ONE OF THIS WEEK'S BEST NOVELS OF 2022The perfect novel for fans of The Last Dance, Hoop Dreams and Winning Time'Exquisite. . . Warm, humane, and tragic.' JONATHAN LETHEMAt his high school basketball try-outs, nerdy sports-obsessed Brian Blum meets new kid Marcus Hayes. As a sportswriter, Brian spends the following twenty years tracking his friends' superstar NBAcareer. But when Marcus mounts his last dance comeback, after a couple of years out of the game, both men must face the tensions of their unlikely dynamic, and the disappointments of gettingolder. 'There is something so compelling about the questions of whether these two friends, despite theirfraught history and hefty egos, will rekindle a genuine connection . . . you'll want to know how thegame turns out.' TLS'Compelling and emotionally resonant.' Spectator'Contemporary fiction's best kept secret . . . It's gratifying to observe someone with a large amountof specific knowledge not only imparting that expertise, but unlocking some deeper meaning withinit, like a top sports star working their magic.' Sunday Business Post