​​Fifty years ago, I walked into the Palma living room as Coach Dick Vitale from the University of Detroit to recruit Mike Palma, a Parade All-American basketball player at St. Agnes High School in Rockville Centre, Long Island to play for me. I recruited him with all of the passion I had because I knew he was one of the legendary Coach, Frank Morris’s true superstars.

But I learned early on that talent alone is not enough to get the best recruit. You have to look beyond the players stats to determine their work ethic, how they operate under pressure, and whether they have heart.

In memory of his favorite Coach Valvano and his beloved twin sister, Michelle who passed away from cancer 25 years apart, and in honor of the V Foundation for Cancer Research’s work in pediatric cancer research Mike and Ripples Media are donating 30% of the proceeds of this book to the Vitale Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research. I may have not won Mike Palma the recruit, but I sure won Mike Palma the man for the Vitale team to fight for the kids who have cancer!  

Yes, Mike is a winner in the GAME OF LIFE and is AWESOME BABY with a Capital “A”!

— Dick Vitale, ESPN analyst and member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame