After his father leaves, and 14-year-old Boyd Kindle loses his hair to alopecia, he longs to be free, too. Things seem to improve when he starts playing basketball. A fan of Superman as a kid, he develops an unusual interest in the inspirational sayings of Friedrich Nietzsche and the coach who looks to represent them. Unfortunately, the team's reactions to him are as diverse as its players. While the backcourt of Old School and Wick admires his sweet shooting touch, Noel, the team's leader, dismisses him as a ball hog who shaves his head for attention. His lone escape is the library next to the gym. That's where he meets Sophie, a foreign exchange student and volunteer. She shares his weird interest in Nietzsche and, having stepped on a land mine as a child, has a physical challenge of her own.

Boyd tries hard to win his coach and teammates over, but his misguided attempts alienate more than they impress. His worst moment comes when he blows the big game. Maybe everything is his mother's fault and he would be better off running away to his dad's-or can he find another way to pivot and free himself?.