First published 2016
Between 1995 and 2005, teenage basketball stars abandoned the traditional college route and jumped straight to professional careers. Jonathan Abrams chronicles this transformative decade through extensive interviews with players, coaches, and league figures. He examines how Kevin Garnett's shocking 1995 decision to enter the NBA draft directly from high school opened the floodgates for other prodigies. Stars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, and Tracy McGrady followed this path, while others failed to handle the pressure and became cautionary tales. Abrams traces the movement from its explosive beginning through the NBA's 2005 age restriction that required players to spend at least one year in college or development programs. The book reveals previously unpublished stories and insights from this era that permanently altered professional basketball's landscape.
Genres: biography, history, non-fiction, basketball
Vibes: fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age
Period: 1995-2005
313 pages · Hardcover · Crown Archetype