As Slam says in the opening of the novel, “Basketball is my thing. I can hoop. Case closed” (1). Basketball, the sport, is always on Slam’s mind—he loves to play it, he has dreams of where it can take him, and it is, by all accounts, his safe space: “With me it’s not like playing a game, it’s like the only time I’m being for real” (1). All week he’s practicing and playing games for his school, Latimer, and he spends weekends playing pickup at the local YMCA. On top of that, Slam often carries a basketball around with him, showing that even when he’s not playing, the game is not far from his mind or body.

Basketball also takes on a larger significance in the novel by representing certain thematic elements. Basketball is a team sport, and playing on a team is something Slam struggles with throughout much of the book. For a while, Slam puts himself first when he plays, to the detriment of the team. As the season progresses, Slam begins to figure out how to play within a team system while also using his abilities to stand out, an approach that makes him a better, more well-rounded basketball player.