Can't knock the hustle: inside brooklyn's season of hope : how basketball helped us survive power, politics, and a global pandemic

An award-winning sports journalist's courtside account of the Brooklyn Nets' year-long saga at the epicenter of culture and coronavirus— Moneyball meets Boom Town for an era of influence, chronicling the rise of basketball as a force for progress in society. At the dawn of a new decade, a startup grew in Brooklyn: social influencers and political activists, media moguls and tech entrepreneurs, fashion designers and mental-wellness gurus, rappers . . . all of whom just so happened to play professional basketball. The 2019-20 Nets were the team of tomorrow—a player-first franchise, in a star-first city, at a nation-first moment—and anything was possible. As soon as the mega-stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving arrived, the Nets were destined to become a dynasty for the ages. Then came the wildest year in modern NBA—and world—history. Can't Knock the Hustle is the definitive chronicle of the season when basketball's status as a force for progress in society was put to the ultimate test, and Matt Sullivan had a courtside seat: Deal-making with Kyrie and Jay-Z. Rehabbing with KD at the Nets' world-class health facility. International intrigue between LeBron James and the Chinese government. The final days of Kobe Bryant, front-row at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The first days of Covid-19, when the Nets found themselves at the epicenter of a virus—and integral to a comeback of the very culture they had come to define. Hundreds of interviews—with NBA Hall-of-Famers, All-Stars, coaches, owners and power-brokers from across the globe—provide a lasting portrait of an unforgettable time, as sports brought people back together again, like never before. “Brilliantly audacious...written with the profundity of a sage baller and the acuity of a seasoned journalist.”—Kiese Laymon, New York Times bestselling author of Heavy An award-winning journalist's behind-the-scenes account from the epicenter of sports, social justice, and coronavirus, Can't Knock the Hustle is a lasting chronicle of the historic 2019-2020 NBA season, by way of the notorious Brooklyn Nets and basketball's renaissance as a cultural force beyond the game. The Nets were already the most intriguing startup in the NBA: a team of influencers, entrepreneurs and activists, starring the controversial Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. But this dynasty-in-the-making got disrupted by the unforeseen. One tweet launched an international scandal, pitting the team's Chinese owner and the league's commissioner against its players and LeBron James. The sudden death of Kobe Bryant, after making his final public appearance in Brooklyn, sent shockwaves through a turbulent season. Then came the unimaginable. A global pandemic and a new civil-rights movement put basketball's trend-setting status to the ultimate test, as business and culture followed the lead of the NBA and its empowered stars. No team intersected with the extremes of 2020 quite like the Brooklyn Nets, and Matt Sullivan had a courtside view. Can't Knock the Hustle crosses from on the court, where underdogs confront A-listers like Jay-Z and James Harden, to off the court, as players march through the streets of Brooklyn, provoke Donald Trump at the White House, and boycott the NBA's bubble experiment in Disney World. Hundreds of interviews—with Hall-of-Famers, All-Stars, executives, coaches and power-brokers across the world—provide a backdrop of the NBA's impact on social media, race, politics, health, fashion, fame and fandom, for a portrait of a time when sports brought us back together again, like never before. "Brilliantly audacious ... written with the profundity of a sage baller and the acuity of a seasoned journalist."--Kiese Laymon, New York Times bestselling author of Heavy An award-winning journalist's behind-the-scenes account from the epicenter of sports, social justice, and coronavirus, Can't Knock the Hustle is a lasting chronicle of the historic 2019-2020 NBA season, by way of the notorious Brooklyn Nets and basketball's renaissance as a cultural force beyond the game. The Nets were already the most intriguing startup in the NBA: a team of influencers, entrepreneurs and activists, starring the controversial Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. But this dynasty-in-the-making got disrupted by the unforeseen. One tweet launched an international scandal, pitting the team's Chinese owner and the league's commissioner against its players and LeBron James. The sudden death of Kobe Bryant, after making his final public appearance in Brooklyn, sent shockwaves through a turbulent season. Then came the unimaginable. A global pandemic and a new civil-rights movement put basketball's trend-setting status to the ultimate test, as business and culture followed the lead of the NBA and its empowered stars. No team intersected with the extremes of 2020 quite like the Brooklyn Nets, and Matt Sullivan had a courtside view. Can't Knock the Hustle crosses from on the court, where underdogs confront A-listers like Jay-Z and James Harden, to off the court, as players march through the streets of Brooklyn, provoke Donald Trump at the White House, and boycott the NBA's bubble experiment in Disney World. Hundreds of interviews--with Hall-of-Famers, All-Stars, executives, coaches and power-brokers across the world--provide a backdrop of the NBA's impact on social media, race, politics, health, fashion, fame and fandom, for a portrait of a time when sports brought us back together again, like never before David Halberstam's Classic The Breaks Of The Game Meets Michael Lewis' Moneyball For The Modern Age, In An Award-winning Journalist's Behind-the-scenes Account From The Epicenter Of Sports, Social Justice And Coronavirus -- A Lasting Chronicle Of The Historic 2019-2020 Nba Season, By Way Of The Notorious Brooklyn Nets And Basketball's Renaissance As A Cultural Force Beyond The Game. The Brooklyn Nets Were Already The Most Intriguing Startup In Sports: A Team Full Of Influencers, Entrepreneurs And Activists At The Heart Of American Culture, Starring The Controversial Kevin Durant And Kyrie Irving. But This Dynasty-in-the-making Got Disrupted By The Unforeseen. One Tweet Launched An International Scandal Pitting Brooklyn's Chinese Owner And The Nba's Commissioner Against Its Players And Lebron James. Then Came The Death Of Kobe Bryant, A Tragic Shock In An Already Turbulent Season, As The League Re-launched Into A World Of Uncertainty With The Entertainment Business Following Its Lead: Covid-19 And A New Civil-rights Movement Put Basketball's Role In Society To The Ultimate Test -- And No Team Intersected With The Extremes Of 2020 Quite Like The Brooklyn Nets. Can't Knock The Hustle Crosses From On The Court, Where The A-list Meets The Underdog, To Off The Court, As Players March Through The Streets Of Brooklyn, Provoke Donald Trump At The White House And Fight For Social Justice From The Nba's Bubble Experiment In Disney World. Hundreds Of Interviews -- With Hall-of-famers, All-stars, Executives, Coaches And Power-brokers From Across The Globe -- Provide A Backdrop Of The Nba's Impact On Social Media, Race, Politics, Health, Fashion, Fame And Fandom, For A Portrait Of A Time When Sports Brought Us Back Together Again, Like Never Before. In the 2019-2020 season, the Nets were already the most intriguing startup in the NBA : a team of influencers, entrepreneurs and activists, starring the controversial Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Then one tweet launched an international scandal, pitting the team's Chinese owner and the league's commissioner against its players and LeBron James. The sudden death of Kobe Bryant, after making his final public appearance in Brooklyn, sent shockwaves through a turbulent season. A global pandemic and a new civil-rights movement put basketball's trend-setting status to the ultimate test, as business and culture followed the lead of the NBA and its empowered stars. Sullivan provides a backdrop of the NBA's impact on social media, race, politics, health, fashion, fame and fandom, for a portrait of a time when sports brought us back together again, like never before. -- adapted from jacket **An award-winning sports journalist's courtside account of the Brooklyn Nets' year-long saga at the epicenter of culture and coronavirus—__Moneyball__ meets __Boom Town__ for an era of influence, chronicling the rise of basketball as a force for progress in society.**__Can't Knock the Hustle__