Steve Francis: Beyond the Glory (Basketball Documentary)

[Music] this Dame is the franchise stage franchise he has a name that says the wages on his show in the beginning those shoulders could barely lift the ball to the rim he was very athletic but he was very tiny he would always say am I getting bigger now am I getting bigger his body grew and so did his reputation a local legend you know he's one of those guys you hear about a playground he owned a gym he stirred everybody of them then tragedy derailed his promising career is not a date ago Bob and I don't I don't think about that you can see him shutting down we couldn't do a whole lot for him he completely stopped playing basketball that army it just wasn't there anymore he said well we won't do Belcher so it's the God will take care slowly he healed and the passion returned [Music] the solar became apparent that that dream was just put on hold that he's picking it back up now Oh suddenly started really seeing how good he could be legend of Steve Francis just took off from there this is Steve Francis beyond the globe [Applause] [Music] [Applause] the Vancouver Grizzlies collect Steve Francis he introduced himself with a wine the Maryland guard looked like he might trip over his bottom lip what you saw draft night was a disappointed person you know I was gonna be so far for my family for my grandma he's not a phony you may love him or not love him but he's going to be himself Steve what happened there at the ocean marisol of Sam that's uncalled for it's emotion that Stokes is fine [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and a motion that lands him in hot water hanging on the rim extra-long he leads the NBA in technical bag right now they are really active James look at a very young age wouldn't back down from nobody he was he was sure about his game [Music] [Applause] [Music] growing up in koma park there was so so much stuff that you can do we had people who really cared for you know the kids growing up knowing that a lot of the kids living there I had single parent us even though we loved it the conditions when the hope is right now being on food stamps a lot of it was on food stamps and stuff like that you get in trouble she hung out with the wrong crowd he definitely did my mother used to watch out the window all the time we had to make sure that he was in the house at a certain time you know what mother didn't played it especially when him cuz he was the youngest our original father he left my mom when I was like 2 years old he made the citizens in his life that hey you needed to move on and you know we we just you know dealt one a father would come around every so often but you know things just got kind of tough and tight you know I guess it was time for Lily my mom man that's I mean it there's so much that I could talk about I can remember at times when we lived on Maple Avenue to come apart we are like 14 people standing a three-bedroom apartment some of my friends are getting to it with their parents and you know 12:00 at night there come knocking on the door I opened the door let my mother know they're there she let him in it's tomorrow she'd have one-on-one with him when Steve wasn't at home he could usually be found at the local basketball courts he was always driven and doing the tricks between their legs no relative held a basketball very well in a very young age I did it so much man that I still get kicked out of stores guys to go in the local sub shop you know bouncing a basketball throwing a basketball off the wall it was very athletic but he was very tiny so he couldn't get the basketball to the rim from a long distance I used to mark my height every day I said coming to bathroom in the morning I got out and uh you know I tried to check your height so there's a wall behind me right in the bathroom so I'm marking my height so for like oh unless it didn't move so I'm telling my grandma I'm like I'm Astra every time like I'm not gonna grow ever gonna grow [Music] I never thought that I would pass like 411 he wanted to be told he want to be told this is just lame I can't stand English and I got I'm gonna grow I want to grow but Steve never let his size dictate his style of play he was able to take a hit make a pass score whatever I mean he had no problems getting in there and he was definitely taken to the hole he wasn't scared I mean he wasn't scared at all and we was playing like with the 18 and older and they didn't have no mercy on him because he was small or young you know it's a good thing they had the mats behind the backboard because he was going to hit him I seen them as a little kid actually uh when I used to speak at the basketball camps when I was in college and I see these kids playing and then I see this little water head kid or off to the side to shooting layups reverses dribbling when it was his turn to going here going the gameplay after he was finished he'd come back on the sidelines just work on this game instead of being like everybody else who was sitting on the sidelines watching the game we were at one of the gyms in Maryland we only have four players we sitting on the sidelines he was like let me play let me play I was like man he's four small enough man you know he's begging you let him play let him play I mean he thrilled me right away he was running up and down the court I wasn't even playing as much I was too busy watching him the thing that he possessed that I saw that a lot