Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?

'Black Gods Of The Asphalt' takes basketball beyond the court

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Onaje X. O. Woodbine's book, Black Gods of the Asphalt, has also been adapted into a play by the same name. He appears here on that play's set at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass.
Onaje X. O. Woodbine's book, Black Gods of the Asphalt, has also been adapted into a play by the same name. He appears here on that play's set at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass.
Brendan C. Hall

Onaje X.O. Woodbine grew up in inner city Boston and was on the path to his own NBA dreams — as a sophomore at Yale he was the team's highest scorer. He was voted one of the top Ivy League players, but in a move that provoked the ire of his coach, he quit — to devote more time to his studies. He wanted to become, as he wrote in a letter to his coach, "the person I was meant to be."

His new book Black Gods of the Asphalt invites readers to look at basketball differently, not just as a distraction from racism or as a path out of poverty, but as a sacred space where young black boys and men go "to reclaim their humanity."

Woodbine spoke with NPR's Michel Martin about his relationship with the game and why he decided to stop playing at Yale.

Click the audio link above to hear the full conversation. Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.