In the small town of Tree Hill, North Carolina, basketball is life. Nathan Scott is the high school's star player, but his half brother Lucas only gets to win on the public courts in the park. When they're finally forced to play on the same team, their rivalry and bonding bring together friends, lovers, and two halves of a seriously messed-up family.

Lucas gets together with Nathan's ex-girlfriend, punk rocker Peyton. Nathan marries and has a son with Lucas's way more innocent best friend, Haley. The brothers' dad, Dan, isn't much of a role model -- he eventually winds up in prison for murder. After high school, the kids all go their own ways but end up back in Tree Hill -- and their lives still revolve around basketball.

It's the brotherly connection that keeps us hooked. Nathan and Lucas are so different, but no matter how rough things get, they can't just walk away from each other. Plus, there's always the chance that dad'll get out of jail and somehow put them at each other's throats again. In fact... we're counting on it.