Air Bud is
having a difficult time fitting in with the residents of his new home in
Compton, CA. Not only is Buddy an outcast due to his sobriety and lack of a criminal
record, but he is also white. But the Buddy we know isn't one to give up on
making friends in new surroundings, so he keeps trying. Besides, Buddy does
have one thing in common with the Compton population; he has never met his
biological father.
One day,
while walking around the city, Buddy stumbles across a pickup basketball game.
Only this is not an ordinary game of basketball with ordinary basketball rules.
This is streetball, a combination half-basketball-half-breakdancing. Buddy
watches for a bit, but when the ball rolls in his direction he decides he wants
to play. He starts dribbling the ball, which catches the attention of the other
players. Then, when one of the players comes and tries to take the ball, Buddy
crosses him over and takes it to the hole for the score. Now the kids want to
play. Game on.
During the
game, Buddy is having a rough time transitioning to this new style of play. He
has always been a fundamentals player, never a showman. But since Buddy is a
quick learner he picks it up in no time. He pump fakes a defender, dribbles in
between his legs, and passes the ball off the glass to a kid only referred to
as DA S1CKNESS, who slams it through the chain net for the win. After the game,
DA S1CKNESS invites Buddy to be a part of his team for the upcoming 2-on-2
tournament, where the first place team collects $5000. Buddy barks in
agreement, and the two become friends.
Air Bud
mania sweeps over the Compton crowds and Buddy is a local celebrity. Not only is
his face being airbrushed onto t-shirts, but he has also inspired the name of
the new popular strain of chronic, “Ayr Bud”. The team quickly advances through
the tournament and into the finals.
In the
finals, DA S1CKNESS informs Buddy that their opponents are members of a gang
that have had it out for him ever since he refused to join. These thugs take
cheap shots on DA S1CKNESS and Buddy all game and manage to have a 7-2 lead
before a timeout is called. During the timeout, a member of the crowd (Ice
Cube) comes and gives an inspirational speech and lifts the spirits of our
heroes. They take the court with a new energy and begin to play like the
champions we knew they could be. For the last point, DA S1CKNESS lobs a pass to
Buddy, who dunks it gamebreaker 2 style for the win.
Defeated
and embarrassed, one of the gang members pulls out a gun and shoots Air Bud.
Flash forward to Buddy waking up from his hospital bed, surrounded by doctors
and his new friends DA S1CKNESS and Ice Cube. He has made a full recovery while
the gang member was arrested. In fact, the shooting of Air Bud cause so much
media attention that it brought an end to gang related violence altogether. So,
yeah…there’s that.
The End.
