The Adventures of a Deaf Fundamentalist Mormon Kid and His Journey to the NBA

I’m not deaf nor a Fundamentalist Mormon. But when I was a kid, I did have dreams of playing in the NBA. Even when I was cut from the varsity team in high school, I remembered hearing that Michael Jordan had endured a similar setback.

But by the time I got to college (where I managed to hold my own on the rec courts), I had pretty much coming to grips with the fact that the NBA was not in my future. So, I followed my second passion—writing—and managed to graduate summa cum laude with a duel concentration in writing and creative writing.

Somewhere between my fallen NBA dream and my college graduation, my mom put the idea in my head that I should write a book, and I agreed. But two years later, I still have no pages written, no subject chosen, no brainstorm forming in regards to what I would even write a book about.

Enter Lance Allred, whose biography is quickly giving me an inferiority complex. NBA player: check. Author: check. And now he’s entering the blogosphere, too! The nerve of this guy, treating my life’s dreams like items on a grocery list. C'mon.

In all seriousness though, Allred’s story is pretty amazing. The book is Longshot: The Adventures of a Deaf Fundamentalist Mormon Kid and His Journey to the NBA. And that title alone makes me think it’ll be a great read. It details the obstacles Allred faced on his way to the NBA where he became the first legally deaf player in league history last season. The book also details his time in the D-League. While I confess I haven’t had a chance to read it just yet, the reviews below give you a pretty good idea that this book is worth a look.

"Hoosiers meets Big Love with a dash of Crime and Punishment. You will never look at an NBA player, particularly those at the end of the bench, the same way again."
-Ric Bucher, senior writer, ESPN The Magazine

"An inspiration for anyone who's ever wanted to succeed at anything that appeared out of reach."
-Kenny Mayne, from the Foreword

“Longshot is a must read! It will inspire you and entertain you at the same time.”
-Dick Vitale

"Lance Allred is excruciatingly honest without ever feeling sorry for himself. His painful and hilarious odyssey is more inspiring and triumphant than the story of any NBA championship. Allred has written The Glass Castle of pro sports."
-Ian Thomsen, senior NBA writer, Sports Illustrated

“Allred paints a beautiful picture (seriously, this book will someday be a great movie) of the determination it takes to follow one's goals, ultimately leading the reader to be happy for him once he achieves his goal, as if they've becomes best friends. It's inspiring, really.”
- Scott Schroeder, Ridiculous Upside