doesn't cause cancer. >> also craig melvin's in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in chicago. >> on a scale of one to 10 in terms of the violence. >> twelve. >> that bad? >> it's tough. >> he's the coach who's fighting back, keeping kids in the game and out of danger. >> he's like what the pope is to the vatican. he's like the glue. >> you're saving lives that's powerful. >> this round ball can get you whenever you want to go an incredible journey of hoops and hope. >> big laughs with ricky gervais! >> my next stand-up tour will be a sit down tour. me in a chair. maybe a commode. >> aim high. >> ha-ha! >> right now on "sunday night." >> you don't need us to tell you that flying these days can be a nightmare. but tonight, a deep dive into why. why have the "friendly skies" been replaced by baggage fees, endless delays, small seats and big tempers? as josh mankiewicz learned, it has a lot to do with cash. >> if you've flown anywhere lately, you've probably seen it, maybe lived through it. >> what are you paying for exactly? this? paying to be delayed six hours and have a miserable day? >> please note your seat assignment. >> air travel these days seems less like an adventure and more like a battle. >> i mean i've just seen people screaming and like just throwing things. >> there's no food. there's no service or anything. they don't care. it's like you're on your own -- >> for many traveling americans, one moment crystalized all that pent up frustration. >> oh my god. look at what you did to him! >> on april 9th of this year -- >> oh, my god! >> reporter: a planeload of appalled passengers watched as dr. david dao was dragged off a united flight to free up his seat for an airline employee. united apologized but not before some serious customer anger was unleashed. it could have been any one of us. >> bill mcgee spent seven years working in the airline industry. now, he's an aviation advisor to consumers union -- >> this year he testified before congress about the way airlines treat their customers. >> it's not being glib and not a cheap shot to say we're being treated like boxes. >> like cargo. >> yes, those of sitting in the back. >> it wasn't always like that. what we're seeing now was put in motion in 1978. that year the airlines became the first u.s. industry ever to be de-regulated by the federal government. >> it was president carter's idea. the rules that governed routes, schedules, and fares were abolished. >> we were goin' to have an open market where competition would rule. and the winners would win, and the losers would lose and consumers would benefit. >> the fierce competition that prices but it also forced many carriers out of business. >> now, in fact, we have fewer airlines and less competition. and there's this level of arrogance that people are not being treated well because the airlines can get away with it. >> today four airlines, american, united, delta, and southwest control 80-percent of the market. they'll take your money, but they wouldn't take our questions. all of them passed up the chance to be interviewed for this story. >> which is too bad. we wanted to ask them about this. it's called the contract of carriage every airline has one. your ticket may look like a single piece of paper or a phone screen, but when you buy it you're also signing a document you've probably never seen. >> you're agreeing to a contract that could be 80 pages thick, is one-sided, completely biased in favor of the airlines. "and if you don't like it, don't fly." >> for example, "times shown on tickets, timetables, published schedules or elsewhere are not guaranteed." in other words -- in other words if your flight's delayed, which happens about 20 percent of the time, it's not their problem. >> there's a dirty little secret in the airline industry, and that is that all passengers are not created equal. if i'm in seat 24a and you're in seat 24b, right next to me, and now our flight is canceled. >> we're not equal? >> no. we're not equal. i may have paid $300 more for my seat and therefore i'm gonna get on another flight before you are. >> if you do fly, you've probably felt the sting of all those fees the airlines now charge. if you've ever wondered who inspired them to charge more? here's your guy -- >> you were maybe the most-hated airline executive in the country. >> i think that's true. i may still be. >> ben baldanza made his name as c-e-o of spirit airlines. starting in 2007, he dramatically reduced ticket prices, while stripping away just about every creature comfort associated with flying. >> do i have youbl planes like bags and a better seat and all the other stuff you now charge for that you didn't used to charge for? >> spirit was one of the first to sorta start the unbundling process. >> what he calls "unbundling," the rest of us might call 'nickel-and- diming'. ben and spirit helped make that a part of flying. >> if i want a coke on spirit, i'm payin' for that? >> yeah. and if you want a coke in the airport, you're gonna pay for it too. >> and if i wanna use the overhead bin, i'm gonna pay for that? >> well, if you wanna bing -- bring a big bag that needs an overhead bin -- >> what's next? paid toilets? >> well, probably not. >> unbundling worked. despite ranking lowest in consumer satisfaction, spirit soon had the highest profit margin in the airline industry. major airlines noticed and they started "unbundling" too. >> that began when fuel costs were soaring. in recent years fuel costs have dropped but those fees keep going up -- >> last year