02x06 - Basketball Blues

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Hey, everyone-- it's me, Molly!

♪ Molly of Denali ♪

Let's go!

♪ She's Molly of Denali

(laughing): Whooo!

♪ By plane or sled or snowshoe ♪

♪ She is ready to explore

♪ From Kaktovik down to Juneau ♪

♪ Always wanting to learn more ♪

Yeah!

♪ Together with her best friend Tooey ♪

♪ Always by her side

And Trini!

♪ Discovering the outdoors

♪ On adventures day and night

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♪ Through fields of fireweed

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♪ From tundra to the sea

Mahsi'choo-- let's go!

♪ Molly of Denali

Yeah!

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♪ Come on ♪ Let's go!

♪ Molly of Denali

♪ She's Molly of Denali

MOLLY: "Basketball Blues."

(camera chirps) Hey, everybody!

Molly here.

Big news!

Today is the first day of

basketball season! Basketball season!

(grunts)

Yes!

Our team is the Qyah Northern Lights.

Basketball's a big deal in Qyah.

(camera chirps) Woo-hoo!

Let's go, Northern Lights!

(camera chirps) Ooh, I hear there's gonna be

tough competition in Nenana this year.

(camera chirps) AUNTIE MIDGE: Woo-hoo!

Looking forward to seeing you

knock down those three-pointers, Molly.

(camera chirps) (moans)

(barks)

Even Suki's crazy about basketball.

And today's our first practice.

Wish us luck.

(camera chirps)

(whistle blows)

(shoes squeaking)

Are we ready for the new season?

KIDS: Yeah! TOOEY: Yeah, I know I am!

Yeah!

In one week,

you'll be playing the Hoopsters of Deniigi

for the first time!

They always put out a good team,

so let's get going on some dribbling drills.

(blows)

Go, go, go!

Switch hands!

♪

Huh?

(yelps)

(gasp)

(sighs)

Guess we know what I have to work on.

(blows)

Okay, next drill.

Pass at least once before taking a sh*t.

(blows)

♪

Way to go! Way to go, Tooey!

(blows)

Next group!

♪

Huh?

Try again.

Guess I'm a little rusty?

You'll shake it off in no time.

You're our best sh**t.

(panting)

(grunts)

(groans)

(grunts)

Sorry.

That's okay.

This is so weird!

I keep missing!

Even on a toy basket.

You'll get your touch back.

Just keep practicing.

Hey, guys.

Hi, Jay-- hi, John.

Big game coming up.

First time you're playing the Hoopsters.

You ready?

Sure, it'll be fun.

But are you ready?

I remember when I played them in fourth grade.

They were gigantic.

Yeah, super-tall.

And they'll try to psych you out.

Huh?

Psych us out?

And remember that intimidating warmup drill?

Sure do.

Like this.

♪

Yeah! He's on fire!

They can dunk?!

Maybe not, but they make you think they can.

Yeah, they'll try to convince you they're so good,

you have zero chance of winning.

(groan)

(whistle blows)

Only a few days before our first game,

so let's practice those lay-ups.

Everybody line up!

♪

We're gonna have to practice

extra, extra, extra-hard.

John and Jay told us the Hoopsters are giants!

Giants?

Whoa!

♪

(gasps)

(making gibberish sounds)

What are you doing?

Psyching you out.

My brothers warned me

that's what the Hoopsters are gonna do to us.

They'll try to make us think we can't win.

And we can't let them get away with it.

We're playing for Qyah!

How do we stop them?

How?

Easy!

We just have to psych out the psycher-outers!

I bet the Northern Lights take the Hoopsters no problem.

(grunts)

Look how close that was!

Okay, this time I'm gonna score.

(grunts)

(groans)

That's funny.

Molly's usually our best sh**t.

(blows)

(shoes squeaking)

Great practice, kids.

Now, remind your families

it's a five-hour drive from here to Deniigi,

so plan on staying the night.

You mean, a basketball sleepover?

Really?

