NBA’s Etan Thomas has tips on being an all-star...

NBA’s Etan Thomas has tips on being an all-star...

Etan Thomas, above with family, has authored "Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge"

When Etan Thomas asks, Whos your daddy? it is not a rhetorical question.

The 11-year-NBA veteran and former Syracuse standout center explores all angles of male parentage in his latest book, Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge, out Tuesday.

A father of three, the 33-year-old Harlem-born Thomas understands daddy issues intimately. The Obama administration even chose him to participate in the Presidents town hall meetings on fatherhood.

But Thomas, who now plays for the Atlanta Hawks, doesnt just rely on his own voice to convey the importance of parenthood.

He also enlists the help of nearly 50 celebrity contributors athletes like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Durant and Tony Hawk; musicians like Ice Cube, Damian Marley and Chuck D; and politicians like Howard Dean, the Rev. Al Sharpton and Rep. Elijah Cummings.

So while Thomas has already developed a reputation as a tough enforcer in the paint, his latest book has turned him into not only a shot blocker but a defender of fatherhood.

What motivated you to write this book?

I just wanted to go through each topic and aspect of fatherhood. Some parts focus on young men getting over the anger of not having a father with them. In another chapter, I deal with the fact that when kids are younger and come from a single-parent home, all these statistics tell them that they are not going to be successful. They are going to end up in prison. I want to tell young people they can create their own path and here are some people who have done just that. These are people who have been through situations way worse than yours. Just look at Baron Davis and Kevin Durant, both of whom were able to rise above their upbringings.

Why invite such a varied set of contributors?

I wanted to have a mix of people who can speak to everybody. Somebody might hear more from Ice Cube than they would from Tony Hawk. Other people might hear more from Elijah Cummings than they would from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The more voices, the wider the sector of young people that would be reached.

Im not a fatherhood expert. It is not something that I have a degree in. Im not qualified to lecture anybody. Its a learning process for me as well. I wanted to hear from all these different men so I could learn, too.

What was your father situation like when you were growing up?

My parents were divorced when I was younger. My father was not in the home with me. Sure, I had a relationship with him, but it wasnt the same as if he had actually lived in the house. I explain in the book how I had to look at other men as positive role models, like my pastor or my assistant coach at Syracuse, or my grandfather. These were positive men that I had to have in my life for guidance.