| Director | Preston A. Whitmore II |
|---|---|
| Budget | $5.8 million |
| Box office | $7 million |
Tech is the frontman of his streetball team (Enemy of the State) and he is determined to take down rival Jewelz (Philip "Hot Sauce" Champion) and his team Platinum. Before the game starts, Tech calls his friend Noah Cruise and convinces Cruise to participate in the game. Cruise is reluctant to play but Tech simply responds with "you owe me!", to which Cruise ends up agreeing to play. Enemy of the State loses the game and afterwards we see that although they are best friends, Tech and Cruise live in completely different environments. Cruise is a naturally talented basketball player who receives an athletic scholarship to UCLA. His mother has died and he has moved from a 7 Mile neighborhood in north Detroit to the prestigious Palmer Woods neighborhood to live with his grandmother. Although he is a skilled player, Cruise wishes to use his scholarship to become a medical doctor. Tech on the other hand, still lives in a run-down Detroit neighborhood where he has to help his mother pay for groceries and pay the bills.
During a day at work at Foot Locker, Cruise tells Tech that he has two tickets to his college's orientation in California and invites Tech. Tech then tries to give Cruise some money for playing in the game the night before but Cruise denies it, saying that he didn't play for money but instead to "return the favor" for Tech. Additionally, a girl named Eboni walks in and invites Tech to a tattoo party. While on their lunch break, sports agent and bookie Vaughn (who is the owner and overseer of the basketball games that Tech and his team play in) approaches Tech and Cruise in an attempt to persuade Cruise to join the NBA. Cruise has a reputation as one of the best basketball players in the state, so Vaughn tries to recruit Cruise at every chance he gets. Cruise mentions that he has no interest in the NBA and wants to be a Doctor after finishing college. Because of NCAA collegiate rules, a sports player cannot earn money from playing any outside sports. If they do, their scholarship is revoked. Vaughn mentions that Cruise could lose his scholarship off the fact that he played in the game the night before (as every player on the losing team still gets $1,000 each, which is what Tech tried to give Cruise earlier). Vaughn says that him not taking the money doesn't matter because Vaughn paid Tech and Tech paid the other members on the team. Cruise angrily leaves, but Tech calms him down and takes him to Eboni's party.
At the party, Eboni introduces Tech and Cruise to her friend Vanessa (Jewelz's ex-girlfriend). Vanessa and Cruise are instantly attracted to each other and start dancing. Tech tells Eboni his dreams about playing professional basketball and getting his GED. Tech never went to the 12th grade, as he went to jail for 4 months for assault. Cruise tells Vanessa about how he is going to California for college to become a doctor, and they kiss. Cruise goes behind Tech's back and gives his second ticket to the orientation trip to Vanessa instead. When he tells Tech about it, Tech is not upset because he also asked Eboni to go with him as well.
Days later, Cruise and Vanessa go out to dinner where she reveals she is pregnant, which excites Cruise. Vaughn arrives and unsuccessfully tries to convince Cruise to join the NBA, while Vanessa secretly agrees.
While in Los Angeles, Tech is performing in a commercial that he was offered from a casting director. After the shoot is done, one of the workers tells Tech that he is not going to be in the commercial and that the work he did was simply stunt-double work. Vanessa and Cruise have lunch where Cruise proposes to Vanessa and out of excitement, she asks him if he is going to play in the NBA. Cruise tells Vanessa the true reason why he would rather be a doctor. The night Cruise's mother died, a doctor at the hospital recognized him and said how he loved watching Cruise play basketball. Cruise laments the doctor's lack of concern over Cruise's mother, and says that after that night of his mother's death, basketball stopped being important to him. Vanessa reminds Cruise that Vaughn will tell the media that Cruise played in one of his illegal basketball games. But Cruise reminds her that since he didn't play for money, Vaughn wouldn't gain anything from telling.
Back at their hotel, Tech is still frustrated that he won't be in the commercial. He gets into an argument with Eboni, accusing her of not really liking him and only using him because he offered her a trip to Los Angeles. Eboni slaps Tech and tells him that she actually does like him. Cruise and Vanessa arrive and start arguing with Tech, which ends with Vanessa telling Tech that the only reason he is friends with Cruise is out of jealousy. It is revealed that Tech was sent to jail for 4 months because when he and Cruise were at a party, Cruise drunkenly assaulted a wealthy man. Tech took the blame for Cruise and went to jail instead. Tech then returns to Detroit on his own without Cruise, Vanessa and Eboni.
Back in Detroit, Tech goes to a basketball court to clear his mind, and Cruise arrives to apologize. Tech mentions that what Vanessa said in the hotel was true and that he is jealous of Cruise because he has "the gift" and Cruise doesn't want it but Tech does. Cruise then tells Tech that somebody reported to the media that Cruise played in an illegal basketball game for money, and he lost his scholarship. Tech asks him if he's going to accept Vaughn's offer and go to the NBA, but Cruise denies and says that he is going to community college and transfer to university to be a doctor. Tech tells him that he is also going to community college after finally passing his GED test. Cruise agrees to play on Tech's team in the next basketball game, then leaves and goes to Vanessa's house.
Cruise tells Vanessa that he lost his scholarship and that they won't be moving to Los Angeles.