Basketball Books

Do you dare to dream? The Uconn Huskies basketball team goes on a big dream ride during the 1999 season. Jim Calhoun is the coach of the Huskies. He has worked them hard for their chance into the Final FOur. Most people didn't think Uconn was a big factor in the tournament. So Uconn was out to prove to the world that they could play with the big dogs. They might have never been to the Final Four before, but this year feels like they've been there before.
I like this book because I love sports and it gives you an idea of good teamwork. I think this book is good because if you work hard it might pay off. I watched the team come together right before my eyes. I felt like I was helping them along to win or I was in the story.
I would recommend this book to people who like sports or who enjoy a good book. I also think that anyone who likes to get lost in a book would love this! The book is exciting and suspenseful. I think people who don't mind getting trapped in the best sports book in the world should read this book!!!!

The other readers must have read this right after the Huskies won the championship--the fact that it was such an intoxicating moment for UCONN lovers must have hurt their judgement. I for one *LOVE* UCONN, yet this book reads like a rough draft. Calhoun also reveals little about the season that a devote UCONN fan wouldn't already know. I reccomend "Huskie-Mania" by Jim Shea for Huskie fans out there.

...for the Connecticut Huskies you must read this book. I am a 1995 Graduate of UConn. I was at the school for a chunk of this miraculous decade. And I have never felt more proud of that school or that amazing basketball team than I do after reading this book. Jim Calhoun is funny, strong, tender and candid in this book. A man whom we don't often get an insight to (other than reading a few four letter words on his lips from the sidelines) opens his heart and soul to us in this book. He shares the moments that tore him down, and the moments that made him realize he has the best job in the world. He is an inspiration. A leader. A great coach. And, a champion.

As a UCONN grad (class of 88) this book was a wonderful retrospective of Jim Calhoun's work ethic, love, tragedies, perseverence and humor that led to a storybook finish at the NCAA Final Four. I couldn't put this book down as it took me down memory lane. I really enjoyed Jim's wit and honesty and understand why he has built such a great program. It shows how success is created; with a lttle luck but alot of hard work, perseverence, discipline and making the best of what you have. I think this is a great read for any sports fan but is a must read if you have been caught up in the magic of Connecticut basketball.

Calhoun and Montville have crafted a masterpiece!

Calhoun writes like he talks, quick and witty (yes, it's funny!). It is an effective, fast-break style that has readers feeling like they are participating in one of Calhoun's practices. It is never boring, always moving. If you love UConn hoops, you will love this book -- guaranteed.

Calhoun is never chest-thumping. His tone is honest, warm, and humble. He is even a little self-effacing (hey, not even The Coach is above reproach).

Calhoun takes us from his days at Northeastern and prior, through the Dream Season, and into the X's and O's of the Championship Season. You will want read this slowly because you won't want it to end! There are a plethora of tid-bits and stories about the Calhoun era that even the most avid fans will respond with frequent shouts of "Wow!" and pumps of the fist.

Thanks Coach, and thanks, Leigh -- two guys who bleed Husky blue just like the rest of us in Husky Nation!

For all shoujo anime/manga fans out there, this is a must read! Of course, that's only my opinion. I really liked this series and I have already finished reading all of it in Chinese. Also, go read Fruits Basket and HANA-KIMI!!!!

This is one story you wouldnt want to miss!!! A story of a girl that got enrolled into a cool school by her father.. its almost perfect, or so she thought.. Until she found out that she got enrolled as a "BOY". Follow how is she going to resolve her predicament, specially when she starts to like a boy, who is by the way her roommate and also a teammate in basketball. What is she going to do??

This Manga, is soo funny that is addicting. Full of Lovable Characters, crazy antics and will just keep you asking for more!!!!

You havent read this yet, piece of advice!! A MUST READER!!

The review format is out of whack. I've seen stuff for Volume 2 marked under the section for Vol 4 or 8. This says it is Volume 10, but likely this very review title is wrong. If this is Volume 10, Volume 10 is the last of the series. The situation with her is resolved finally with her recently being discovered to be female. Is she allowed to stay, and will she find the boy of her dreams? You'll have to find out, I haven't read it either.

