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Jim Bono is Troy’s long-time best friend and coworker. Bono and Troy met in jail, and their friendship strengthened over time, as Bono began to see Troy as a leader and respectable man after his success in the Negro Leagues and his marriage to Rose. While Troy and Bono’s friendship dynamic is that of leader and follower, their daily lives and values are noticeably similar. Both men are reliable employees who work the same job and have stable, long-term marriages. These shared values and lifestyles are part of the reason why the two men were initially drawn to each other. However, while their relationship is comfortable and relaxed, it’s obvious that Troy has the power. Much of their time together consists of Bono sitting quietly and listening to Troy’s dramatic retellings of his life stories. While Bono seems content to fulfill this supportive, passive role for Troy for much of the play, it eventually becomes clear that Troy’s lack of effort, and his inability to reciprocate Bono’s attention and interest, is negatively impacting their friendship.
Bono initially befriended and looked up to Troy because he saw him as a man who could make good, responsible decisions. However, as Troy’s affair with Alberta becomes increasingly serious, Bono begins to question Troy’s decision-making. He warns Troy not to sabotage his marriage with Rose, as he believes that Rose is an excellent woman and an important pillar in Troy’s life. These warnings are evidence that Bono’s loyalty to Troy isn’t unconditional—he has boundaries he won’t cross and values he won’t betray.
After Troy’s affair destroys his marriage to Rose, his friendship with Bono also disintegrates. Although Troy’s promotion at work is a win for his finances and for his place in the professional hierarchy, it means that he no longer works closely with other Black men like Bono. This separation causes Bono and Troy’s former colleagues to form a friend group that doesn’t entirely include Troy. While Bono attempts to encourage Troy to join him and the other men at their weekly game night, two things become clear from their final interaction: Bono has lost much of the respect for Troy that had previously been the backbone of their relationship, but Troy’s separation from Bono, just like his separation from Lyons, Cory, and Rose, is mostly self-inflicted. He says that he’ll join Bono and the other men, but it seems likely that he won’t. Instead, he’ll drink alcohol alone and wallow in depression and self-pity. Regardless, once Bono rescinds the loyalty and effort he once gave to Troy and to their friendship, the relationship ceases to exist. Troy cannot or will not give the same level of emotional effort and intimacy to his friends and family that he receives from them, which is ultimately why they all eventually distance themselves from him.
