Boys Among Men
How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution
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4.6 • 77 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
The definitive, never-before-told story of the prep-to-pro generation, those basketball prodigies who from 1995 to 2005 made the jump directly from high school to the NBA.
When Kevin Garnett shocked the world by announcing that he would not be attending college—as young basketball prodigies were expected to do—but instead enter the 1995 NBA draft directly from high school, he blazed a trail for a generation of teenage basketball players to head straight for the pros. That trend would continue until the NBA instituted an age limit in 2005, requiring all players to attend college or another developmental program for at least one year.
Over that decade-plus period, the list of players who made that difficult leap includes some of the most celebrated players of the modern era—Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady, and numerous other stars. It also includes notable “busts” who either physically or mentally proved unable to handle the transition. But for better or for worse, the face of the NBA was forever changed by the prep-to-pro generation.
In compelling, masterfully crafted prose, Boys Among Men goes behind the scenes and draws on hundreds of firsthand interviews to paint insightful and engaging portraits of the most pivotal figures and events during this time. Award-winning basketball writer Jonathan Abrams has obtained remarkable access to the key players, coaches, and other movers and shakers from that time, and the result is a book packed with rare insights and never-before-published details about this chapter in NBA history. Boys Among Men is a thrilling, informative, must-read for any basketball fan.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Imagine going straight from high school hoops to the NBA—from a weekly allowance to tens of millions of dollars. That journey plays out over and over in Jonathan Abrams' painstakingly researched Boys Among Men. We're given courtside seats to the stories of Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James as they transition into adulthood already bearing the weight of massive stardom. We know that these players go on to phenomenal success, but Abrams also shows us the darker side of their fame. He paints an affecting picture of the factors that lead them to cash in their adolescence and educational opportunities for a shot at a dream.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant's direct ascension from high school seniors to NBA rookies was considered unusual when the Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets drafted the phenoms in 1995 and 1996, respectively. By 2004, with Garnett and Bryant now superstars, the NBA draft's first 19 selections featured eight right out of high school. The new rage irked then NBA commissioner David Stern, who worked to have draftees be a year removed from high school before going pro. In this excellent effort, Abrams, the gifted hoops writer late of Grantland, examines this controversial phenomenon from every angle. He talks to various basketball insiders, most notably the image-conscious Stern (who deemed pro scouts in high school gyms "unseemly"). He recounts success stories like Jermaine O'Neal (an eloquent opponent of the current restrictions) and busts like Lenny Cooke. Abrams also uncovers some great anecdotes, such as how Bryant eventually landed at the venerable Los Angeles Lakers by simply not working out for some interested teams. (The New Jersey Nets' trademark incompetence also helped.) With lean, detailed prose and lots of reporting, Abrams shows that teenagers who approached this adult opportunity as a job, not as a right, thrived.
Customer Reviews
Just as great as every article
Incredibly well written, easy to follow and when time permits a quick read. If you're a basketball fan you need to pick up this book. Gives you great back stories without losing the bigger picture. Great