BALLERS "Pilot" by Brian Frager 408-857-0936 [email protected]
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BALLERS "Pilot" by Brian Frager 408-857-0936 [email protected] ACT ONE FADE IN: TV BROADCAST - MONTAGE A flash montage of the NBA season ends on commissioner David Stern’s announcement of an NBA lockout. DAVID STERN ...and if I were one of the 450 players in the NBA, I would be wondering what it is that Billy Hunter just did. We are heading into the nuclear winter of the NBA. TV BROADCAST - INT. SPORTS STUDIO - DAY KENNY SMITH Well it looks as if the winter has thawed without too much fallout. The NBA season finally returns this week, prompting a slew of last-minute trades and pickups around the league. FAITH (O.S) Focus. Focus Don. INT. LOCAL NEWS GREEN ROOM - ANAHEIM - NIGHT FAITH FOWLER (26), a self-assured African-American woman, SNAPS her fingers in the face of DONOVAN FOWLER (27), a prep-school-bred athlete. Don’s eyes snap from the TV. He looks worried. Faith adjusts his tie. FAITH None of that buzz matters. Just background noise. All you see is opportunity. This is your season. Contract renewal time. Don shrugs her off with a forced smile. DON No worries baby, I got this. He turns to his son, JORDAN FOWLER (3), perched on the sofa. 2. DON How’s daddy look? JORDAN Fly. DON That’s what I’m saying. He flops down on the couch and scoops up Jordan, tickling him. FAITH It’s more than just the look, you know. You’ve got to project confidence. They didn’t invite DeShaun Harris tonight, they invited Donovan Fowler. You know why? DON DeShaun wouldn’t fly back from Rio for a local news interview? FAITH No. Cuz they know my baby is the next big thing! Not to mention he’s got the smartest, sexiest P.R. manager in the league... She leans in to kiss him as GRAYSON "GRAY" TYNES (28), a skinny white boy with gangster swagger in an Anaheim Automatics jersey, pops his head in the door. GRAY You ready to tag team this interview like its got some unresolved daddy issues? FAITH Oh hell no... Don shoos him with a look, but Gray barges in. GRAY I’m thinking we recap the highlights of last year’s bench shenanigans. Show the fans what they’re missing when all the cameras are focused on the court. Faith puts a firm hand on Gray’s neck. 3. FAITH What are you doing here Gray? GRAY Our big interview. FAITH You mean Don’s big interview. DON About that, baby... She swings around to Don, who holds out Jordan as a barrier. Faith snatches Jordan and slings him over her shoulder. JORDAN (muttering) Now she all mad, I didn’t even do nothing... They storm out of the green room. Gray checks out her booty. GRAY Loves me a woman with confidence. DON Yeah? Live with one sometime. GRAY Every time I try to move into your place, she kicks me out... INT. LOCAL NEWS STUDIO - NIGHT LISA MULLENS (35), an alluring sports reporter, sits opposite Don and Gray. LISA We’re here with Anaheim Automatics forward Donovan Fowler and point guard Grayson Tynes to hear from the role players on a small market team. GRAY Don’t make it sound too glamorous. LISA (unapologetic) So Don, how did the lockout affect your day-to-day routine? 4. DON Just living the life every NBA hopeful dreams about. EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - DAY DON (V.O.) Keeping in shape with a rigorous workout routine. Don trots down the street with Jordan strapped in a jogger. INT. LOCAL NEWS STUDIO - PRESENT LISA And how did you maintain focus during the extended off-season? Gray SCOFFS. Don recovers for him. DON As always, we focused on improving team unity. SPLIT SCREEN: INT. DON’S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Gray taunts Don over an NBA Jam victory on Xbox. He gets his final jabs in as Faith shoves him out the front door. INT. VEGAS STRIP CLUB - NIGHT Anaheim Automatics superstars DESHAUN HARRIS (28), JAMAL LEONARD (32) and ALOUICIOUS MAYNARD (30) drop wads of cash on lap dances. END SPLIT SCREEN GRAY (V.O.) That’s true. There were countless meetings... 5. INT. JAMAL KLAYTON’S MANSION - NIGHT Gray passes off a bag of weed to power forward AK HALLOWAY (36). He lights a blunt, puffs and passes to his teammates. INT. DON’S DEN - DAY DON (V.O.) Endless strategizing. Faith talks Don through a series of charts tracking his playing time and circles of association on the team. FAITH Now I want whole minutes this year. Integers, Don! None of this 2.7 garbage. LISA (V.O.) So what keeps you guys motivated in lieu of playing time? INT. LOCAL NEWS STUDIO - PRESENT DON GRAY My family. The money... GRAY Trying to lock down that endorsement deal! Awkward silence. LISA Beautiful. DON And the chance to be a role model to my son and any kid with a dream. I grew up in awe of the greats. LISA Well then you must be thrilled by the organization’s latest pickup of Charles Prentice. Don emits a HIGH-PITCHED SQUEAL. Bites his fist to catch himself. 