[overlapping chatter]
[crew chattering]
-Gotta get close to you, buddy. -There you go.
-Took about two minutes. -We good. We good.
Hi. You probably recognize me, but a few years ago,
I was sitting where you are today.
Hardly anyone knew who Michael Jordan was.
[chattering]
The All American Game is a chance to compete on national television,
and to play with the best high school basketball talent in the world.
The competition is tough this week, and it gets even tougher.
Let's go. Hey, East on three.
-One, two, three. -[all] East!
[announcer] …California. Number 10. Amari Bailey!
So, make the most of it.
But just remember, when you get to the NBA, the fun's over.
'Cause I'll be waiting for you.
LeBron James. At the St. Vincent-St. Mary. National champs once again.
I keep telling everybody.
Number one in the country.
[stammers] I'm up here chillin'. What's up, bruh?
You didn't get where you are today without hours and hours of work,
with a ball, and a dream, and a body.
[Rose] For a basketball player,
playing at the McDonald's high school All American Game
is the equivalent of going to the Oscars.
That's the holy grail.
When you get that invite to play in that game,
you tell yourself the first thing, "I'm going to the league."
I think the big thing, you got a guy like Bob Geoghan,
who puts in a lot of time with this.
And that's the kind of thing that makes this successful.
Thirty NBA teams, over 100 NBA scouts in South Bend this week.
How does that affect your game?
It really doesn't. You know, I just gotta come out and play hard.
I really can't… I can't get caught up in the names that's here.
You know, the Pat Rileys and the Larry Birds and those guys.
I just gotta come out, play hard, represent myself, represent my community.
Oh, yeah, it's everything and much more. Um, just being here, being on national TV,
being able to play with all these great players.
Uh, it's just a wonderful dream come true.
Some day we'll have a girl's dunk contest, right?
Of course. 'Cause girls can do anything that boys can do. [chuckles]
[reporter chuckles] All right. Greg.
I'm glad I played in the game. Uh, and I'm glad we got the win.
Everybody see the basketball game tonight, but, you know, it's a lot more than that.
[automated voice] McDonald's All American High School Basketball Game.
[chattering]
McDonald's All American. Glad to be here is all I can say.
-Toast to McDonald's. -Yo!
You're 'bout to spill it.
[mutters indistinctly]
That's why I'm like, "Real life TV."
Yeah, I was, like, this is not just, like, a workout. This is like--
Right. I mean, if you're doing a scrimmage maybe.
-No, yeah. There you go. -Like, just practice.
She's the number one player in the country. I want her spot.
But it's cool. It's all love, regardless. Period.
This really is my one way out.
Without basketball, I wouldn't be me.
Without basketball, I wouldn't be where I am right now.
Everybody always dreams about becoming a McDonald's All American.
And, well, I know each and every one of us
is fortunate and really grateful to be here.
We've all put in endless hours, endless time, and endless dedication
just to try to get better and try to be the best basketball player we can.
This the best of the best. Like, it don't get much better than this.
And I like to compete against the best, like, just to see where I'm at.
Because I feel like if you can beat the best, then you the best.
Everyone get the same treatment, for real, for real.
Just go out there, compete, play hard.
It means the world to me to be one of the 48 All Americans.
I mean, it's history.
There's never as much talent on the floor at the same time.
You're the best of the best. You're the elite.
That being said, this is the reset button.
The evaluation process starts all over again.
How hard you go, your IQ. So, they're evaluating everything.
I've talked to almost every NBA GM, scouts,
and they'll say the number one event to evaluate kids pre-draft
is the McDonald's All American Games.
Because never is there 24 great players on the same courts.
As a basketball guy, there's nothing better than that.
[Hill] When you're a kid and you're dreaming about, like,
"Man, like, what do I wanna do when I'm, you know, throughout my career?"
Playing in a McDonald's game, that's one of those milestones.
It's one of those accomplishments that you hope,
that when you look back, you're fortunate enough to achieve.
It certainly sparks some great memories.
And certainly appreciative of them.
-Hello, everybody. -[team] Hello!
I'm Sonny. I don't know all your names,
but we're gonna have a good conversation here.
Listen, pay attention, and do whatever you want with it when it's over.
-[team chuckling] -That's all I can ask.
Your documentary will be a true documentary.
It's-It's a good story. It really is.
It opened the doors for thousands and thousands of young people in America.
"Sonny, I met you for the first time in 1973
when you came to DC to discuss my creating the McDonald's Capital Classic."
Bob Geoghan was one of the few sports promoters in the Washington DC area
that never made money. [chuckles]
But he had a passion for basketball.
[Joe] He'd say, you know, the goal is, you gotta get the guy off the barstool.
Just the local, 20, 30-year-old that just wants to come to a game.
We gotta get them to come to the game.
[narrator] Before the 1960s,
high school basketball players had no platform to compete nationally,
and recognition came primarily through newspapers and magazines.
Sonny Vaccaro saw this gap,
and created a regional high school all-star game, called "The Dapper Dan."
Inspired by Sonny's initiative,
Bob Geoghan had an idea to make a national game,
so fans could see the best high school players in the country
compete against each other.
Geoghan approached Bob Beavers from McDonald's, and Morgan Wootten,
who then recruited basketball leaders like Sonny Hill, Howard Garfinkel,
and the great John Wooden to ensure the game's success.
Initially, Wooden was against all-star games,
but Morgan convinced him to support the event
because it was tied to charity and the Ronald McDonald house.
Wooden eventually agreed,
and the McDonald's All American Game was born.
I need to take a drink.
After you went through all that trouble getting me this, let me take a drink.
[exhales sharply] Okay.
I kinda was just one of these people who had a vision
and just kinda worked to see if I could make it really happen.
And so, I went to the McDonald's Corporation,
and I asked them if they would underwrite the game, and they…
and I thought they were a big corporation and they could run the game,
I was just gonna buy a ticket and watch it.
And they said, "Well, we're great at marketing hamburgers,
we know nothing about running high school all-star games.
And since you have the three years' experience, you're gonna have to do it."
And you have over a 60% chance of having a significant NBA or WNBA career
if you're a McDonald's All American.
So, these are the best players at-at their age in the world.
On the selection committee today,
there's 21 voting members, and then 23 with Joe and I.
They work hard. They work countless hours.
Uh, they're in every high school gym during the high school season,
they're on the road all summer at camps.
Not only are we looking for the best basketball player,
we're looking for pretty well-rounded and good person.
What's their impact gonna be in college, in the NBA, the WNBA?
Where is their future going, and their potential?
[leader] Welcome, welcome to the greatest city on Earth.
Congratulations on being selected as, uh, McDonald's All Americans.
I know right now you kinda not able to appreciate the moment,
but you doing some, like, really dope and amazing stuff right now. Like…
As a historian, I-I really, really appreciate, uh, history being made.
And right now, you guys are literally making history.
Whether you live to be 95 or 105,
like, your name is going in the history book right now.
You are cemented forever.
It's such a surreal feeling being able to put on that McDonald's uniform.
I… I would have dreams of just being here, honestly. Um…
Words can't really describe it.
I feel like there's a little bit more respect
that you can put on everyone's name that's a McDonald's All American now.
I think I was at school. I was in class, and my mom texted me,
"Please step out of the class, I have to call you."
So, I'm thinking something bad's happening,
but whenever she called me she said, "I'm so proud of you.
You're a McDonald's All American."
I was at practice and my coach told me, she was like,
"You know, Janiah, you made it." I was like…
People like, "Do you think you're gonna make it?"
I was like, "I don't know, I really hope so."
They're like, "You know you're gonna make it." I'm like, "I really don't know."
You never know how people thinking, how the committee's thinking,
but when I made it, it was… it was actually crazy.
[stutters] I started crying.
My teammates came around me. They-They hugged me.
They let me know they were proud of me, and that I deserved it.
[speaks indistinctly]
[chuckling]
I was at my high school. We did, like, a little watch party, right?
And my coach is like, "Yeah, we gonna go buy a whole bunch of McDonald's,
we finna get the drinks. This-The ice cream, all that."
I'm like, "Coach, bruh." I was nervous. I'm like, "Bruh,
if I don't get it, you know how embarrassing that's gonna be, bruh?"
So, we had this big ol' watch party. We watching ESPN, man.
Oh, you gotta turn this up. Where's the speaker at?
They on TV, they talking 'bout McDonald, McDonald.
And then, it comes to time, they like, "Now, the girls."
-[teammate whimpers] -[boy] Oh, it's right now. Okay, okay!
Hold up, y'all. Hold up, y'all. Y'all gotta be quiet.
And then…
…it's Kiki Rice, Janiah Barker, and Ayanna Patterson.
And then, we also have Paris Clark, Flau'jae Johnson…
-Oh, my… [screams] -[all yelling and cheering]
My hard work finally paying off. Like, they finally seein' me.
They seein' what I knew.
Uh, they validating it for me. They stampin' it for me.
I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you. Oh, congratulations.
[sobbing] Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
Oh, my God! Go look at Twitter, bro. I'm a McDonald All American!
Oh, my God!
I'm a McDonald All American, bro! [chuckles]
I'm a McDonald All American!
That was probably, like, the best moment of my life, for real, for real.
[chuckles]
The game touches virtually every high school senior in the country
who's a basketball player.
I wanted every kid in America
to grow up dreaming of being a McDonald's All American.
You know, when you're little, you see the All American games on TV,
you see all the stars that have came before you, and it's just, you know,
the greatest experience to actually be here and soak it all up.
My dad got a phone call, and they was like,
"Yeah, you know, this is such and such,
and your son made the McDonald's All American team." And I was just in awe.
Being a McDonald's All American is such an honor, and um,
it's above every accomplishment that I've had throughout my career.
I mean, I had a chance to visit the Ronald McDonald House today.
It was a great sight, you know, just playing with the kids, having fun.
Actually going to the Ronald McDonald House
and seeing the families and how they live, and being able to, you know,
put a smile on their face. It's just a great feeling.
Uh, feels great knowing that Michael Jordan,
uh, there's so many names that… I could go on and on.
That means it's… it's so many kids and so many basketball players around here,
that you being picked out of 24 people, out of all them people.
And it is a great honor to get there.
Well, Mike, I think it's gonna be a tremendous game, and without a doubt,
this is the game that has probably generated more interest
than any other game in the last decade.
I think the reason why is…
the fella out there on the court, number 32, Earvin "Magic" Johnson.
Everybody's first team all-state player, and first team All American.
[Joe] My dad, at the time,
was calling college coaches and saying, "Do we have the right guys?"
He called Johnny Orr, and he said,
"Morgan, we got this kid up in Michigan named Earvin."
The last player picked was Magic Johnson.
[Silver] Magic, at that time, is a senior in high school.
His personality is what you see him today to be.
He was totally out there.
[reporter] Earvin Johnson, if you have not heard the name.
[commentator] Johnson's got it.
Johnson will drive, he'll stop, he'll shoot and score.
[Ernie Johnson] Earvin Johnson has always been something special,
even before we came to know him simply as Magic.
[Rose] The game-changing 6'9" point guard with the infectious smile
that became a springboard to bridging high school
'cause he was in an All American,
college, because he was a champion, and then the NBA,
he came in right away being the champion.
And the reason to this day I'm still rocking the goatee.
[Dominique Wilkins] You heard about Magic Johnson.
When you talk about the ambassador
at that time for the McDonald's game, he was the guy.
We wanted to be where Magic Johnson was, you know.
We wanted to make that McDonald's team.
It's been an honor and a privilege for me
from where I came from and my athletic ability
to be meeting some of the greats of the game.
Not only great athletes, but great coaches and great people.
I can't think of a more comprehensive way of picking the 25 best players in America,
and you three are certainly among the very top.
The 1979 McDonald's All American class was one of the best ever.
[announcer] This year's talent is set to be just incredible.
The rosters include: Ralph Sampson, James Worthy, Byron Scott,
Sam Bowie, Clark Kellogg, John Paxson, Dominique Wilkins
and Isiah Thomas, just to name a few.
Isiah had a reputation of being a tough kid.
And when he went to the Ronald McDonald house,
and he saw the kids,
he became very emotional to the point where he started crying.
That stuck with me.
It's just something that I always wanted to do.
I always wanted to take time off and come to the hospital and visit the kids.
I mean… You know, playing basketball, you never have time to do it,
and I'm glad McDonald's House, you know, giving us a chance to do this.
Would you like Isiah's name on your basketball?
-Are you ticklish? [laughs] -Yeah, she's ticklish.
By the time that game came around,
as excited as we were in Chicago about Isiah Thomas,
to me, it was about this kid out of North Carolina
that I don't think anybody really knew about, and that was Dominique Wilkins.
'Cause you start hearing stories about kids, like, nah that's just a myth.
And you know how people lie and embellish shit.
So, you know, you're like, "Oh, this guy…
this kid put his foot on the backboard…"
You know… [chuckles] It was crazy stories about Dominique.
[Wilkins] I started dunking when I was 13.
And I was the first one in the neighborhood who dunked 11-foot goal.
Nobody else could do it. I mean, at 13, I was jumping over cars.
I didn't really get nervous until the McDonald's game.
The level of talent that was on the floor.
I've never seen that many great players at one time.
[commentator] The spotlight dispels the darkness.
As the greatest talent in high school basketball
ready their extraordinary skill and superhuman ability.
You wanna get back on defense. Back on defense.
[Scoop] The talent on the court that year really elevated
what McDonald's All American had the possibility of showcasing.
Let's start in the east and we'll be taking you through each region.
There are 12 teams in each region.
[Silver] In the early days of the McDonald's All American Game,
the NCAA intervened with a rule announcing
that any player who played in an All Star game
would never be allowed to play in college.
[Geoghan] I got a call one day from the NCAA
saying that they were gonna ban all All Star games
because they had heard from principals in high school
that kids were missing too much school.
And I asked the NCAA why they thought they had the right to ban these games.
Why throw the baby out with the bathwater? I don't…
I don't know how any other All Star game was run, but I knew how I ran mine.
For six months, I had to spend time trying to get on the agenda
at the NCAA convention.
[Silver] Bob and I had to verbally tell them
why we felt that the McDonald's All American game was special.
And within a week, it was announced
that a senior could play in two All Star games within a year
and still be eligible for college.
It allowed All Star games to continue.
When finally we all lock in at the McDonald's game,
you're just like, damn, this is crazy.
You just heard about people, read about 'em,
so now, I'm like meeting them and, you know, we enjoying time together
'cause we get to spend it. We going out.
And then we kinda practice, and I'm like, "All right, here we go. Let me see."
[crowd cheering]
Looking back now, the All American practice was very intense.
Compared to like a WNBA All Star practice,
which is like, "Oh, ha, ha, let's do half-court shots."
Um, no, people were going at it.
Everybody knew why one another was here.
Yeah. Practices are always more interesting than games.
[players grunting, chattering]
[coach] Be tough on 'em.
Be tough so when we play that West team on… on Wednesday,
we gonna get after them just like we get after ourselves.
[Stackhouse] I think you're still competing for, uh, minutes.
There's 12 players on the team, so Coach gotta decide
who's the cream of the crop amongst this. No friends right now.
I looked at that week of practice as, like, another test for me.
How good am I?
And I also remember it was the first time I became aware
that there were, like, NBA scouts in the gym.
When the cameras are off and you're in the gym training
and you got the coaches watching you and they seeing your work ethic,
they seeing your attitude, how you treat your teammates.
Those are the small details that one gotta focus on.
You know, in 2002, there was this young man you heard a lot about,
Amar'e Stoudemire.
And you'd see footage of him in high school games,
and he-he looked like Shaq out there.
Like, just dunking all over everybody, dominating.
And then you look up a little bit later, he's in the McDonald's All American Game.
[Stoudemire] "I'm going straight to the league."
That was my thought process, and I wasn't playing.
I was… I was dead serious.
You got players trying to challenge you in practice
to try to see if you're who you think you are.
[JJ Redick] We all knew in our class that Carmelo and Bosh, Amar'e,
were different than the rest. Those guys were supreme.
We were all good. Those guys were supreme.
And we all kinda knew that. Actually, I take that back.
There was one guy that probably didn't realize that,
'cause he thought he was so good, but… I don't wanna name names.
[Stoudemire] DeAngelo Collins. I was hearing rumors about how he…
"He's better than me." And this, that and the third.
And Amar'e went at him, dominated him and elevated his stock.
[Stoudemire] It wasn't even a question who was the man out there.
There was no doubt. I was in a different mindset.
I'm not doing the finger roll off the glass move.
I'm attacking the basket, and I'm shaking the whole backboard.
I think at that point on, everyone knew at that time, like,
"STAT, he going to the NBA. He ain't going to college.
This guy going straight to the league."
Yeah, the McDonald's All American practices…
I mean, by the time we left,
I'm sure there's a few screws and hinges that might've been left off the rim.
[laughs] Oh, I was a different kind of beast, man.
[people cheering]
[coach] These fingers are crossed.
[Joe] Gradey Dick. Everyone told me he was a shooter.
I think he's more than a shooter.
-Dariq is, I think, for sure a pro. -[coach] Phenomenal.
[Joe] And a phenom… Like, good kid.
[coach] So nice. Because for me it's like, all these kids are auditioning.
-[Joe] Absolutely. -[coach] Especially with us.
I just put in my list about who we want.
I was just told that we're going five more minutes,
'cause there must be somebody out here they want to take a good look at.
So, if you weren't satisfied with where you were, fix it.
If you are satisfied, then you better keep building
because that means maybe you.
So we can get on offense, and run the court.
Find a point guard, and let's get out there. You guys got it.
-Yes, sir! -McDonald's. McDonald's on three.
-One, two, three. McDonald's. -[players] McDonald's.
-[Lively] Right here! -You good?
I think Dereck Lively's more than just a basketball player.
His-His ability to communicate, his intelligence has been unbelievable.
He can be an ambassador if he didn't have an NBA career,
which I think he'll be good enough to have someday.
There's times you may wanna go under.
Right now, in this drill, always over. Talk.
I'm here to be able to move the rock.
Be able to show that I can fit into the style of play
that needs to be played in the league.
Hedge it! Hed… There we go! Yeah! Very good.
[Joe] Flau'jae, she's got some personality.
And then somebody told me, "She's that… We're not sure if she's one."
-I'm like, she's-she's without a doubt. -[coach] Mmm.
[Flau'jae] Nothing was ever given to me.
Coming from Savannah, man, you see people like… They have nothin'.
Kids in the projects, they ain't got no shoes on they feet.
They don't know when they goin' eat again.
So, it's like, I've been blessed to have so many options and so many talents.
I will not take this for granted.
Like, I worked hard.
And then when I felt like I couldn't work no more, I worked some more.
And being in the studio, it's like I write every day.
I freestyle every day. So, I'm like, I'm building up my craft,
and I'm building up everything I'm doing every day. So, it-it's all gonna pay off.
♪ If you woulda put that gun down Listen ♪
♪ Do you know what it's like To not have a father? ♪
♪ No one to talk to When you get mad at your mama ♪
♪ I know you ain't gone pick up the phone I still call you ♪
♪ The reason that it hurts so bad I never saw you ♪
♪♪ If you woulda put that gun down ♪
♪ Everybody put your guns down ♪
[audience cheering]
This has been my favorite audition
-by a clear mile today, Flau'jae. -Oh, my…
I started off, because before I was born, my father, he was a rapper.
