"Boys Among Men" -- Jonathan Abrams on Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and the prep-to-pro generation

Summary: This week, we take a break from the hustle and bustle of a rollicking Lakers season to hop in the NBA time machine. Many of you know Jonathan Abrams from his newspaper work, whether the Los Angeles or New York Times, or more likely though his consistently excellent contributions to Grantland. Now, he's the author of "Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution," a fantastic look at the crop of young players entering the league straight from high school, starting with Kevin Garnett in 1995. We talk a lot about KG, and even more about Kobe Bryant, and how he ended up with the Lakers in 1996. Why did those guys succeed? What are the common characteristics of the successful preps who made the leap? What about the guys who failed? Why did the rules change, and should they have changed? It's a great book, and Abrams provides some fantastic perspective on iconic players from a fascinating chapter in NBA history. Listen to the podcast, then buy the book.