Shot Clock is a story about a kid named Tony who has aspirations of making his local AAU basketball team. He has plans to be on the team with his best friend named Dante, who is considered to be a basketball ‘phenom’. But when Dante is found wrongfully killed by a police officer, his world is turned upside down. Tony tries to focus on basketball, but this loss cannot go unnoticed and causes him to get distracted from the game he loves. At tryouts, Tony balls out, he dishes out dimes, and does everything you would want from a point guard, but was devastated to hear he didn't make the cut. His coach asked him to come into his office one afternoon to talk about ball. He praised him for his resilience through his tough circumstances recently and wanted to offer him a spot on the team. But it wasn't as a basketball player, Coach wanted him to join as the team ‘statistician’, with his sharp mind for the game, he could be a real asset on the bench aiding the coach during games. Tony reluctantly accepts the opportunity, as it is his closest opportunity to playing basketball this season. With the help of Kirara, Coach's daughter, he was able to make a real impact off the court and provide valuable insight to the players. Their season was going great, when they received news that the officer that killed Dante was offered his job back and would be returning to work. This caused great outrage throughout the community and added fuel to the to the fire which the basketball players could translate onto the court. With the help from Tony, the team was able to win the championship, even through the hardships they faced throughout the season.
I would definitely recommend this read to anyone who is interested in a book with a good message. The message of working hard and always seeing the positive view of things is brought up throughout the book through the hardships and adversity the Tony had to face. Even though Tony didnt get the position he wanted, he was still able to be involved in doing something he loves.
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