Stokes The brief career of the NBA's first Black superstar

Graduating college basketball players and rivals Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman found themselves on the same NBA team. A strong, quick player who looked for a good pass before taking a shot, Stokes was voted an All-Star and Rookie of the Year while earning the respect and admiration of his teammates. The authors explain this was groundbreaking; as a Black athlete in the 1950s, Stokes was expected to take only a supporting role. In 1958, slammed in midair while jumping to shoot the ball, Stokes fell, hitting his head hard. Three days later, he was unable to move or speak. His career was over. To help pay his medical bills, Twyman invited the greatest players to a basketball tournament in Stokes' honor, and it became an annual tradition. Telling a moving story, Chapman and Coy introduce Stokes' unusual combination of size, skills, quickness, and understanding of the game and then explain how Black players were treated differently on NBA teams in the 1950s. From action scenes to quiet moments, Ollivierre's art illustrates the narrative with empathy and style.

Gr 2--6--Fans of basketball may not know the name of 1950s NBA superstar Maurice Stokes, and this excellent picture book biography corrects that. Stokes had a brilliant but short career, strong and adept in all aspects of the game. He was generous with the ball and well-liked by teammates. Unfortunately, Stokes was injured during a game. He hit his head and was unconscious for three minutes; without treatment from a doctor, he eventually had a massive brain bleed that left him paralyzed. At the time, there were no concussion protocols and no support from the NBA or the team franchise. Teammates rallied and organized a charity basketball game that raised money to help pay for Stokes's ongoing medical bills. Vivid writing pairs with vibrant illustrations to depict a tragic but fascinating look at an engaging and exciting player whose misfortune, sadly, changed the way that basketball is played forever. VERDICT A very interesting and well-illustrated biography, this is surely a necessity for the shelves.--Debbie Tanner

A wrenching tale of glittering prospects cut short by mischance. "Nobody had ever seen a guy his size score, defend, rebound, dribble, and pass so well." Some may quibble with the authors' decision to bill Maurice Stokes as the NBA's "First Black Superstar," but they convincingly contend that his versatility changed the game for Black players. Moreover, few if any basketball players of any race have had a stronger start to their careers--which makes it all the more tragic that he suffered a head injury during the last game of the 1957-58 season (his third as a pro) that left him paralyzed from the neck down. With therapy, he did eventually regain limited movement. Along with providing an inspiring example of hard work in the face of overwhelming obstacles, this brief account presents a moving friendship tale. Stokes' white teammate Jack Twyman not only stepped up to help make financial arrangements for his care for the remaining 12 years of his life, but he also co-organized the first of what became an annual fundraiser game. In realistically modeled painted scenes, Ollivierre depicts racially diverse teams and figures with individualized, animated features; Stokes lights up the room before and after the accident, and before a closing recap with photos, he joins some of his successors in a final lineup of recognizable basketball luminaries from Bill Russell to Shaquille O'Neal and Stephen Curry. A poignant might have been, worth remembering and still as cogent as ever. (source notes, bibliography)(Picture-book biography. 7-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.