CHARACTER
The Crossoverby Kwame Alexander

Josh Bell

Josh Bell Character Analysis

Quick Facts

Who They Are

Bold, lyrical, and electrified by rhythm, Josh Bell is both a dominant point guard and a poet of the court. Known as “Filthy McNasty,” he narrates The Crossover in pulsing verse that mirrors his crossover dribble—quick, surprising, and full of feints. His identity is braided from three strands: the game that defines him, his twin bond with Jordan “JB” Bell, and the inherited legend of Chuck “Da Man” Bell. Through Josh’s voice, the novel explores Family and Brotherhood, Identity and Self-Discovery, and Grief and Loss with immediacy and heart.

Personality & Traits

Josh blends swagger with sensitivity. On the court, he’s a showman who relishes dominance; off it, he’s a word-lover who processes life through definition poems and tight internal rhyme. The tension between his fierce loyalty and quick temper drives the story: when he feels his bond with JB slipping, his competitive fire flares into jealousy and impulsivity.

  • Passionate and driven: He “lives and breathes” practice and performance, measuring life in beats and buzzer sounds. His narration’s hip-hop cadence mirrors the game’s tempo.
  • Articulate and poetic: Josh drops vocabulary lessons and metaphor-rich lines, using language to make sense of fear, love, and anger—especially in poems like “Cut” and “Before.”
  • Confident showman: As “Filthy McNasty,” he claims a persona “so downright dirty, it’ll put you to shame,” signaling how performance becomes armor.
  • Sensitive and insecure: The loss of his dreadlocks—his “wings”—and JB’s growing focus on Alexis leave him feeling like a “third wheel,” exposing how much of his selfhood rests on image and brotherhood.
  • Loyal to a fault: His missteps are often misguided attempts to protect what he loves most—his twin bond and his father’s legacy.
  • Prone to anger and jealousy: When threatened by Alexis, he lashes out, culminating in the infamous pass that injures JB.

Character Journey

Josh’s arc is a series of crossovers—from myth to maturity. He begins certain of who he is: a hooper with “wings” for hair, a twin whose life is a mirror-play with JB, and the heir to Da Man’s highlight reel. When JB’s attention shifts and Josh’s locks are cut, his certainty frays. Feeling sidelined, he lets resentment pilot a brutal split-second choice: firing a pass that breaks JB’s nose. Consequences push him into reflection and Consequences and Forgiveness, but the true turning point is his father’s failing heart. As Da Man weakens, Josh’s priorities pivot from rivalry to responsibility. He reclaims his name—Josh, not just “Filthy”—and learns to hold grief and love at once. After his father’s death, JB’s gift of the championship ring seals their reconciliation and ushers Josh into a harder, humbler version of greatness: not only a star on the court, but a son and brother who can “dance through the storm.”

Key Relationships

  • Jordan “JB” Bell: Josh’s twin is his mirror and measuring stick. When JB falls for Alexis, their synchronized rhythm falters; Josh’s jealousy reveals how dependent he is on their twinship. Their healing—culminating in the ring exchange—shows Josh learning to love JB as an individual, not just an extension of himself.
  • Chuck “Da Man” Bell: Idol, coach, and cautionary tale. Josh imitates Chuck’s style (from the dreadlocks to the swagger) and absorbs his “Basketball Rules,” but he also witnesses the cost of pride as Chuck avoids medical care. Loving his father through decline redefines “Da Man” for Josh as responsibility, tenderness, and legacy.
  • Dr. Crystal Bell: The family’s steady center. Her insistence on academics and health appointments counters Josh’s single-minded focus, teaching him that discipline extends beyond the court. In crisis, her composure models a strength Josh grows into.
  • Alexis (“Miss Sweet Tea”): The spark that exposes Josh’s insecurities. He reads her as an intruder, but her presence ultimately forces him to expand his identity beyond the twin cocoon, making room for JB’s independence and his own.

Defining Moments

Even Josh’s greatest plays happen in the shadow of personal turning points. Each moment strips away a layer of performance and clarifies who he is becoming.

  • The Lost Bet (“Cut”): JB accidentally slices off several dreadlocks; Josh shaves his head. Why it matters: Losing his “wings” destabilizes his image and triggers a crisis that makes him vulnerable to jealousy and anger.
  • The Pass (“Before”): In a game, Josh rockets a pass into JB’s face, breaking his nose and earning a suspension. Why it matters: It’s his moral low point—anger weaponized—forcing him to confront consequences and the fragility of trust.
  • Dad’s Collapse (“At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad”): Josh witnesses Chuck’s heart attack and attempts CPR. Why it matters: The court, once a sanctuary, becomes a site of trauma; winning and losing take on life-and-death meaning.
  • The Championship Game (“The Last Shot”): Josh hits the game-winner while his father lies in the hospital. Why it matters: Athletic triumph can’t cancel grief; Josh learns to carry both glory and sorrow.
  • Receiving the Ring (“Free Throws”): After the funeral, JB hands Josh their father’s championship ring. Why it matters: The gesture consecrates forgiveness and passes on legacy; Josh steps into a new identity grounded in care, not swagger.

Symbolism

Josh’s image and on-court persona function as metaphors for his evolving self. The dreadlocks signify pride, heritage, and inherited greatness; losing them exposes the boy beneath the bravado. “Filthy McNasty” is a performance-mask that grants power and distance—shedding it for “Josh” marks vulnerability and growth. The crossover itself mirrors his life: fast, disorienting shifts that forge his Coming of Age.

Essential Quotes

Josh Bell
is my name.
But Filthy McNasty is my claim to fame.
Folks call me that
’cause my game’s acclaimed,
so downright dirty, it’ll put you to shame.

This self-introduction fuses identity and spectacle: Josh asserts a given name while advertising a constructed persona. The rhyme and bravado show how performance is both confidence and camouflage.

...ever since I watched
the clip of Dad
posterizing
that seven-foot Croatian center... his
long twisted hair like wings
carrying him
high above
the rim—I knew
one day
I’d need
my own wings
to fly.

Hair becomes inheritance and aspiration. Josh’s “wings” metaphor links style to capability, revealing how his self-belief is braided with his father’s myth.

I fire a pass
so hard,
it levels him,
the blood
from his nose
still shooting
long after the shot-
clock buzzer goes off.

The clipped lines and violent imagery enact Josh’s loss of control. This is the moment swagger curdles into harm, marking the cost of jealousy.

I prefer to be called Josh, Dad.
Not Filthy.

A quiet request with seismic implications. Choosing “Josh” over “Filthy” signals a shift from showmanship to sincerity, from inherited hype to self-authored identity.

I guess you Da Man now, Filthy, JB says.
And for the first time in my life
I don’t want to be.

The ring’s implied transfer of legacy feels heavy, not heroic. Josh’s resistance shows true maturation: leadership isn’t a highlight—it's a burden he learns to shoulder.