of people didn't have was he played ball from his son [Applause] it was like it was something inside of Steve was a star at the Como Park Middle School but success didn't come so easily at Blair high I thought I was the big man on campus you know he's little Stevie's he's gonna be the next star to come out of Blair high school and then when I got there you know coming from middle school to high school the whole atmosphere just changed you know you see so much going on the hospital you know you see guys skipping school go and hang out drinking and smoking and doing things like that I guess the excitement of being in high school and being around all the guys which is natural he lost focus for a second not normally people have like a senior skip we a skill play like once a week we had to do a lot of chasing around and and finding out where he was and some other students I didn't play I didn't play basketball until my sophomore year I didn't have the grades sophomore young third when gone on the list behind a guy who I think I'm better than and me and my boy Jason was scared he was in front of me playing time and and was pretty pretty slim in terms of trying to get everyone in my sophomore you actually got kicked off the team I got suspended and then a bit kicked me off the team I was so upset because you know I had dreams of being a basketball player play high school I had dreams of you know taking what same for the state championship and you know I got I didn't get a chance to play just a sophomore Steve would never play another game of high school basketball he just got the word that he won't be allowed to play I'm like man all its allant but I have all the hours that I put in you don't come over here excuse me but a shocking loss would take the heaviest whole night that he found out and he just he just be just person and it's his he said Jeff what we gonna do now I said Steve God I'll take him just be just prep person in the tears he said Jeff what we gonna do now I said Steve God I'll take care [Music] [Applause] [Music] I was so excited to be in that culture Irish trash for the cows are pure journey I gotta give up the channel this came out no Duncan [Music] Steve Francis is one of the premier dunkers in the NBA but midway through high school that appeared that he may never be tall enough to even touch the rim then he had the growth spurt he'd been dreaming up it was like five four five six and then just came back and he was like six feet so I'm you know over like two weeks or so you know it was like where the hell is he getting this from you know he was all out there playing around and he just picked up the ball and I mean dunked it really dunk and it was like gather round a boy die like that but Steve's highlights were all on the playground kicked off his high school team after his sophomore year he transferred schools but couldn't return to the court on my junior year I went to Kennedy because we moved from Tacoma Park how to the boondocks the rules prohibited me from playing the first semester Montgomery County schools would allow you to transfer on play ball so it was a real hard form at the time [Music] go to second semester my grades went down again and I wasn't able to play it was tough man just knowing looking at the competition looking at the guys that I played Little League when they're out there you know they're all met they're all counting I'm like I think I'm better than these guys Steve transferred back to Blair but County rules and poor grades again kept him off the court but we just got the word that hey he can come return to Blair but he won't be allowed to play which was another big blow for us but certainly for him who really needed to play Steve needed direction but his older brothers had moved out and his mother Brenda had fallen ill for maybe ten years she had a hernia behind her heart you know she lived with that she was very fearful of surgery well mom was uh you know she was sick for a while she would be in and out of the hospital there was certain medicines that she needed we really couldn't afford all of it that she needed went up there to see her well her eyes were kind of young and I couldn't control my emotion because I never saw my mother not being able to do something never saw her like that you know I was home with her and she started throwing up blood a little bit the only thing that she would tell me it was to make sure that my brothers and my sister and everybody was taking care in March Brenda died of cancer she was 39 and I get like 10 pages in a row for my cousin I called her and [Music] she was quiet and I mean at that point I'm pretty much new [Music] I was driving him home and then he just be just bursting in it's his no he's asking me questions like what's wrong and I'm like in the front seat but I'm like balled up on the floor like feeling feeling so sick man not her you know and what it could she's not hurt no he you gotta understand so I miss walnut this one at home there's been a long time since I've darling them up [Music] I never thought I never thought that she would I would be without you know I'm saying okay it was something that really and it was changed my life it Steve I'll never forget day after gonna over crumble his house he had to pizza I just try to stay strong but I steal until he looked at he said what we gonna do now Joe so Steve God will take care what are we gonna do I was just out of high school and kind of lost in my