Nathan's father, Dan & Lucas' mother, Karen Roe, were high school sweethearts. When Karen became pregnant during their senior year, she was devastated by Dan's decision to go to college on a basketball scholarship, leaving Karen behind to raise their son, Lucas, alone. When Dan's dream of basketball career didn't work out, he returned to town with wife he met in college & his new son, Nathan. Now wealthy businessman, Dan lives his basketball dreams through Nathan. While Karen raised Lucas without father, she remained friends with Dan's older brother, Keith, who has served as Lucas' surrogate father. It is Keith who persuades grizzled high school basketball coach, Whitey Durham, to invite Lucas to join the team, sparking conflict with Nathan. At same time, Dan & Keith clash over Dan's disowning of Lucas. Nathan challenges Lucas to nighttime one-on-one basketball game. If Nathan wins, Lucas must not join team; if Lucas wins, Nathan will quit.

After failing in his first varsity basketball game, Lucas decides to quit the team. Meanwhile, Nathan and Peyton's faltering relationship continues to weaken as Peyton tires of Nathan's poor treatment of Lucas. And Keith forces Karen to deal with her resentment towards Dan after she refuses to attend Lucas' games.

After a particularly spectacular basketball game, Lucas quickly supplants Nathan as the team's most popular player. Sexy cheerleader Brooke immediately sets her romantic sights on the new star athlete. Frustrated by Lucas' success-- and goaded on by Dan--Nathan rallies his teammates and begins a hazing campaign against Lucas, including trashing the outdoor court where Lucas practices.

Haley convinces Lucas to go with the team to a party at Nathan's beach house, hoping that the guys will become friendlier. When Lucas sees the wealth that is denied him, he finally confronts his mother about why she lets Dan ignore them. Meanwhile, when Nathan's mother, Deb Scott (recurring guest star BARBARA ALYN WOODS), returns home and tries to deal with her angry son, she turns to Karen for advice.

Lucas asks Keith to play with him in the annual father-son basketball game; Dan humiliates Nathan on the court; Peyton marks the anniversary of her mother's death.

When Whitey ejects Lucas and Nathan from the team bus due to their misconduct on the basketball court, the half- brothers are stranded 30 miles from home. They encounter a carload of punks who threaten them with a gun. Injured during the game, Brooke needs Peyton to drive her home and, in an unlikely turn of events, Peyton asks Haley for help. Meanwhile, Karen and Keith attend a business function, and tempers flare when Nathan's mother, Deb (recurring guest star BARBARA ALYN WOODS), is seated at their table with Dan.