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The Final Four
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Symbols & Motifs
Basketballs
Basketballs symbolize the commonality among all of the characters. Even though they are from vastly different backgrounds, with different motivations and ambitions, the characters are united by the shared love of the basketball. A basketball can erase the differences between people and allow them to see the commonality between them. Anyone can play, though not everyone can win. The ball itself becomes a symbol of the sport’s power to bring together different people and change them during the course of a game. McBride, MJ, Bacic, and Rice are united by their use of the ball, even if they are experiencing different struggles and problems in their personal lives.
One of Bacic’s most prized possessions is a basketball that was given to him by his Uncle Drazen. Drazen was later killed by criminals for reporting on organized crime while working at a newspaper. Bacic still owns the basketball as it symbolizes Drazen’s memory and his determination to do the right thing, even in the face of violence. The basketball is the tool that Bacic’s uncle gave him to help him escape the war and violence in Croatia, as well as a symbol of the need to act in a moral manner. The ball becomes a symbol of Bacic’s grief and a reminder for him to do justice to his uncle’s memory.
McBride views the basketball as a symbol of his route out of poverty. He treats the ball itself as a ticket to riches, viewing it very much as a tool used to accomplish a goal. However, the ball also carries an emotional weight for McBride. The last time he saw his sister Trisha, they played around with a basketball. Just minutes later, she was lying dead in the street. That moment changed the course of McBride’s life, and it happened with a ball in his hands. Each time McBride takes hold of the ball, he is reminded of how much can change in a moment, and he is driven to make the most of every second. His sister’s memory motivates him to succeed and drives him forward. The ball symbolizes what he has lost as well as the pressing need to make every moment count. Basketball is not just a sport for McBride. Basketball is a way to heal the wounds in his life, to help his family escape the dangerous poverty in which they live, and to memorialize Trisha. McBride may not speak about the symbolic importance of the basketball, but he understands it on a subconscious level.
The Engagement Ring
Crispin Rice proposes to his girlfriend at the end of a game of basketball. He does not have an engagement ring, but he works hard to be able to afford one for his new fiancée, Hope. The lack of a ring symbolizes the impulsiveness of his proposal. He was not prepared in any way and was acting on pure adrenaline and emotion. The lack of the ring shows his lack of preparedness and shows that he did not even consider the idea before the game. Details such as this symbolize the immaturity of the two characters and the hollowness of their relationship.
The ring that Hope wants costs $5,000. She views this as a reasonable price to pay for a ring, assuring Rice that this sum is practically a bargain. However, Rice is astonished by the cost. The disparity between the expectations of the two characters symbolizes their different backgrounds. Rice’s more modest upbringing and Hope’s wealthy family are a difference that Rice previously dismissed. He did not understand how such a disparity might affect their future relationship, so he chose to ignore the issue. The ring becomes a symbol of the issues in their relationship that they have failed to confront, suggesting that the youthful dismissal of evident problems would have caused the relationship to fall apart eventually. The ring is a useful symbol for the immaturity and the inexperience of the young couple.
The ring also acts as a symbol of the exploitation of the college athletes. The story of the proposal becomes big news in the media, and every story about the Trojans mentions the unexpected engagement in some fashion. However, Rice is not allowed to accept gifts or donations because he is an amateur athlete. He has been offered rings, honeymoons, and more, but the college authorities forbid him from accepting any of them. Rice works hard delivering food orders to afford a ring that a wealthy donor could give him. His need to work hard is a direct product of the exploitation of college athletes. Every order he delivers is a reminder of what he has lost as a result of the exploitative rules of the college system. Not only must he play basketball and refuse gifts from other people, but the college financially benefits many times over from the sport he plays. The diamond ring is a minor cost compared to the hundreds of millions that the sport generates. However, Rice must work a delivery job to afford a ring he might otherwise be given. The ring symbolizes the unfair treatment of athletes as it shows how much Rice loses due to the rules.
The Superdome
The semifinal of the tournament is held in the Superdome in New Orleans. The stadium is huge and can hold tens of thousands of cheering spectators. The size of the stadium is a reminder of the scale of the match, reminding the players of just how many people will be watching them. The Trojans never expected to play in such a venue, while the Spartans have plenty of experience in the big finals. The familiarity with the Superdome shows the gulf between the teams. This is the most important match in the Trojans’ history, and they are awed by the stadium, while the Spartans barely acknowledge the size and scope of the stadium. The Superdome thus symbolizes the differences between the teams and the expectations that are placed upon them.
The Superdome also symbolizes the difference between what takes place on and off the court. The descriptions of the game rarely mention the stadium; the court could be anywhere in the world because all that matters is what takes place within the boundaries of the game lines. Once the clock starts, the size and the structure of the stadium fall away, and the purity of the sport is left behind.
The stadium is also an important symbol of the world outside basketball. The Trojans tour the stadium with the family of Aaron Boyce and listen to his family’s story about how they sheltered in the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina. The conditions they describe are terrifying, as people fought for what little food was available as the city outside was ripped apart. The government did little to help the people stuck in the stadium, Boyce’s mother recalls, and she still feels angry about the systemic failure she witnessed. The Boyce family and thousands of others lost everything they owned as they sheltered in the stadium. The stadium is a reminder of what they lost, and it summons many complicated feelings for those who sheltered inside during the storm. The Superdome is a symbolic reminder that, however important a game of basketball may seem, it is only a sport.
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By Paul Volponi