Yeah.
[Flau'jae] And, um…
[sighs] He died before I was born. So, he couldn't really fulfill his dreams.
So, that's what I'm here to do.
[reporter] May 19th, rapper Camoflauge was gunned down…
[reporter 2] It was the worst. It was…
-[reporters overlapping] -…still to this day,
probably the saddest day in Savannah. The saddest.
[reporter 3] Camoflauge friends and fans, stunned.
My dad, Jason, aka Camoflauge,
he was a up-and-coming rapper out of Savannah, Georgia. Mad talented.
[rap song playing]
Got his break. He signed to Universal Records when he was, like, 21.
Signed that deal, shortly after, he died. Like, he got murdered in Savannah.
Um, and my mom was pregnant with me at the same time.
That same year he got murdered, my mom was pregnant with me.
And, like, he was on his way, though.
You know what I mean? Like, he was on his way.
He was talented. Like, he was so talented.
And that's why I feel like it's my duty to carry on that legacy.
When I was seven, my dad passed away.
It's been me and my mom since then.
And in 2013, she was diagnosed with cancer.
So, ever since I was young I had to think about more than just what I wanted.
My mom, she could hoop back in her day.
She used… She scored a thousand something points,
grabbed over 700 rebounds.
I hear it every other conversation I have with her.
But being able to have someone that close who cares about you,
who has your best interests, and also knows the game perfectly
is someone that you definitely need to keep in your back pocket.
I know she's going through the hardest time right now.
Right now she's in the hospital, and she's gonna be for the next month.
So, I'ma be carrying her weight and the weight of her future on my shoulders.
-[phone ringing] -Oh, there we go.
-Oh, there she is. -Hi, Mom.
-Hi, Mama. -Hi.
You look beautiful with your glasses, Mom.
[Lively] When she was going through the hard stuff,
whenever she had to do the chemotherapy, like, her body reacted so much to that.
And I was the one who had to take care of her, 'cause she…
Some days she couldn't even get out of bed.
Extremely proud. Extremely proud.
-I'll text you, Mom. Love you. -Love you, Kath.
-Okay. Love you.[kisses] -Love you.
It's humbling to watch the two of them go through this.
I don't know many families that could survive what they're doing,
and what they've been through.
You know, she's one of the proudest.
'Cause she was one of the first people to see little scrawny Dereck that was…
Don't you know, like, the little car dealerships that have,
like, the blowup machine that couldn't control his limbs?
Yeah, that was me at the dinner table when I was younger.
He spilled a glass of milk every night.
-[laughs] -[chuckles]
The best high school basketball players in the country
met this weekend in Wichita, Kansas at the McDonald's All American Games.
Billy Packer went on a solo assignment, away from his NCAA partners
of Al McGuire and Dick Enberg to give us this special report. Billy.
[crowd cheering]
Every year, a new group of high school superstars
from across the country burst onto the collegiate scene.
This year, once again, the McDonald's All American team
represents the cream of the crop.
The kids that are sure to be tomorrow's heroes.
It's hard to believe, but four years ago,
a guy named Magic Johnson was a McDonald's All American.
Since that time, he's led his team to the NCAA and NBA championships.
Two years ago, it was Sampson, Bowie and a little guy named Isiah Thomas.
Yeah, that's the same Thomas that led IU
to the national crown where he was the MVP.
In fact, in the years… this year's NCAA championship,
six of the ten starters were former McDonald's high school All Americans.
I was fortunate to be one of those guys on the McDonald's All American team.
This year's crop is out of sight.
Some of the best big men we've ever seen. Two of the best right here.
Pat Ewing, Cambridge, Mass. Greg Dreiling, Wichita, Kansas.
They've got some skills, and they're just plain out of sight.
I was offered the opportunity to coach those all-star games,
and I gladly accepted.
You get this group of kids.
I didn't know who these guys were, because you didn't hear about them.
I remember this guy, I mean… He wanted to win every single race.
Every suicide, he was first.
Yeah, I mean, he just refuses…
He don't want to lose anything. His name's Michael Jordan.
[Packer] We put a giant ruler on them to check out the young cloud piercers.
First, Michael Jordan, 6'5".
Eight-and-a-half foot reach,
an 11-foot touch, 30 inches off the ground.
I can still remember Michael just flying up and down the court.
"Wow, this is the most athletic person I've ever seen in my life.
This guy is different."
[Ewing] I can remember Michael talking trash.
That's him. That's part of his DNA. That's part of his personality.
We're both in our 60s now, and he's still talkin' trash.
And the thing is, we, the east squad, was the underdog.
They were the home team, we were the visitors from the east.
We were not supposed to win the game.
We were down early. Adrian Branch plays his butt off.
We were up two or three going into the last four or five minutes.
They go ahead.
But then, we got Michael Jordan.
[commentator] It's Jordan on the… Oh, what a layup!
[Jarvis] The last five possessions of the game, Michael Jordan hit the shot.
[commentator] Jordan! Michael!
The last one he took was the last one that put us…
gave us 96 points in a 96-95 victory.
[Hill] When I watch that game, I'm thinking, like,
"This Mike Jordan seems kinda raw, but he's the real deal."
Not only did he hit the game winner
to win a national championship for North Carolina in '82,
but he hit a game winner to win the McDonald's All American Game.
-[commentator] Shot, Jordan! -[crowd cheering]
Great shot, great player. You know, that's what great players do.
[crowd cheering]
[Jarvis] I mean, I didn't know till years later
that it was a scoring record, to be honest with you.
And I don't think Michael did either.
It wasn't about scoring. It was about winning.
I remember saying to Mike, "Hey, congratulations on the win.
And I know you're gonna get the MVP award."
[Hill] Adrian Branch and Audrey Sherrod were co-MVPs.
Not Michael.
I think Michael was the MVP of that game.
[Jarvis] Adrian was the MVP, and he played great.
But he had something going for him that Michael Jordan didn't.
His coach, Morgan Wootten, he was part of the selection committee.
So, that always helps.
After the game, I'm on the elevator with Mr. and Mrs. Jordan.
And I remember Mrs. Jordan saying to Billy Packer,
"Poor Michael. My poor son Michael.
He never gets any recognition. He never gets any respect."
She was pissed. Um, and right-rightfully so.
Um, but…
Hey. It's water under the bridge now. [chuckles]
[Scoop] You know, one of the things
that made the McDonald's game so special and seeing Michael do that is,
quietly, he's letting the world know just how great he is.
[Geoghan] I thought the basketball landscape
certainly changed for the better.
And because of ESPN and television,
more people are aware of the game. And became more popular.
To be selected as one of the top 20 high school players in America…
It will always be…
For the rest of my life I'm gonna remember this moment.
[Scoop] The ascension of the McDonald's All American Games
started making Black kids dream earlier
about what the game of basketball can do to their lives.
And in '85 when McDonald's got a television partner to televise the game,
it just changed everything.
[Jim Thacker] Welcome to the eighth annual McDonald's All American Game.
Brought to you by McDonald's.
It's a good time for the great taste of McDonald's.
I'm Jim Thacker, and with me is Dick Vitale.
Dick, tell us about the concept and the importance of this game.
Jim, right now we're gonna have, really what I call showtime!
It's gonna be prime time performers at their best.
The talent. People like Magic Johnson, Ralph Sampson, Patrick Ewing.
All served notice in this game that their stardom was no dream.
High school All American Game.
The McDonald's All Americans in just a moment.
With a tip, and it is taken over to the white-clad West team.
[advertiser 1] But don't salute.
[advertiser 2] The DeLorean gull-wing doors.
My name is Danny Manning.
I'm from Lawrence, Kansas. I go to Lawrence High School.
Kenny Smith. Archbishop Molloy High School. Queens, New York.
[commentator] And the particulars on the individual here…
[commentator 2] 27 points. A strong candidate for the John Wooden award.
[advertiser 3] ♪ That big, red box ♪
You know, I study, I do my work and go to class.
[announcer] From the West, number 43, Derrick Coleman!
There's an enormous amount of talent.
It seems each year they get bigger and better.
And you can't expect good team play,
because they haven't had a opportunity to work together.
I have said this and believe it to be true,
that television, of which you're a tremendous part,
has, uh, caused many players to become more individual.
Because they like to be spectacular, and they like to perform.
Thank you. Coach John Wooden.
Now, let's join Dick Vitale and a couple of trees.
Well, I'll tell you, Keith, I wanna come back
and retire from the television world and go to coaching.
Look at these two talents.
I remember being like, "Wow, I'ma be on national TV, man.
I can… We gotta put on a show."
You know? We gotta put on a show.
[Dick] Start with Alonzo Mourning, the shot-blockin' wiz.
The Hoya. He's a tremendous talent with great rejection ability.
How much rejection ability? 27 blocked shots in one game.
[commentator] Moves it the other way!
[Vitale] Look, Bob Hurley's flashing signals.
-Bob Hurley says, "We want the two-play." -[laughs]
They'll look and say, "What two-play? This is all-star. Let me shoot the rock."
[Mourning] We had a stacked class.
Twelve of these 24 players stand 6'9" or better.
The length, the athleticism, the skill level.
There was Christian Laettner, Stanley Roberts, Chris Jackson,
Mahmoud, Billy Owens, Shawn Kemp.
In '88, the talent… It just felt like it was really elevated.
I had a target on my back. Those guys were coming at me.
-[crowd cheering] -[Vitale] There… Kemp! Power move.
