About this item
Highlights
- Stokes tells the story of the NBA's first Black superstar, Maurice Stokes, who is not as well known as he should be in part because of a career-ending injury.
- 8-9 Years
- 11.23" x 9.53" Hardcover
- 32 Pages
- Juvenile Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography
Description
About the Book
"Maurice Stokes was 6'7" and could play offense and defense like no one else his size in the NBA in 1958. After experiencing a career-ending injury during a game, other players rallied to support Stokes"--Book Synopsis
Stokes tells the story of the NBA's first Black superstar, Maurice Stokes, who is not as well known as he should be in part because of a career-ending injury.
Coauthors and basketball enthusiasts John Coy and Ty Chapman highlight what a standout Stokes was: he was 6'7" and as they write, "nobody had ever seen a guy his size score, defend, rebound, dribble, and pass so well."
In a 1958 game against the Minneapolis Lakers, Stokes, went down hard and hit his head, losing consciousness. At the time, there was no concussion protocol, and Stokes went back into the game. A few days later, he went into a coma and woke up unable to move his body from the neck down. Players did not have any sort of financial support in situations like this, and Stokes's teammate Jack Twyman worked with other players and Milton Kutsher to put on a benefit game during the summer at Kutsher's hotel in the Catskills. This game became an annual tradition, and Stokes was eventually able to travel and watch the game. Wilt Chamberlain said of Stokes, "He had something transcending as a person. . . . Everybody loved him."
Back matter includes some great historical photos as well as further information about Stokes, who was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004, and about the NBA's Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.
This picture book biography provides a fascinating look at basketball history, accompanied by Lonnie Ollivierre's action-packed illustrations.
Review Quotes
"An inviting way to teach readers about a lesser-known basketball superstar. Reviewer Rating: 5"--Children's Literature
-- (12/4/2024 12:00:00 AM)"Vivid writing pairs with vibrant illustrations to depict a tragic but fascinating look at an engaging and exciting player whose misfortune, sadly, changed the way that basketball is played forever."--School Library Journal
-- (7/19/2024 12:00:00 AM)"A poignant might have been, worth remembering and still as cogent as ever."--Kirkus Reviews
-- (6/27/2024 12:00:00 AM)"Telling a moving story, Chapman and Coy introduce Stokes' unusual combination of size, skills, quickness, and understanding of the game and then explain how differently Black players were treated on NBA teams in the 1950s. From action scenes to quiet moments, Ollivierre's art illustrates the narrative with empathy and style."--Booklist
-- (6/17/2024 12:00:00 AM)