way at the time and Steve was in high school at the time and you know Jeff was married with his family we didn't have too much we had love within that little core after she left mine she literally left love behind something tangible something that you can feel something that was real [Music] I don't know anything to happen with the nose three months like after that people tell me they will see me and out like oh yeah very devastated by very deficit I was he didn't finish high school he can he completely stopped playing basketball at all man and just wasn't there anymore you can see him shutting down you know this we couldn't do a whole lot for [Music] [Music] I miss my mom so much it's been ten years and uh and it's not one big it's not one day that goes by I don't think about you know certain situations things that she did with me and with my brothers and even for my whole family there's not a day to go by but I don't I don't think about that for three months Steve Francis was lost trying to make sense of his mother's death he decided to use it as motivation it might have broken down and realize how precious life is and then also gave him knowledge to go forward with his dream back in Takoma Park Steve continued to play basketball mostly pickup games in the basement of the local firehouse he began to develop a reputation everybody's congregated to his little files nose in a basement and uh wooden back doors and everybody will come there I'm doggin guys I don't care where they were coming from in DC Virginia Maryland the great city bald us you know from all over DC Maryland come up and play it you know he stirred everybody up to there a lot of people thought that you know Steve will be just a playground legend where you know he was talented enough to make it but you know will he ever put yourself in their position you know to get to college either to do that in the whole time I'm like man what am I going to do next with more coconuts Steve decided to try his hand again at organized basketball he refocused and rededicated in himself and he has an opportunity to play AAU Junior left the ball with Lou Wilson he's been watching me play all this time like it was time for you to get your act together you know and get back on the basketball court and you know do do some of the things you know that your pitcher capable of doing I'd like to work with him and see if we can get him on our amateur athletic union team and we could travel and maybe get him a little more exposure since he didn't play high school Wilson took Steve to Florida for a tournament the trip changed his life he has such charisma and such style that the little kids would come up to him after the games asking for autographs gave him opportunity to be seen by colleges so that he could obtain a scholarship my assistant coach called me one day I think I found a kid pretty good player and I said where'd he play ice he didn't and I kept saying well where is he from I don't know steve was offered a chance to play at San Jacinto Junior College I'm looking at Lou I'm like where's San Jacinto College he's like in Texas I'm like Texas gave him opportunity to be seen by colleges so that he could obtain a scholarship my assistant coach called me one day I think I found a kid pretty good player and I said where'd he play ice he didn't you know I kept saying well where's he from I don't know steve was offered a chance to play at San Jacinto junior college I'm looking at Lou I'm like where's San Jacinto College he's like in Texas I'm like Texas I never thought about leaving Maryland to go all the way to Texas to go to school so I get back home you know talk to my family about you know the possibility of going to San Jacinto so my grandma was like it might be the best thing for you then I made the decision to go Steve was 18 and a long way from home he definitely was homesick he's calling like every week just basically ready to go AWOL he's will come back oh like no ever come back but like just stayed out of it man when he went to San Jack that's all I used to have as well you know I love you know what I love you know it he most definitely was homesick I'm crying every day telling coach genetical I want to go home when I go home [Music] Steve had now grown to six feet three and his vertical leap had reached an astonishing forty-three inches he hadn't played organized ball for a couple years so he's kind of raw but but halfway through the year old son games he started really seeing you know how good he could be I remember sitting I turned someone extra as you know Steve to be playing for a lot of money someday but we made it all the way to the national tournament 36 ago before we lost in the national championship Steve a great tournament made the all-tournament team up there and although he got beat in the championship game here that's when he really started getting the interested people steve was suddenly in demand he chose to transfer to another junior college this one just two hours from home yes his brother brought him up and they looked around the campus and we talked with him and you know you love the kid right away as soon as you talked with him and I said you just have to believe me I'm gonna get you to where you want to go you get you to the school you want to get to and the legend of Steve Francis just took off from there there were several times when Steve was here that we couldn't get everybody in our gym those games were like kind of