Go, Kemp. Shawn Kemp from out of Elkhart…
Then, Shawn Kemp was one of the most athletic, big men
I'd ever seen in my life.
[Vitale] Look at that talent. Rebound, handle the rock…
Look at him handle it! Look at this kid! Are you serious?
Are you for real? That's a superstar potential!
These kids are solid gold players.
I think when they play on a collegiate level,
they are instant impact players.
Mourning is such a dominator. His intimidation ability…
I believe he has a great chance to be the first high school player
to make the United States Olympic team.
And not just because John Thompson's the coach.
I get a call from Coach Thompson saying that there's a young man that we need.
Alonzo Mourning is his name, and he's a huge fan of yours.
"You can't say anything to him,
but I just want to make sure that he sees you."
I just walk across the floor, and say, "What's up." [laughs]
And kept going. Aw, he's sitting there like… [gasps]
[laughs]
That class in particular, you know, had some real, real heavyweights
and real talented players.
And so now, all these coaches are competing.
Not just on the court, but they're competing, uh, with recruiting.
And, uh… And some, you know, some teams and some coaches crossed that line.
Maybe more than we… than we know.
-[crowd cheering] -[Keith] This gets me,
very quickly, into an area of college athletics that I despise.
I think most coaches do too.
It's the confounded necessity of recruiting,
and the mess it brings with it.
Oh, you know, recruiting back in those days,
uh, for everybody who's seen the movie Blue Chips.
[Ricky] I figure a white, blue chip athlete like myself
deserves something extra. About-about 30 grand.
-I'd like to have it in cash. -Get the hell out of here, Ricky.
-What… -Get out of here!
All the other schools are doing it, Coach.
[Pete] I did not authorize a car for Ricky.
[Ed] But you did authorize the friends of the program
to do what had to be done.
Accurate. Like, you know? That's just how it was going,
and I'll never be somebody to be salty at a guy for getting their bag, right?
So, I look at a guy like Chris Mills. He was the man.
[Vitale] Mills's situation going on with Kentucky.
[Keith] Yeah, one of the air freight companies,
one of the employees found, uh, a package. It was opened.
Intended for the father of Chris Mills from the University of Kentucky.
They found inside $1,000.
The NCAA showed up, um, and insisted on interviewing Chris Mills
to talk about the, uh, accusation
that Chris Mills was involved in a bribery scandal.
There was no evidence to suggest that he shouldn't play,
'cause Chris didn't know anything about it.
This was between an assistant coach and Chris's father.
[Keith] Claud Mills says he did not receive any money.
The Kentucky people say that they did not send any money.
I'ma go ahead and say it, I don't know what happened to the $1,000.
Same thing what happened to me. Like, no, I never got here.
I don't know what y'all talking about. I don't know where that rack is at.
That, to me, was just normal, you know,
every day in the high school recruiting wars.
You know. They all got paid, and I'm totally fine with it.
[Gary Bender] We're just about set now
to begin the 12th annual McDonald's All American Game.
Now, for the introduction of the starting lineups,
the PA announcer, Kevin Harlan.
Back in the day, it's the unknown that's showing up to the McDonald's game.
So, Matt Wenstrom walks in. I'm like, okay, he's a big guy, you know?
Then I look. I'm like… [breathes heavily]
"Damn, this dude is huge."
It was Shaquille O'Neal,
and it was the perfect opportunity for Shaq to say, "Here I am."
When I was getting ready to leave, he grabbed me and said,
"How long you been in the army, soldier?"
I said, "I'm not in the army. I'm only 13."
-He started freaking out. -Oh-- I'll tell you one thing…
[Johnson] His first interview with Dick Vitale,
you could kind of see the makings of the Shaq persona that we see now.
Always the jokester, always trying to keep the mood light…
-Thanks, Shaquille. -…but a ferocious beast out on the court.
[Rose] I heard about Shaq,
but I didn't physically get a chance to watch him play until he got in that game.
And he showed so many people,
I can be big and physical, but I can play with finesse.
[Murray] When Shaq blocked the shot, we had a three-on-one break.
I'm running the right side, so I'm like, "Oh, I'm about to dunk on this dude."
Shaq just put it in overdrive and dunked on Shaun Golden
like he wasn't even there.
The crowd went crazy, but Dick Vitale lost his mind.
[Vitale] Look at this guy handling the ball! I can't believe it!
[Bender] He'll take it all the way! Oh! Oh!
[Vitale] Oh! Oh! Oh! I can't believe it! I can't believe it!
That's a seven-footer! Are you serious? [chuckles]
Down on the ground! Are you serious?
-Gary, hold me back, man. -[Bender chuckles]
I'm still jumping in my seat here. Most NBA guys can't do this.
I was like, "Oh, my, uh…" [stammers]
I-I thought I was going to get the pass for the dunk, but when he did,
I was like, "Ooh-wee."
That was something at his size that we just had not seen.
And to see a guy coming up like a locomotive…
[stammers] As a guard, you thinking, "I'ma try swipe at this thing,
but at some point, I'm getting out of his way."
Shaq wasn't the only breakout star that night.
There was this kid from Jersey City, New Jersey.
[Bender] Bob Hurley Jr,
who a lot of people rate as one of the top ten players in the United States.
[Vitale] Give it up, Bobby. Give it up!
-[Bender] Hurley puts it up. -[Vitale] There it is! There it is!
[Bender] Tracy Murray gets it out to Robinson.
-[Vitale] See, Robinson's a scorer. -[Bender] Look out!
[whistle blows]
And he's going to be called for a charge.
He gets up, slaps the floor.
Hurley showed some courage, staying in there and drawing the foul.
We were all wondering, "What the hell was Bobby thinking,
getting in front of a train and just standing there?"
But, you know what? That showed his heart. You know, showed that Jersey toughness.
I-I tell you what.
I-I guess I learned the difference between Bobby Hurley and me,
because I wasn't going to do that.
[Vitale] Look at him right here.
He says, "Come on, big fella. Run me over. Run me over."
[Bender chuckles]
[JJ Redick] Bobby went to Duke because Coach K recruited kids
that were sick and demented like him.
You know? That's why me recruited me. [laughs]
[Murray] And Shaq kind of laughed and hit the floor
and got up and ran down the floor.
[Bender] …the assist today, tying the record,
and here comes the 6'11" giant.
[Vitale] Look at the crowd.
They're loving Shaquille O'Neal, the most valuable player.
[Bender] And the East MVP is gonna be Bobby Hurley.
A six-footer and a seven-footer
representing this 12th annual McDonald's All American Game.
Duke, you know, won that championship in '91.
In '91, they had six McDonald's All Americans.
That equals the all-time total that North Carolina had back in '82,
when they had six.
And every team that's won the national championship
have had at least one McDonald's All American on it.
[crowd chanting]
[chuckles] I remember where I was watching the '91 McDonald's game.
We had just won our first championship at Duke on a Monday,
and the game came on on Sunday.
Like, it was just, like, first of all,
there was some incredible talent on the floor in that game.
But then, to see, you know, the four guys that were all going to Michigan,
um, that was unheard of.
[reporter] Contrary to popular belief, the shift in American basketball
didn't begin in Michigan.
It was 1991 when the Fab Four first took the floor together
at the McDonald's All American Game.
Four of us, other than Ray Jackson,
each got invited to play in the McDonald's All American Game,
so we ended up finding a room where C-Webb and I, and, uh, Jimmy and Juwan
were basically sharing rooms that were divided by a bathroom.
And that's where we literally devised all of the thoughts
that we were gonna become the Fab Five and change the game.
It's hard to ever repeat that
because that's the introduction to what we be talking about the culture.
Now, what you see in basketball culture today stemmed from those guys.
Them boys was from the streets.
They bought their confidence, they bought they haircuts.
They represented, like,
what kids that appreciated the game in the streets represented.
So, for us to see that on the court, that was when culture flipped.
[Packer] Chris Webber.
[Gumbel] Billy, he's got a pro-type body right now.
[Packer] He certainly does.
-[players shouting] -[crowd cheering]
[Hill] The early '90s McDonald's games
showcased a dramatic shift in style of play from previous years.
[Packer speaks indistinctly]
[Rose] A lot of people in that game in 1991
embodied what we now call positionless basketball.
C-Webb, throw it for a guard to catch a lob.
[player] Let's go, baby!
[Rose] It may seem normal now…
[Gumbel] Excellent timing.
You can see Rose looking one way, throwing the other.
Robinson puts it away.
[Rose] Uh, Big Dog, 6'9", 6'10", played all facing the basket.
He caught one of the nastiest tip dunks in the history of the McDonald's game.
-[Packer] Robinson… -[Gumbel] Oh, man! Robinson!
[Rose] We were actually recruiting The Big Dog to come to Michigan.
You know why? Most times now, players pick a team where,
"I can go be the man. I'ma go average my numbers,
and I'ma go to the league."
We were like, "We're about to try change the game."
[Packer] All the future Michigan players were kidding Glenn Robinson…
"Well, you go to Purdue, you're going to have to play in the low post." [chuckles]
[Gumbel] Off to Nathan. Back to Webber. Nice play!
Yeah!
[Packer] At the rate that Webber is going right now, take a look.
Just six points shy of the single-game high set by Michael Jordan.
Best launches a three. Oh, yes! And ties it!
[crowd cheering]
You see the time remaining. No foul? Webb--
-Exclamation point. -[announcer] Webber!
[Packer] They're not gonna get it up in time.
Best will launch a three-pointer, but he doesn't get it off in time!
Some finish. And it's over. As Chris Webber dropped in 28 points.
[Scoop] I think you saw four brothers who realized,
you know, we kinda look at life kind of like the same way,
even though our backgrounds are all kinda different.