u.s. carriers took in 2.9 billion dollars in change fees. and another 4.2 billion for checking bags. and of course, add-on fees are just one way airlines put the squeeze on travelers. >> back in the mid-1980's, you could find seats -- coach seats on major us carriers that were as much as 36 inches apart. >> since then, as americans were getting larger, the airlines made their coach seats smaller and closer together in an effort to get as many people as possible onto the plane. by the mid '90's, 34 inches was the best you could do. today, we're squeezing into seats that are 31 inches apart. unless you're flying spirit, in which case you've got 28 inches to maneuver. >> assuming you have a seat at all. last year u-s airlines bumped more than 40 thousand paying customers against their will. the airlines regulary sell more a strategy they call capacity control. >> the industry works today because of overbooking? >> no. because of capacity control. >> okay. >> but it also is intertwined with a philosophy that we cannot let the plane leave with any extra seats. >> it also means we fly the airplanes more hours per day, and it also means we sit the plane on the ground less time, which is why there's all the tension to board quickly and that countdown clock. it's all of that. >> there are now five thousand fewer flights each day than ten years ago. with fewer flights and fewer choices, ticket prices nationwide have actually ticked up. maybe it's no surprise then, that the cost and pressure are ticking people off. >> and let's face it, as much as we all love to hate the airlines, sometimes the enemy is us. >> he's walking down the aisle drinking a beer, without a shirt on. i mean, come on. kathleen now runs an online forum called "passenger shaming." >> passengers send her the pics. the guy applying deodorant. the guy sleeping without a shirt. the guy in the leather outfit with a leash and feet -- feet -- feet. >> how much of the behavior that you see and that's documented to you could be done away with if airlines would stop serving alcohol? >> a lot of it. >> however -- >> if there were never alcohol served, the fare would be higher too, right? because the airlines make money selling alcohol on the plane. >> money remains the name of the game. even as chaos in the air unfolded this spring, airlines stocks went up. >> we can't make the airlines nicer, but we can make them more fair. >> massachusetts senator ed markey believes that after 40 years. the airlines could use some re-regulation. >> every couple of years, it gets on the news. airlines get called on the carpet here in washington and the airlines say, "we promise. we'll clean up our act." and then nothing ever changes. is anything ever gonna change? >> well, in the f.a.a. reauthorization bill, which is now moving through the senate, we have language which we've included which will give the consumer protections. >> senator markey, a democrat along with senator roger wicker, a republican have added an amendment to the bill requiring that the govenment set reasonable fees for checked baggage, itinerary changes and seat selection. >> the airlines contribute a lotta money, they got a lotta lobbyists and they've done a pretty good job of heading off anything legislatively. that would actually prescribe their behavior. >> the airline lobbyists have done a great job in ensuring that consumers have no protections. but we've reached a boiling point. and we're now about to engage in a mighty political battle. >> but until then, here's the story of air travel in 2017. >> money talks. all others fly coach. in the middle seat. in the air, the smell of frustration and cheap scotch. if you do feel squeezed by the system, don't take out your anger on another person. >> that's the spirit. >> the government is paying attention to some consumer complaints about the airlines. this week, the feds fined three carriers for violations including failing to help passengers with disabilities and failing to make timely refunds. >> coming up -- >> baby powder. >> right. >> had you ever used it? >> every day since i was 16 years old. does the talc in baby powder increase the risk of ovarian cancer? >> baby powder is absolutely safe -- ...as it affects how well brilinta works. brilinta helps keep platelets from sticking together and forming a clot. in a clinical study brilinta worked better than plavix®. brilinta reduced the chance of another heart attack. or dying from one. don't stop taking brilinta without talking to your doctor,... ...since stopping it too soon increases your risk of clots in your stent,... ...heart attack, stroke, and even death. brilinta may cause bruising or bleeding more easily,... ...or serious, sometimes fatal bleeding. don't take brilinta if you have bleeding, like stomach ulcers,... ...a history of bleeding in the brain, or severe liver problems. slow heart rhythm has been reported. tell your doctor about bleeding,... ...new or unexpected shortness of breath, any planned surgery, and all medicines you take. if you recently had a heart attack, ask your doctor about brilinta. my heart is worth brilinta. