StarksÂ’ autobiography describes the starÂ’s rise from life in inner-city Tulsa, Oklahoma. As a child, John did not escape trouble, stealing from stores and later cars with a friend who later died in a high-speed car crash with the police. He credits his escape and rapid rise to the influence of his older brother, Monty, who watched the majority of JohnÂ’s NBA career from behind bars, and the single mother that raised John and his siblings.
John later attended four junior colleges before making his breakthrough and playing Division I college basketball at Oklahoma State. Monty, before he was sent away to prison, was the one who drove John, toughening him up in savage games of one-on-one and convincing John that he had more in him than just being a drug dealer like himself and playing basketball on the playgrounds of Tulsa. It was Monty who called Leonard Hamilton, the then-coach of Oklahoma State, and got Coach Hamilton to come down and watch John play at Oklahoma Junior College, resulting in a scholarship.
Finally, it is a book about family and Starks moving back to Tulsa and raising his family of three children (John Jr. is an aspiring basketball player with a dream to make it to the NBA like his father) with his wife, Jackie, and helping Monty after his release from prison in 2000. Monty now lives in a house on John's property, adjacent to John's house, and has helped him find employment. The two are avid golf partners who, although they constantly fight over everything from Monty rooting for OU and John for OSU, share a bond forged on the hardscrabble streets of North Tulsa.
John Starks: My Life also includes an in-depth interview with John Starks that will take readers Beyond the Book. This very candid, personal interview with John will give fans even more insight into his life. Highlights include John's hilarious stories about his teammates and his emotional farewell message to the New York fans.