{Note: I put this review on the page for Volume 8 of Girl Got Game, but for some reason Amazon has put this review under other volumes.}

Here's the summary given by Tokyopop (the summary Amazon has written is for a different volume):

"The perfect combination for love: magical mushrooms and steamy hot springs! Imai decides that the basketball team should go on a mushroom gathering trip to the hot springs. During the trip Kensuke tells an annoyed Chiharu that he's asked Kyo to go steady with him. To spice things up, Kyo and Chiharu mistakenly eat some mushrooms, which make them behave in rather uncharacteristic ways - like confessing their love for each other! Is it love brewing or are the mushrooms doing the talking?"

This volume was as hilarious as the others. Between the hijinx and misunderstandings this book had me cracking up all the way through. And what's great about this volume is that we finally get to see a progression in Chiharu and Kyo's relationship.

Just as the summary said, these two end up in a pretty close encounter when they eat some bad mushrooms on a school trip. But just when you think those two might finally go somewhere, Kyo and Kenseke end up in a pretty "interesting" position . . . one you just have to see. But not to worry, this just helps to set the stage for some honesty in feelings between Kyo and Chiharu.

I would highly recommend getting this volume . . . as a matter of fact I would highly recommend getting the entire series. It is just sooo funny. It will have you rolling on the floor in fits of laughter.

Shizaru Seino has created an awesome series. She acts like she knows so much about basket ball, yet in an interview with Seino from volume 2, she doesn't even know how to play basketball. If I had a conversation with her, I'd tell her she should play basketball, considering I've played basketball for years.


In the last book, a new character, Kensuke Yura, appears. He's very smart and has played basketball before, yet he hasn't shown up for practice for such a long time. But Kyo convinces him to come back. At Kyo and Yura's first practice together, Kyo finds out that Yura doesn't really have a good relationship with the other players.

Then an accidental encounter leads up to a big misunderstanding involving...Chiharu, the guy who is ticked off everyday about something different. But something happens that totally leaves Kyo in the dust.

What is it? Read the book and find out ^_^.

I bought this as a Father's Day gift for the father who has everything and is a Terp fanatic! He loved it, read it in one day and shared it with his other Gary groupies.

If you enjoy stories on overcoming the odds to be a champion, this is up your alley.
There are always inside stories that make some of these triumphs improbable. Family tragedies, tough strategic decisions and Juan Dixon's determination are the key ingrediants in this turtle's march to basketball prowess. Fear the Turtle!

A well written book by a true insider. The author knows more about this team than anyone. I highly recommend it to "true" Maryland fans.

I'm an extremely big Maryland sports fan - season tickets, final four, etc.

When I heard about this book, I had an idealistic hope that the book would be very detailed and interesting- Barr was the beat writer, the books title ('the inside story') , and because it took so long to come out (why wasnt it out before xmas?). i assumed it would have a ton that we didnt already read in the papers, saw on tv during the games, talked about on message board, etc.

but it didnt. It was just a summary. A great story but Maryland fans have heard it already.

I didnt really learn anything new from the book. it was very short (about 190 pages) , and i finished it in less than 2 hours probably.

There werent a ton of factual errors but the ones that were in were blatant and annoying. For instance, he says that Maryland lost to Arizona in the NCAAs the year after Steve Francis left, but any casual Maryland can tell you that is mistaken.

The question is - is Josh Barr just trying to make some money off Maryland's successful season? You decide.

This is a great book. I'm not even a big Maryland fan, and I found the whole story riveting. Josh Barr is an excellent reporter who was able to get all sorts of insider details that other reporters couldn't. He clearly knew the coaches and the players really well, but he also doesn't pull any punches. The road to a national championship is always a tough one, but it's amazing what this team had to go through along the way. The book really reinforces what an incredible player and leader Juan Dixon was. Lots of stories I had never heard before.

