Struggling with feelings of insignificance, Gray Taylor's life transforms when he relocates to the struggling town of Beaudelaire, Kansas. There, he discovers a passion for basketball, which not only helps him gain recognition but also becomes a means to uplift his community. As he navigates the challenges of adolescence and small-town life, Gray's journey intertwines personal growth with a mission to revitalize Beaudelaire, showcasing the power of sports as a catalyst for change.
He's been labeled a journeyman, a classification Paul Shirley himself wouldn't dispute. Bill Simmons, ESPN.com's "The Sports Guy," suggests that Shirley offers a glimpse into what it would be like if one of our friends were an NBA player. Shirley embodies the spirit of Odysseus, having experienced the vast landscape of professional basketball—from six NBA cities to leagues in Spain and Greece, and even the minor leagues in North America, including real Siberia. In Can I Keep My Jersey?, he shares a captivating locker-room chronicle filled with sharp wit and humor. His writings, praised as "wildly entertaining" by The Wall Street Journal, provide hilarious insights, such as which teams boast the best cheerleaders and the unconventional ways to remove bloodstains from uniforms. Shirley recounts moments from sharing the court with legends like Kobe and Shaq to navigating the food courts of lesser-known towns. He contrasts the glamour of charter jets with the reality of catching a van home after a B-league game in Tijuana. This rollicking, thoughtful insider's look at a pro athlete's life on the fringe is a must-read for sports fans, akin to Jim Bouton's Ball Four or John Feinstein's A Season on the Brink.
