Lebron's Dream Team: How Five Friends Made History
In summer, I read a book called "Lebron's Dream Team: How Five Friends Made History" by Lebron James himself and Buzz Bissinger. The story takes place in Akron, a community that Lebron James grew up in. Lebron James had a pretty rough childhood that he kept constantly moving to different places on the go at the age of ten. Later on, Coach Dru saw raw talent and potential in Lebron that he took him in into his youth basketball travel team, "Shooting Stars", an Amateur Athletic Union travel team that's a non budget that organizes leagues and tournaments. In shooting Stars, that's where he met his newly found friends Lil Dru, Sian, and Willie. In the summer after seventh grade, the "Shooting Stars" qualified for a national championship tournament in Memphis. But when they lost their focus, and lost in the final game for second place. From then on they promised to stay together to pursue the national title. In their high school years, they endured jealousy, hostility, exploitation, over-confidence, and resentment from the black community when they applied to a white high school.
protagonist
• Lebron James
• Willie, Dru, Sian, Romeo -fab five
Coach Dru
The main protagonist of "Lebron's dream team" is Lebron James (LJ) who pursues a national championship accompanied by other protagonists that are known to him as best friends are: Willie, Dru, Sian, and Romeo. Notably, "Little Dru and Sian and Willie and I had been dubbed the Fab Four..." (P. 79) Furthermore, LJ, Willie, Dru, Sian, and Romeo are main protagonist because they are the ones who train to one day obtain the nation title. Also importantly, another protagonist named, Coach Dru, is the one who trained and guided the fab five. For instance, "Since Coach Dru lived in Akron, he knew where to find raw talent, one of the advantages of a place small enough so that word of athletic potential traveled fast." (P. 26) In addition, Coach Dru is a protagonist by training the fab fives raw potential. In conclusion the protagonist of "Lebron's dream team" is Lebron James, Willie, Dru, Sian, Romeo, and Coach Dru.
• Willie, Dru, Sian, Romeo -fab five
Coach Dru
The main protagonist of "Lebron's dream team" is Lebron James (LJ) who pursues a national championship accompanied by other protagonists that are known to him as best friends are: Willie, Dru, Sian, and Romeo. Notably, "Little Dru and Sian and Willie and I had been dubbed the Fab Four..." (P. 79) Furthermore, LJ, Willie, Dru, Sian, and Romeo are main protagonist because they are the ones who train to one day obtain the nation title. Also importantly, another protagonist named, Coach Dru, is the one who trained and guided the fab five. For instance, "Since Coach Dru lived in Akron, he knew where to find raw talent, one of the advantages of a place small enough so that word of athletic potential traveled fast." (P. 26) In addition, Coach Dru is a protagonist by training the fab fives raw potential. In conclusion the protagonist of "Lebron's dream team" is Lebron James, Willie, Dru, Sian, Romeo, and Coach Dru.
antagonist
The main antagonist of "Lebron's dream team" is the black community of Akron or the other teams that have qualified for championships. For instance, "But to many in Akron's black community, we were now traitors who had sold out to the white establishment." (Page 71) Additionally, the black community of Akron are the antagonist because the protagonists: Lebron James, Willie, Dru, Sian, and Romeo went to a white high school and Akron's black community feels betrayed. Another example of the antagonist, "We wanted to win a national AAU chanmpionship,... We wanted to achieve our dreams." (Page 49) So forth, another antagonist are the teams who also qualify in the tournaments to take the national championship. In conclusion, the antagonist of the story are the black community of Akron or the other teams that have qualified for championships
Theme
The Theme of “LeBron’s Dream Team” consist of two points: never be to over-confident in who you are, and never give up on yourself. For instance, “Now with our own cars, we cut out right after practice was over. As little Dru said later, ‘We lost our work ethic.’”( Pg. 143) In addition, they were slacking off now with all their luxury, and were beginning to be cocky.” Another example, “As dignified as he was in defeat, the loss in the state championship was his worst case scenario...If I lose it’s my fault.”( Pg. 161) Additionally, they were cocky, too cocky, that what made them lose their spark ad made them lose the nation championships in high school. To conclude that theme is never be to confident, and never give up.
conflict
The confliction between the protagonist and antagonist in the book, “Lebron’s Dream Team”, is man against self and man against society. For instance, “As freshmen and sophomores, we had often stayed late after practice to hone our skills, be the best we could possibly be.” (Pg. 141) Moreover, the conflict is man against self because the fab five trained to advance themselves to the best they could be. Another example, “Now with our own cars we cut out practice was over. As little Dru later said, “We lost our work ethic.” (Pg. 141) Furthermore, this example explains also man against self because they thought they were high school basketball stars and they get tempted to party and smoke marijuana. Last example, “He knew, as we knew, there was a national championship at stake; it was a foregone conclusion that USA Today would keep us number one or drop us from the top spot if we lost.” (Page 221) So forth, this is another conflict between man against society because all the other of the best high schools or travel teams are out to claim the nation title themselves. Also importantly, not just basketball teams also, but the black/white community and those in the media. In conclusion, the conflict in the story is man vs. self and man vs. society.
Motif
The motif of “LeBron’s Dream Team” consists of three points: sustenance, persistence, and overconfidence. For instance, “But little Dru said to his father: ‘Dad don’t worry about it. We’re going to show them next season.” (Pg. 162) So forth, in that season, they were too overconfident about the situation, and so afterwards they just got back up and persistently tried again. Also importantly, they had that drive of sustenance that made them win their second try. In conclusion, the motif of the story is sustenance, persistence, and overconfidence.
Author's perspective
The Author’s perspective (Lebron James) in the story is, as friends, they had their ups and downs, but they played together as a team. For instance, “When Romeo became one of the fab five; the bond between us only grew stronger.”(pg. 170) Furthermore, in the author’s perspective, his opinion would be that they love basketball and they loved the game especially with his teammates. Another example, “Within it is a collage of pictures, ten of them altogether, most of them showing me in various poses playing basketball at St. V But the photograph at lower right has the greatest value.”( Pg. 245) Moreover, the Author’s perspective, reflected an ecstatic attitude in the end towards his friends. In conclusion, the author’s perspective is basically that friendship last through the very end or even a lifetime.
book Review
The main idea of the book "LEBRON'S DREAM TEAM: HOW FIVE FRIENDS MADE HISTORY" is five friends destined to win a championship in basketball. My opinion about this book is that it is moving, inspirational to everyone who reads the phenomenon about how Lebron James and his friends experienced a traumatic childhood life that evolves into a blossoming wonderful life when they become famous later on. I rate this book a 3 1/2 because there were too many adverbs that made it seem dull and boring. For instance, a student named Jemar could't even finish the book because it seemed to long and uninteresting. This story is suggested for the age group of 8th graders who are mature and can handle profanity and drug-use. In conclusion, this is my review for the book "LEBRON'S DREAM TEAM: HOW FIVE FRIENDS MADE HISTORY."