D.G. Mago
Dante Grabina was the latest great point guard coming out of New York City and the world seemingly was at his feet. Not unlike many before him, his dream was soon transformed when he saw nothing but dollar signs; he declined to go to college and instead chose to go straight to the NBA. Nicknamed Blur, he was physically and mentally unprepared for the NBA, and as a result, he did not last. When he tries to cash in on some easy money with an old friend from the neighborhood, he is arrested and spends five long years in jail.
Shelterball picks up years later when, unhappy with his tedious life, Blur attempts to turn it around. At the age of 35, he applies and is accepted to college. While he is there, he pushes himself to be a better student and citizen. Focusing on educating himself and gaining a broader worldview, he is approached by the basketball coach who remembers him from years ago and convinces him to come try out for the team.
With basketball back in his life, he gradually transforms from the selfish boy of his youth to the selfless, empathetic man that he always saw and admired in his father. Moreover, once his championship pedigree on the court transitions to the real world, he begins a journey where loyalty, honor, friendship, and a man’s word become more valuable than money or fame. Shelterball is about Blur's struggle with his family, his friends, a woman that he becomes involved with who is in an abusive relationship, and most importantly himself.
D.G. Mago was born and raised in New York. He is a licensed psychotherapist who currently resides and works in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. He can be reached at bklynwiz@hotmail.com for any comments or questions.
If you are unfamiliar with the game of basketball, or even if you dislike it, that does not necessarily mean you will not enjoy this book. Everyone has their own interests and hobbies which give them pleasure, a sense of accomplishment, and serve as a form of solace or escape. Whether it is pottery, singing, crossword puzzles, computers, etc. it is something you enjoy and are usually good at. Inevitably, you derive some self-confidence from it. For me, that thing has been basketball. It has served as a friend, therapist, and often, my crutch. It is where I have made long lasting friendships, where I have always done my best thinking, where I have contemplated and learned much about myself and life, and it is where I can simply just be myself.
Within the context of basketball, I have included everything else that I believe makes up one’s existence; There are relationships, hardships, growth and insight, all intertwined together in a story that is simply held together with the game of basketball as it’s glue.
To understand and relate to this book, you truly need to know very little about sports. However, if you have never had a friend, have never been in love, have never felt remorse, or have never wanted to achieve any sort of goal, this book will seem foreign to you, and I suggest you put it down immediately.
My story, I am sure, is not very different than yours; the only differences being the names, the places, and the choice of vocabulary. Moreover, if you can feel empathy for someone else, and can also relate to feeling alone, unsure of yourself, and uncomfortable without that which you have invested so much of yourself, whatever that may be, then I suggest you give this book a chance.
The songs that appear throughout the book form my own personal built in soundtrack. I have chosen an eclectic group of songs and artists that I feel are either appropriate or meaningful for the words that will follow.
