The Moonstar

How many times have your parents told you to watch out for someone that is destructive or dangerous?  Or someone that makes poor choices or takes drugs?  One time in your life you will have to choose which path you want to go down.  Some people will make the mistake and hang out with the wrong person.  In the book, Night Hoops, by Carl Deuker, the main character Nick get’s a basketball hoop in his backyard and slowly his juvenile delinquent neighbor, Trent, starts shooting around.  They start playing pickup games and becoming friends.  Hanging out with bad people is dangerous and this is why.

On 1986 Len Bias was getting ready to get drafted into the NBA.  If you don’t know who Len Bias is let me fill you in.  He went to college in Maryland, won the ACC Athlete of the Year and was selected in the 2nd overall by the Boston Celtics.  Two days after the draft Len Bias was killed from a drug overdose of cocaine.  Some sportswriters said he was the next Michael Jordan but he caved under peer pressure and took drugs.  A few years later his younger brother, Jay Bias, also a basketball superstar, was shot and killed near the Maryland campus.  This shows that these people could have hung out with the wrong people or made the wrong decision.  

Although some people are good and make bad decisions, there is also bad people that make good decisions.  It wasn’t like Trent was a dumb person, it was just that nobody ever gave him a chance.  Finally he caught a break and made the basketball team.  Even though he yelled at the coach he made the right choice and stayed with the team.  Trent pulled down the boards and Nick controlled the offense.  Soon they made it to the game which if they won they would win the league.  Trent had a choice to either join his brother who was a fugitive or play in the final game and finish off school.  Right before the final game he made his decision and made the right choice by not running off with his brother.  With Trent being there they won the final game and won the league.

Although the ending could have seemed cheesy to some people the book showed some valuable lessons.  The main lesson in the book is watch out for who you hang out with and sometimes although people have done bad things in past it doesn't mean they are bad people.  The main point is be careful who you hang out with but everyone deserves a chance.