Dreams and

Nightmares

January-March 2022

In North Carolina's poorest community resides its richest basketball. Kinston High School basketball coach Perry Tyndall rejected documentary requests by Netflix and others but allowed us to spend a season behind the scenes with his program for a multi-part written and video series examining the challenges kids face to survive when basketball may be their only way out.

Series Content

Written pieces are behind a hard paywall. A PDF example of Part 1 can be found here.

Part 1

Inside NC’s poorest community lies its richest basketball where nightmares fight dreams

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Part 2

It started as a basketball game. It ended as a reminder of what Kinston is up against.

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Part 3

As teens are gunned down in Kinston, can basketball’s refuge prevent another victim?

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Part 4

On the banks of the Neuse River, basketball is the escape many teens turn to in order to keep away from gangs and violence. Eventually, their playing careers end.

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Hardship, community, legends, this is Kinston basketball

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Hardship, community, legends, this is Kinston basketball

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It began as a celebration of basketball. It ended as a reminder of what Kinston’s up against

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Hard work of Kinston High player and his father 'finally starting to pay off'

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