True Legend - by Mike Lupica (Paperback)

About the Book

Fifteen-year-old Drew "True" Robinson loves being the best point-guard prospect on his high-school basketball team, but learns the consequences of fame through a former player, as well as through the man who expects to be his manager when True reaches the NBA.

Book Synopsis

#1 New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica makes his return to the basketball court!

There's a reason teammates call him "True." Because for basketball phenom Drew Robinson, there is nothing more true than his talent on the court. It's the kind that comes along once in a generation and is loaded with perks--and with problems. Before long, True buys in to his own hype, much to the chagrin of his mother, who wants to keep her boy's head grounded--and suddenly trouble has a way of finding him. That is, until a washed-up former playground legend steps back onto the court and takes True under his wing.

Review Quotes

Praise for True Legend

***"The perfect trifecta of deep knowledge and portrayal of the history and culture of basketball, keen insight into the obstacle course of motivations and temptations facing a talented young man, and perfect-pitch sports writing. . . Lupica is the greatest sportswriter for middle-grade readers, and this book, True Legend, is a reminder of his dominance."*** --VOYA, starred review

"Lupica scores another winner with this cautionary tale. . . . Loaded with action-packed, suspenseful basketball sequences, crisp dialogue, sharply drawn characters, and keen insight into contemporary basketball culture in America, Drew's story illuminates the realities and choices facing gifted young athletes." --School Library Journal

"Written in a fluid mix of slightly distant exposition and terse dialogue, the tale features plenty of suspenseful, expertly depicted hoops action along with choices both wrong and, ultimately, right made in the face of glittering temptations." --Booklist

-- Awards

About the Author

Mike Lupica lives in New Canaan, Connecticut, and is the host of The Mike Lupica Show on ESPN Radio.