10/05/2015
If America loves redeemed bad guys with skills, this blood-and-guts memoir by NBA basketball star Butler should satisfy that appetite for granting second chances. Supported by a glowing foreword by L.A. Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, the Racine, Wis. native shares his journey from the glittering night of the 2002 NBA Draft and his selection as the overall 10th pick by the Miami Heat to flashbacks of his youthful drug dealing, shootouts, numerous arrests, and harsh confinement. Butler puts family first with a strong, affirming narrative about his clan's Mississippi roots to his mother's unrelenting support and his sport mentors fighting for his dream of pro ball. An editorial decision sadly yields only a small portion of the book's content to Butler's 12-year pro basketball career culminating as a key player on Dallas Mavericks' championship team in 2011, opting to stress the glut of street outlaw chapters. While Butler's sports memoir suffers from this literary imbalance, it provides a bold, candid opportunity to appreciate a talented, complicated athlete. (Oct.)

Caron is an unbelievable role model, someone who got into trouble when he was young, then turned his life around and set a shining example for others. Everybody who meets him, myself included, walks away in awe. When he was traded from the Heat, I felt like I was losing a brother. Young kids who read this book will learn that, though they will make mistakes in life, the most important thing is how they respond to their troubles. Caron responded in a manner that inspires all who know him.” —Dwyane Wade, guard for the Miami Heat

“This story is as good, as dramatic, and as inspirational as any I’ve dealt with in my professional career. Caron Butler should be applauded for turning his life around, for morphing into a role model, and for sharing his story so that others might learn from his example. This is not a basketball book as much as it is a book about life, a life of transformation and redemption.” —Mark Wahlberg, Producer/Actor    

“Caron Butler was one of the greatest players who ever wore a Heat uniform. Had we not needed to include him in a deal to get Shaquille O’Neal, Caron would have been here for the rest of his career. We considered him that good, someone who had Heat DNA, the qualities we always look for: great integrity, character and toughness, an ultra-competitor. It was very sad for me to see Caron go, but it’s made me very happy to know that he has written a book and wanted his old coach to be included in it.” —Pat Riley, former coach and current President of Basketball Operations for the Miami Heat