In this astonishingly intimate portrait of the 20042005 NBA season, ESPN The Magazine's Chris Palmer steps inside the closely guarded inner circles of five NBA stars to reveal the soul of the modern athlete. Like a teammate without a jersey, he sets off on the ultimate road trip, exploring the spoils of wealth and fame with flashy champion Rip Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons, uncrowned superstar Tracy McGrady of the Houston Rockets, starryeyed rookie Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls, charismatic utility man Damon Jones of the Miami Heat, and straight-laced veteran Elton Brand of the Los Angeles Clippers. By examining their lives on and off the court, Palmer reveals not only the private sides of the gods of the game -- Shaq, LeBron, Kobe -- but also the joys and fears, triumphs and failures inherent to anyone with the talent to play in "The League." Filled with uncommon insight and light-hearted humor, The Sixth Man is a groundbreaking work of sports journalism, heralding the arrival of a sharp new writing talent.