It is based on a true story of Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter who made headlines in 1999 for benching his undefeated high school basketball team due to poor academic results. The story was conceived from a screenplay co-written by John Gatins and Mark Schwahn, who created the TV series "One Tree Hill." The film was released on January 14, 2005 and is a co-production between the motion picture studios of MTV Films & Tollin/Robbins Productions.