it's just sad that we didn't make the playoffs
knowing we was one of the best teams.
At the end of the day, like, everything happens for a reason,
so just here in Dallas getting better every day,
pushing my body, getting stronger.
Having this injury at the worst time when you're playing
the best basketball of the year wasn't planned, but it was planned from God.
[players chattering indistinctly]
[continues] Every road is not the same.
And that's what I'm learning year by year.
God is putting me in positions to continue to be patient.
[upbeat music]
I don't always start from the bottom. The situations always haven't been easy,
but I always came out of it 'cause of hard work.
- [Trainer] Eight. - [Mason] That's one of the big things
that I took from Kobe, favorite player, and Kobe was like,
"Don't rest in the middle. Rest at the end."
[Trainer continues] Three, two, come on, one, good work.
[Mason groaning] Can't cheat this. [laughs]
I feel like this is a big summer for me going up.
Um, I'm 24, and had two great seasons in the G.
I had two good seasons in the league,
and I feel like this is just the determined factor
of what I wanna be and how I wanna see the future.
There's still guys down there fighting, you know,
to get out just waiting for that right call-up and that right time,
you know, all the work in the summer is just preparation, you know,
for the goal that you're trying to get, which is to show scouts and stuff
that, you know, I've been working on my game
and ready to take that next leap.
[Mason exhaling] [continues off screen]
Once I'm done with rehab, I'm gonna be one of the best players of the NBA.
I'm just gonna be more ready for it this time
because of the G League.
[distorted thudding]
The learning lesson was, like, sometimes, like,
you have to control what you control.
And that's why I feel I need to tell my story
so they can understand who Mason Jones is before it's too late.
You have to try to expand yourself
so that you kind of become an indispensable commodity.
As the summer goes, and as the team change
and all that other stuff, look to expand your role.
You know what I'm saying? Work out with your development coach
and try to see realistically what the team might need
and where you can fill it.
So starting here, 10.
[Ryan] Dash, he's been my trainer since eighth, ninth grade…
and every off season I've made a big jump in my game,
and I attribute that to him.
Good, get your base wide. Keep the base wide.
[Dash off screen] We in here at Proactive. A lot of pros come up here to work out,
and get their bodies right, and get on the court with us.
One pound, pound one, two, so pound first.
Pound the ball first, all right?
I was the one talking to him like, "No, you can do this."
He was like, "Really, you think I can play in the league?"
And I'm like, "Yeah, I think you can play in the league.
You know, you hungry. You work hard." He was always competitive.
The kid could really shoot the basketball. Game time, game time…
[overlapping chatter]
I love studying the film on guys like Duncan Robinson.
- [announcer] Robinson, you bet. - [audience cheers]
[announcer 2] Part of his career at a division-three institution.
Duncan Robinson is a guy that the D3 community really looks up to
and someone that I've looked up to.
I'm going back to the G League next year,
and I'm gonna keep preparing, and you know,
my goal is to make the NBA, and I'm just gonna put in
all the work that's needed to be put in this off season to try to get to my goal.
[dramatic sting]
- [thudding] - Do I put this in?
Mom, do I put this in here?
[relative] All right, we gotta keep working.
- [overlapping chatter] - I'm making the rice
- [relative] No, you're standing there. - Look, look, look, look.
Look, look, look. [gentle music] I'm the seasoner.
- [relatives laughing] - [Brad] He's the seasoner.
They called me "Chef Boy RT" in college, okay?
[gentle music]
Okay, I think we have the first steak. Let's see.
[Ryan speaking Hebrew]
[relatives reply in Hebrew]
[Brad] Everybody get a fork or grab with your hand.
[relative 2] Or just grab it. They already got the forks.
When you're there, you're missing your family.
When you're here, you're missing the game and your teammates.
This is the dream. This is what I wanted to do.
Um, you know, and I'm just blessed to be able to do it.
I always get very emotional when I see Ryan play,
and I see what he's doing and what he's representing.
It's hard when they're not here, but it's exciting.
They're living the life that they wanna live,
and every time I think about it, I get teary eyed. [whimpers] Sorry.
- [gentle music continues] - [softly] I'm proud.
That's it. [laughs] That's it. I get very, very proud.
- [laughing] Aw. - [all] Aw.
- I think you have a client now, so… - I do.
- Cheer up, and go train somebody. - Okay.
- You got this. - I will go do.
I'm glad that I got this year of experience
of playing professional basketball at this level.
I understand that I have a platform right now
to be able to inspire people, and I wanna keep doing that.
Whether they be Jewish, Muslim, Christian, doesn't matter what your faith is
that you can achieve your dreams no matter
where you come from or what you believe in.
[gentle music fades]
[leaves rustling]
It's crazy 'cause I ain't seen these pictures in a while.
This Denzel as a little boy, baby.
I put that rock in his hand early. [laughs]
[Denzel] I grew up in Lansing, Michigan. You know, my dad played at Michigan State.
[Carlton] We standing, like, right in front of the trophy cabinet.
In there is my most viable player trophy at Michigan State from 1988.
I got to play for him, fortunately, in high school.
