Shooting Stars By Lebron James And Buzz Bissinger

The book “Last Shot” shows what a basketball game is really about. It doesn't just show you the game and who wins; It shows you how all the competitors need to prepare immensely to attempt to win. It shows you how the players could throw everything away with their grades or selling team merchandise for a maximum profit. During the read of this book, you are Stevie Thomas, teen writing contest winner. You get to experience the time of your life (at least from his perspective), which is going and reporting at the Men’s Basketball NCAA Tournament Final Four. You discover what the reporters have to go through and maybe what the players are told to do. Basketball is much more than just the game, it’s life.

Hoop Dreams, directed by Steve James, is an outstanding documentary that gives the viewer a perspective on several different elements on the life of a teen basketball player. The film follows Arthur Agee and William Gates, two basketball stars, who live in the rough Chicago area. The inner-city boys get noticed for their skills, and they are recruited to play for dominant team. The audience follows the boy’s journey with basketball, school, and general life matters. The film dives into the reality of living in the hood and chasing a dream of playing professional basketball. The corruption of the school system and sports are examined throughout the film. The audience follows Agee and Gates through their triumphs and failures in their chase to the top. The director, Steve James, uses the film genre of documentary for the story of Arther Agee and William Gates because it highlights the raw moments of their lives.

Jordan burst into the league as a rookie sensation scoring in droves with an unmatchable first step and acrobatic drives and dunks and concluded his career as a cultural icon. Hard work, dedication, and the desire

Central Idea: LeBron James is the best basketball player by his scoring ability, his athleticism, and his world-class defense.

While James was in high school he excelled in two sports, football and his more known sport, basketball. LeBron excelled greatly in football, he was named All-State wide receiver in his sophmore year (Smithwick 10). His mom was worried about James and wanted him to quit football, so he wouldn’t get hurt. Later he broke his finger in a football game and his mother made him quit. When he was in high school, James made the rounds of the postseason all-star games, and he earned most valuable player of the year award at the McDonald’s High School All-American Game (Newsmakers B2). LeBron wanted to skip his senior year to enter into the NBA draft, but was against NBA rules, so he returned to high school now the most famous high school player. Even before James entered the NBA draft he had already signed a $90 million contract with the brand Nike (Contemporary C4). LeBron James entered the NBA draft in the summer of 2003, and was selected by the "struggling to make it in the NBA" Cleveland Cavaliers (Smithwick 14). The three year contract that James signed with the Cavaliers amounted to nothing beside the more than $100 million in endorsement contracts he has signed with Nike, Sprite, Powerade, Upper Deck Cards, and Bubblicious bubble gum. If it was anybody's guess, they would have said that James was going to play poorly in his first year, but he proved them wrong, everybody wrong. He was named rookie

In 1999, when this essay was published, something as simple as a cellphone was a revolution to the American people. Conversations anywhere with no wires involved! Wow! Looking back now, American seemed pretty simple in 1999. This is the same for Michael Jordan – once upon a time, Jordan was JUST a basketball player. LaFeber’s essay illustrates for us the rise of the young Jordan from his middle-class family in racist North Carolina through his college years and eventually into the NBA where he became an international sports icon. LaFeber tells the story of how Jordan caught the eye of Nike CEO Phil Knight and goes on to explain how Knight transformed Jordan into the face of a multi-billion dollar international corporation. LaFeber also fills us in on race and sports issues surrounding Jordan and how that played a part in Nike’s growth. LaFeber shows us how race effected middle-class Michael Jordan at a young age and how he was able to overcome this and grow into the star he is today.

Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 17, 1963. He is regarded as one of the legends that have played the game of Basketball. Michael Jordan is also known as His Airness, MJ and Air Jordan. He has been credited as one of the people that gave the NBA its worldwide acclaim. Despite the huge number of trophies that he has won, the numerous commercial endorsements and other personal accomplishments; Michael Jordan is a perfect model that teaches us how to overcome obstacles like a genius. It is important to note that there are many things he did that showed his inner strength, but I would be highlighting the genesis of his playing Career.

Specific Purpose: To inform the audience about Michael Jordan and the rising of him playing basketball.

My topic is about the full impact LeBron James has had on the NBA and society. He is known as a modern-athlete activist, he has never been shy to express his thoughts on social issues outside and inside of the NBA. LeBron James has played such a major role in the Black Lives Matter movement. For example, in the opening of the 2016 ESPYs, LeBron mentioned all the recent police shootings that have been occurring, and expresses his feelings on how he wants change. My topic will also talk about the impact he’s had on the economy, not only the impact inside of the NBA but thing’s he’s done outside of the league. Overall, I’ll explain the overall impact that he’s had on the world, and how much of an influence he has been in the African American community.

Y'all know what Lebron is to the NBA? The King right. Well this young man right here is kind of like the Lebron James of the DMV when it comes to entrepreneurs.

I believe that out of the four essays that we have read, the essay that presents the best and most powerful argument is presented by Mike Rose "Blue Collar Brilliance" (Rose, 2015). First Rose describes how his mother who work as a waitress in a restaurant. He defines his mother's, Rose Meraglio (Rosie) ability, “Rosie took customers’ orders, pencil poised over pad, while fielding questions about the food. She walked full tilt through the room with plates stretching up her left arm and two cups of coffee somehow cradled in her right hand. She stood at a table or booth and removed a plate from this person, another for that person, then another, remembering who had the hamburger, who had the fried shrimp, almost always getting it right….she’d

“Basketball Rule #1, In this game of life your family is the court and the ball is your heart. No matter how

Creed, is a movie that performances by Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Johnson, Apollo Creed’s son, Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, and Tessa Thompson as Bianca was directed by Ryan Coogler. Adonis Johnson, who is the son of former heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, was living in the youth facility when Mary Anne, Creed’s widow visited him and decided to adopt him. Adonis work as a professional, but he was not satisfied with his current life. Mary Anne was so disappointed with him because Adonis’s father passed away in the ring, and she did not want Adonis to follow his dad’s step. Despite the fact that he wanted to pursue his dream to work as a professional fighter, he gave up his current job and went to Philadelphia. He found Rocky Balboa there and he requested Balboa to become his mentor and trained him. In the process of becoming a professional fighter, Adonis went through challenges. Even though Adonis faces challenges in life, he overcomes them because he never gives up.

The articles “Blue-Collar Brilliance” written by Mike Rose and “Are Too Many People Going to College?” by Charles Murray discuss the importance of education and its outcomes. Both authors talk about people’s careers on the aspect of whether a college degree made them succeed in life or it is just an expensive waste of time. Also, each article has its own opinion over the fact that some people with college education aren’t able to find jobs while others with no college background are able to succeed. Rose and Murray, both agreed on the idea that college isn’t for all just simply because of its cost, and how each person’s intelligence does not depend on their acceptance to a college; further, both authors also acknowledge the importance of blue-collar workers and their prosperity.

Lebron James, the first pick taken in this year’s draft, may be the prototype for an athlete having immediate fame and wealth by jumping straight to the NBA. Almost undoubtedly, he has set the bar for years to come. Before he even played in an actual NBA game, he already had his own commercial and shoe deals. When he was a senior in high school, ESPN and ESPN2 were already publicizing his regular season games whenever they had the chance. Amazingly, as a junior in high school, he was already being considered the next Michael Jordan (Broussard).