Tuff Juice
My Journey from the Streets to the NBA
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- 12,99 €
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- 12,99 €
Publisher Description
Two-time All-Star and thirteen-year NBA veteran Caron Butler has an impressive basketball record. He was Big East Co-Player of the Year at UConn, the 10th overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft and a key player for the Dallas Mavericks in their championship-winning season in 2011.
But before Butler had a chance to prove himself on the court, he spent his time trying to prove himself on the streets, as a gang member and drug dealer in his hometown of Racine, Wisconsin. He saw friends gunned down in the bloody street wars near his home, was arrested nearly 15 times and wound up behind bars and in solitary confinement before his 15th birthday.
Tuff Juice shares Caron Butler’s extraordinary journey from his delinquent youth in the streets of Racine to his role as an accomplished pro basketball player, dedicated husband and father, active philanthropist and burgeoning businessman. Along the way, the book explores the incredible impact his single mother’s unconditional love and his college coach’s unwavering support had on him, and what drives him to be so successful in basketball and in life.
Like The Blind Side, it’s a gripping narrative filled with hubris, dangerous obstacles and heartwarming moments that transcend sports and speak to perseverance, hope and the triumph of the human spirit.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
If America loves redeemed bad guys with skills, this blood-and-guts memoir by NBA basketball star Butler should satisfy that appetite for granting second chances. Supported by a glowing foreword by L.A. Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, the Racine, Wis. native shares his journey from the glittering night of the 2002 NBA Draft and his selection as the overall 10th pick by the Miami Heat to flashbacks of his youthful drug dealing, shootouts, numerous arrests, and harsh confinement. Butler puts family first with a strong, affirming narrative about his clan's Mississippi roots to his mother's unrelenting support and his sport mentors fighting for his dream of pro ball. An editorial decision sadly yields only a small portion of the book's content to Butler's 12-year pro basketball career culminating as a key player on Dallas Mavericks' championship team in 2011, opting to stress the glut of street outlaw chapters. While Butler's sports memoir suffers from this literary imbalance, it provides a bold, candid opportunity to appreciate a talented, complicated athlete.
