12/30/24
February 15, 2004
Betrayed by the Game: Interesting NY Times article which explores the myth that basketball is a way out for inner-city youth. The writer, Darcy Frey, reports on the fate of the 1991 Lincoln High team, which was full of talented young players. Stephon Marbury made it, while the rest had weren't so lucky.
posted by split atom to basketball at 10:01 AM - 4 comments
I actually fear having a kid who's good enough at sports that pro sports could be an option - that's a small risk here in New Zealand, since there aren't too many in any case. But trying to explain to a teenager the cold, hard realities of how few good teens make the cut, that how an injury could end your career before you've had time to save a cent even if you get a contract, and all the other things that can go wrong - that isn't a set of conversations I'd look forward to.
posted by rodgerd at 02:10 PM on February 15, 2004
This was really fascinating, but I'll have to pick up the book to see if what the writer says isn't what I sort of suspect — that it isn't just basketball players at Lincoln who aren't very well-prepared to go out and succeed in life.
posted by wfrazerjr at 06:23 PM on February 16, 2004
A local sports writer wrote about junior hockey in a similar way: the odds are against them. He would prefer his son to stay near to home, play junior B and try for a college/university scholarship. I liked the article, split atom. Nice find.
posted by Philfromhavelock at 01:10 AM on February 20, 2004
I read Frey's _Last Shot_ in college. Great book and highly recommended. Very informative look at street ball, street dreams and Marbury.