Qaddafi's Point Guard
The Incredible Story of a Professional Basketball Player Trapped in Libya's Civil War
Alex Owumi & Daniel Paisner
This book is available for download with iBooks on your Mac or iOS device, and with iTunes on your computer. Books can be read with iBooks on your Mac or iOS device.
Description
A Nigerian native who emigrated to the United States at age 11, Alex Owumi’s exploits on the basketball court earned him a college scholarship to Georgetown University. Undrafted by the NBA, Owumi pursued his basketball dream overseas, eventually signing with Al-Nasr of Libya, a state-run athletic club privately funded by the family of Libyan president Muammar Qaddafi.
Owumi’s tenure with Al-Nasr was interrupted by the Libyan uprising and resulting civil war. Imprisoned in his Benghazi apartment for more than 2 weeks with no food, phone, Internet, or hope, Owumi wondered whether he would make it out of Libya alive. Despite his weakened condition and the dangers lurking in the city, he was able to escape Benghazi and flee the country. Smuggled to a refugee camp in Egypt, he was, much to his surprise, contacted by an Egyptian team seeking his services. And so, in a bizarre, storybook ending, Owumi finished the year by helping lead the team to an unlikely league championship, earning league MVP honors in the process.
Qaddafi’s Point Guard is a book about hope and longing, conflict (cultural, political, and military), and ultimately, triumph—to overcome obstacles and survive against the most desperate odds.
Customer Reviews
Good short story, bad book
This book is somewhat painful to read. Not because of the unfortunate situation the author finds himself, but because of the lack of awareness in his path on and off the court. There is rarely accountability for stupid decisions and there is a heroic attempt by the author to make every poor decision look like the only logical thing to do given the circumstance. Avoid this if you're hoping for a humble, uplifting read. Read this if you appreciate basketball and want another player's perspective as he tries to make it to the NBA. The book misses the mark.

- $12.99
- Category: Basketball
- Published: Oct 01, 2013
- Publisher: Rodale
- Seller: Rodale Inc.
- Print Length: 312 Pages
- Language: English
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