Richie tells Danny that he’s smart and that Richie is going to talk to him like he’s older. He goes on to say that he came back for himself and that he had been letting people feel sorry for him for a long time. He goes on to say that his accident prior to this one was his fault, since he was driving drunk.

Danny starts shouting, wondering, “Why are you telling me this now? […] Why do I have to know this now? I know you drink, okay? I heard you and Mom that night at the gym. I heard her call you a drunk. Okay? I don’t need to know any more bad stuff right now” (175). Richie responds that it’s time Danny knew.

He explains that the police officer who found him helped to cover up the fact that he was drunk because he was a big Golden State fan, and so everyone has gone on thinking that “America’s lovable little point guard” was unlucky. At the time, not even Danny’s mom knew, though Richie had come clean the day before.

Richie explains that he came back into Danny’s life because he knew that Danny was the best part of him and that the only time he drank since he got back was when he was worried that he’d made a big mistake in starting a rival travel team.