Crossover

The clock strikes midnight, the ball hits the floor, the word has spread and the converted rail station is alive with basketball. They don’t play for a school and they don’t cheer for a pro team. They play for the street and it’s underground…. way underground. Crossover is a gripping urban drama set against the thrilling world of streetball. The story follows two young hopefuls, Tech (Anthony Mackie) and Noah Cruise (Wesley Jonathan), who must bring every move they have to the floor to unseat the reigning champions from the throne they have held for far too long. There are no rules. Only the respect that comes with winning. TriStar Pictures and 360 Pictures present Crossover, starring Anthony Mackie (Million Dollar Baby), Wesley Jonathan (Roll Bounce), Wayne Brady (the Emmy-Award winning The Wayne Brady Show), Kristen Wilson (Dr. Doolittle), Lil’ JJ (Beauty Shop), Eva Pigford (America’s Next Top Model) and Alecia Fears, with a special appearance by Phillip “Hot Sauce” Champion and other nationally-known professional streetball players. It’s a game about ego and attitude and show. It’s where street cred and cash money meet each other head on. It’s streetball, the anything goes cousin to basketball where the only thing that’s not allowed is the flagrant foul. The streetball player’s moves include the killer crossover along with high-flying, death-defying slam dunks. They are gladiators in a new arena where the combatants have named themselves “Hot Sauce,” “The Professional,” and “The Violator.” It happens underground and under the cover of night, but shines a light on dreams of crossing over to a better life, a dream that could die on the basketball court after every loss. Streetball: it attracts the big-money and the small time gambler, people invested in backing the winner who takes it all. All the money, all the ladies, and all the bragging rights. This is the arena where Tech (Anthony Mackie) and his team “Enemy of the State” express their love of the game while making ends meet. Not a natural talent, Tech has worked hard at making a name for himself at the Train Station, the decrepit, abandoned structure that was once the glory of Detroit and now the site of big money games. On the night of the game against Jewelz (Hot Sauce, aka Phillip Champion) and his team “Platinum,” Tech and Up (Lil’ JJ) loosen up and shoot hoops through a chain link net as Up quizzes him about basketball trivia. A former NBA agent, Vaughn (Wayne Brady) is the defacto ruler of streetball in Detroit. For those in the know about the game, Jewelz hasn’t lost in three years, so the match between Platinum and Enemy of the State is not to be missed. Vaughn is maximizing the hype behind this game, prowling Seven Mile Road in his gangster black Chrysler 300 to pick up bets. Over at the mall, Eboni (Alecia Fears) and Vanessa (Eva Pigford) pack up their make-up kits at the nail salon where they work, hustling to get to the game on time. Noah Cruise’s (Wesley Jonathan) cell phone goes off in the middle of his lab class. A high school basketball standout with a gift for the game, Cruise is banking on a basketball scholarship to college so he can study medicine. It’s Tech on the phone, making sure that Cruise will show up at the Train Station. Tech makes it clear to Cruise: he owes him. It’s risky for Cruise to play underground ball even if he’s not accepting money, but out of loyalty to Tech, Cruise agrees to play. The train station is alive with activity. The DJ spins loud, bass-heavy rap that thunders through the cavernous station. Cheerleaders demonstrate their best fly girl moves, thrusting and popping as Vanessa and Eboni take their seats along with the rest of the crowd. Vaughn’s girlfriend Nikki (Kristen Wilson), slips in and takes a spot along the sideline. Cruise pulls up in front of the train station on his Ducati, as Tech and the crew admire his ride. Tech and Cruise are the best players for Enemy of the State and they’re ready to take on Platinum and Jewelz. It’s a tough game and Enemy of the State loses, 21-19. But Cruise’s performance, even on the losing end against Jewelz, catches Vaughn’s eye. Vaughn wants Cruise on his roster, because there’s a lot of money to be made behind a player with Cruise’s talent. But Cruise has other plans. Will the promise of money and fame be tempting enough to make Cruise abandon his goals? And what is the big secret that makes him so endebted to his best friend Tech?