Saints of the Asphalt — Michael Downing

A gritty, heartfelt story of second chances, lost dreams, and the game that just might save a life.In the summer of 1997, Atlantic City is booming — a glittering playground for the rich and reckless. But for Timmy Davenport, it's just home. And he wants out.Once hailed as a can't miss basketball prospect, Timmy seemed destined to escape the streets that shaped him. But after a disastrous sophomore year derails his college career, he returns to the city he tried to leave behind — broke, broken, and battling his demons. Addiction, self-destruction, and the weight of expectations hang over him like a storm.Over one sweltering summer, Timmy confronts the people and places that defined him: street courts buzzing with talent and trash talk, old friends swallowed by the underworld, and a fractured family he can't quite reach. As he prepares for a high-stakes tournament that could revive his basketball dreams, he stumbles into a love that might finally anchor him — if he doesn't lose himself first.Raw, emotional, and unflinching, Saints of the Asphalt is more than a sports novel — it's a powerful coming-of-age story about redemption, resilience, and the fight to reclaim your future when the past won't let go.