I was very grateful for the chance to read this book in advance of its publication. It reinforced my sense that the NBA (including the WNBA) is using their platform to make a difference in the world. I think I'd be most likely to assign chapters of this book rather than the whole thing. While the message throughout was consistent, I found that the most powerful chapters were those where the authors reflected on their own personal experiences. Larry Nance's reflections on the importance of nutrition and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt's account of her cousin's murder were far more moving than chapters by rich executives, however well intended, quoting statistics. It's probably good to have those executive voices in terms of showing their support for what the players are doing—we've come a long way from the Sterling days or even Robert Sarver's misdeeds—but it was striking how much less personal their stories seemed. (And as fans, I think we feel like we "know" the players and even the coaches more than we know the executives.)

NBA players, coaches, and National Basketball Social Justice Coalition members joined together to form essays about the importance of speaking up against social injustice and racial inequality. Each essay is personable and heartfelt detailing their 'why', and the reason they fight for these injustices and promote equality on their platforms and around the league.

My parents always instilled the importance of speaking up for things I knew weren't right and sometimes it's often discouraged when it comes to athletes. I want to start by applauding everyone who contributed to this book because it takes guts!

This is a special book because every player, coach, and the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition members write about the reasons why they choose to speak up and fight for everyone's equality. I love the community aspect of the book because we get to see how each person cares about their community and gives their time to ensuring their communities thrive. They don't shy away from topics like hunger, gun violence, racism, and social injustices.

When San Antonio Spurs guard Trey Jones, spoke about the tragedy that happened to the students and teachers of Uvalde it helped you see the humanity we all share. And you see how tragedies affect our own lives/families. He wrote, "My daughters, the kids of Uvalde, and kids in every community throughout this country deserve to dream, to grow old, to build community, and to have children of their own someday if they want to." That stuck out to me because gun violence is prevalent in almost every city no matter what race or the color of your skin. It's important to talk about these things and join together to make the world safer for our kids and every kid now and in the future.

Larry Nance Jr, power forward for the Atlanta Hawks said "People struggle with food insecurity in every county, parish, and borough in this country. So, food insecurity is everyone's problem to fix." Again another powerful statement because it allows readers to see that food insecurity is all around us and begs the question "Now what are we gonna do about it?"

I think these quotes stood out for me because it shows how much they care about their communities. Athletes lead busy lives and even have to deal with living their life in the public, facing public opinion and criticism. These athletes understand the importance of getting out there breaking the mold and creating change.

The Power of Basketball highlights the beginning of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition and how coming together to make positive change starts with us.