They all believe in being unapologetic about who they are.
That's the one common thread all of them share.
Their connection at the McDonald's All American Game
was much deeper than just basketball.
[crowd cheering]
[commentator] This is… This is quite a group of friends here.
[Paul Pierce] I remember we was watching in my bed in my bedroom.
These are the top scorers.
I told one of my best friends,
I said, "All right, watch. I'm gonna be in this game."
That was my first dream.
Check this out. Got the autographed jersey too. [clicks tongue] Looking sweet.
You know what I'm saying? About to go in this game,
do a little something-something.
All right, say hi, Mom. And to my boys at Inglewood, what's up?
We all knew about each other, so, when we all got to Mickey D's,
it was just good to be around everybody, you know?
Everybody was confident, everybody represented where they was from.
I'll never forget those moments.
[Shammgod] People always asked, "Man, why you have Band-Aids on that ear?"
But it was because I always said I wanted to get my ears pierced.
And they was like, "Ah, man, let's-let's all go do it."
So I'm like, "Come on, let's go."
At that point, you couldn't play with the earrings in,
so we all had to put Band-Aids over our ears.
I don't remember who all did it,
but I do remember the discussion happened and then them going
and then everybody coming back with this tape on their ears and shit.
I'm like, "Oh, y'all did that." [chuckles] "Okay."
[commentator] By the way, uh, somebody who had
the ear piercing concession in St. Louis is probably bound for vacation.
That was, like, my first time. Like, I watched the game.
I remember, you know, just turning on the TV
and seeing Paul Pierce, Stephon Marbury, Shammgod, Kevin Garnett,
his energy, Robert "Tractor" Traylor, Vince Carter.
We watched that tape over and over and over and over again,
and that was kind of, like, all right, if this is the go,
this is the measure, like, I gotta get in this game.
And for the West, a young man who's attracted
an enormous amount of attention this year, Kevin Garnett out of Chicago.
And what a personality.
[Billups] You know, when I seen KG for the first time,
I'm thinking, "This motherfucker's crazy, man."
He talking crazy to everybody, he talking crazy to his self.
I never seen that type of intensity every day.
[crowd cheering]
Yelling after every block.
I'm talking about sweat everywhere, it's dripping on you. You're like…
He yelling, spit coming out his mouth.
"Give me that! Give that out of here!"
I'm like, man, I've never seen nothing like that,
so instantly, you know, he just raised the level of play.
[Raftery] Goes to BJ McKie and-- Whoa!
[speaks indistinctly] He give him a ten?
Greatest handle since the Messiah.
-Marbury. -Whoa!
[Raftery] The other end, here's Louis Bullock.
[crowd cheering]
[Pierce] I was kind of shocked that I didn't start.
You know, I made best in the West
and I'm not even starting on the West team?
When I did get in the game, you know,
I wanted to make sure that my presence was felt.
[Raftery] And it's Paul Pierce who's on the floor instead of McCoy.
They're both out there. Well, this is interesting.
But that day, I know there's a lot of confusion.
I had the… the Jelani McCoy jersey so they probably gave him some of my points.
[Raftery] Well, there's two 35
because one was stolen and they had two for McCoy.
So, when we got to McDonald's All American Game,
everybody's like, "There's some jerseys missing."
Yeah, people stole some jerseys.
[Raftery] Jelani McCoy, the real McCoy, is back on the floor now, number 35.
The other McCoy's also out there, Paul Pierce. It is confusing though.
[Davis] We was watching here in LA, you know, just rooting for Paul.
We knew, like, he was going for a record.
We was counting his points 'cause we was like,
yo, like, Paul gonna have more points than Jordan in this game.
[Raftery] Underneath, stolen by the West at the other end…
[Pierce] I was getting buckets in the game.
[Raftery] Got it.
But the statisticians, they don't know. They just hear McCoy.
And they're giving it to him.
[Raftery] The other end of the 35 is Jelani McCoy. He's bound for UCLA.
All these years, they got Paul Pierce on the record.
These the top scorers. Michael Jordan was first for a long time, 30.
Then I had 28, I think Webber had, like, 28 or something. It was up there.
I done went back and watched the game 'cause I had the VHS tape at the time.
I want to make sure… I… Look, man, hold on, I know I ain't…
My eyes ain't deceiving me.
Because when I'm counting these up, this look like I got 30.
[crowd cheering]
[Raftery] Final five seconds.
Paul definitely broke the scoring record. Even…
I don't know if he got credit for that,
but he definitely broke the scoring record.
[Raftery] And look at Pierce get back too.
I mean, making jumpers, it's the end of the game, and he ran back…
If Paul actually broke that record,
he might be running around today saying that he's better than MJ.
He just might. I'm just telling you now.
So, I really wanna get to the bottom of that. [laughs]
[Raftery] Fans rejoice. So long from St. Louis.
…I'm up here chillin'.
[Pierce] After the game, I remember all the talk is like, dang, you know,
"Where Kevin going to school?
You know, there's rumors, North Carolina, Michigan."
But he ain't even really saying.
At the McDonald's game, we just kinda sit there, chilling.
We joked about, like, doing another Fab Five.
At the university of Michigan.
Myself, KG, Tractor Traylor, Paul and Stephon.
And when KG couldn't pass the test, either SAT or ACT,
he said, "Man, I'm just gonna go to the league."
When I heard the news he going to the league,
I was like, "What? You could do that?"
He changed the game forever.
The Minnesota Timberwolves select Kevin Garnett…
[Hill] A shift was occurring in '95.
But if you shine in the McDonald's All American Game,
there was an immediate path to the NBA.
Garnett was the one that made that leap of faith,
and that changed the game.
What Kevin was doing at that time, you weren't supposed to do it.
Everyone's telling you, "Don't do it."
So when it happened, he opened the doors.
[crowd cheering]
Once one guy does it, you know,
everybody else wants to start following suit.
Everybody else went, "Shit. If KG can do it, I can do it."
[Rose] It was a crazy run on players out of high school,
Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal, Tracy McGrady.
Once these players go into the League,
the League says, "We wanna get better, younger."
[commentator] Jonathan Bender, the next contestant.
Gonna be a terrific player at Mississippi State.
[commentator 2] Three-quarter court took off the foul line!
[Hill] So in 1999, Jonathan Bender showed up
at the McDonald's All American Game and had committed to Mississippi State,
was all set to go there,
but something really magical happened that evening.
I am pleased to announce that tonight,
Michael's All American jersey number 23 is being retired.
After tonight's game, you won't see number 23 on the court.
Michael Jordan scored 30 points, which still stands as a record.
[Hill] It just so happened that MJ's Jersey was being retired.
And as the night went on, the crowd couldn't believe what they were seeing.
[commentator] They're really into this.
[commentator 2] They're on their feet. This is amazing.
This is a fun finish. It's been really fun game to watch.
-There it is! -He did it!
How many people can say
they wiped out Air Jordan from the record book?
[Hill] He broke the all-time scoring record
in the McDonald's All American Game set by the Michael Jordan.
And that became a launching pad where he had options to go to the NBA,
which he took full advantage of.
Toronto Raptors select Jonathan Bender.
From Picayune Mississippi High School.
[reporter] So… So, how we feeling? What's the mentality going into today?
Um, you know, just win the West. Hold up.
Y'all gotta get Kiki in here too.
-This the… This the Bruin commit. -Yeah. UCLA.
So… It's, you know, only right. Only right, you know.
Let's go. Head to the locker room for me.
[Kiki] My number one goal over the next four years
is to win a national championship and bring, you know,
the first, uh, national championship to the women's side at UCLA.
And then, um, individually, be a top draft pick
and you know to, uh, have a great pro career,
championships, winning, um, just tons of success.
I'm really impressed with Kiki Rice.
Um, she just is explosive, uh, very versatile.
Also, it goes hand in hand with, uh, Janiah Barker.
Uh, Janiah is very vocal, both on and off the court.
-Damn, my shit blurry. -Yeah.
You took one picture. Who had my phone? Who took that picture? [chuckles]
-[speaks indistinctly] -Yeah.
-[coach] Got it? -Nice.
-Let's see it. Let's see it. -[laughs]
Did you get one?
Um, it's on someone else's phone.
[chuckles] Janiah.
-Show me a happy girl. -[squealing]
Janiah Barker is a funny, loving, tall, goofy person.
Um, and of course she's a dawg.
[exhales deeply] Leader, competitive, killer-mentality type of person.
So there's no comparison when it comes to Janiah
on the court and off the court, two different people.
Oh, yeah. West finna lose and the East finna win.
Gonna try to get MVP. But it's not that personal 'cause, KK,
-that's just my dawg. My dawg. -You have to win to get MVP.
-Mmm. Mmm. [chuckles] Delusional. -Mmm.
[laughing]
With all the awards coming out, I got nothing.
I didn't get one award like Naismith, Gatorade, anything.
So I really feel like this is my chance to show people
that I'm gonna be number one draft pick.
Present day, we see the incredible play of the women's game,
both in college and in the WNBA
and the excitement that's generated as a result.
Uh, but there was a moment in time where, you know,
women were fighting for their equal footing.
[presenter] It was 1997 and the vision of the WNBA was becoming a reality.
When the WNBA started in '97,
there was so much heat, like, everybody was talking about it.
I mean, you had stadiums packed to-to go watch a W game.
And when the Comets had their run, it kind of ended in 2001.
And there wasn't as much buzz.
You kind of saw that drop-off a little bit when it came to women's basketball.
So, like, McDonald's kind of brought that back in.
It was simple. I mean, at that time, you know,
it always had been about the boys. And Bob, you know--
-Thinker. Idea man. -Yeah. Thinker, just said,
"Hey, what about the girls?"