like prices games cuz like you never knew right in a night out what he might do ILU [Music] Frances dream okay I was like 26 five steals a game we were undefeated we were thirty you know it's the only undefeated season we've ever had if thought became apparent that that dream was just put on hold that he's picking it back up now Gary Williams the head coach at the University of Maryland wanted to see for himself what the fuss was all about you heard a lot about him during his summer too why keep doing these unbelievable dunks or you'd have to be 40 in a game that word gradually gets down man he was there I didn't miss man I'm just pulling up for three and everybody you know everybody everybody knows why I'm doing after the season Steve transferred to the University of Maryland his sixth school in six years I don't think has been that much hype about one player coming to a school around here in a long long time this is the next level for him you could just see it in his eyes led by Steve the Terrapins won their first ten games we were unbeliever we beat Stanford which was supposed to be the one of the top teams that's when I blew up [Applause] [Music] on his birthday in Atlanta Georgia against Georgia Tech he went baseline on Jason Carr I mean [Applause] yeah like 25 points at like seven dumps Steve was magnificent averaging 17 points in nearly five assists per game when the n-c-double-a tournament rolled around expectations were high Steve loved the Terps two victories over Valparaiso settlement crate but injuries had slowed the team they filled the st. John's in the third round and I'll never forget that game because I thought that team with Steve was good enough to win it all when the season ended Steve had to make a decision finish his college career at Maryland or turn from he really wanted to get to that final fall in the championship but as we did it evaluation of talking to the NBA and different teams it was hard for him to go back clearly he was a lot OPEC the real issue was where was he going to go in the top one two three in just three years Steve had gone from high school dropout to NBA lottery pick but the day he dreamed of wouldn't go as planned with the second pick in the 1999 NBA Draft don't draft Steve he does not want to play here the Vancouver Grizzlies select I do not want to play in Vancouver [Music] [Music] [Music] so we're at the draft so is my hometown said the MC Ison so it's jam-packed my family my grandmother everybody we're all sitting it it's all I'm excited like Chicago put the pick me about the pig the pig my mother getting them warm pig he's been mentioned all week as a potential number one all tonight this promises to be for Steve Francis Steve Francis was on the doorstep of a dream only one thing could ruin it like man chef I do not want to play in Vancouver he's like Steve I understand so I mean I'm repeatedly telling this because we knew they had the number two big don't draft Steve he does not want to play here they were stunned the Commissioner comes up to the podium with the first pick with the first pick Chicago Bulls select yes Elton Brand [Applause] Elton Brand I'm like then he goes back up to the pony with the second pick in the 1999 NBA Draft the Vancouver Grizzlies select swung down like this [Applause] [Music] tell me you know don't poke my lip off go up there some of this shaking to commission a hand he says to me don't worry about they'll be better days to have a great career the expression on Francis's face bullion it took us nine hours the Vancouver I'm like mad cause my family won't come see me how am I gonna be able to go home see my fam the year before the Grizzlies had selected point guard Mike Bibby it was unclear where Steve would fit in they really didn't have a concrete answer for Mike where I was no play so then I got so Nate and Jeff hey man y'all-y'all my ages I got a kid in time Steve held out he demanded a trade there's no question in the public eye there was some damage fans already perceived us as spoiled that when you're able to come out in and dictate where you want to play it and things like that I mean that just magnifies that so of course you wanna know the fans gonna be rubbed the wrong way knots in it I should have my way but I just think if I'm doing business with someone they say they don't want to do business with me I wouldn't do business with planning something we had to sit back and make a decision what's gonna be your best for Steve Francis I mean you know a NASA standard we took we spoke with a number of general managers and Houston was a city and a team that had the right components of issues with the cap it was at that time the largest trade that Houston was a city and a team that had the right components of issues with the cap it was at that time the largest trade had ever been done in the NBA I think it was 13 players involved which was it it takes a lot of time just to trade one player for another today and it took forever to do this one all the sudden I hear Houston I'm like this is this is unbelievable I was jump over down forever and it's when I got traded to Houston I'm so excited Houston at the time he had three you know top 50 guys you know he wouldn't be thrown into the fire I mean you can learn from Hakeem Olajuwon a Charles probably a Scotty Pitman at the time well Scotty got traded before I got there mark we got hurt King was you know in and I he got injured he's the only one left so he ended