Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, in the 1990s, Hanif Abdurraqib witnessed a golden era of basketball, one in which legends like LeBron James were forged and countless others weren’t. His lifelong love of the game leads Abdurraqib into an exploration of what it means to make it, who we think deserves success, the tension between excellence and expectation, and the very notion of role models. Provided by publisher.

Includes index.

Pregame -- First quarter: City as its true self -- A timeout in praise of legendary Ohio aviators -- Intermission: On fathers, sons, and ghosts, holy or otherwise: He got game (1998) -- Second quarter: Flawed and mortal gods -- A timeout in praise of legendary Ohio aviators -- Intermission: On the darkest heavens: Above the rim (1994) -- Third quarter: The mercy of exits, the magic of fruitless pleading -- A timeout in praise of legendary Ohio aviators -- Intermission: On hustles: White men can't jump (1992) -- Fourth quarter: City as its false self -- A timeout in praise of legendary Ohio aviators -- A brief postgame scouting report in praise of legendary Ohio aviators.