An important basketball match is going on at Tree Hill High School. The Ravens team wins, thanks to Nathan Scott's final basket. Elsewhere - a park down by the river, exactly - another Scott is performing his sporty gift: Lucas Scott, who is playing basketball with three friends. He's clearly talented. Nathan and Lucas share the same father, Dan Scott, but they live apart: it turns out that Dan abandoned Lucas and his mother, Karen, when Lucas was born. He preferred to marry college sweetheart Deb, with whom he had another son, bad-boy Nathan.

Nathan is actually Tree Hill's golden boy: he is handsome, popular and is the star of the Ravens. One evening, Nathan and his teammates steal a school bus. While they're drinking and partying, the school bus nearly collides with a train. The day after, most of the team is suspended, but Nathan, who was actually driving, is excused, thanks to his father's influence.

Meanwhile, Peyton Sawyer is driving through town and listening to rock music. Since she is paying attention only to the music, she doesn't notice there was a person on the road until it's almost too late. Luckily, Peyton stops the car just in time to avoid hitting Lucas. They stare at each other for a long moment before she quickly drives away. A startled Lucas heads for Karen's Café, the restaurant his family owns. Once there, he has dinner with his mother and his best friend; a witty, talkative girl named Haley James.

The next day, Keith Scott, Dan's brother, who has always been close to Karen and Lucas, asks the Ravens' coach to let Lucas be part of the team. Keith is positive that the kid is good and that he totally deserves it. After observing Lucas playing at the river court, Coach Whitey Durham asks him to join his team. Lucas refuses. He doesn't want to be near Nathan - and considering the way Nathan treats his half-brother, everybody can understand why. When Nathan discovers that Lucas might be joining the team, he is livid. As Nathan is sure that Lucas is plotting to steal his girlfriend and his spot on the team, he challenges him to a basketball match. One on one. If Lucas wins, Nathan will quit the team. But if Nathan wins, Lucas won't join at all.

Later, Peyton's car breaks down and Lucas offers her a ride, since Nathan is too busy and leaves her stranded. Peyton cops a stuck-up attitude with him and Lucas can't help but point out: "Why are you a cheerleader? No offense or anything, but you're about the least cheery person I know." Finally, they start to talk, and Lucas tells her the heartbreaking way in which he found out Dan was his father. Peyton wonders why he said this to her, since they don't even know each other. "Maybe that's the point", replies Lucas.

Later, Lucas shows up at Keith's shop just in time to hear Dan tell Keith that Karen should have just aborted the baby (Lucas). After hearing that, Lucas makes up his mind and accepts Nathan's challenge. Karen isn't that thrilled about the challenge, and neither is Dan, but the half brothers are determined to compete.

The Scott brothers' match starts, and it's a tough match because they're good players and both want to win. In the end, Lucas' final shot makes him the winner. After the match, Lucas catches up with Peyton and he lets her know that, even though he won, Nathan gets to stay on the team because "it's the last thing he wants." Huh? Guess Nate isn't quite as happy as he lets on. Lucas remarks that the whole situation is not only about Nathan. It seems Peyton has gotten his point but Nathan calls to her and she leaves with him.

In the last scene, Lucas enters the Tree High gym, ready to practice, while everyone stares at him resentfully. We see a last close-up to the park where Lucas used to play: the river court is empty. Yep, a new era has officially begun.