Johnny Huttle and his best friend, 15-year-old Rex King, eat, sleep, and breathe basketball in their inner-city Vancouver neighbourhood, where drug deals and the pop of gunfire are everyday occurrences.

When 14-year-old Johnny (appropriately nicknamed “Hustle” by Rex) is picked to be one of the youngest members of his high school’s junior varsity basketball team, his mission in life is to become the team’s superstar and eventually make it to the NBA. Dating Tracy Melrose, one of the school’s most popular girls, runs a close second. The only thing standing in his way is Rex, who spins circles around Johnny, both on and off the court. 

Johnny’s frustration at his perceived inferiority ignites a volatile anger that promises to spell disaster for his game and personal life. Through a series of near run-ins with the law, misunderstandings, and misguided choices, Johnny and Rex’s solid, long-time friendship is put to the test. When Rex is suspended from the team for skipping school and taking drugs, then injures his hand in a brawl at a post-game party, Johnny must decide if he has what it takes to step up at the provincial championships. 

Author John Boateng, a high-school basketball coach and mentor for disadvantaged youth in Vancouver, fills the book with enough realistic dialogue and court action to satisfy the most sports-minded readers, while weaving a well-paced morality tale that will appeal to those at the older end of the recommended reading age. Some content, such as references to underage drinking, gangs, drugs, and family violence, may be inappropriate for younger readers, but will strike a chord with those mature enough to appreciate the realistic representation of an all-too-common slice of life.