Coach Carter - Plot

Plot

Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) takes the job as coach of the Richmond Oilers basketball team at his old school Richmond High School, having been on the team himself and earned unbeaten records. Taking over from Coach White (Mel Winkler), Carter learns the team members are rude and disrespectful. He gives the team individual contracts, instructing them to attend all of their classes and maintain a grade average of 2.3 (although the local average grade students are meant to maintain is a 2.0).

Carter also asks the school staff for progress reports on the players' attendance. However, three players including Timo Cruz (Rick Gonzalez) refuse to follow the contract and quit the team. Nonetheless, Carter coaches the team well and allows them to win their first victory whilst playing properly. Carter's son Damien (Robert Ri'chard) joins the team, after quitting the private school St. Francis to play for his father.

Teammate Kenyon Stone (Rob Brown) struggles to come to terms with his girlfriend Kyra (Ashanti)'s being pregnant and eventually splits up with her, unsure if he could juggle basketball, aspiring for college and being a parent. Their relationship is explored over the course of the film. Cruz attempts to rejoin the basketball team after watching them at their last game, but Carter refuses to let him back in. Cruz has to do 1000 suicides and 2500 pushups to earn Carter's approval, aided by his teammates, eventually succeeding and is allowed back on the team.

Carter continues to educate the teammates, teaching them respect for other players. The team eventually wins a holiday season basketball tournament, and are invited to a suburb mansion by a fan to party. Carter finds out, crashing the party with the mansion's owners. The enraged Carter returns to his office and finds the progress reports reveal the teammates have been skipping classes.

Carter initiates a lockdown on the gym, banning the team from playing until they improve their grades. This angers the locals, and Carter is verbally and physically abused by numerous people. Cruz quits the team again, hanging out with his drug-dealing cousin Renny (Vincent Laresca), only to witness his cousin getting gunned down and killed.

Cruz goes to Carter in tears and is allowed back on the team. The school board eventually confronts Carter, who justifies his actions, explaining he wants to give his team the opportunity and option for further education so they do not resort to crime. The board, save Principal Garrison (Denise Dowse) and the chairman, votes to end the lockout, much to Carter's regret.

Carter quits his job, but finds the team studying in the gym, unwilling to play basketball. Cruz reveals to Carter his deepest fear (which Carter asked for repeatedly in the film), is being unable to fulfill his true potential; he expresses this by quoting Marianne Williamson. Eventually the players improve their grades and are allowed to play basketball again. Kenyon invites Kyra to accompany him to his college scholarship, explaining that he had told the college of her pregnancy and that the college wanted to support them both; Kyra then conveys that she had an abortion.

The team plays in the high school playoffs, learning their first opponent is St. Francis. The team ultimately loses, but is proud about what they have achieved. The ending reveals six of the players - including Damien, Cruz and Kenyon - going to college.