"How We Roll" is based on the true story of Tom Smallwood, a professional bowler from Michigan who decided to pursue bowling as a career to support his family after losing his job as an assembly line worker. The series will follow Smallwood's journey from the point of him just starting out on this new chapter of his life and will presumably go on to chronicle his rise among the ranks, and his metamorphosis into modern-day professional bowling legend. In CBS's promotional description of the series, the broadcaster refers to "How We Roll" as "a story of the ultimate second chance."
It is unknown how loyal "How We Roll" will remain to the exact trajectory of the real-life Tom Smallwood's bowling career, as well as the nature of his personal life and relationships, as films and television series are often known to take creative license with properties based on true stories. However, it's relatively safe to say, based on the show's initial description, that it will be at least be following the major beats of Smallwood's life.
