Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball

A groundbreaking basketball player soars above the rim with a style no one had seen before, then takes a stand when hotels and restaurants refuse him for being Black.

For the kid who's already obsessed with highlight reels and wants to know who invented the moves everyone else copies.

• Big idea: Changing the game and standing up for what's right can be the same act of courage.
• Vibes: Soaring, rhythmic, quietly powerful

• enjoy sports stories with real history behind them
• are working on understanding fairness and standing up for what's right
• love poetic, rhythmic language that moves like the action on the page
• respond well to stories about athletes who changed more than their sport

• Story & problem-solving: What did Elgin Baylor do when hotels and restaurants turned him away for being Black?
• Feelings & empathy: How do you think Elgin felt when he wasn't treated the same as his teammates?
• Real-life connection: Have you ever seen someone treated unfairly? What did you do?
• Imagination: If you could invent a brand-new move like Elgin did, what would it look like?
• Courage & change: Why do you think Elgin's teammates decided to stand with him?