The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams

Journalist and educator Frey’s debut, first published in 1994 and now available in audio, chronicles the successes and struggles of four Brooklyn teens longing to become basketball stars and escape the bleak conditions of their Brooklyn neighborhood, where poverty and crime flourish and options are few. Frey narrates the introduction, sharing how he came to write the book and describing the young men at its center: Stephon Marbury, Tchaka Shipp, Corey Johnson, and Russell Thomas. JD Jackson narrates the remaining chapters, infusing the book with a measured calm as he invites listeners into each young man’s life. Although all shared a common goal of going to college and were recruited by college scouts, only one (Marbury) ultimately achieved the desired outcome of playing in a Division I school and entering the NBA. Jackson sensitively relates the challenges that threatened to derail their goals, including the NCAA requirement of a minimum SAT score of 700. Throughout the book, Frey questions whether the system provided a fair opportunity for these boys.