Slam has dreams of playing in the NBA, and the 17-year-old thinks he might have a shot. But events at high school seem to be conspiring against him: the coach doesn't like him and his grades are going down despite the video project that has captured his interest in one of his classes. Between his dad's unemployment and his mom's worries about Grandma Ellie's illness, things at home don't seem any brighter. Add to all this Mtisha, the serious young woman who may or may not be his girlfriend depending on how Slam behaves, and Ice, Slam's best friend since forever who may be getting mixed up with dangerous business in the neighborhood, and Slam feels as if he's being asked too much by too many people and getting too little respect in return. Strong characterizations and lots of play-by-play basketball action distinguish Walter Dean Myers's sensitive, well-rounded novel in which a young African-American must look both inside himself and at the people around him in order to start regaining a sense of control in his life. Honor Book, 1996 CCBC Coretta Scott King Award Discussion: Author (Age 14 and older)