Clutch Time - (Shot Clock) by Caron Butler & Justin A Reynolds (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Kofi 'KO' Douglas knows how to handle pressure. After all, he is the newly announced #1 ranked AAU player in the country. On the court, his game is as good as it gets--even if his Wolves team lost to the Sabres in the national championship, KO always believes nobody can beat him one-on-one. That is, until his former best friend Ripp returns home, just in time for the biggest tournament of the summer, the McNabby. Ripp's dad plays professional basketball overseas, and Ripp has been tearing up courts there. ... As KO gears up for this latest challenge, there's game-changing news at home: KO's dad, who has been incarcerated for the last seven years, is getting out"--

Book Synopsis

Former NBA All-Star Caron Butler and acclaimed author Justin A. Reynolds deliver another superstar performance in this companion novel to Shot Clock about KO, a budding AAU basketball star as he attempts to find redemption on the court and reconnection with his incarcerated father.

Kofi "KO" Douglas knows how to handle pressure. After all, he is the newly announced #1 ranked AAU player in the country. On the court, his game is as good as it gets--even if his Wolves team lost to the Sabres in the national championship, KO always believes nobody can beat him one-on-one. That is, until his former best friend, Ripp, returns home, just in time for the biggest tournament of the summer, the McNabby. Ripp's dad plays professional basketball overseas, and Ripp has been tearing up courts there--KO now has his toughest competition yet.

As KO gears up for this latest challenge, there's game-changing news at home. KO's dad, who has been incarcerated for the last seven years, is getting out. It's been KO and his mom for as long as he can remember, only now his dad is ready to reconnect. It's another reunion KO isn't sure he wants to happen, especially as Ripp keeps calling out KO to play him in the McNabby.

With the tournament on the horizon, KO decides to turn to Coach James and the Sabres for help. He may not love the idea of playing with Tony Washington and his former teammates again, but he needs them now more than ever. Can KO prove he's still the best on the court as his family life turns upside down?

• A Complex Father Son Story: KO's dad has been incarcerated for seven years. Now he's out and wants to reconnect, but KO isn't sure he can forgive the past.
• Best Friend to Rival: His former best friend Ripp is back from playing overseas, and he's not just aiming for the McNabby trophy--he's coming for KO's #1 rank.
• Friendship on the Line: Between the pressure from his rival and his dad, KO risks losing his most important teammate: his best friend, Mecca.
• Teamwork and Sportsmanship: To take on Ripp, KO has to do the unthinkable: team up with the Sabres, the very squad that handed him his last crushing defeat.
• From an NBA All-Star: Co-written by former NBA All-Star Caron Butler, this action-packed story delivers authentic on-court drama and powerful off-court emotion.

Review Quotes

PRAISE FOR SHOT CLOCK: "An inspirational story that shows that while reality can at times be too sad to bear, it can also--with the support of loved ones--be filled with hope." - Booklist

"The story is notable for its consideration of racism, justice, inequality, and trauma along with exciting basketball action and memorable characters." - Horn Book Magazine

"This bustling narrative is brimming with exciting, detailed basketball scenes and moving life lessons about the things one takes for granted, the importance of community, and the will to succeed despite stacked odds." - Publishers Weekly

"A provocative shot." - Kirkus Reviews

PRAISE FOR CLUTCH TIME: "Ballplayers will appreciate the hoops details, playful slang, and healthy dose of trash talk, while the images of healing from loss and unfairness will be accessible and refreshing for any readers.... Thoughtfully portrays a boy who's balancing hoop dreams and emotional maturity to achieve impressive ends." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)