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca... ...may be able to help. the lincoln summer invitation is on. it's time for a getaway. now get our best offers of the season. on the agile mkc. on the versatile midsize lincoln mkx. or go where summer takes you in the exhilarating mkz. the lincoln summer invitation sales event. ask about complimentary pick up & delivery servicing. right now get zero percent apr plus 1,000 dollars summer savings on the lincoln mkx, mkc and mkz hey! this is lloyd. to prove to you that the better choice for him is aleve. ok, but i have 30 acres to cover by sundown. we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. yeah, i was ok, but after lunch my knee started hurting again so... more pills. yep... another pill stop. can i get my aleve back yet? for my pain... i want my aleve. get all day minor arthritis pain relief with an easy open cap. it's something you probably have in your medicine cabinet right now, johnson & johnson's baby powder. what you may not know, is that this iconic product is at the center of an ongoing legal battle over its safety. not for babies, but for me the issue: whether talc, the powder's main ingredient, can lead to an increased risk of ovarian cancer. here's kate snow. >> deane berg was 49 years old in 2009 when she found out she had cancer in both ovaries. >> i thought i was gonna die. so my husband and i, we began to think about casket versus cremation. >> berg is one of the more than 20,000 women in the u.s. who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. in her doctors waiting room, she was looking through stacks of information. and then i found this gildna radner booklet. >> gildna radner the actress who died of cancer. >> right. who died of ovarian cancer. >> and what did it say? >> they had a bunch of different things about what causes ovarian cancer. >> and down in the bottom on this one page, use of talc in the genital area. >> baby powder. >> right. >> had you ever used it? >> yes. >> how often? >> every day since i was 16 years old. dakota -- logged onto an ovarian cancer website and started asking questions. >> and who responds? >> allen smith, the lawyer. >> allen smith is a lawyer from jackson, mississippi. he told berg he'd been researching the issue for years -- and in 2009 they became the first to file a talc lawsuit against johnson & johnson and its talc supplier. >> you're a solo lawyer taking on one of the biggest companies in the world. they're a multi-billion dollar corporation. >> well don't remind me of that now but now that i'm here, it is very important to me that women be informed to make a decision about their health and safety. >> smith claims studies going back decades show that women who use talc -- the main ingredient in johnson's baby powder -- have an increased risk of getting ovarian cancer -- and johnson & johnson fails to warn women about it. >> baby powder is absolutely safe. >> but johnson & johnson has fought back -- defending its iconic product. bart williams is a lawyer representing the company. >> the notion that johnson & johnson would sell that product knowing that it causes cancer in women is just outrageous. >> after filing the lawsuit, smith asked for all of the company's paperwork related to the issue. >> it's over 200,000 documents. when i saw the internal documents and the way that -- that johnson & johnson talked about knowing the risk, i knew at that point that this was a really, really big deal. >> smith used some of those documents to help make his argument to the jury in deane berg's case. among them: a 1997 memo from johnson & johnson's own consultant who acknowledged that many studies did show an association between talc use and ovarian cancer. the consultant said the talc industry risked being percieved like the cigarette industry for quote "denying the obvious." and smith latched on to this. in 2006, the world health organization listed talc-based body powder as possibly carcinogenic, and as a result, johnson & johnson's talc supplier began to include that fact in the information it sends with every shipment. >> when they send that talc by rail car in bags to johnson & johnson it has a sheet on top of it. it lists the risks that genital talc use could possibly cause ovarian cancer. johnson & johnson has never passed that warning on to the public. >> the jury in deane berg's case found the company negligent for not including a warning label on the bottle, but awarded berg -- no money. >> even though we didn't get money damages, the fact that 12 jurors in south dakota looked at the evidence and said, "johnson & johnson shoulda warned the public about talc was big. >> that verdict in 2013 paved the way for other lawsuits -- more than 6,000 have been filed -- and allen smith is connected to nearly all of them >> in the past 18 months, five cases have gone to trial. smith and his growing legal team have won four, with juries awarding a total of more than 300 million dollars -- >> johnson & johnson is appealing. and the co victories. smith and his team. johnson & johnson has lost yet another multimillion dollar lawsuit. johnson & johnson is appealing. and the company has had its own victories. it has won one trial, and a new jersey court also sided with the company, throwing out another case. johnson & johnson attorney bart williams says the most credible science proves baby powder is safe. >> it is plaintiffs' lawyers taking bits and pieces of science and tryin' to get people alarmed when in fact, what should be happening is that people should be relying upon and having faith in -- the scientific organizations that look at these types of things. >> williams says the plaintiffs cherry pick the science and information from the internal documents, taking statements out of context. for example, that memo where the consultant said they risked being perceived like the cigarette industry? the consultant went on to say this would be a "tragic misperception" because the