Dragon Hoops

Mr. Yang approaches Jeevin to offer his empathy for the taunting he endured, but Jeevin claims that such taunting was nothing compared to the heckling that the team experiences in the Castro Valley. A flashback scene shows Castro Valley fans shouting things such as, “Go back to Beijing, Number 22” (323). A series of brief and successive comic flashbacks shows Paris breaking the school record with 43 points in a game and Ivan being named a McDonald’s All-American. During one game in which Alex carries the team in the absence of an injured Paris and sick Ivan, the team celebrates his accomplishments by pretending to pray with three fingers. Mr. Yang comments that such behaviors may have been culturally insensitive.

When Coach Lou will not let Paris play because he refuses to wear team shoes in a game against the Campolindo Cougars due to a toe injury, the assistant coach advocates for him. Paris ends up playing and performing exceptionally. In a separate interview, Coach Tony explains that Coach Lou wants his players to adopt a team identity. Coach Lou, for his part, clarifies that he simply doesn’t want his players to use their near-celebrity status to behave as though they are above the rules.