The Word of God

A cinematic and candid memoir from your favorite basketball players’ favorite basketball player, God Shammgod. Perfect for fans of Becoming Kareem, Straight Shooter, and Where Tomorrows Aren’t Promised.

A street ball legend from 1980s and ’90s New York City, a college basketball phenom, and one of the first players whose moves went viral in the digital age, God Shammgod drew a crowd everywhere he played because of his obsessive dribbling skills. He was a peer and eventually a mentor for everyone from Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Kobe Bryant, Stephon Marbury, Chauncey Billups, and Vince Carter to name a few. His signature move—the Shammgod crossover—is legendary.

But when Sham’s own NBA dream eventually faltered, he had to face a life without his beloved game—only to unexpectedly return as a coach. Sham became a guide to several rising college stars before he eventually made the leap to the NBA, where Mark Cuban brought him onto the Dallas Mavericks staff as the league’s first ball-handling coach.

Told through the relationships Sham has built over a lifetime of goodwill, The Word of God is not only a reflection of an unforgettable NBA career and a nostalgic look at ’90s Harlem, but ultimately a love letter to basketball and a celebration of the game.

God Shammgod is a former professional NBA player and basketball coach currently working with the Dallas Mavericks. He played with the Washington Wizards during 1997–98 after being drafted by them in the second round of the 1997 NBA draft. Despite a brief NBA career, he is well-known as the progenitor and namesake of a widely used crossover dribble, the “Shammgod.”

Sean Patrick Conboy is the editorial director of The Players’ Tribune. He has worked hand-in-hand with some of the world’s top athletes, including Kobe Bryant, Derek Jeter, Steph Curry, Kevin Love, Allen Iverson, Damian Lillard, A’ja Wilson, Megan Rapinoe, and Cristiano Ronaldo. He lives in New York City.