[Silver] Bob Geoghan got pushback from corporate.
When you're saying, well, "I wanna double my budget
because I think there ought to be a girls' game."
And they say, "Wait a second,
you're already spending a million and a half.
You wanna spend three? Why?
Is there enough popularity of it to make it worth its while?"
I visualized in my mind as being a great thing for the players.
A great thing for the fans.
A great thing for the charity, and a great thing for the sponsor.
And so with that win-win attitude, I said, "This is… This is pretty good."
My coach came in so nonchalantly with a letter from McDonald's.
And I'm like, "Wait. Hold on.
It's got a little McDonald's logo on there. What's going on here?"
And so, as I open it up, I'm reading, "You've been," you know,
"invited to participate in the McDonald's…"
I… Wait. They got a McDonald… A girls' McDonald's game.
Like, what in the hell?
Now I'ma get to be a part of one, but not understanding the magnitude
of, like, this is the very first one ever for, um, the women's game.
[JJ Redick] We got to play our game in Madison Square Garden.
Wasn't just a McDonald's game, it was the first women's McDonald's game.
Obviously, we all embraced it and thought it was awesome.
All of the events, we did all of that together.
[Augustus] I remember it, like, I had some cornrows.
It was kind of, like, a funky little style.
Obviously, Melo was wearing braids at that time too.
And so I remember him giving me a compliment about it,
like, right as he was going into this three-point shooting contest.
And then, like, Amar'e, he was the high school kid that was coming out.
Everybody was hyped about him, but he was very respectful.
Like, he always came over, showed love,
like, even after the game he was like, "Ah, you a dawg. You was hooping."
Real recognize real. And that goes for ball players too.
So they-they showed us a lot of love.
Building those friendships, uh, last a lifetime.
So that was the first kind of interaction as McDonald's All Americans
with the girls team and the boys team really supporting each other
and loving the success that both groups are having.
[crowd cheering]
[commentator] Augustus, one of the two unsigned officially
was sensational in the first half,
making those who are close very, very interested in…
[Augustus] Women do have a different journey.
We watch these guys get drafted, you know, they're crying, they're emotional,
their parents are emotional 'cause their life changed.
They literally hit the jackpot like the lottery.
What was the… What was the NBA rookie's salary at that moment?
I don't know. I had a friend, he went first round, maybe top five pick.
He made four million dollars his first year… Or five million dollars.
Meanwhile, we're just like, "It was great. I fulfilled a dream or a goal."
But my mom and dad still had to get up and go to work every day.
I still had to figure out, you know, how to pay bills or what I had to do.
And it's just disheartening
because the pay disparity is just so crazy here in America.
But yet we like, "Oh, we love… you know, we love you.
We want this to work and…" Da, da, da. But yet, the forward movement is so slow.
Um, when we hit the WNBA, we took full advantage of it
and we tried to make sure we was trailblazing
for the young ladies that were coming behind us.
I think gestures like that
and opportunities to-to have the women showcase like the men was long overdue,
but very important, I think, in the growth and success of women's basketball.
I know my experience as a McDonald's All American is one I'll never forget.
Just a few years ago, I was sitting right where you are now.
One of the best high school basketball players in the country,
getting ready to play my first nationally televised game.
Like you, I was dreaming of a career in the NBA.
You know, I was in the same situation as you guys. They had
Michael Jordan, uh, come on the TV and talk to us.
And, you know, even though that's, uh… that's Mike, we're like,
"All right, man. Stop talking. You're talking too much."
So I'm not gonna do thesame thing to you guys.
I'm gonna let you guys go ahead, have a good time this week.
Enjoy yourselves. And I'll be waiting for you guys in the NBA.
[JJ Redick] In June of 2001, a group of us played in Colorado Springs
at the USA Basketball Development Camp.
We're in the dorms and Sean Dockery, who's from Chicago, went to Duke with me.
He said, "I'm gonna go back and I'm gonna tell all my friends
I just saw the best basketball player I've ever seen."
He was talking about LeBron, and LeBron was 15 at the time.
[presenter] With a Sports Illustrated cover,
-sold-out games from coast to coast… -[crowd cheering]
…a pay-per-view audience, LeBron James is everywhere.
Even David Letterman has to stand in line. This kid is hot.
-[whistle blows] -[cheering]
It's LeBron James who's got sneaker companies
fighting to offer him a deal worth 20 to 30 million dollars.
And that's before the kid even attends his own prom.
You know, I just look at it as this opportunity for me and my teammates.
You know, every time I go out there, they also gotta see my teammates also.
So, I'm a team-first, me-second type of player.
Before LeBron James, high school basketball really wasn't on TV.
The hype, the exposure was at an all-time high.
His reputation preceded him.
And therefore, it was a media frenzy in Cleveland.
Can you talk about this experience? Everything you did in the last few games.
Uh…
[JJ Redick] He was so grounded.
Despite all of the hype, he was still a kid from Akron.
[Hill] Now, it was like center stage,
felt like a major event was occurring with LeBron James,
uh, you know, in the 2003 McDonald's All American Game.
And everyone from Dick Vitale to the Hamburglar and Ronald himself
knew that LeBron James would wind up
in tonight's McDonald's High School All American Game.
After all, the event took place in Cleveland, Ohio,
a quick 45-minute Humvee ride away
for King James to make undoubtedly the final amateur appearance of his life.
Guns Arena here in Cleveland, Ohio,
the site of the 26th annual McDonald's Boys High School All American Game.
And this one, of course, figures to be very special.
LeBron James against the rest of the All Americans here tonight.
You've seen him dominate so many times. Can he dominate against players this good?
[commentator] Guys, is-is it sacrilege to point out
that maybe he's overrated at this point?
He's compared to the greatest of all time. Is it a fair question to ask?
[commentator 2] His players start off on the defensive end.
[crowd cheering]
Chris Paul to LeBron James. That didn't take very long.
Points up to them on his way back down the floor.
And now he's gotta steal, unselfishly gives it up
and Michael Jones will finish with James.
[reporter] You look like you're having a lot of fun,
but I thought you'd try to dunk everything.
You're trying to get your teammates involved. Take me through your mindset.
[LeBron] You know, when your teammates get into it, we have a lot more fun out there.
Trying to not be selfish. We're just trying to play a team game.
Thankful that we up by 12 right now.
[commentator] Time out on the floor. LeBron James's moment right here.
Just up the road from Akron. The fans loving the show.
Here's Coach Wootten with the presentation of the trophy to LeBron James.
[announcer] LeBron James!
[speaks indistinctly]
[commentator] If you had never heard of any of these players
and you came in here to watch the game, would you walk out saying
-he was the best player on the floor? -Oh, without question.
You know, this night was about LeBron James.
I came in a little bit skeptical. I saw him practice last year.
I saw both of his games on ESPN this year.
He is as good as advertised and he's very explosive.
You see what LeBron was able to do in playing that McDonald's game,
rocking the 32 jersey, paying homage to Magic,
and only time we got to see LeBron in a dunk contest.
[commentator] The man is ready. This is why we're here.
Yeah, I'm-I'm afraid he may jump out of his britches.
That's gonna take a long run-up.
Oh, my goodness!
-That was the first one? Wow. -[laughs]
Are you k… Oh.
[Josiah] To see LeBron in that dunk contest,
how big he was and just how much of a grown-ass man he was.
Wish he would have did in the NBA as well.
But now you can go back and that-that memory lives on forever.
Beautiful delivery of the ball. Oh, my God.
[commentators laugh]
A year ago in the McDonald's High School All American Game party,
one word, LeBron.
High School equivalent of Glory won the Slam Dunk Contest,
then took the MVP in the game.
This year's Slam Dunk winner will not win the game MVP 'cause she's not playing.
Yeah. She.
-Dudes lost to a girl. -[scoffs]
Tonight's events include a co-ed Slam Dunk Contest.
Carmelo Anthony knows about dunks. Would you have ever let a girl
-beat you in a dunk contest? -No, I wouldn't.
[commentator] Candace Parker, who is off to Tennessee…
-She covers her eyes! -She did it blindfolded!
Tens around. We have history, ladies and gentlemen,
here in Oklahoma City. Candace Parker, your winner.
[Parker] My brother was playing overseas at the time.
So he was just like, "How did everything go?"
And I remember being like, "Well, I won."
He hung up that call not believing me.
[commentator] Tonight, we'll see which future star can live up to the hype…
[screams]
…as the greatest high school players take the floor…
Sup, y'all?
…in the 27th annual McDonald's All American High School Game.
[Hill] There was a sense that things would change.
That the NBA, along with the Players Association
would eliminate high school players jumping right to the NBA.
And so for the next year or two at the McDonald's All American Game,
all the scouts were there because they knew that this might be it.
And there was uncertainty as to what it would look like
going forward in the future.
Tim, more NBA scouts watching this game maybe than ever before.
Yeah, Dave. And I think this has the potential
to be the most competitive McDonald's All-Star Game in their 27-year history.
All 29 NBA teams are represented here in Oklahoma City.
Nine of the boys are considering a jump directly to the NBA,
depending on their All-Star performances.
[commentator] The work ethic is amazing among these players as--
-And Nelson gets stopped by Josh Smith! -[commentator 21] Whoa.
-What a block. -Incredible elevation.
My goodness. Remember, Doug, I told you earlier
that these guys are trying to impress the scouts.
Draft status is at stake. This is not your normal All-Star Game.
Athletic moves like we see from Josh Smith
will earn them a higher draft stock.
Washington to Smith! Oh!
Josh Smith on both ends of the floor!
JR Smith continues to impress. Boy, I… I'm Roy Williams,
I'm turning off the TV as well.
