By the time he is in his late 20 s, he is serving two life sentences, one for murder and one for armed robbery, in the Georgia State Penitentiary. They are guinea pigs used by the warden to prove blacks and whites can live together in prison. The warden forces these two men to enlist other inmates to play in the prison s first integrated basketball game. This experience leads to the prison s integration, as well as a chance for Harold to begin overcoming his racism and hatred. Harold teaches Cliff about crossover dribbling and making the right choices in life.
Cliff teaches Harold about love and friendship.
She approves of her son s time with the convict. Mrs. Miller recognizes the good in Harold and fosters his spiritual growth.