Villages are way far apart in Alaska.

Yeah, so everybody has to go a long way to play each other.

It's super-fun.

You get to meet lots of kids,

and a whole bunch of people from Qyah will come, too.

Wow!

Will there be a campfire?

What about ghost stories?

Who's bringing hot chocolate?

I love sleepovers!

♪

You've been holed away in here the last few nights.

What's up?

We want to make Qyah proud,

so I researched a bunch online,

and found a perfect pre-game warmup for us.

We'll psych out the Hoopsters.

I like the way you think.

TOOEY: If you read the instructions,

you'll see the drill's called the Three-Kid-Weave,

because it's like weaving a braid.

"How To Do

the Three-Kid-Weave Drill."

"Step one,

line up three players at half court."

Molly, you be on the right.

Oscar will be on the left.

And Vera, you be in the middle with the ball.

Okay, we'll walk through the rest and then really try it.

"Step two,

move toward the basket."

"Step three,

have one player pass to another."

"Step four,

have the two players trade places."

"Step five,

have the receiving player pass to the third player."

"Step six, have those two players trade places."

"Step seven,

"have the player in the middle pass to the sending player,

who runs to the basket and makes a lay-up."

(grunts, dribbles)

(grunts)

Perfect!

You did it!

(cheering)

Ooh, I love it!

Yeah, we'll look unbeatable!

Baasee', Tooey.

You put a lot of work into researching

and writing this drill.

(blows)

Remember, three passes and a lay-up.

Step one, run to the basket-- go!

♪

Molly, pass to Vera!

(both grunt)

TOOEY: Wait, stop!

Molly, you're supposed to trade places with Vera.

Let's do it again.

(blows)

♪

Molly, pass!

Trade places!

(both grunt)

Oops, sorry.

(sighs)

♪

♪

(sighs)

We'll get it.

We have your instructions,

and we just need a ton more practice.

But we don't have time to practice!

We're leaving tomorrow!

What's wrong, Molly?

I keep missing.

And I'm trying really hard.

You'll get your sh*t back, you'll see.

Don't give up.

♪

GRANDPA NAT: Some extra goodies for the trip to Deniigi.

We can't wait to see you play!

(sighs)

Yeah.

♪

Something tells me you're a little worried.

Sorta, I guess.

Wanna talk about it?

I don't know what's going on.

I can't make a sh*t.

You know, Shgguya, everybody misses in basketball sometimes.

But I miss all the time!

It's like the basket has a lid on it.

And I've practiced and practiced.

Hm.

Well, I say forget all about it.

Forget about basketball?

(laughs): No!

Just about what's happened in the past.

Instead, focus on one sh*t at a time.

Not the last one, not the next one-- just this one.

Hm.

Guess I could do that.

And most important, have fun!

Remember, it's just a game.

Yeah, it is, isn't it?

Mahsi' choo, Shchada'a.

♪

(cheers and applause)

Enaa' baasee', everybody, for supporting the team.

And I have a big surprise!

I just heard Kamaka Hepa's gonna be at our game!

Kamaka Hepa?! Kamaka Hepa?!

Kamaka who?

Kamaka Hepa was the best high school player in all of Alaska.

And now, he plays college basketball in Texas.

Really?

And he's coming to our game?

Come on, kids, time to go.

(cheering)

(engine starts)

♪

TRINI: Ooh!

I can't wait to get there!

A basketball game and a sleepover!

Uh, hey, where are we gonna sleep?

Do you know, Molly?

Molly!

Hello, Molly!

Huh?

(laughs nervously)

Sorry.

Just thinking about the game in Deniigi.

Is Deniigi a big village?

Hm, I don't know, I've never been there.

Let's look it up.

"Deniigi has a population of ."

?

That's so small!

How do they even have a basketball team?

Yeah, that doesn't sound right.

Let me reread it.

"Deniigi has a population of ."

Ah, that makes more sense.

"Deniigi is known for their king salami runs."

A salami run?

Is that a thing?

