The film “Basketball Diaries” is based on a series of diary entries written by Jim Carroll during the early years of his life, these entries would later be published as a novel. Growing up in the slums of New York City, Carroll was exposed to many instances of drug abuse, and due to his stress-filled life, such as living in an unstable fatherless family and losing his best friend, he started engaging in substance abuse. As a teenager, Carroll was willing to do anything just to fit in with his peers. He was an avid basketball player who seemed to be devoted to the sport and was knowledgeable when it came to teaching others what he knew about the sport. Based on the opening scenes of the film, it can be said that Carroll was a very impressionable teenager. Like many teenagers, Carroll was left open to the influences of his environment and thus was misled because instead of trying to guide him on the right path, the elders led him to what would inevitably become his destruction. This document will provide basic information about ...