Significance of Lincoln Rec

Lincoln Rec is a municipal gymnasium in East L.A. that is the focal point for much of the novel. It doubles as a basketball court and homeless shelter that attracts a wide variety of characters from the 'hood to indulge in their love for hoops. It is a paradise of sorts for these men, who love coming there despite its shabby appearance, because it is the only place where they have any control in their lives. As the author writes of its patrons: "No matter who they are, or why they come, every one of them squints their eyes when they step foot out of the dark gym and back into the bright world that waits outside."