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The theme of the book is redemption. Cal made many mistakes in his life but in the end he made a comeback. Cal missed many of the teams games when they counted on him being there and he even disappeared for a while. Cal didn't let all the good things he had go to waste because he taught Lonnie some of those things. The redemption of Cal is being carried through Lonnie in a way. Lonnie helped Cal redeem himself by winning that game and putting the bad guys who took down Cal years before into the ground.

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Theme

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Lonnie faces self conflict in the book. Lonnie lives with his mom and doesn't get along often so he leaves and stays at the hotel he works at. Lonnie is a bit cocky in the beginning of the book and he always has trouble with everyone because of himself and it isn't always them. Lonnie needed to be lead down the right path since he didn't know where to go at this point in life and because of the way that Cal sees him, Cal leads him down this path.

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Conflict

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This symbol is present in the book since the book is about Lonnie growing and changing as a person. The people in Lonnie's life help him change and grow like a flower grows with water and sun. Cal is one of these people since he shows Lonnie he can be great at basketball. Cal mentors him not to become like he did and that's because he knows Lonnie can be great. Lonnie's lady friend Mary-Ann helps him grow off the court and help him with the conflict he faces with himself. This all leads to Lonnie becoming a more mature and thoughtful person in the end of the book when he reflects on the game and Cal.

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A symbolic image that connects to the book is a plant needing water and sunlight to grow.

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This is my favorite quote because Lonnie and the team had just won the championship game but one of the gamblers and his bodyguards were taking Cal to the locker room to beat him up and kill him. Cal had told the gamblers to bet against his team the night before since Lonnie wasn't going to play so they bet several thousand for the other team. Cal had sat Lonnie out for most of the game until the guys put in their bets then he put Lonnie into the game. They were down 1 with 18 seconds left and won on a buzzer beater. Lonnie knew he didn't have time to celebrate since Tyrone and the other guys just lost money because of Cal so he ran and went to help Cal. Lonnie showed he cared about Cal because of this.

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"When I looked back, I didn't see him at first. When I did, he was headed towards the locker rooms. Right behind him was the bald head of Tyrone, or Jack, or whatever else the creep was calling himself . I struggled... Get the police! I screamed in his ears." (Myers 178)

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I agree with this review 100%. The book appears to be mainly abut basketball from the cover but once you start reading there is much more than basketball. The book starts with the main character, Lonnie going to the park and playing basketball when a drunk guy is bothering Lonnie but little do we know the drunk guy becomes the coach of Lonnie's team and his mentor/father figure. Once Cal becomes the coach Lonnie has a rough time with him and tries to like him but Cal always does stuff that messes everything up. Cal mentors Lonnie since he sees Lonnie in himself and doesn't want Lonnie to live like he did. Cal does some sketchy things throughout the book but by the end it shows it was to help Lonnie. I agree with the review that Lonnie lacks guidance and Cal guides him but not always and a good part of the book is Lonnie trying to find his way and do the right thing. I also agree the book was exciting especially near the end where it combines basketball and Cals past of shaving points in games. I would recommend the book to anyone wanting to hear a story with a rollercoaster of events including ups and downs.

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The book "Hoops" was a absolutely fantastic book. When I looked at its cover I thought it would be full of sports action, but it is not full of all basketball. Walter Dean Myers tries to take the sport of basketball and put it into life. It is a life changing book because it shows how a kid that lives in a poor neighborhood can still fulfill their dreams. It is about a 17 year old teenager that loves basketball, but lacks guidance in life. But when a man names Cal, former NBA player and now coach of high-school team, comes into his life, Lonnie can learn how to become a better man. This book kept me reading to the end. It was full of exciting events like the high-school tournament that Lonnie was in. I recommend this book to anyone who likes basketball or a great story about a person's life.