It'll be a long night in Chapel Hill after watching the McDonalds's All American Game
whether he'll attend college.
Dwight, you get that first big paycheck next fall.
What's the first thing that you're gonna buy?
I'm gonna buy my mom and dad a nice car.
All right. Very good. Get back there and have fun.
And, Dave, he's going to make his official announcement
on April 12th about the NBA.
[commentator] Sebastian Telfair. Should he stay or should he to go the NBA?
Well, I think we both agree he should stay.
But if the opportunity is there to be a first-round pick
a-and you can take your family out of a very difficult area in the Bronx,
he probably has to go.
You did exactly what you had to do. You did exactly what you had to do, man.
You're a forward general. That was fantastic.
You didn't have to score in a game like this.
That's what everyone was looking for, Sebastian.
-I'm so proud of you. -Thank you.
-[clamoring] -Thank you.
I'll see y'all, man.
Tremendous.
Because you didn't try to do anything except what you're supposed to do.
This is when the team played the way a true league-aligned is supposed to play.
Nobody does that, except for…
-Thanks a lot. Thanks. -'Cause you're a pro.
-[laughs] Oh, yeah? I am? -Yes, you are.
I hope so.
Uh, David Stern, the commissioner of the NBA,
weighed in on this issue. And here's what he had to say.
He said that "We would love to add a year…"
Meaning that players would have to wait two before they come in.
"But that's not something the Players' Association has been willing to agree to.
Our rule is that they won't be eligible for the draft until they're 19."
2006, the NBA Players Association implemented the one-and-done rule.
Players had to go to college
or at least be one year removed from their high school graduating class.
Uh, so all of a sudden, you know, the stakes aren't as high.
Even with that change, it still meant something.
It still was checking a box of what your goal might be
when you're young and achieving that goal.
It's still something that brings great pride for these men and women.
To be honored. To be in the game. To be chosen.
♪ Dream ♪
♪ Dream like the wind Free and unbounded ♪
♪ Dream like the river Flowing without end ♪
♪ Dream like fire Burning with passion ♪
♪ Dream like a tree, rooted Yet reaching toward the sun ♪
♪ Dream high, dream wide, dream bold ♪
♪ Dream fearless, dream passionate Dream persistent ♪
♪ Dream like God's love Patient, kind, not envious or boastful ♪
♪ Keep on dreaming, man ♪
♪ Dream like a journey The sweat, the tears ♪
♪ Dream for legacy beyond your years ♪
♪ Dream, man, Dream ♪
When I first got announced to be a McDonald's All American,
it was like a dream come true.
Uh, I watched the game when I was younger. Just, like, dreaming to play in that game.
So, to actually finally be named… To be a McDonald's All American,
it means everything to me.
[Flau'jae] Never let nobody dictate your dreams.
Never let nobody put fear inside your dreams
'cause they can't see your dreams.
God didn't give 'em to them. They gave 'em to you.
So, don't ever give up on your dream because of what somebody else says.
I missed my prom. The prom, March 26th.
McDonald's All American, the 25th through the 30th.
I did wanna go out in my little dress with my… with my…
[stammers] my slick… my slick, um, red lace and my heels.
But it's okay. I-I might just get my dress and take some pictures when we get back.
Just to take the pictures, not… But I did miss prom. That's crazy.
[sighs] It's definitely gonna be worth it.
Depending on what I do in that game tomorrow, it's gonna make it all worth it.
Lip bust right here. Pinkie messed up, swollen.
Ah. It just pop. It's swollen.
My lip, my… my finger might be broke.
But you know, it just come with the game.
I don't complain. Like, some people that use that excuse.
"My pinkie broke, I'm not…" Nah, bruh.
I finna be like, my pinkie broke and I'm still finna win MVP. Feel me?
[Barker] I… I came from nothing. I came from nothing,
so when I see where I'm at, right… When I look where I'm at,
I'm grateful to have people around me and… and…
It's crazy, so to even be in this position… [huffs]
[sniffles]
[inhales sharply, exhales heavily] Sorry. [breathes shakily]
I really owe it all to my parents and…
[sniffles] My coaches.
My family moved for basketball. They… They literally m…
Picked up everything they had, moved from a house to… to a apartment.
Share… I share a room with my brother when I first got there.
It was my first time sharing a room with him.
But he made the sacrifice too.
You know… You know when you talk to God and you question him… [sniffles]
You wonder why.
But then things like this happen and he shows you
why he put you through what you… what you went through.
Yeah. I know what it's like to have nothing… So…
To have all of this is a blessing.
This my meal ticket and I gotta… I gotta use it.
[people chattering]
[speaks indistinctly]
-[players cheering] -Let's go. Let's go.
-Ay, East on three. One, two, three. East. -[all] East.
Kiki, Flau'jae, Chance, Ruby, Justine,
Raegan, Ayanna, Lauren, Janiah. Good.
[players cheering, whooping]
To see the history and the culture behind what it meant to…
to be a McDonald's All American, and then to be a part of that,
my parents were more than proud.
[Greg G The Goldenchild] ♪ And the rockets' red glare ♪
♪ The bombs bursting… ♪
[Augustus] I feel thankful and grateful that I got that letter
that basically invited me to be a part of something
that's now gonna have a history that lives on forever.
♪ That our flag was still there ♪
When I saw my name on ESPN… I remember watching it with my parents.
I never would have imagined that my name would be listed
with a lot of great players across the nation.
♪ …star-spangled banner yet wave ♪
[Parker] Provide a game and we will put on a show.
Provide a platform, and we'll take advantage of it.
Put us on TV and people will watch.
[Borzello] The most star-studded night in high school basketball is back.
One of those standouts, Flau'jae Johnson. A star on the court and on the mic.
[commentator] So far, exactly what we expected to see.
Some quick, fast-paced talent. Strong block by Ayanna Patterson.
Let's go, Flau!
Barker's been active in this game already.
-[Borzello] It's 2-1. -Ooh!
[Borzello] And Barker finishes herself. She's got all six.
And Ashlyn Watkins run at Rice. Puts it in. Plus the foul.
Seven to shoot. Johnson. Over Rice. Johnson on the try. East ball.
It's the West with love to give. Flau'jae Johnson going.
She's 0 of seven with two points.
There's Flau'jae Johnson. Her first shot right from the floor.
Now, Rice against Jaquez again.
Oh. Rice knifing through.
-[horn blows] -And that does it. Here in Chicago,
the East triumphs over the West. Our two MVPs are with Brooke.
How did this game feel in your mind?
We just focus on defensive intensity and, you know, we came out hard.
We, uh, we were really focusing on just, you know,
having a good start and playing our game. And I think we executed the game plan.
[cheering]
[indistinct chatter]
Good job.
Proud of you. Flau'jae, stop it.
-You be beating yourself up, man. I know. -No.
I know it's a mentality thing, but, baby, that's a all-star game with all all-stars.
-Everybody had to play… -Nah. But it's my… [stammers]
I know your hand. But you… you scored 15 points with a broke fractured finger.
In the little bit of time that you've been in there,
you killing yourself for no reason.
I know but I just… I don't know. I expected more.
I know. But this… this different. It's supposed to just be fun.
Everybody just supposed to be showing their talent.
You know what I'm saying? Ain't supposed to be like,
"Oh, you gotta score 40." Like, that's crazy.
You know what I'm saying? It ain't like that. You killed it.
-You killed it. -Ow.
Oh, I forgot. Oh, sorry.
I'm mad that I didn't get that MVP.
But at the same time, it's like, I mean, I'm a McDonald's All American. Like…
I was… I was on TV. You know what I'm saying, like…
Thank you, girl. I need you… I need you to stop beating yourself up.
-Yeah. -Baby, you are a great. You get me?
-Do you hear me, girl? -Yeah.
Okay. [kisses]
-But I don't feel down no more, man. -Please.
I-I… [scoffs]
I'm coming back for vengeance. Just know that.
Next time I'm on ESPN, y'all gone feel me. On God.
[Joe] People see 'em as these great NBA players.
When they're at the McDonald's Game, they're just kids.
They wanna be treated for who they are as people, not necessarily as players.
I consider it a sacred trust. Um…
You know, because… Let me say why. Because…
'Cause, you know, it's about… It's not about the right…
Which shoe they wear.
It's not about where they go to school. It's not…
It's about the 24 best boys, the 24 best girls.
It's, you know, why we do it. It's the legacy of our family.
And just everything that Morgan expected.
[Silver] For a game to be 47 years…
A high school game to be 47 years old,
that to me is a legacy of Bob Geoghan.
[announcer] At this time, we ask for a brief moment of silence
in honor of Bob Geoghan.
He was the kind of person that was behind the scenes always.
Did not make any money, which I regret honestly.
That something as special as this has become,
and for him to be, um…
to be broke when he passed away… had no money…
That hurt. That really hurt.
But the legacy of the game transcends him.
So… that's special.
What makes basketball great in this area. Here he is. Bob Geoghan.
For the seventh year, another tremendous, tremendous event
here in the capital center.
Well, thank you very much, Mal. We're certainly proud of it
and, uh, as long as fans keep supporting it like they do,
there's no question in my mind that, uh,
it'll continue to be the number one game in the country.
"Sonny, I met you for the first time in 1973 when you came to DC
and had a meeting with me across from Lefty Jezel's restaurant in College Park
to discuss my creating the McDonald's Capital Classic.
I wanted to say I always admired you.
Although, at times we competed for some of the same players for our all-star games.
I had a stroke last August and I'm still in rehab.
So, I'm retiring for good.
Godspeed, my friend, as we approach the end of our lives.
Thanks, Sonny, for the memories.
Bob Geoghan."