up learning a lot but not how we plan the learning he learned by doing and performing and you know he can rise to any occasion [Applause] he wasn't overwhelmed with the league he felt like he belongs right away and that's a big challenge to most guys coming in he felt comfortable pretty much right away gay paintings on fast break he's gonna for Leah said give me night so Jerry pays a hardest little young once I'll trade we're face-to-face and then my fans Jerry Pate one it is my rookie year das really came at him a lot and so you know he just went back down [Music] Steve's play quickly repaired his image but the fans in Vancouver weren't so forgiving goodness in a Vancouver a very hostile crowd awaiting Steve Francis here this evening I know people outside they really could hear it it just rang out [Applause] guys were throwing things from the rafters onto the court people with on batteries Tomatoes it was really hostile crowded it [Music] goes down as a highlight for Grizzlies fans rats Frances pocket man I'm making shots I'm throwing a ball off the backboard through the lane dunking it and I'm having Cori games we win Steve averaged 18 points in nearly seven assists per game in his rookie year and formed a bond with head coach Rudy Tomjanovich in the first day at that training camp say hey stay ball I'm just gonna give you the ball and let you go and on that day man I just went in steve's second season the Rockets 145 games an 11 game improvement over his rookie campaign but Steve's third year would prove disastrous every other day on my hand dizzy and it goes it's team gentlemen I need to see the doctor something's wrong it's like his head pounding no saying two and three people his eyes were bloodshot red he was dizzy he couldn't really you know hit his vision to go I was scared no time when I was scared I didn't know what to do or we flew down to Houston to try to find out what's going on so you know he ain't got tests went to different doctors and couldn't find no hassle the season is still going on come playing games franchise he played so many times when we didn't think he would and one honey mate I think 38 points and when I did think he'd get off the table he was hurting so bad [Applause] Steve was eventually diagnosed with an inner ear disorder that could be treated with medication and a proper diet I lost like 35 percent of my hair and my right ear so when my coaches yelling in where I am when my coach is yelling I always go like this I did something to pass the ball I was giving my white hits when I have to pass the ball you know they put me on medication and that's the slowly start to feel better as I changed my diet and you know it kind of changed some of the things that I did in my life stuff between the headaches on a foot injury Steve missed 25 games of 2002 the Rockets missed the playoffs for the third straight year they sent Steve to represent them in the draft lottery the NBA Draft Lottery has come down to three team he told me when he left he said we're gonna get first we're gonna get first deposit man we don't get you out there use thin Rockets Houston had its man and the Rockets stormed into the 2003 season we made major improvements a probability did a great job you know coordinating now it's an offense and you know for myself I thought that was one of my best seasons than I had the Rockets 143 game since Steve made his second all-star team but in the offseason he got a rude awakening not to say I didn't like back on Bo just the way that he coached was you know that's the war's my game I think we all Ponte as with Jeff in terms of being serious I'm not sure necessarily that they wouldn't have been better served with more serious guys surrounding them from this top time they came into the NBA [Music] beyond the glory on FSN is brought to you by Burger King have it your way we're all in agreement that the best thing for me personally is to take a leave of absence after the 2003 season Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich stepped down he was replaced by Jeff Van Gundy Van Gundy Stowers is different in roots Rudy was a more open quote kind of guy let us pretty much do what we want we were all into the isolation and Van Gundy is a defensive coach Van Gundy's teams were known for a tough defensive mentality and a half-court grinded out offensive style he was very very strict as far as to whether he coach one of the things that he wanted he wanted things done his way no it wasn't his way you you would know about that the team was more and more five-man plays and try to try to develop him and get y'all going this is Francis [Music] way you have the best chance to win a championship is to be a balanced team what Steve was used to with we ran a place from the wing isolations and and get him getting the ball getting out on a break and just making things happen steve was always gonna be a scoring mentality point guard highly emotional what I wanted him to do better was channel his emotions and secondly I wanted him to do more on less dribbles is a dribble oh he's a dribbler he's off the dribble kind of guy great jump shoot off there off the dribble he's great going through the hole off the dribble it makes great passes off the drill is his game and sometimes in certain systems you can you feel like you can do the things you want to do I really wasn't given a chance to really do what I wanted to I wasn't given a chance to come down and shoot threes like I