SITE WAS NOT CLEAR ABOUT THIS BOOK, WE ASK FOR A GOLF BOOK, THEY DID NOT TELL US IT WAS A BASKET BALL BOOK, WE WILL RETURNING IT AS SOON AS WE ARE CONTACTED, CAN NOT SAY WILL RETURN TO THIS SEL FOR FUTURE BUYS OF THIS SORT, NEED TO CLARIFY BEFORE WE PLACE ORDER THK YOU M. COLOMBO

As a former Pete Newell, Jr. player, I eagerly anticipated the printing of this book. I had heard plenty about his father that I knew he was not only a "Good Man," but a great man as well. Coach Newell, Jr. was my inspiration to join the coaching ranks, and still is. However, knowing your past helps you know your future. This book sheds light on, who I biasly feel is the greatest college basketball mind. In all the research and studying I've done over the years to prepare myself for coaching, I feel this book has given me so much more than what I have read to date. The book is enlightening, philosophical, saddening and amazingly funny. I recommend this for any college basketball fan or basketball coach. You won't regret it.

First, I must confess I know Pete Newell and family. One normally expects an author to explore the pros and cons of a man. But this book is biased in exploring Pete Newell's life and his coaching. Anyone who explores Pete Newell could only write in this fashion. I have never found anyone who had a problem dealing with Pete and the book in my opinion is accurate and truthful. Thank you Mr. Jenkins for documenting one of the best and most popular basketball minds ever. Pete has a saying in basketball, you are either a giver or taker. Pete in life, has been a big giver. I will always cherish that part of my life which included Pete and Florence Newell. This from someone who is not easily impressed. I played at UCLA for John Wooden.

I really liked this book. I have followed some of the stuff that Pete has done with the Big Man's camps over the years, but didn't know much about Pete as a coach and his history of the game. After reading the book, I feel like I am a more knowledgeable student of the game, hoping it will make me a better coach in the long run.

So much history is covered, I liked reading the comments of other players, coaches, Pete's players. I have been a Wooden fan, but this book makes me appreciate so much more about Pete. I also liked reading the stories, the practical jokes, and just the background. Seeing how things were done 40-50 years ago, the players/athletes Pete influenced, his connections with people like Pete Rozelle, Joe Kapp, Bobby Knight, Jerry West, Cap Lavin, etc.

The title of the book is quite appropriate for such a great coach. I think the only thing I was looking for was the relationships he shares with his sons, especially after he retired from coaching.

Good book, a must read for those who love the game!

To Anyone Interested in this Book...Let me qualify myself as totally biased; yet truthful in my perception of this man, my Father. Pete Newell is both my Father and my 'celebrity' Uncle. I've been Blessed by being his son and a part of 'my' family of brothers (3), who ALL have influenced my life in incredible ways. My Father has a saying that, in fact he has many, but this one pretty much tells the story. "The fish stinks from the head down." Vice/Versa, in this case. Point being: if it's good, it starts at the top; if it's bad....well you can follow 'it' from here. My Father is just one of the most incredible people I'll ever know and I am reinforced on this by the countless souls who I run into on a daily, weekly and monthly basis...that's why I refer to him as "The celebrity Uncle." He touches people in a way, with his amazing perceptions and thoughts that strike people as.....AMAZING; yet his totally down to earth style..... blows people away. I attribute MOST of this skill that he posesses to my Mom, Florence. Now THAT was an amazing women. I can't EVER imagine having grown up in a BETTER home, than the one I was VERY fortunate to grow up in. 3 incredible brothers, all independent, smart and loving of their little brother (me) and two of the greatest parents a child could EVER have.......read the book, you'll get the program and if you don't.......it's on YOU

"The Return of the Indian" is a very good and probably better sequel to "Indian in the Cupboard".
I loved the intense suspense in this book and the creative storyline, but I think the author rushes certain parts that are some of the main points. The summary on the back gives too much away, so don't read it. The story is about a boy with a magical key. When he uses it on a cupboard he found in a street garbage can, the cupboard makes any plastic figure inside the cupboard alive as a mini figure of the real person in time. The people that come alive are really people in time. When something happens to Little Bear, Omri has to call even more figures like a nice nurse, a marine squad with tons of firepower , and a load of angry Iroquois Mohawks who want revenge on the English for burning their homes down. If you have read the first book you'll love the second one to this magical series!