I've never heard of one.

But I like it!

Wait, let me read it again.

"Deniigi is known for their King Salmon runs."

Now that I've heard of.

Sorry, I wasn't paying attention.

I guess I'm a little nervous.

Nervous?

About what?

What if I miss a ton of sh*ts and let everybody down,

in front of my favorite player, Kamaka Hepa?

Aww, that's never gonna happen, no way.

I know you'll figure it out.

♪

(bubble pops)

Huh?

(engine stops, van door opens and closes)

Maurice!

I'm Mike, coach of the Hoopsters.

Welcome!

(chuckles): Thanks for hosting us.

But if he's the coach, then who's that?

♪

(bubble pops)

This is one of our players, Adam.

He's gonna show your team where they're staying.

Hi.

(shudders, speaks softly): John and Jay were right.

The Hoopsters are huge!

(softly): We're in big trouble.

Come on, I'll show you the gym.

(kids exclaiming in amazement)

TRINI: Whoa!

♪

Whole-A!

Whoa!

The Hoopsters have won a lot of championships.

TRINI: Don't you love it?

We're sleeping on a basketball court!

Huh.

Who's gonna be able to sleep with those hanging over us?

LAYLA: There you are, Molly.

Just wanted to say goodnight.

I remember playing in this gym.

Did you win?

(chuckles): Not exactly.

But tomorrow, you'll even the score.

♪

(groans)

Relax, and have fun, Shgguya.

Right.

Thanks, Shchada'a.

(ball dribbling)

Hm?

JAY: Remember:

don't let 'em psych you out.

Too late for that.

We're doomed.

Ah, but Tooey, the game's not over till it's over.

Anything's possible.

(exclaims)

Yeah, like the ref won't show up and they'll have to forfeit.

That's a way you could win.

Is this supposed to help me?

(chuckles): Just giving you a pep talk.

Like Coach gave us before a big game.

Huh, a pep talk.

Maybe that's what we need!

Okay, lights out!

Big day tomorrow!

(switches click)

Relax and have fun, relax and have fun.

"We have nothing to fear but giants."

(sighs): That's not right.

♪

(applause and cheering)

MAURICE: Tooey has asked to give us

a little pep talk before the game.

Tooey, you have the floor.

(clears throat)

I know we don't think we can win, and maybe we can't.

(whispering): This is the pep talk?

But we can play our hearts out!

We can play for Qyah!

Vera,

you're a great passer.

And Oscar, you always make your free throws.

And Trini, you, um, never give up!

And Molly, that slump is gonna end today,

I know it.

So we can win if we just believe in each other!

You're right, Tooey.

We can do this, however statistically unlikely!

Yeah, let's go out there and make our families proud!

ALL: Take it to the limit, take it to the top!

We're the mighty Northern Lights and we can't be stopped!

(all cheer)

(door opens)

♪

(crowd cheering)

(cheering)

Whoa!

Is that the Three-Kid-Weave you taught us?

Yup.

Run to perfection.

This is gonna be a long game.

(feedback whining)

Welcome, everyone.

We're honored to host Qyah today,

and we're especially proud to host Alaska's own Kamaka Hepa,

who's here to watch the game.

(cheers and applause)

Hey, Northern Lights.

I just wanna wish you all good luck.

Mahsi' choo, Mr. Hepa.

Call me Kamaka.

And remember, it's not if you win or lose,

it's how hard you play.

Good luck!

Kamaka Hepa wished us luck!

Awesome!

(whistle blows)

♪

(yelps)

♪

(cheers and applause)

♪

(grunts)

Come on.

Make it!

(groans)

Just shake it off, Molly!

♪

Huh?

(cheering)

♪

sh**t, Molly!

Uh... Vera!

(grunts)

Why didn't you sh**t?

Because I can't make a basket.

From now on, I'm gonna pass to you guys.

♪

(cheers and applause)

♪

(panting): Hey, good sh*t!

Huh?

What's he up to?

