In this eBook exclusive essay, Pulitzer Prize-winning sports journalist George Dohrmann follows a father and son separated by prison bars-but bonded by their pursuit of basketball glory.
The dream of playing big-time basketball never came true for Bruce Nelson, so he passed it on to his son Roberto. His every waking moment as a father was devoted to securing Roberto a Division I scholarship. Oftentimes he worried that his son's lack of competitive fire might put that dream in jeopardy-when in fact it was Bruce's own actions that would do so. When Bruce is forced to monitor Roberto's progress from behind penitentiary walls, his influence recedes-and so too does Roberto's commitment to the aspirations they once shared. In a story that combines deep insight into family relationships with the deft storytelling that distinguished his award-winning Play Their Hearts Out, George Dohrmann follows Roberto as he addresses his life's most difficult decisions in the absence of his best friend and most constant companion. In doing so, Dohrmann sheds new light on the larger story of basketball dreams and the pressures they place on young athletes.