industry has "powerful valid arguments to support its position" and that sheet mentioning the world health organization decision that johnson & johnson gets with every shipment of talc? williams says context matters. >> in 2006 the world health organization, as you well know -- said that talc is a possibly cancer causing agent. why would an international group say that if it's not true? >> if you wanna look at the -- the products that are on their list as probable cancer causers, that includes things like -- red meat, eating potato chips -- eating french fries, working the night shift, drinking really hot beverages. >> those things i just mentioned correlate higher than talc with cancer. there's no warning for any of those products. that just because some studies show a correlation between baby powder and ovarian cancer -- that doesn't prove talc causes cancer. >> an overwhelming majority of studies over the past 35 years have found an increase in chance of getting ovarian cancer after using baby powder -- 30% increase on average. why doesn't that concern you? >> the center for disease control, the food and drug administration, the national cancer institute, the department of health and human services, osha, have looked at every single one of the studies that you just referred to -- they -- and then some. and they've concluded, that you cannot draw a causal connection between talc and ovarian cancer. >> allen, i'm just thinking common sense tells me that if something is bad for me -- tobacco. i know it's linked to lung cancer, because i've been told by every agency out there in the u.s. all the health agencies have said, "don't smoke, don't smoke, don't smoke." they're not saying tab somewhere. >> but comparing the relative risk of getting cancer from cigarette vs talc looks like this. here's the chart that johnson & johnson uses in trial that's the risk with talc use, baby powder. that's smoking and lung cancer. >> let me ask you something. kate? is it as high a cancer causing substance as smoking? no. but it is significant. and if i am one of the women in that blue graph it means everything to me. >> plaintiff's experts say that even a small increased risk could lead to a few thousand ovarian cancer cases each year if that's true -- then why has no u.s. government agency ever listed talc as a possible carcinogen? back in the year 2000 there was a vigorous debate about talc among scientists at the national toxicology program -- the division of the department of health and human services responsible for listing carcinogens. we tracked down the scientist who was in charge of that process -- chemist bill jameson >> do you think there is a link between talc and baby powder, and ovarian cancer? >> yes. there is. >> jameson told us, back then -- scientists voted during an inital review to list talc as a possible carcinogen but after a public meeting that included input from johnson & johnson and the cosmetic industry, another group of scientists disagreed and the government decided not to list talc. jameson thinks his agency made the wrong decision. >> in your opinion, was talc not listed because of the science? or was talc not listed because of pressure from the industry? >> i would say it's a little of both. it was mostly -- again, my opinion, it was mostly because of the pressure but there was also some, some doubt that the science was really strong enough. >> johnson & johnson says it wasn't applying pressure -- it was trying to educate scnt about a product that is safe. >> why not, in an abundance of caution, put a warning label on the iconic white bottle? >> it's really important -- you don't put -- a cancer warning on a product that doesn't cause cancer. >> the company points out the fda, which oversees cosmetics, has never required a warning label on baby powder. but allen smith argues to every jury that the fda rules also say just the possibility of a danger is enough to warn women. but this fight is not just about science: there's another legal dispute underway an unrelated supreme court decision recenty said that where cases are filed matters, there has to be a geographical connection to one of the parties all the recent talc verdicts have been in st. louis -- a jurisdiction the company beleives is friendly to plif case that has gone all the way through a jury verdict in st. louis that involved a woman from missouri. they're all from outta state. >> the company thinks the supreme court ruling will help its appeals. it may be years before the cases are resolved. >> what do you make of allen smith? >> i think he is a persuasive lawyer. i think what he and his team are doing with these cases is the wrong thing. >> what do you think he's motivated by? >> i think the motivation is -- making money. >> are you just a slick plaintiff's lawyer, in it for -- a buck? you stand to win a lot of money if these cases move forward. >> perhaps. but to say that that's the -- the sole motivation of why i got involved in this 17 years ago would -- would be misinformed, as we have not seen a dollar to date. >> as for deane berg, she's in remission now, cancer free for 10 years. >> coming up: it's one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in chicago. and he's their lifeline. a remarkable coach trying to make a difference. >> what makes it so difficult for a lot of these boys? >> knowing that you don't have no help. where am i supposed to get help from? >> can basketball save a life? just watch. people would ask me in different countries that we traveled, what is your nationality