(whistle blows)

(cheers and applause)

Look, I know you're playing hard.

Keep at it.

There's still plenty of time to win in the second half.

Let's go get some water.

Hey, Molly.

(gasps): You, you know my name?

Your grandpa told me.

I hear you're going through a little slump.

(groans): More like an epic slump.

You know, we all go through them.

Even you?

Yup.

But eventually, I get my sh*t back.

Wanna know my secret?

Oh, yes, please.

I take a few deep breaths to slow down

and get back in control.

Take a breath, slow down.

Okay.

Then, I can just focus on playing and having fun.

Having fun is what Grandpa said, too!

Yeah, good advice.

I noticed you're rushing your sh*t.

So try taking a breath right before you sh**t.

Okay, I will!

Mahsi' choo.

(whistle blows)

♪

Take a breath before sh**ting.

(breathes deeply)

(grunts)

Yes!

(cheers and applause)

Amazing, good work!

Whoa!

(whistle blows, crowd groans)

ADAM: You okay?

You know, your shoelace is untied.

Oh, really.

Huh, you think I'm gonna fall for...

Oh.

Um, thanks.

Sure thing.

You really are nice.

You're not trying to psych us out.

Time to have some fun!

♪

(cheers and applause)

(cheers and applause)

(breathes deeply)

(whistle blows)

Ready? Just like we practiced.

(buzzer sounds, cheers and applause)

You made us proud, Tooey.

Good game.

Uh, Adam, right?

Yeah-- you, too.

(exhales sharply): Great game, Molly!

You, too, Oscar!

I know we lost, but I found my sh*t again,

thanks to you, Kamaka.

No problem, Molly.

Happy to help.

Hey, you should come visit us in Qyah!

Auntie Midge makes the best frybread in the world!

Ooh, frybread?

I'll definitely visit, then.

(exhales)

Hey, everyone!

Molly here to answer your questions about life in Alaska.

Quinn from Wisconsin asks,

"How can I improve my free throw?"

Let my friends give you

a few of their basketball tips and tricks.

ALL: Hi, Molly!

Hi, I'm Laka.

Hi, I'm Manu.

Hi, I'm Kalu.

LAKA: We live in Anchorage, Alaska,

which is the traditional land of the Dena'ina people.

MANU: Today we're gonna go practice basketball

at the gym.

We've been playing basketball for

basically our whole lives.

KALU: And we love practicing together.

MANU: We're really excited, because

we're going to talk to Kamaka on the phone.

Kamaka Hepa is a really good basketball player from Alaska.

We're all excited to meet Kamaka

because he's Alaska Native and Filipino, like us.

LAKA: I'm really excited to get to ask Kamaka questions.

What's up, kids?

What's your name?

Hi, I'm Manu.

Nice to meet you, I'm Kamaka.

KALU: First, we're practicing our dribbling.

LAKA: Dribbling is just bouncing the ball

up and down with your fingertips.

Way to keep your eyes up.

That's the perfect form right there.

KAMAKA: Good job, Kalu!

You've got that really good dribbling skill.

Keep working on that, and make sure, you gotta

keep your eyes up, so that you can see the floor

and see where the defenders and your teammates are at.

LAKA: Kamaka, can you give me some tips for sh**ting?

Point your elbow real quick.

Make sure your elbow is over your eyes.

So you want your elbow over your eyes when you guys sh**t.

MANU: Okay, we're going to practice what Kamaka taught us.

LAKA: It's good when you're sh**ting

to have your elbow above your eye,

'cause you want to sh**t high up,

like reaching for a cookie jar.

Put your hand up and then... Whoo!

Go like that.

You got it, you got it.

Get it up a little bit more.

LAKA: Kamaka was super-helpful.

KAMAKA: It's good to see kids like you guys out here working hard,

who really love the game of basketball.

Thank you, Kamaka! Thank you!

ALL: Bye, Molly!

(taps key)

Mahsi' choo!

Thanks for asking and see you next time!

♪

♪