I haven't read these myself yet, but I like books that have a series. If kids engage in one, then there's some runway for the to go deeper. Unfortunately, there are only two books in the series at the moment and with Kobe Bryant's death, I'm not sure what that means to the future of the series.
The books are about a young basketball team (12 year olds) and are co-authored by Kobe Bryant so the sports culture is authentic. Of course, I didn't play basketball, so what do I know but it rings true to me and the dialog between the kids is well done. The dialog does seem a little above the age of the kids but maybe not for the kids in their situation. There appears to be some kind of mystical or magical element going on in the story as well.
The sample I've read is well written and engaging. I'm looking forward to reading more. The page count is over 500 pages so it's substantial reading but the second book is only 165. The reading level seems targeted at middle school and higher but I'd have to read more to really get a feeling for that.
Here's the description from the publisher:
Magic doesn’t seem possible for the West Bottom Badgers. They’re the lowest-ranked basketball team in their league, and they live in the poorest neighborhood in Dren. Nobody expects them to succeed at anything. Plus, every kid on the team has secret struggles of his own. When a new coach named Professor Wizenard arrives on the first day of training camp, the Badgers can’t explain the magical-seeming things they see and hear. Every player experiences unique and strange visions—visions that challenge everything they thought they knew about basketball, and about their lives and their secrets off the court. To survive the increasingly intense ordeals of training, the Badgers will need to take unimaginable risks, learn to trust their teammates, and confront the darkness within themselves.
It's also available on Audible as well as an e-book through Rakuten Kobo.