knew I wasn't getting a chance to to post up like I'm gonna do so no a lot of things that were taken away from my game he was having his best year he was having more of an impact on winning in that year than he had ever had the way that he coach was you know that's Wars my game there's no way that should go from like an all-star team at 21 points to 16 points unless you like misses some fingers and stuff they were clashing heads a little bit personally I thought he needed a little bit of that you know everybody needs a little bit of discipline Van Gundy was particularly troubled by Steve's close relationship with teammate Cuttino Mobley from the first day I got traded from Vancouver me a cat a bit to this day man we've been tight our relationship was like a brother relationship man whatever guy he has and vice versa [Applause] they're both individually great guys and I think they're better suited to be a part look at the exuberance of friends just hopefully I felt they were both so distracted both of them individually from a focus standpoint that probably a more serious guy for each one would have helped them focus on what they were trying to accomplish basketball wise and sometimes they you know you know then being together in practice those cat aha for us to get things back because we'd be so busy laughing at each other you can't be yourself at your job and there's no need to work at that place so if I can't be myself and mess around a practice then I'll need to work there despite the friction the Rockets reach the playoffs for the first time in Steve's career unfortunately they ran into the powerful LA Lakers [Music] there were probably six or seven plays in that series was good a turn you know the series are well you know it's a favor of eyes frankly we weren't ready to be a team like that that team was too good for us at that point but I felt very good after that series of where we were heading we thought that things were going in a wonderful direction in Houston up it was saying in Steve Frances and Jeff and done you don't get along but we made a couple steps for by even just making it to this point we thought that that was a situation for years to come that that could be a the starting of something big but in the off season Steve and two teammates were sent to Orlando in exchange for Tracy McGrady that wasn't a tough decision Tracy McGrady is a better player and my feeling is that whenever you get the best player in the trade you get the best of the trade it was hard to swallow this because all the things that I've done for that city but the coach didn't know about we didn't really know you know what this city meant to me or what I meant to the city this is the gym I built myself he was shot on everybody around in the shot I don't think anybody seen that trade come [Applause] they will buy tickets to come see me play and that was for five years if you were coming to see you know the franchise come to see me play oh I think he was bitter you know the people don't wanna move it the way to their plate they'll just get ready like me Steve has he always has interesting things to say I think everybody thinks coaches to think they're not replaceable untradable and we're all replaceable and tradable I always thought that that's where I will finish my career Houston but you know things don't always work out the way you want Steve's new team the Orlando Magic appears to be on the rise I think Steve definitely found a home in Londo I think they have a great nucleus down there I think they're gonna build in and end up in Katina I spend a couple days and it would we talked man we talked for a while and he's comfortable while Steve grows comfortable with this new family his true family is growing longtime girlfriend Shelby Randolph recently gave birth to a baby girl that's probably the most exciting thing for me right now that's going on in my life being able to have a life that's come from me I want to have a kid to have a daughter it has points even not very close it he has slowed down a lot you know he's he's starting to focus on things that adults focus on you know he's starting to realize that family is most important he knows how it feels not to have your father well had key points of your life he's more likely gonna be there for his I'm definitely gonna be there for my daughter every single day when it's time to go to pong I'm gonna be the guy she goes to the farm work so I'll be there every day steve has never run from responsibility his nickname doesn't allow it well I think the name franchise is a burden I don't I don't think so and I think it's you make it what it is you know you be yourself you play the way to Steve Francis my franchise you play the way to Steve Francis was taught and I think things will just fall in place [Music]

Channel: AllBasketballUniverse

Views: 265,546

Keywords: steve francis, francis, NBA, basketball, beyond the glory, documentary, beyond, glory, ESPN, dunks, dunk, franchise, history, basket, record, world, greatest, best, ever, all time, jordan, barkley, bulls, rockets, magic, knicks, webb, incredible, amazing, highlights, sport, athlete, yao ming, rodman, lakers, bryant, lebron, james, game, wade, life, career, legend, champion, championship, mortgage, insurance, credit, claim, lawyer, attorney, rehab, donate, treatment, hosting, recovery, loan, loans

Id: MfdayCPlnsA

Length: 42min 56sec (2576 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 13 2013