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practically a shooting script.
    Suddenly there was a real dilemma. I had been hired to be in Apocalypse Now , but this was my chance to make my own film. For the very first time in my career, I felt ‘self-worth.’ I was still a teenager, and now I was getting the opportunity to artistically express myself—to an audience of millions. And I got to play basketball too.
    Rick made the deal: I would ‘buy out’ of my contract for Apocalypse Now . Unfortunately, Mr. Coppola was going through hell in the destructive typhoon weather of the Philippines and was quoted as saying “He is dead to me.” Not exactly the way I wanted to leave things with one of the best directors in the film business… and someone I respected and liked as a man.
    One On One was the first film to expose the inequities of the college sports system: how players are exploited and abused. I believe that if a player is going to take on the dual challenge of college studies and athletics—and perform like a circus animal in front of a stadium filled with 100,000 fans, and to millions of people watching on TV—these student athletes should get two things in return: they should benefit from the enormous income that is pouring into the school and the NCAA; and after their playing days are over they should have the right to return to college on a full scholarship to complete their degree. After unexpected injuries, these students can go from hero to has-been in a single tackle, rebound, or swing of the bat… They deserve a shot at success in life after sports.
    We scoured L.A. and N.Y. for an actress to play Henry Steele’s tutor and love interest. No one was right, at least not for me. Then Annette O’Toole walked into the office to read a scene with me. She was stunning—her acting was impeccable and her demeanor and presence was wistful yet never compromised the strength of the character she played. She was perfect .
    But the studio and my director, Lamont Johnson, wanted to consider other names. I fought for the only actress I could ever see playing the part—and a big part of the success of One On One was her performance. I love it when pro ballplayers talk about the film. First they say: “There was some really good ball playing in that film;” then: “But that Annette O’Toole? Oh my God! Why couldn’t I have had a tutor like her?”
    We hired fantastic ballplayers; even at lunch we were playing ball. I had the idea to wear a helmet camera for the scene when Henry is high on uppers given to him by his roommate. Lo and behold, the director let me wear it and the footage was priceless.My father and I would sometimes do rewrites on the gym floor. I was in heaven—I was making a film and my dad was my partner. We had subverted the system! No big Hollywood writers or stars—just us. It was so rare at that time in the business. Every day I had to pinch myself—I was doing all of the things I loved to do, and sharing it all with my father.
    One On One was a great shoot, but a physically demanding one. I also had to set an example for the other ballplayers who had never been in a film, so I was sprinting back to the number one position, ready for the next take without saying a word. Wouldn’t you know it—they followed me and we became a true team. I loved those guys. Our director, Lamont Johnson, was a crotchety guy who really knew what he was doing. I loved him like an uncle. I adored his wisdom, his experience. My nemesis in the film, G.D. Spradlin, stayed in character and nearly drove my dad and me crazy with his ‘improvisations,’ but he eventually read our dialogue as written, and his dislikability actually made him the perfect foil for me.
    I had heard of a basketball team using ballet lessons to teach their ballplayers grace—to make them less clumsy, clunky and cumbersome on the court. This was a scene I couldn’t pass up! So I took my dad and Lamont Johnson aside and we figured out how to shoot the team taking a ballet