The Final Four

Many of the characters in The Final Four come from difficult backgrounds, but Bacic’s family history and struggle are not as obvious as the others’. He comes from Croatia, a country that was consumed by war during his childhood. Bacic grew up in a war zone and, even after the war, had to watch as criminals took over a large part of the country. His uncle was targeted and killed by these criminals, and Bacic was forced to flee to America. Like McBride, Bacic has been affected by death and grief so he plays basketball as a tribute to those he has lost. Bacic is quiet, confident, and polite. He has witnessed and endured more pain and horror than most of the characters in the book, but he refuses to show this part of his past to others. He locks his most painful memories away in a journal while presenting a cool, calm demeanor to the rest of the world.

Bacic is a leader. He provides support to his teammates even when they might not realize that he is doing so. In one instance, he gives Rice advice in a broad and unspecific way, even though he worries that he might hurt Rice by telling the truth. In another instance, he coaches a young boy on a basketball court and teaches the boy the same lessons that his Uncle Drazen taught him. Bacic finds these experiences rewarding, to the point where he is almost a second coach for the team. Bacic is the mature leader on a team that never expected to achieve as much as it has. His grounded, sensible leadership provides an example to others on the team.

McBride and Bacic have a lot in common. Both have experienced grief, and both are leaders on their team. Unlike McBride, Bacic does not view his future in the world of basketball. He studies hard to become a journalist and follow in the footsteps of his uncle. Basketball is a means to an end, and Bacic uses the sport as another way to express himself. His journal, his academic career, and his sport are all part of a desire to pay tribute to the people he has lost, expressing his emotions and his grief in a healthy, productive manner.

Michael Jordan shares his name with one of the greatest, most famous basketball players of all time. He prefers to go by the name MJ to hide his famous name, if only slightly. Growing up with such an illustrious name has been difficult for MJ. He struggles to match up to the expectations placed on him by his name and almost resents the real Michael Jordan for putting undue pressure on him. He also resents his father’s devotion to the basketball icon, though his father died when he was young. Furthermore, the name attracts undue attention to his inferior basketball skills, causing MJ to be self-conscious about his role on the team. MJ’s life is an ongoing battle to overcome the pressure placed on him by sharing a name with the most famous person in his chosen sport.

MJ does not want to be a professional basketball player. He studies hard and wants to become a broadcaster. His hero is Barack Obama, and he fills his college essays with references to the President. MJ purposefully choses a hero who enjoys basketball but does not dedicate his life to the sport. MJ sees much of himself in Obama’s life and hopes to follow in the footsteps of the President rather than his own namesake. His admiration for Barack Obama is motivated by empathy as much as respect.

MJ is not dedicated to basketball to the same extent as his roommate, McBride, but the two young men use the sport for the rewards. MJ uses basketball to win a college scholarship and achieve his goals of becoming a broadcaster, while McBride hopes to become a professional basketball player to lift his family out of poverty. The two characters eventually realize that they have a great deal in common. A reserved respect, rather than a warm friendship, emerges between the two of them as they become aware of their similarities as much as their differences.