Above The Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball

Winner of the 2021 Orbis Pictus Award, Above the Rim:How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball is a picture book biography of the basketball legend from awardwinning creators Jen Bryant and Frank Morrison.A new generation of fans will be introduced to the legendary basketball player Elgin Baylor. . . . A timely read about an NBA player who spoke out against Jim Crow injustice. Kirkus ReviewsInspirational and timely. School Library JournalBefore there was Michael Jordan or LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo, there was Elgin Baylor, shooting, passing, and soaring through the air like no basketball player before him. Here is the story of the basketball icon and African American civil rights advocate, told with beautiful artwork and poetic text:In one smooth move,like a plane taking off,he would leap . . .higher and higherand higheras if pulled by some invisible wire,and just when it seemedhed have to come down,no!Halloffamer Baylor was one of basketballs greatest playersan innovative athlete, team player, and quiet force for change. One of the first professional African American players, he inspired others on and off the court. But when traveling for away games, many hotels and restaurants turned Elgin away because he was Black.One night, Elgin had enough and staged a oneman protest that captured the attention of the press, the public, and the NBA. With lyrical, moving text from an awardwinning author and exquisite, slamdunk illustrations from an awardwinning artist, Above the Rim is a peek into the early days of the NBA, a poetic telling of the life of an underrecognized African American athlete, and a celebration of standing up for whats right.