Sammy Wong, All-American

Sammy Wong, All-American tells the tale of an Asian basketball player’s rise and stumble. American basketball may be among the most international of team sports, yet until recently Asians were unwelcome. On his high school, college, and professional teams, Sammy isn’t given much of a chance. Then when he does get into games, he turns out to be the kind of player who can turn a losing team into a winning one. Wong’s career turns on chance opportunities and unexpected twists as much as on talent, persistence, and hard work. There are great scenes that describe pivotal plays on the hardwood floor as only Charley Rosen can. Like all Rosen’s novels, this is about basketball as experienced from the inside.