And that summer, I was in eighth grade going into ninth grade,
and he didn't play me, like, one minute, that whole team camp.
And I was sitting there like, "What?" Like, "I'm the best player."
He knows that. That's my dad. Like, he knows how I can play.
He knows that I can help the team win, and I was mad.
I was mad as fuck.
[Carlton] Here, he drew a picture of himself.
He's talking about what he wanted to do with his life,
that he wanted to play in the NBA, and he drew a little man.
I used to be mad at him and always questioning him
and why he did that, but he was just trying to prove to me
that you ain't just gonna walk in and just play
just because you're number one in state, or you're my son. Like, you gotta earn it.
[gentle music swells]
I cried at the draft. Honestly, I was proud of my son.
When emotions come, you gotta let 'em flow 'cause they don't come that often.
It's okay to cry.
Ain't like I'm walking around like a cry baby
- like I'm a little punk or something. - [all laughing]
It was character building. He wanted to show me, if you want something,
then go work for it, and you're not just gonna be given anything,
like, no matter where you are in this world.
And that's how the real world is. Those little lessons that he taught me
when I was playing for him, I still carry to this day.
[Carlton] Right now, I don't really give him no advice
'cause he know how to play.
I'm there for support, not telling him what to do,
but just supporting him and reinforcing him.
If he told us today, "I can't do anymore,"
I'd be like, "That's fine with me. You've made me so proud I can't handle it."
He has more that he wants to achieve,
so I'm gonna support him in whatever he chooses to do.
Everything is a battle in your mind,
and you gotta constantly choose to think positive
and think the right things.
Giannis, in 2020, he said, "I was ready to walk away from the game."
He was about to retire. That's crazy.
Accomplishing everything, winning championships,
and everything, and he still got stuff going on.
It just puts stuff in perspective of me wanting
to accomplish my dreams and aspirations.
Got a lot of stuff in here. I got trophies and memorabilia.
Growing up, he had mad trophies.
My dad put that there because he wanted to instill in us
that supposed to be winners.
He got our minds right from day one.
Still got that mentality, but it started with him, so definitely.
Nobody cares if I played in the NBA or whatever.
Like, I gotta go earn my way back to the NBA.
I gotta go get it.
[gentle music continues]
[attendees chattering indistinctly]
[gentle music swells]
When I met this young man, man, he was 17 years old,
but he like an old soul, and we're gonna miss him
because it's like the little brother who came,
and now he's going off to college. Scoot Henderson, let's go.
A man of few words, but he gotta talk tonight.
Here you go.
I just want to start off by thanking my mom and dad
for letting me come here at 17, and believing in me,
and believing in my maturity level that I'm gonna come here,
and I'm gonna do nothing but work and, you know,
get the best out of the two years. And that's what I've been doing.
That's what I came here for, and you know, hopefully, it'll pay off.
[applause]
The parables of talent, Matthew, comes to mind
when I think about Scoot and this whole journey.
When God gives you something, what do you do with it?
The Lord gave three different individuals beans or seeds.
[audience cheering]
[Crystal continues] One kept it and hid it away, right?
"It was the same as it was when you gave it to me."
One buried it. "Oh, I did a little bit with it."
And one sold the seed,
and, "This is the abundant growth that I've provided,"
and so I think, when you talk about the parables of talent,
then you don't take what God gives you for granted.
You go and you be the best that you can be at it.
And you show that every single day.
- [ball thudding] - [music swells]
Chest up, chest up, perfect. Push on these for a second.
[Chris off screen] I'm a big fan of striving for perfection.
Keep it strong. Lock it up. Keep it strong.
[Chris continues] And that's the things that I instilled in my kids.
- [Trainer] Good, number two. - [balls thudding]
You can have a dream, but at the same time, let's make it a reality.
So I wouldn't call it dreaming .
We were made for this, and we were built for this.
[Trainer] Pound, quick, shift, shift, shift, shift.
[Chris continues] And if God gave us the blessings to keep us healthy
with a straight mind, we're gonna be the best,
and we're gonna put our best foot forward.
We gonna work hard.
We gonna work hard when the hardworking are sleeping.
And like I said, we strive to be the best.
[interviewer] Why is it important for you to dream big?
Um… You know, everybody has dreams, um, but it's really just, it's the work, man.
It's the work you gotta put in to achieve those dreams.
[announcer] Look at this coast to…
[announcer 2] Oh, Scoot Henderson just nasty.
No, it's important to dream big just so you can see it,
and you know, you wanna put yourself…
and you wanna put that feeling in the universe
to where it kind of just manifests itself out.
- [announcer, echoed] The hype is real. - [gentle music continues]
[Scoot continues] That's what I did, and you know, I'm here now,
so it is very important to believe in yourself
that you could be there, you know, wherever you wanna be
in the next couple years.
So I think it's important that you just, you know, dream big
and you know, wanna accomplish everything in the world,
you know, so it's important to, you know,
wanna be the president or always have those little dreams
you've always had when you were a kid, you know, to keep those, so… yeah.
[announcer off screen] With the third pick in the 2023 NBA draft,
the Portland Trailblazers pick Scoot Henderson.
[audience cheering]
- Love you, dad. - Me, too.