and i would always answer hispanic. so when i got my ancestry dna results it was a shocker. i'm from all nations. it puts a hunger in your heart to want to know more. i have no idea what's in tbut with this usp seal i know exactly what's in my nature made gummies. nature made has the first gummie certified by usp. a non profit organization that sets purity and potency standards. fios is not cable. we're a 100% fiber optic network. and with the new fios gigabit connection... you get our fastest... internet ever. with download speeds up to 940 megs - 20 times faster than most people have. switch to fios gigabit connection with tv and phone for $79.99 a month online for the first year. plus hbo for one year and multi-room dvr service for two years, all with a two-year agreement. and switching has never been easier. get out of your contract with up to a $500 credit to help cover your early termination fee. go to fiosgigabit.com one of the things we want to do tonight is bring you updates on the stories we've covered this summer. we've got new information on three of 'em. in our first show we told you the story of whistleblower patty nixon who worked for the billion dollar drug company, insys therapeutics. she says her former boss instructed her to lie to insurance companies, putting a powerful painkiller called "subsys" into the hands of patients who never should have had it. >> and i just wanna tell everybody out there who's been hurt i am so sorry. elizabeth gurrieri, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. and then, in houston, texas we introduced you to five-year-old nevaeh hall. >> you must be nevaeh. >> she suffered serious brain damage at the dentist's office. after something went wrong with the sedation she was given and her dentist waited more than four hours to call 911. just this week, that dentist, bethaniel jefferson, was indicted on a felony charge of injuring a child. and remember that heartbreaking story of 24-year-old allison flory who died of a drug overdose after cycling through nine rehab centers in south florida. just one victim, authorities say, of a massive insurance scheme that targets addicts. >> there's no incentive in sobriety. the money is in relapse. >> after our story aired, the operators of one of the treatment centers allison attended were arrested and accused of illegally recruiting addicts to their programs. their attorney says they've been cooperated with investigators. and.earlier this month the department of justice announced a national crackdown on healthcare fraud that included the drug rehab industry. >> coming up: >> do they play outside? >> no, it's dangerous, man. >> a remarkable coach and his team finding success against seemingly impossible odds. >> makes you a little emotional? >> wow, you made something out of nothing. chicago hope. so she only earns double miles on purchasesit card. she makes from that airline. what'd you earn double miles on, please? ugh. that's unfortunate. there's a better option. the capital one venture card. with venture, you earn unlimited double miles on every purchase, everywhere, every day. not just airline purchases. seems like a no-brainer. what's in your wallet? cindy, you don't evenno dress.ress. ♪ uh-uh, you're not going anywhere in those rags. ♪ cindy? ♪ introducing an all-new crossover, toyota c-hr. toyota. let's go places. it's no secret that chicago is plagued by gun violence. tonight, one man puts himself on the front lines to help protect his community. he's not a cop -- he's a basketball coach. and we've never met anyone quite like him. in fact, his story has brought us all to tears, repeatedly. craig melvin caught him in action. >> those are 50-50 balls, y'all are gotta get man. >> if it looks like he's coaching as if someone's life depends on it, it's because it does. >> press him ty, press him ty, ty, ty, ty. >> this is the illinois state high school championship. everything coach lou adams has worked so hard for all season moment. >> y'all, we are tryin' to win y'all. >> for him, it's about much more than a title. it's about saving his players' lives. >> y'all do shooting drills. >> lou is head coach at orr academy on chicago's west side. it's at the center of some of the city's deadliest gun violence. >> on a scale of one to 10 in terms of the violence, 10 being the worst, where would you put it? >> 12. >> it's that bad? >> it's bad, man. >> worse than people realize? >> it's tough. it's tough. >> in the last seven months, there've been more murders in this part of chicago than any other -- more than 40. >> you hang out outside? >> no. no. it's crazy, man. you can't be out here. as soon as you come out, you hear bullets fly. >> when you hear that there's been a shooting, do you immediately make sure, make sure it's not one of my guys, make sure it's not someone i know? >> i make sure it's not one of my guyut man. "did he die?" that's the first thing you ask. "did he die?" >> next time go left there, cross back right. >> violence has touched almost every player on his team. boys like junior, brian hernandez. >> my best friend when i was 14, two days before my birthday -- he got shot and killed. >> emanuel o'neal says it's worse than a war zone. >> it's worser than a war, though, 'cause in a war, you'd know they comin' at you. you know they comin' over here, you don't know when it's gonna happen. >> that's just the reality here? >> yeah. >> last fall, two of dannie smith's close friends were shot and killed while outside. >> late at night? >> yeah. >> what were the