Items related to The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High-Stakes Business...

The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High-Stakes Business of High School Ball - Hardcover

 
9781594861079: The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High-Stakes Business of High School Ball
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 

On NBA draft night, June 24, 2004, high school senior Sebastian Telfair awaited his future inside a suite at the Trump International Hotel. One of the most hyped high school players of all time, with a $20 million Adidas deal in hand, Sebastian found himself in the same position as NBA superstars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, both of whom shot to stardom without playing a day of college ball. THE JUMP offers an inside view of Sebastian's journey-a rags-to-riches story of a kid from the Coney Island projects who succeeds in leaving behind the chaos, violence and economic hardship at home for a multi-million dollar life of professional ball and product endorsement. Drawing on exclusive interviews with friends, family, coaches, recruiters, agents and players, USA Today columnist Ian O'Connor offers an intimate portrait of the promising young player's senior year at Lincoln High School and explores the changing nature of basketball in America today.

Sebastian Telfair exemplifies a new dynamic emerging in basketball-young, talented teenagers who skip college on the way to NBA fortune and fame. But what is this trend doing to the sport? And do the adults who have hitched their hopes on Sebastian's rising star have the young player's best interests in mind? THE JUMP dives head first into today's high-stakes, anything-goes basketball culture, examining the sneaker companies intent on securing charismatic and mediagenic players to hawk their wares; college boosters willing to break NCAA rules by offering cash incentives to lure promising players to their schools; high school administrators securing big appearance fees from promoters; agents wooing players and their families-and walking the thin line dictating amateur status rules for high school and college ball.

O'Connor also delves into the dream that the NBA holds for so many families-a child drafted into the pros offers a first class ticket out of the projects. A colorful cast of characters featured in THE JUMP includes the faces shaping the sport today: Rick Pitino, head coach of the University of Louisville, who recruits Sebastian with the hope of delivering his team to an NCAA championship only to see his dreams dashed by Sebastian's decision to enter the NBA draft; Andy Miller, the agent who vies to sign up Sebastian despite Erica and Otis Telfair's reservations; Stephon Marbury, star of the New York Knicks, who sees Sebastian more as a rival than a cousin (THE JUMP delivers exclusive details on the fracture in the Marbury and Telfair relationship, including interviews with the point guards and relatives on the subject of the family feud); Sonny Vacaro, at different times the face of Nike, Adidas, and Reebok, who uses sneaker company cash to entice coaches and young players; Jay-Z, rapper and owner of Telfair's summer-league team.

Under O'Connor's penetrating scrutiny, Sebastian Telfair becomes the prism through which the circus of modern basketball is explored. Can he succeed, or will he flame out-too young, too small, too unprepared? And what is this new trend in basketball doing to the athletes, to college basketball programs, to the quality of play in the NBA and to society at large? As Dave Kindred of The Sporting News states, "THE JUMP is a 21st-century thrill ride into the shadows and bright lights of a basketball culture that breaks hearts and makes superstars."

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

From the Publisher:
"One phenom (Ian O'Connor) writing about another (Sebastian Telfair). You want to know why hoops is no longer about the hoop? Read this book. You want to know how America lost the patent on the very game Americans invented? Read this book. You want to accompany one of America's premier sports columnists on a journey into the dark belly of one of its premier games, as seen through the jaded eyes of one of its premier players? Take this trip." -Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, ESPN's "Around the Horn"

"Hoop Dreams takes a wild ride on the Coney Island Cyclone as Ian O'Connor dives headfirst into the world of big-time high school basketball and emerges with a searing and beautifully written tale. No sports book digs deeper into its subject. THE JUMP stands tall as the definitive work on the preps-to-pros phenomenon that has dramatically altered the culture of the sport." -Harvey Araton, The New York Times, coauthor of Money Players: Days and Nights Inside the New NBA

"A must-read for anyone who cares about basketball, about sports, or about young athletes trying to come of age." -- John Feinstein, The Washington Post, author of A Season on the Brink and Let Me Tell You a Story: A Lifetime in the Game

"Anyone looking for evidence of how the culture of sports has changed (for better and for worse) will find it in Ian O'Connor's engrossing account of Sebastian Telfair's young life." -- Bob Costas, NBC Sports, HBO Sebastian Telfair was a secondary-school basketball phenom whom experts rightly predicted would be the next student to jump from public school to the National Basketball Association, following in the footsteps of NBA superstars such as Kobe Bryant and Le Bron James. Here, USA Today columnist O'Connor chronicles Telfair's senior year at New York City's Lincoln High in 2003–04. O'Connor utilizes a variety of voices to compile this book, having interviewed family members, friends, coaches, agents, and recruiters. Considering that Telfair hails from the Brooklyn projects, an area notorious for drugs and violence, his accomplishments are remarkable. His abilities secured him a $20 million endorsement deal with Adidas; in fact, he was a millionaire before graduating from Lincoln High. A good read that basketball enthusiasts will enjoy.—Larry R. Little, Penticton P.L., B.C.

About the Author:

Ian O'Connor is a sports columnist for USA Today and The Journal News of New York. He has won numerous national writing honors, including the Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. O'Connor lives in New Jersey with his wife, Tracey, and son, Kyle.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherRodale Books
  • Publication date2005
  • ISBN 10 1594861072
  • ISBN 13 9781594861079
  • BindingHardcover
  • Edition number1
  • Number of pages320
  • Rating

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9781594864476: The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High-Stakes Business of High School Ball

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9781594864476
Publisher: Rodale Books, 2006
Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

O'Connor, Ian
Published by Rodale Books (2005)
ISBN 10: 1594861072 ISBN 13: 9781594861079
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Gulf Coast Books
(Memphis, TN, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 1594861072-11-25731026

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 20.87
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Connor, Ian
Published by Rodale Books (2005)
ISBN 10: 1594861072 ISBN 13: 9781594861079
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldBooks
(Austin, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think1594861072

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 16.63
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.25
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Connor, Ian
Published by Rodale Books (2005)
ISBN 10: 1594861072 ISBN 13: 9781594861079
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Books Unplugged
(Amherst, NY, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Buy with confidence! Book is in new, never-used condition. Seller Inventory # bk1594861072xvz189zvxnew

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 35.81
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Connor, Ian
Published by Rodale Books (2005)
ISBN 10: 1594861072 ISBN 13: 9781594861079
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Book Deals
(Tucson, AZ, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. Seller Inventory # 353-1594861072-new

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 35.81
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Connor, Ian
Published by Brand: Rodale Books (2005)
ISBN 10: 1594861072 ISBN 13: 9781594861079
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Front Cover Books
(Denver, CO, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover1594861072

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 35.58
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.30
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Connor, Ian
Published by Rodale Books (2005)
ISBN 10: 1594861072 ISBN 13: 9781594861079
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldenWavesOfBooks
(Fayetteville, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_1594861072

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 35.89
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Connor, Ian
Published by Rodale Books (2005)
ISBN 10: 1594861072 ISBN 13: 9781594861079
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Wizard Books
(Long Beach, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard1594861072

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 52.93
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.50
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Connor, Ian
Published by Rodale Books (2005)
ISBN 10: 1594861072 ISBN 13: 9781594861079
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
The Book Spot
(Sioux Falls, SD, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # Abebooks540171

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 59.00
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Connor, Ian
Published by Rodale Books (2005)
ISBN 10: 1594861072 ISBN 13: 9781594861079
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
BennettBooksLtd
(LOS ANGELES, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! 1.32. Seller Inventory # Q-1594861072

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 60.87
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 5.11
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds