1989

“The year is 1989. The culture is basketball. The religion is basketball. The language is basketball. Black basketball.

Davyon, exiled to Denver after a fight with his abusive father, has a basketball jones. Tryouts at Jackson High are six weeks away, but the competition is tough. So is Church, the closeted ex-pro whose toxic manner is triggering but whose talent is undeniable. Davyon hopes the OG will coach him into shape, but Church isn’t interested-at least, not until Davyon squares up with Tyree, a homophobic hoop phenom and the one person standing in his way.

Selected by ‘Pemi Aguda as the winner of the CRAFT 2025 Novelette Print Prize Vince Omni’s 1989 is a coming-of-age that unfolds across scrimmages both on the court and off. Structured as an interview for a film student’s documentary, Davyon reflects on his summer in Denver being mentored by Church, a former NBA vet with twelve seasons under his belt, ahead of his own high school tryouts. A marvel of narrative voice, 1989 is steeped in Black basketball culture but universally applicable, capturing “the pain that comes with an expanding understanding of the world.”