I am crediting Overseas Famous for sparking my new addiction to pre-orders. I’ve had it on my pre-order queue since earlier this summer, so my anticipation for this one has been building for a little while. When I finally got the chance to dive into Overseas Famous, I am happy to say it did not disappoint, I loved it!
A couple of things stood out to me about Overseas Famous when I first lit it up on my Kindle. First, it is very well written. And by well written, I mean not only is it a smooth read, but it is also written with voice. Kevin’s voice is evident with every line. I read a lot of sports related books, and many of them are memoirs. I don’t mean to knock any of them-but you can kind of tell when an athlete-turned-author is giving writing a first go, a lot of the time. It can come off as boxy or canned- like you know the ghostwriter took matters into their own hands, or the writing can come off flat-lacking in personal connection. These things can be the result of a lot of factors, the least of which could be a general lack of confidence in their writing ability-which is ironic because most former elite athletes could write volumes on the topic of personal confidence, alone. Overseas Famous is written with confidence. The kind of unique confidence in the world of sports autobiography where the author not only lived the story, but has the writing chops to tell you what he wants to tell you, how he wants to tell it to you.
Another thing that stood out to me about Overseas Famous was that it is hilarious. I mean, it is laugh out loud funny at times. This, again, is no easy feat. I hardly ever burst out laughing while reading a book, but I found myself doing this regularly. This is another nod to Kevin’s writing. But, what the comedic story telling also does for the book is it strengthens the connection between the author and the reader. It breaks down an invisible barrier and allows the reader to get more absorbed in Kevin’s story.
Overseas Famous is a basketball book. You learn a lot about what it takes break into the world of professional basketball. The ticket that gets punched comes at a cost. Kevin takes you through his journey and conveys many deep life lessons that one can only learn through traveling the hard road.
For anyone who’s been following the Olympic basketball teams this year, you may have realized that the international game is legit. On the men’s side, you could easily confuse some of these international teams with an NBA team-especially since many of their players were employed in The League. Kevin continued to pay his dues in the overseas game, and you learn the cost of that at various far away places that have inherited the game.
I think Overseas Famous would be a great read for any basketball-junkie. The international game continues to draw more and more interest from the American audience-thanks to popular players in certain overseas markets, but also due to popular Youtube channels and podcasters/bloggers. The various stretches of the world are more and more accessible today for fans of the game.
I probably wouldn’t recommend Overseas Famous to young kids, or middle schoolers because I am little bit too much of a dad and the opening chapter leads with a story that’s probably deserving of a little more than a PG-13. But, I would recommend this book to college students who are going into phys. ed. or coaching. Somebody who may end up coaching a player with professional level talent could learn a lot about what professional basketball really means when its not being played in the NBA.
Overseas Famous is a unique and enjoyable read that is sure to climb the charts.
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