The Assist: Hoops, Hope, and the Game of Their Lives - Hardcover

The Assist is a gripping, surprising story about fathers, sons, and surrogates, all confronting the narrow margins of urban life. At its center are the interwoven lives of OBrien and two of his stars, easygoing Ridley Johnson and fierce Jason Hood White. The book follows Ridley and Hood on their hunt for a state title. But it also stays with them, to see how young men who seldom get second chances survive without their coach hovering over them-and how he survives without them. A minister friend once said OBrien does the Lords work filling the space in these boys lives. But OBrien is no saint. Saints give without expecting anything in return. OBrien needs his players and their problems as much as they need him.

Neil Swidey is a staff writer for The Boston Globe Magazine. His writing has won the National Headliner Award and has been anthologized in The Best American Science Writing and The Best American Crime Writing. He lives outside Boston with his wife and their three daughters.