Above the Rim

By Jen Bryant, Frank Morrison (illustrator),

Book cover of Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball

Book description

The story of Elgin Baylor, basketball icon and civil rights advocate, from an all-star team

Hall-of-famer Elgin Baylor was one of basketball's all-time-greatest players-an innovative athlete, team player, and quiet force for change. One of the first professional African-American players, he inspired others on and off the court. But when…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Above the Rim as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I love when sports stories intersect with broader cultural movements. Those instances are what make sports matter. Elgin Baylor was an amazing basketball player, but he was also a civil rights icon. Learning more about that work is just as important to me as learning about his games, and Bryant’s work makes it so exciting to learn about.

This book is a graphic novel, giving Baylor’s story access to a much larger audience. I am not normally a consumer of graphic novels, but this one does the story justice and is so good. Even as someone who doesn’t normally embrace…

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