circumstances? >> it's hard. it was -- yeah. >> it's still tough for him to talk about. >> how c deal with that? >> just bein' like another father to me. just keeping me away from all that stuff. when that happened, he was there for me when i needed him. >> how do you talk to a 16-year-old about losing two friends like that? >> you know, people say -- "i know how you feel." no. i don't know how you feel 'cause i ain't never lost my friend at 16. so i don't know how you feel, but i can tell you this: we gotta do this so this won't happen to you. >> what's up? >> to try and stop the cycle of violence, lou has spent twenty-something years mentoring in some of chicago's toughest neighborhoods. the last decade at orr. >> you're not mad, are you? >> nuh, uh. >> ok. sometimes, he's their only father figure. >> do you know all these kids? >> yeah. >> all of them? >> every last one. >> lou is much more than a coach. he's also a protector, savior, and friend. >> they want to do it. >> yea. yea. >> they want to do it. >> his assistant coach, wendell pierce. >> he's like what the pope is to the vatican, what obama was to the united states of america, like, lou is probably the most important person. he's like the glue in this area. it's not anything that he cannot help out with. >> just take a walk with lou around orr, and that becomes obvious. >> you ain't got no id? >> no, they won't let me in. >> you got to be on time today. if you got stuff going on, you got to go in the building, man. >> no trouble today jj, no trouble kweli. >> you talked to him? >> yes. >> alright. >> morning, lou. >> i told him you're the smartest kid in the building. >> he said you're the smartest kid in the whole school! is that true? >> yeah. >> really? >> he works closely with the principal dr. shanele andrews as the assistant dean of students. >> you good? >> i'm good. >> ok. ok. >> but his main focus is here -- >> five, six, seven... the basketball court. lou keeps the gym doors open long after classes are over to keep the boys safe. >> do they play outside during the summer? >> no, they can't play outside no more. >> why? >> it's dangerous, man. >> it's clear, they all live for the game. >> but for all the laughs, the players know lou expects hard work and discipline because he knows if they're good enough, they just might earn a basketball scholarship and a life beyond the violence. >> it can get you wherever you gotta go. this round ball can get you wherever you gotta go, you know. >> when the season began last december, lou had another idea about how he could teach his kids that anything was possible. he wanted to do something the school had never done -- win a championship title. he knew that would get the attention of college scouts. he also knew, it would probably never happen. >> this the best team you've ever coached -- the most talented team? >> no. no. not by far. but they work harder than any team i've ever had. that's the difference. >> the other difference is lou. >> lou and his coaches, when they coach, they gcr columnist rick telander was so captivated by lou that he followed orr's basketball team from the very beginning of their season. >> lou sweats. and he's like -- >> screaming and -- >> he's like -- he's screaming -- >> cussing. >> and he's -- he's cussing. he was grabbing his players and everything. and he's yelling at 'em. and you wanna give him a towel and fan him and stuff. >> as rick watched lou with the boys he realized, this team was something special. >> it was just different. because they respond to lou in a way that a lot of players wouldn't to a coach. not out of fear. they did it out of love. >> before he came to chicago -- the city where he became a coach and had kids of his own -- lou grew up in tunica missississippi. in the toughest of circumstances. >> no running water, you know, no gas, no heat, you know, it was just a house in a field. >> how do you think that shaped you? >> cause i know where i come from and i know where i gotta go. >> as for his team, they were going far ... in a crucial game, they pulled off an upset win. >> hey, hey, hey. >> but at the very moment the players celebrated inside, chaos raged outside. the day they won was chicago's deadliest to date-- seven killed including a pregnant woman. for lou, a stark reminder of how close the danger is at all times. >> when you know what they're up against in the neighborhood how do you keep them out of the gangs? how do you keep them off the stoop at 12:00, 1:00 a.m.? >> we busy. like, we busy 24/7. all year long, we busy. >> that's by design. >> yeah. it's by design. >> that's part of the program. >> 'cause once, you know, they're not busy that negativity sinks in when they not busy. >> some of these kids seem to grow up pretty rough. what makes it so difficult for a lot of these boys? >> just i think -- knowing that you don't have no help. where am i supposed to get help from? i'm 16. who's supposed to help me? >> we're going to figure it out. >> yeah. >> for many kids, that person is lou. >> if there was one thing that you would want coach lou to know about how you feel about him, what would it be? >> that he made me become a man in my household there was never no man in the house, and i used to always say i was the man but never acted like it, but now i do. >> if you weren't hoopin', what would you be doin' with your life? >> i wouldn't be here. i wouldn't be at school. i'd be somewhere with a gun in my hand, drugs, something. >> you think so? >> yeah. i know so. >> you think basketball's saving you? >> yeah. basketball saves a lot of people. >> emanuel said to me, i said, "well, if coach lou weren't life would be like?" he said, "i'd probably have a gun in my hand. i'd probably be on the street selling drugs." that's powerful. >> yeah. >> you're saving lives. >> yeah. i just think i have the know how to, and the will for the kids to understand there's more to life than that. >> back on the court, lou coached the boys to win after win. >> all the way to the state championship game. a win here would reinforce everything lou had ever told them -- that hard work pays off. the whole state would be watching. >> they were playing against mount carmel -- a school from downstate. >> mosely! >> orr smoked them. they beat them in every possible category. >> orr academy! your state champs in 2a! >> lou's boys won -- 59 to 39. the underdogs from orr the school so used to being overlooked -- were state champs for the first time ever. >> i saw the video of you and danny in this hug. what'd you say to him? what did he say to you? it looked like that was more than just a hug. >> i said, "i told you i was gonna get you there. i got you. i told you." "i got you, coach." >> i got you lou, come on lou. >> the win meant everything. >> a lotta people, they start -- congratulating me, like walking up to me, like people i've never seen before in my life, never met. >> oh my god, i'm a state champion. oh my god. >> and those college recruiters lou was hoping would take they did. >> a kid from orr getting a call from northwestern. wow. that say -- it speaks volume. a kid from orr gets a phone call from northwestern. >> a few days later, there was a pep rally for the team. the whole school turned out. >> lou got up to make a speech. >> i just want to thank god for putting me in this position. >> he didn't get very far. >> when you got the school, you know, kids that don't know anything about basketball saying, "we love you coach," and -- >> it still -- still makes you a little emoal >> yeah. >> why? >> wow. a lot of times people don't say i love you till you're dead. i can't hear you then. you know what i mean? so to say that while i'm living and me knowing that you mean it. it didn't hit me until the pep rally. when i really know that, "okay you made something out of nothing to be whole. you did good. you did good." >> he "does good" all right and his students do him proud. both seniors on the team are college bound. >> coming up -- ricky gervais! you know him from the office and as the hilarious host of the golden globes. but guess what? >> you used to be a pop star who wore eye shadow and a mullet? >> not a mullet never a mullet. >> i'm glad we cleared that up. >> never a mullet. >> our q-and-a with ricky gervais. i work overtime when i can get it y a1c. weekends are my time. i need an insulin that fits my schedule. ♪ tresiba® ready ♪ (announcer) tresiba® is used to control high blood sugar in adults with diabetes. don't use tresiba® to treat diabetic ketoacidosis, during episodes of low blood sugar, or if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. don't share needles or insulin pens. don't reuse needles. the most common side effect is low blood sugar, which may cause dizziness, sweating, confusion, and headache. check your blood sugar. low blood sugar can be serious and may be life-threatening. injection site reactions may occur. tell your prescriber about all medicines you take and all your medical conditions. taking tzds with insulins like tresiba® may cause serious side effects like heart failure. your insulin dose shouldn't be changed without asking your prescriber. get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing, fast heartbeat, extreme drowsiness, swelling of your face, tongue, or throat, dizziness, or confusion. ask your health care provider if you're tresiba® ready. covered by most insurance and medicare plans. ♪ tresiba® ready ♪ your body was made for better things than rheumatoid arthritis. before you and your rheumatologist move to another treatment, ask if xeljanz is right for you. xeljanz is a small pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. xeljanz can reduce joint pain and swelling in as little as two weeks, and help stop further joint damage. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma and other cancers have happened. don't start xeljanz if you have an infection. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz, and monitor certain liver tests. tell your doctor if you were in a region where fungal infections are common and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. xeljanz can reduce the symptoms of ra, even without methotrexate, and is also available in a once-daily pill. ask about xeljanz xr. annual golden globes. you probably know ricky gervais from his stand-up comedy, his tv and movies. but, he may be most famous for his merciless roasts at the annual golden globes. so we were a teeny bit nervous when we caught up with him for a quick q&a. >> ladies and gentleman, ricky gervais -- >> everyone loves when you go up in the golden globes and just have no mercy on anybody there, even the most rich, successful celebrities that we've seen in the movies. >> shut up you disgusting, pill popping, sexual deviant scum. >> is there ever any blowback to you from that? >> well, i worry about am i being fair? >> and no one likes to be the butt of the jokes. but -- you know, as a comic, you make the decision, do i pander to the 200 people in the room or the 200 million people watching -- around the world who aren' winning awards? >> i've