The Crossover

The Crossover (2014) is a coming-of-age novel in verse by award-winning children’s author and poet Kwame Alexander. The narrative follows a 12-year-old Black boy named Josh Bell whose poems express his love for basketball and his family. With his twin brother, Jordan, Josh’s sense of self evolves as he uses basketball to deal with his father’s death. The book explores themes of Confidence and Vulnerability; Basketball as Life Lessons; and Music, Rhythm, and Identity.

Rebound, a prequel to The Crossover, was published in 2018. The Crossover won the 2015 Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award for children’s literature.

Plot Summary

Crossover is a novel in verse divided into six named but unnumbered parts that each contain a series of named poems written in different styles. Josh is the poems’ first-person narrator.

At six feet tall, and with the guidance of their legendary basketball player father Chuck “Da Man” Bell, Josh and Jordan are the stars of their basketball team. One of the only ways people can tell them apart is by their hair: Josh has dreadlocks, and Jordan has no hair at all. The brothers are closely monitored by their mother and assistant principal, Crystal. Crystal also keeps a close eye on her husband, watching what he eats and calming his nerves at their sons’ games.

Josh earns the nickname “Filthy McNasty” in honor of his dad’s favorite jazz song. Josh initially dislikes the nickname because of the taunts he receives from his classmates, but once his game improves, his dad shouts his nickname from the bleachers, which makes Josh feel good

His brother, Jordan, prefers to go by “JB” as an homage to his all-time favorite basketball player, Michael Jordan, widely known as MJ. The only thing Jordan likes better than basketball is betting. When Josh loses a bet to his brother, Jordan gets to cut off one of Josh’s locs, but the scissors slip, and he cuts off such a large chunk that Josh has to cut them all.

The brothers have a tight-knit bond—laughing and playing with their friends and teammates, practicing free throws with their dad, being grossed out by their wildly-in-love parents—until Alexis, “Miss Sweet Tea,” comes along.

Alexis is the new girl at school, with whom Jordan is immediately smitten. She plays ball, drinks sweet tea, and has a crush on Jordan. Jordan starts showering more, sits with her at lunch, talks with her on the phone, and rides with her and her dad to the basketball games, which makes Josh feel left out.

With his locs gone and his brother occupied, Josh struggles to find his footing and his confidence. His resentment toward Jordan grows until Josh snaps and throws a basketball in Jordan’s face, almost breaking his nose. Josh’s mom suspends him from the team.

To make amends, Josh writes a letter to his brother at the suggestion of his dad. Slowly, over time, Jordan begins to forgive him. Josh proves himself to his mother, and she agrees to lift his suspension for the team’s championship game. To get Josh back in shape, Chuck takes his sons to play one-on-one.

As he warms up with Josh, Chuck has a heart attack and collapses. Chuck’s fear of hospitals kept him from seeking medical attention earlier, but now he has no choice. He’ll be hospitalized during the championship game, but he tells his sons he wants them to play.

The night of the championship game, Chuck has had another heart attack. Crystal tells the boys to go to the game as she races to the hospital. Jordan decides to follow her on his bike, but Josh is determined to play. It’s what his father wanted. Josh scores the game-winning shot, but his dad dies from complications of a massive heart attack.

Friends and family fill the Bell house after Chuck’s funeral. Josh slips outside to shoot free throws, something he and his dad did frequently. The more he shoots, the closer Josh feels to his dad. Just before Josh’s 50th free throw, Jordan joins him outside. He hands over their father’s championship ring and tells Josh that he’s “Da Man” now.

Josh counters that they both are and invites his brother to shoot for number 50, completing their father’s legacy together.