Clutch Time

Former NBA All-Star Caron Butler and acclaimed author Justin A. Reynolds deliver another superstar performance in this companion novel to Shot Clock, a powerful middle grade sports novel about KO, a budding AAU basketball star as he attempts to find redemption on the court and reconnection with his incarcerated father.

Kofi “KO” Douglas knows how to handle pressure. After all, he is the newly announced #1 ranked AAU player in the country. On the court, his game is as good as it gets—even if his Wolves team lost to the Sabres in the national championship, KO always believes nobody can beat him one-on-one in this riveting rivals story. That is, until his former best friend, Ripp, returns home, just in time for the biggest tournament of the summer, the McNabby. Ripp’s dad plays professional basketball overseas, and Ripp has been tearing up courts there—KO now has his toughest competition yet.

As KO gears up for this latest challenge, there’s game-changing news at home. KO’s dad, who has been incarcerated for the last seven years, is getting out. It’s been KO and his mom for as long as he can remember, only now his dad is ready to reconnect. It’s another reunion KO isn’t sure he wants to happen, especially as Ripp keeps calling out KO to play him in the McNabby.

With the tournament on the horizon, KO decides to turn to Coach James and the Sabres for help. He may not love the idea of playing with Tony Washington and his former teammates again, but he needs them now more than ever. Can KO prove he’s still the best on the court as his family life turns upside down?

Rivals to... Teammates?: To take on his old best friend, KO has to team up with his old rivals, the Sabres. But can he trust the players who beat him in the national championship? A Complicated Family Reunion: KO’s dad has been incarcerated for seven years. Now he’s getting out, ready to reconnect—but KO isn’t sure he’s ready to let him back in. High-Stakes Tournament Action: With the Dante Jones MVP trophy on the line, the pressure is on for KO to prove he’s still the number one player in the country. A Powerful Coming of Age Story: Juggling family drama, intense rivalries, and the weight of expectation, KO has to figure out what it truly means to win—both on and off the court.