Hoop Tomes

I have several posts in the hopper and I'm working on some fun stuff to do once the season starts (will this season ever start?). One of the reasons that I haven't been able to finish writing my posts about the NBA is that I have been doing a lot of reading about the NBA. I recently read, The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. An amazing book. I could not put it down. Take a look at this image:

See that? See Wilt Chamberlain stretching out over Bill Russell...did the shot go in or did Russell block it? This kind of match-up transformed the NBA into a game that was much closer to what we see today. Before these two guys came along, you didn't see this kind of thing happening in the league. The ebb and flow of the game was different. The man to man match ups were different. But when those two athletes, one who could score whenever he wanted and one who could stop who ever he wanted, went head to head for the first time on November 7th, 1959, the game changed. Make that Changed.

This book also has great sections on Walter Brown, Red Auerbach, Bob Cousy, Thomas Heinsohn, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.

It does not shy away from the racism of the 60s and the remnants of Jim Crow. This was during a time when black players were cheered from the stands but told they could not stay with the white players in the hotel in town. These kinds of clashes were peculiar to basketball at the time. It was way ahead of the rest of the country when it came to racial integration and to a degree, racial reconciliation.

So that's my big push. If you read one book about the NBA in your life, read the Rivalry by John Taylor. You will not be disappointed.

Here's a list of other NBA books that I've read and enjoyed. Take a look and buy one for yourself or that special NBA fan in your life. You'll also be putting a tiny (every so tiny) amount of $ the Hoop Geek's pocket.

Basketball on Paper: Rules and Tools for Performance Analysis	This book is heavy on numbers but it gives a great insight into today's game with a big emphasis on team statistics as well as detailed looks at the abilities of individual players. There a lot of knowledge and numbers in Dean Oliver's book so take it slow and give yourself time to soak it up.
Basketball on Paper: Rules and Tools for Performance Analysis	I bought this book as a gift for a friend of mine but I made the mistake of reading the first few pages and...he did get it but it was a late present. Mr. Spike Lee writes a pretty good hoop book. I like reading books from guys like Spike. It's basketball, he's a fan and he talks about the game like a fan would. He also writes about sitting next to Woody Allen at Knicks games and compliments Mr. Allen on his hoop geekery (my words, not his). It's been a while since I read it but I think he insinuates that Penny Hardaway was better than Michael Jordan at the time and that he thought Michael Jordan agreed with him but wouldn't come out and say it. What? To quote Marvelous Mars Blackman, "Money! Why you wanna do me like that?" Stop reading and watch that commercial again. A classic.
Rare Air: Michael on Michael	This book is out of print now but it's worth it if you can get your hands on one. I'm going to have to buy one myself because one night I knocked over a glass of water and it went all over my copy. It's a picture book of Michael Jordan's career. It's not thick, but the pages are big. Some great quotes in there too. Be sure to check the commentary on some of the pictures in the back.
The Jordan Rules	Ah, the Jordan Rules. Mr. Smith stirred up a lot of controversy when this one came out. Here is my overriding thought on this book, he shouldn't have written it like he did. Here's why: When people are among family and friends, they say things that they would not say in public and certainly not to the media. One of the things that makes civilization work is that people realize that some of thoughts should be kept to one's self or one's inner circle. Everybody reading this knows what I'm talking about. You know how pissed off you would be if some one in your inner circle decided to write a book about things you blabbed in un-guarded moments. That is what I think happened here. Mr. Smith worked hard to get in that inner circle but it wasn't to be a friend, it was so he could write a book and make money off another person's trust. I think Mr. Smith was wrong to print some of the stuff he was privy to but that being said, it's still a great book.
Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior	It's hard for a Maverick's fan to be Phil Jackson fan since during his time with the Lakers he has orchestrated some down right embarrassing beatings of the Mavs. Then during one of the rare times when Dallas was beating them handily...Phil called time out in the final minute of the game. And don't get me started about what happened on December 6th, 2002. I'm still not over that. But after reading Scared Hoops, I've changed my mind. I'm not a hater anymore, I'm no Laker fan...that's for dang sure, but I'm a Phil Jackson fan. Sacred Hoops is a great story about his early life, his days as a player and how his concept of true team basketball evolved over the course of his life. The Zen stuff is pretty interesting too.
Sports Illustrated: The Basketball Book	This is a big coffee table sized book but you will pick it up and flip through each page. Great photographs and nice way to look at how the game evolved from Dr. Naismith's 13 rules to what we have today.

One last thing about the olden days. Check out this Youtube video of Wilt Chamberlain at age 17. The narrator's line at the end is classic, "Remeber the name Wilt Chamberlain. It will probably make big sports copy for years to come..."

If you are reading this on Facebook, click here to view the video.