[crowd cheering]
Hello. You doing okay? Good to see you. Man, listen--
-[mumbles] Man, I just asked was you here. -I know. He was just telling me right now.
Right, man, I'm gonna say that I have my young 'un…
I think the McDonald's Game propelled my career
because i-it gave me opportunity to put my name on the big stage.
Especially back then. Yeah, we wasn't playing on ESPN every single weekend
so, you know, it took the game, the McDonald's All American Game,
to really, uh, kinda ignite our names and take it to the next level.
[Borzello] There is no bigger stage than the McDonald's All American Game.
Knowing that the majority of guys that make the McDonald's All American Game
go on to play professionally,
that's a pretty crazy stat.
I don't know how many other games there are like that
where the success rate is so high.
It just puts you on this path
and you just gotta do everything you can to keep going forward.
[commentator] Dereck Lively II going to Duke.
It was something as a kid that I wanted to be a part of.
High school basketball, you wanna be a McDonald's All American.
Like, that is the elite of the elite.
\It was like one of those things where I wanted to collect everything
and I was top. They said you was top of your class.
I had to be a McDonald's All American.
[Borzello] Off we go. 20-minute halves.
And Amari Bailey will come off the bench in his homecoming here in Chicago.
We have nine of the top ten prospects in the class in this game.
There is Dereck Lively.
The ability to run the floor, catch it and finish it. 7-1.
Amari Bailey in for the first time. Chicago's own.
The number-two player in the ESPN 100s.
Bailey the lefty cans the three.
Cam Whitmore going sky-high for the rejection. And Ernest Udeh.
Guys, listen to me. No layups. No layups. Nothing chancing.
It's the best players, so, you know.
And I always wanted to put myself against the best players.
I wanted to prove myself.
Every kid in your city you think that's better than you, they wanna be there,
so it was, like, actually some of the best times of my life during that time.
[Borzello] Whoa. Cason Wallace up top.
Whitmore. Watch out. Take off. The windmill.
Dereck Lively II.
[commentator] Some of the NBA scouts in attendance this week
have just fallen in love with Dereck Lively.
If there's an NBA Draft tomorrow from this group,
-Lively goes number one. -Absolutely.
The East hitting triple digits
in the return of the McDonald's All American Game.
Mitchell slashes one in too. The final score 105 to 81.
The East victorious here in Chicago.
[fans cheering, chattering]
This is my family. I love 'em.
-Yeah. Yeah, baby. -This is who I do it for.
This is what I do it for. All love. For my family.
[fans cheering, clamoring]
-For the first time… -For the first time ever…
…high school athletes can profit…
[all] Off of their name, image and likeness.
You've heard about it.
It's forever changed the landscape of college athletics, but get this.
Now the NIL is making moves into the high school ranks.
[Hill] Now you have players where they have representation.
They're businessmen and businesswomen.
They have agents. They're soliciting deals.
It's all legal, it's part of the landscape now in basketball.
[Borzello] Welcome to Houston, Texas.
Out of roughly a half million high school basketball players in the nation,
24 of the best are here to showcase their skills at Delmar Fieldhouse.
[Josiah] The whole basketball landscape has shifted so much with social media.
Back in the day, these were just names on a piece of paper, a scouting report
or, you know, a magazine.
Now kids got millions of followers.
Like, these dudes are walking in that game now and they're already celebrities.
Right now is a great space and time for basketball.
Um, for college basketball. For the… For WNBA.
Especially now people are able to, like,
reap the benefits of the work they're putting in.
That's a great thing.
I mean, being able to support my family and me is very important for me.
And it just goes to show, like, how hard work can really pay off.
They're building brands in their bedroom.
Why can they not benefit from it?
Business that they can do before even they get to the League.
And now with them being able to get, like, NIL money,
it's a step in the right direction of leveling the playing field.
Name, image, likeness is basically
the value of who you are as a player, as a person.
This was instituted because who is anybody to tell someone
that you can't profit off of who you are as an individual…
Who you are as a human being?
Like, even with Juju, right…
She was the first female in high school to receive an NIL Nike deal.
Imagine seven, eight years from now, what that's gonna be looking like.
-That's gonna be the norm. -Mm-hmm.
So, I feel like we're just seeing the beginning of it,
so it's like, it's so exciting to see.
-[mother] 'Cause there's no blueprint. -[father] There's not. I…
-I was excited. I love it. -Figure it out as you go.
[indistinct chatter]
[Bronny James] Being selected as a McDonald's All American means a lot.
Of course y'all know who my dad is
but to be, you know, selected for myself is… building…
Starting building my own name, you know.
Good for me to grow and… and learn from these people.
I'm sorry. He's actually not doing interviews.
-What outlet are you with? -They can use that first part.
-Are you sure? Okay. -Yeah, they can use that first part.
Can you get my email down?
Sorry, I don't mean to… You know.
[Auriemma] Probably the biggest difference now
is there are some players making more than the coaches make.
All the stuff that's been going on for, like, how many years? Right?
That you say, "Oh, man. Those… That school, they cheat, man."
What do you mean? Like, that kid's got a car, that kid's got a car.
That kid got X amount of money.
They bought her parents or his parents a house, you know.
Well, now… don't worry about it. You know?
Whatever you can do to get a kid to come your school.
That's what… That's what's being done.
NIL really stands for "Now It's Legal".
[Hill] And so all this stuff is changing
in the world of intercollegiate athletics and high school athletics.
But the value, the importance, the significance
of the McDonald's All American Game, uh, is still there.
[Dennis Page] McDonald's is clearly the crown jewel.
Always was, always will be.
It's still, I believe, to a kid, the ultimate sign of success,
to be a McDonald's All American. It's just become that.
[Auriemma] You have the McDonald's All Star Game,
and you got these five kids playing on the floor,
and these five kids on the floor.
And you look at 'em and say, "This is the last time those five kids
will ever be on the floor together."
[Rose] McDonald's Game is still gonna be the huge stage,
the number one proving ground.
And I don't care what any player ever accomplishes in life.
They could go on to be a champion at the… in the NCAA.
They could be a champion and a Hall of Famer in the NBA.
But when they talk about things that they accomplished in their basketball career,
everybody's gonna mention being a McDonald's High School All American.
[Chris Mullin] Those memories not only in the past
but having the friendship last 40, 50 years.
That's the true blessing.
When I text my friends that played in the game, we text "95."
Hashtag, like, yeah, "Class of 95."
So, like, the brotherhood is always gonna last forever
and I'm still part of that fabric and this is, like, 30 years later.
[Billups] I just remember it like it was yesterday, man.
We've all had these long, blessed careers.
And have played on every stage that you can play on, and we remember this.
[commentator] Campbell. Outside. Bailey for the lead. Got it!
[commentator] The Charlotte Hornets select Amari Bailey from UCLA.
[crowd cheering]
The Duke Blue Devils will win the ACC Tournament Championship.
With the 12th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft,
the Oklahoma City Thunder select Dereck Lively II.
[audience cheers]
Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively
is playing in his first NBA finals but with a heavy heart.
Because his biggest fan isn't here to cheer him on anymore.
His mom, Kathy Drysdale, passed away in April
after a ten-year battle with cancer.
Getting her hand to the passing channel is Barker. In for two.
Got a piece of it bested but still went in.
Gardiner the feed from Betts.
Kiki Rice anticipating the pass, getting in that lane.
Turn around for the ages,
LSU has captured its very first National Championship.
[rap song playing]
[interviewer] Got anything you wanna spit for us before we're done?
Oh, let's see. Um… All right.
♪ McDonald All American What a dream come true ♪
♪ They move my grandma out the hood [sighs] The things I do ♪
♪ The rain dries too I can see it through a plain eye view ♪
♪ I thought them situations broke me Through that pain I grew ♪
♪ Because I'm destined for it ♪
♪ I was super patient Now I'm stressing for it ♪
♪ Say before you're blessed Then you get tested more ♪
♪ I'm just thanking God I was a mess before ♪
♪ I come from a place Where they be less than poor ♪
♪ So when you make it out They gon' respect it more ♪
♪ They threw me in that jungle I came out a gorilla ♪
♪ And I write my rhymes with hunger Every time they gon' feel it ♪
♪ If you can make it through that thunder You gon' shine when it's clearer ♪
♪ And since they put my daddy under Man, I ride with them hitters ♪
♪ And they can snake me if they want I'ma be fine, 'cause I'm realer ♪
♪ And they ain't gotta gas me up I take my time, I'ma fill up ♪
♪ Nothing could ever break me down 'Cause every time I'ma get up ♪
♪ I ain't think I make it through That last time, but I'm still up ♪
♪ Nope, I done sacrificed so much For this, man, I would hate to lose ♪
♪ Once they put the millions on that table Man, I can't refuse ♪
♪ You show all that love and then They cross you, what they wait to do ♪
♪ And they always talk about your shoes Until they lace them too ♪
♪ How your brother Cross you out in them blues ♪
♪ That's what a snake would do ♪
♪ And I done fell off my Ps and Qs Made a mistake or two ♪
♪ Everybody love you, when they through They start replacing you ♪
♪ And once they can't find another you They get to chasing you ♪
♪ I know the game. VVS, they on the chain ♪
♪ I sit in there, write, I seen them stars 'Cause I done overcame ♪
♪ Flau'jae, they gon' know the name I shoot it, watch my flow to change ♪
♪ I spit it, but my flow the same They feel it, this ain't novocaine ♪
♪ Gang, yeah ♪
-[interviewer] Oh, damn. -[exclaiming] Did you see it?
-[director] And cut. -And cut. Yo, that was crazy.
Cut. Cut that. Cut that. Cut it. Just cut it. Cut it.
[rap song plays] t that. Cut it. Just cut it. Cut it.