From the start of the novel, we learn that Danny is small for his age, coming in at 55 inches for most of the story until he grows an inch toward its end. This is prohibitive for him, as it is the main reason that he is kept from making the Middletown Vikings. His heroes aren’t necessarily those who are taller than him; rather he looks up to professional basketball players, seeing how rare it is to be taken seriously when a young boy is smaller than is considered “normal.” Danny’s height becomes symbolic throughout the novel, as Lupica continuously refers to Danny’s perspective on bigger players. The appearance of these players makes Danny doubt his abilities as a basketball player and make him hope that he will grow. As a result, when Danny measures himself the night that he discovers that his dad’s plan is for him to coach the team after Richie’s accident, it is symbolic of the added responsibility that Danny has now.

Much of the novel focuses on Danny’s journey and his relationship with the Warriors and the Vikings. At first, Danny is heartbroken when he doesn’t make the seventh-grade travel team, believing that he has let down his father’s legacy while also knowing that it has everything to do with Mr.