6. LISA Just this morning. I assumed you both knew... Don fights the flood of emotions. He nods meekly. LISA Well folks, this man’s clearly got love for the game. You can share in that love at the Automatics season opener this Wednesday. Don leans into Gray and whispers over her closing remarks. DON Sir Prentice! On our bench! Do you realize what this means? SNAPSHOT MONTAGE CHARLES PRENTICE captured in frozen moments with various NBA stars. The uniforms and hairdos change along with the decade: 1. Charles reaches for a Larry Bird three-pointer with outstretched arms. 2. Charles at the edge of the infamous Dream Team photograph. 3. Charles and Shaquille O’Neal stand chest to chest for a tip-off. 4. Charles, Don and Gray recline on the Automatics bench in turquoise velour tracksuits with cucumbers over their eyes. BACK TO SCENE Don and Gray finish an elaborate handshake, bouncing up and down like children. Faith shakes her head in the audience. INT. STADIUM - LOCKER ROOM - DAY THE ANAHEIM AUTOMATICS suit up -- a ragtag bunch clearly hurting from the off-season debauchery. The five starters huddle in a tight circle: DeShaun, Jamal, Alouicious, A.K., and foreigner YEVGENI KLOSOVICHNIAKOULOS. Scattered around them are Don, Gray, rookie LANDON JONES (21), and a few other BENCH WARMERS. 7. DESHAUN You see those looks Lanée was shootin’ my way when the dance squad rolled through? JAMAL That girl is trouble, D. Believe me. DESHAUN Thinkin’ I might have to find out for myself... ALOUICIOUS Just remember, the herp is a lesson you only learn once. Right A.K.? A.K. Not if you refuse to learn it. Don sees the horrified look on Landon’s face. DON Landon, right? I’m Don. Don’t worry about them, they’re all talk. A couple years in this league, you learn to take everything in stride. CHARLES (O.S.) Well said, my man. Don turns to see CHARLES PRENTICE (40), a once-fiery bruiser wizened by the years, with ice packs on both knees and hand extended. Don’s eyes go wide as saucers. CHARLES Charles. Don just stares. Landon gives a weak wave. Charles looks to Don’s jersey. Points to 36. CHARLES I see you got my number there. Don springs into action, tearing off his jersey and thrusting it towards Charles. DON It’s yours. You were -- are -- you’re my everything -- I picked it for you and er -- 8. CHARLES You keep it. DON I wouldn’t dare -- CHARLES I insist. DON Are you serious? CHARLES I’m looking for a fresh start here. Don hugs the jersey close. DON Wow. It’s an incredible honor, sir. CHARLES Charles. Just be sure and earn it. Don whips out his phone. DON That’s one for the Twitter-verse... COACH BOWDEN (47), a reformed Bobby Knight type in a Bermuda shirt with skin peeling from a wicked sunburn, cuts their banter short with a short BLOW on conch shell. COACH BOWDEN Welcome back my pupils. Jamel, DeShaun and A.K. burst out laughing. DESHAUN New threads, coach? COACH BOWDEN (zen-like) My cardiologist told me one more bypass surgery would do me in, so I took a little trip. Did a lot of soul-searching. Not my soul, mind you, but each and every one of yours. (scans the room) And I found myself left wanting. (looks to DeShaun) Gambling before games. (looks to Jamal) (MORE) 9. COACH BOWDEN (cont’d) Strippers on the road. (looks around) Streetball outside of... He trails off. COACH BOWDEN Where’s Tynes? All eyes turn to Don. DON What? How should I know? He knows. They all know he knows. Don sighs, gathers his things and heads for the door. END OF ACT ONE 10. ACT TWO EXT. STREETBALL COURTS - DAY Gray jukes before sinking a 3-pointer right in the face of a MUSCULAR SAMOAN BALLER, TYRONE (38). GRAY Tres-pocalypse! Better kiss yo’ momma at the bus stop, Tyrone, cuz I’m taking you to school. Tyrone steps up in Gray’s face. Other STREETBALLERS step in to keep them apart. TYRONE How you takin’ me anywhere when you got no drive? Can’t believe I’m taking shit from the only NBA player who’s never seen an endorsement deal. GRAY (shrieking) What’d you say? Gray breaks free from the other players and charges.