- [Grandma] Oh, my God, - Love you, mom.
I love you, too. [laughs]
[gentle music swells]
- Proud of you, bro. - Love you.
[sister] Love you, too.
[audience cheering]
I came in the G League 100 miles per hour.
You're not stopping me getting to the rim. But, like, you can't do that in the NBA.
It took me a while to adjust to the NBA.
These guys are too big. They're too strong.
They're just as fast as you.
I'm ecstatic to get to the city of Portland,
show the fans what Scoot about, so I'm ready.
You don't separate in the NBA. Everyone's just like you.
[laughs] It was, like, hard to score 10 points.
- Whoo. - [bystander] Whoo-hoo.
He's done some impressive things already in the G League…
but we gotta see when he gets to the NBA.
[interviewer] Why do you think playing in the G League was such good preparation?
We played against pros every night and guys that killed in college,
guys that killed overseas, guys that's going up and down the league.
You know, I'm the most prepared of player in the draft.
That's what I say, so yeah, Ignite definitely showed me
a lot of things that help win a game… [fades]
[players chattering indistinctly]
Season ended, lost in the first round to Capital City Go-Go.
- Appreciate y'all. - That looks good.
About to head home, I had already packed my car,
and the GM from the Pacers called me and said,
"Don't leave yet. You got five games with us.
You'll be able to play in the last three."
And then they signed me to a two-way contract.
Well, you had a great year, playing hard every night.
You know, I'm really proud of you.
- Sign away. - [pen etching]
- So season's not quite done yet. - Not yet, yes, sir, not yet.
- Congratulations. Yep. - Thank you so much.
- [hands slapping] - Appreciate you, Steve.
[Steve speaking faintly]
[city noise]
You know, you going through your career, and you feel like you're invisible.
You feel like nobody sees the struggling that you're going through.
- [gentle music swells] - And so you start to think about, like,
"Damn, am I good enough? Am I doing what's necessary? Like, what's going on?
Why am I not getting my chance, my opportunity?"
Like I know who I think I am…
but at the end of the day, it's like,
"Nah, man, I've done this since I was five years old.
Like, "You are who you think you are.
Like, go out there and showcase what you can do."
[audience cheering]
- [music continues] - [cheering continues]
[game sounds]
- [overlapping chatter] - [player] Knock it in, boy.
- Yes, sir. - [cheering]
- [player] Yes, sir. - [audience cheering]
Getting on that court going to be a beautiful thing,
knowing my journey and seeing what it's took to even
just get to this point, it's not quitting, to be resilient, and to get knocked down,
and to keep getting back up.
[player] Got you, boy.
[announcer] Now, Gabe York, number 32 from Indiana,
a great story. He's 29. Went undrafted seven years ago.
[announcer 2] He's played 146 G League,
Germany, Greece, Israel, and four years in the G League.
[announcer 3] And he doesn't wanna go back.
[dramatic sting]
Like I said, when you're on the margin, everything matters.
I'm in, I'm in. I'm in.
Situation, fit, timing, all that stuff,
you have to find your niche, play it the best you can.
You can't leave a chip on the table.
- [game sounds] - [Gabe grunting]
- [rim clattering] - [audience groans]
Like, if you're a shooter, go out on your sword.
[audience groaning]
You're better off going oh for 10
and going out on your sword than going one for one,
but you passed up nine shots, and everybody thinks you're scared.
[dramatic music swells]
- [announcer] And now York… - [audience cheering]
[announcer] His first of the night!
[Gabe] I got corner for you. I got you.
[announcer] That's a three by Gabe York.
- [announcer on speaker] Gabe York. - [audience cheering]
[announcer 2] That's a guy you gotta take a hard look at him.
[net whooshing]
[Gabe off screen] I really don't know what the future holds.
I'm not sitting here saying I'm on this team for next season,
and I really have no clue what's next for me still.
[announcer] In the final home game of the year.
[Gabe continues] But basketball is my life, and that storybook ending is coming.
It's what I think about. It's what I dream about.
[gentle music swells]
And that's gonna continue to stay the same.
Call-ups not gonna change that either. At the end of the day, you know,
I'm gonna be me until, you know, the shoes come off.
[dramatic sting]
At the end of the day, you gotta remember you're probably
one of the top 1,000 people out of 8 billion on the planet.
How many hundreds of millions of people would wanna be you
or wish they had the talent to do what you do?
And you're in the top 1,000. You are elite.
You are amazing. You know what I'm saying?
You're not where you want to be, but you are still amazing.
[gentle music]
And I think that story is a hero, right, 'cause every hero's not gonna be Superman.
[music swells]
You know, you gonna have Green Lantern,
you gonna have Ironman, you gonna have Batman,
you gonna have all those other guys, but they still gotta say
whether it be they little community, they little town,
they little whatever, and they city block even,
you know what I'm saying, like Luke Cage…
[audience distorted cheering]
But you still a hero.
You one of the top 15,000 in history
out of the hundreds of billions of people that ever lived.
You are elite. You are special.
You just gotta go do it.
[music intensifies]
[dramatic sting]
[gentle music]
[music continues through credits]