gotta be that guy. i've gotta be that outsider. i can't go out there and start going, "hey brad, see you tuesday. hey, george, love to see -- " it's nauseating. >> yeah. >> so i have to play the outsider. i have to play the guy at home having a beer in his pants, right? >> do you -- do you have a -- >> i'd love to do it in my pants. i -- honestly. i'd love to do everything just sit -- the -- i don't go out now 'cause nothing competes with me sitting at home on my couch with my girlfriend and my cat, drinking a beer in my pants. >> my next standup tour will be a sit-down tour, me -- in a chair, maybe a commode. honestly. i -- that's what i'm looking -- i don't care about being old. on -- one day, i'm looking forward to being pushed around in a bucket by a nurse, drinking -- wine goes in. i go, "nurse, empty it now." that's -- that's my ambition now. >> aim high. >> alright. is it -- is it true that you used to manage a band? >> that's true, yeah. >> that you were a deejay and >> yes. yeah. >> that you used to be a pop star who wore eye shadow and a mullet? >> not a mullet. i had -- cheekbones and a -- and a jawbone never a mullet. >> i'm glad we cleared that up. >> never a mullet. >> that was unfair of me. >> i know, yeah. i'll stop you there. >> then it was time for some quick hits. >> movies. favorite movie. >> godfather. >> number one? >> yeah. >> favorite song? >> letter to hermione by david bowie is pretty special. >> next question. cats or dogs? >> i love them both. i've got a cat, but i've only got a cat because -- well, i -- i love the cat. but -- we -- haven't got a dog 'cause i travel too much. and a cat goes, "yeah, whatever." whereas a dog goes, "why -- what have i done wrong?" >> favorite thing about yourself? >> i should say funny. i mean it's my job. >> i've reached the age where i've got old people rights. i can say what i want now. i don't care. i'm gonna die soon. so i can say what i want. >> is there a secret talent of yours that we don't know about? s depressingly, no. i've given everything i've got. >> that's it. >> i've given every -- everything. >> "i'm out." >> yeah. >> yeah. >> i gave it all. >> how 'bout thing about yourself you would want to change. >> oh. how long have you got? gee -- ev -- i wish everything wasn't sagging as much. >> and you're a man, so you can't wear spanx. >> i can't wear spanx. i wouldn't want to. i just -- it's like -- >> manx? >> i -- let it -- let it -- let it hang. >> ricky's new stand-up tour is called "humanity." it's on now and continues through october. right? yes. so let me ask you this... how does diabetes affect your heart? it doesn't, does it? actually, it does. type 2 diabetes can make you twice as likely to die from a cardiovascular event, like a heart attack or stroke. and with heart disease, your risk is even higher. you didn't know that. no. yeah. but, wait, there's good news for adults who have type 2 diabetes and heart disease. jardiance is the only type 2 diabetes pill jardiance is proven to both significantly reduce the chance of dying from a cardiovascular event in adults who have type 2 diabetes and heart disease and lower your a1c. jardiance can cause serious side effects including dehydration. this may cause you to feel dizzy, faint, or lightheaded, or weak upon standing. ketoacidosis is a serious side effect that may be fatal. symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, tiredness, and trouble breathing. stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of ketoacidosis or an allergic reaction. symptoms of an allergic reaction include rash, swelling, and difficulty breathing or swallowing. do not take jardiance if you are on dialysis or have severe kidney problems. other side effects are sudden kidney problems, genital yeast infections, increased bad cholesterol, and urinary tract infections, which may be serious. taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you have any medical conditions. so now that you know all that, what do you think? that it's time to think about jardiance. ask your doctor about jardiance. and get to the heart of what matters. this is a story about mail and packages. and it's also a story about people. people who rely on us every day to deliver their dreams they're handing us more than mail they're handing us their business and while we make more e-commerce deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country, we never forget... that your business is our business the united states postal service. priority: you ♪ that's all for tonight, and for the summer run of this program. but soon, i'll be seeing you in the mornings. i'll be on at 9:00 am, right after matt and savannah, on our new show "megyn kelly today", starting on september 25th. and i'll be back right here on sunday nights in the spring. we're so grateful to you for watching. i'm megyn kelly. for all of us here at nbc news, - hi, - yeah!ris hardwick. thi- drop 'em!ll. . - the wall can give big. - go, go, go, go! - that's insane! - oh my god! - but make a mistake... - no! - and the wall takes away. - [groans] - tonight, the opportunity to win more than $12 million is going to a brother/sister team from palm beach, florida. paris is an award-winning social worker, and her younger brother chris gave up a six figure salary to start a non-profit that provides showers to the less fortunate all over florida. - we're going to give real people an opportunity to live out their dreams. - it has all come down to this moment. [dramatic music] - welcome to "the wall" on nbc. ♪ [cheers and applause]