By the groundbreaking author of the award-winning Monster–a visionary who influenced and inspired a generation–this fast-paced and poignant story reveals the fierce underworld of sports.
All eyes are on seventeen-year-old Lonnie Jackson while he practices with his team for a city-wide basketball Tournament of Champions. His coach, Cal, knows Lonnie has what it takes to be a pro basketball player, but warns him about giving in to the pressure. Cal knows because he, too, once had the chance—but sold out.
As the tournament nears, Lonnie learns that some heavy bettors want Cal to keep him on the bench so that the team will lose the championship. As the last seconds of the game tick away, Lonnie and Cal must make a decision. Are they willing to blow the chance of a lifetime? ---from the publisher
224 pages 978-0307976116 Ages 12 and up
Keywords: sports, basketball, pressure, gambling, values, ethics, choices, African American male character, African American and Black stories, 12 year old, 13 year old, 14 year old, 15 year old, If You Liked Monster, If You Liked Game by Walter Dean Myers, If You Liked The Moves Make The Man by Bruce Brooks
*****
Other reviews:
An ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults
