Where Tomorrows Aren't Promised

July 19, 2021
In his debut, NBA All-Star Anthony shoots and scores with a gripping account of how he went from being “a Black kid from the bottom” to being a world-renowned pro athlete. Born in 1984, he spent his early years in Red Hook, a rough neighborhood where “pistols banged all day.” Despite having a loving family, daily life was perilous—his brother once escaped a shoot-out only because the armed drug dealers paused to let him pass. When Anthony was eight, his family moved to Baltimore’s housing projects. While life there was no less dangerous, Anthony turned his focus to honing his natural basketball talents in high school, became a “big college recruit,” and accepted a scholarship to play for Syracuse University, where he set an NCAA record for most points by a freshman and won a national championship. After one year in college, he entered the 2003 NBA draft and was drafted by the Denver Nuggets. Even with his enormous success, Anthony’s humility shines throughout his narrative: “For a Baltimore kid like me, making it to the NBA meant you had to be one of the top 453 players in the world... I had to weave around poverty, addiction, gunplay, and unresolved pain... But I did it.” Those in search of inspiration will find no shortage of it here.

August 1, 2021
The coming-of-age story of a future NBA Hall of Famer who has conquered numerous challenges on his journey. Anthony is recognizable even if you're not a fan of the game. A consensus All-American and NCAA champion at Syracuse, three-time Olympian, and 10-time All-Star, he's had a remarkable run. For those looking for a deep dive into his profession or notes on the mechanics of his game, this isn't it; but it's more than that. Many sports memoirs start with an origin story, but this one is more thought-provoking than one might expect. Kudos to Watkins, who shapes the narrative and rhythm without stepping on Anthony's voice. The book begins at Madison Square Garden at the 2003 NBA draft; Anthony was the third pick after LeBron James and Darko Miličic. "Am I excited?" he remembers. "I'm a Black kid from the bottom. I had to fight through some of the toughest housing projects in America. I'm standing here tonight as a potential top five, top three, maybe even top two NBA draft pick....My mom had worked two jobs for as long as I could remember. Now I would be able to take care of her, buy her a house, a car, a mink--whatever she wanted--and that was exciting." The primary story is the author's impressive life trajectory, from the projects of Red Hook, Brooklyn, to the mean streets of Baltimore to Syracuse and, eventually, NBA superstardom and sports icon. Throughout, the losses are palpable, including the death of his stepfather to diabetes and the murder of his older cousin. Through it all, Anthony has stayed true to his core beliefs. "I'm loyal to everybody, because I believe in humanity," he writes. "But I'm especially loyal to my family and the people I love, even if I know they wouldn't do the same for me. That's just how I am, no questions asked." Neither a tell-all nor an exercise in self-aggrandizement, this is an inspirational, engaging story from a straight shooter.

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October 1, 2021

Anthony has always been something of a basketball enigma: one of the 10 top-scorers in NBA history; a 10-time league All-Star; the star of four U.S. Olympic teams. Yet he's rarely mentioned in debates about basketball's GOAT, perhaps because his game rests primarily on scoring, because he entered the league the same year as LeBron James, or because after almost two decades the championship ring still eludes him. Anthony remains enigmatic in this autobiography, co-authored by journalist Watkins. It doesn't recount Anthony's rise to NBA stardom--in fact, the book ends just as Anthony is turning pro. Anthony reflects nostalgically on growing up in Baltimore and Brooklyn and on the family and friends who've mentored and influenced him. He takes care to detail his mother's and older sister's impact and the values they instilled in him from a young age. VERDICT This is not a standard sports biography of a rise to fame. Instead, Anthony brings honesty and humility to a reflective account that is well worth the read.--Jim Burns, formerly at Jacksonville P.L., FL

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