by James Lutz

"The Return of the Indian" is a very good sequel to "Indian in the Cupboard".
I loved the intense suspense in this book and the creative storyline, but I think the author rushes certain parts. The summary on the back gives too much away, so don't read it. The story is about a boy with a magical key. When he uses it on a special cupboard makes any plastic figure inside the cupboard alive. When something happens to Little Bear, Omri has to call even more figures like a matron, a marine squad, and a load of Iroquois mohawks. If you have read the first book you'll love the second one!

by James Lutz

"The Return of the Indian" is a very good sequel to "Indian in the Cupboard".
I loved the intense suspense in this book and the creative storyline, but I think the author rushes certain parts. The summary on the back gives too much away, so don't read it. The story is about a boy with a magical key. When he uses it on a special cupboard makes any plastic figure inside the cupboard alive. When something happens to Little Bear, Omri has to call even more figures like a matron, a marine squad, and a load of Iroquois mohaks. If you have read the first book you'll love the second one!

"The Return of the Indian" is a very good book, and probably a better one than "The Indian in the Cupboard". The story is about a boy(Omri) who finds a locked cupboard in a garbage can in the streets of London. When his mother gives him a key that fits no lock in his house, he tries the key on the cupboard it opens! And the story goes farther when he puts a plastic Indian he got from his friend Patric, in the cupboard, and it comes to life!! That was the "Indian in the Cupboard". In the "Return of the Indian", Omri brings back his Indian(Little Bear) and a cowboy, theres even more fun. But when something Happens to Little Bear, Omri must bring even more plastic figures to life, like a very patient and kind nurse, A marine squad with a howitzer and blazing machine guns, and a load of Iroquois tomahawks that want revenge on the English for burning their homes. I loved the action and suspense in this book. I liked the creative storyline, but I think the Author rushes a certain part of the book. If you have read the fist book in this magical series, you'll love the second!

The Return of the Indian is the second book to the sequel of The Indian in the Cupboard & at the end of the book in The Indian in the Cupboard the toys were not real anymore & Boone the cowboy & Little Bear went back home & in the second book, Omri couldn't believe he would bring them back again.

This book is alright & I enjoy it alot!

A year after Omri first meets his Indian friend, he decides to visit him again, only to find that Little Bear is close to death and in need of help.

I like the chapter called "Chapter 10. Boone's Brainwave" because it just makes me happy because of Boone the cowboy.

This is one heck of a sequel & that book The Return of the Indian reminds me of anything like Oliver Twist & Black Beauty or Son of Black Beauty.

This is just a good book & I loved it?

A good biography teaches you something not just about the subject of the book but about life itself. Yao Ming's book not only fails to do this but its narrative style is such that the reader is concurrently bored and frustrated whilst trying to reach the end of this rather dull tale.

Yao wrote his autobiography at too early a stage in his career. True character is forged through adversity and at twenty five years of age, Yao simply hasn't had any opportunity to undergo the proverbial trial by fire. Yao omits to mention or only tangentially scratches upon many of the issues that I would consider interesting. How does he deal with the sudden influx of new "friends"? What discrimination, blatant or otherwise, does a 7"5' Chinese man face when stepping out from mainland China into one of the hubs of the Anglosphere? How does his relationship change with his childhood friends and the people that he has grown up with? Although it may appeal to avid basketball fans, my appraisal of the content of the book is that it lacks anything of real substance.

Sadly the structure and narrative of the book fare no better. The book was co-authored with Ric Bucher, who endeavours to maintain as much of the authentic "Yao flavour" as possible. He succeeds in this venture too well and much of the books is written in simple, boring and pedestrian English presumably because this is the way that Yao himself speaks. The book is laced with commentary from key members of Team Yao and this is confusing because the reader has to constantly refer to the "Cast of Characters" in order to place a context around what is being said.

I cannot recommend this book to anyone other than the most devoted Yao Ming acolyte and even then the reading would be for duty rather than for pleasure.

This book includes many interesting stories and facts that fans will definitely enjoy about the Chinese sports hero. It alludes to Yao's experiences back in China as it shows how he learned to adjust to a life as an NBA All-star. The book is informative and entertaining while it keeps one in constant exclamation over Yao's height, sizes, dreams, and experiences.

The physical book itself provides a good read with its medium size and clear print. Yao's stardom also makes the book a worthwhile collector's item.

If you are not much of a Yao Ming fan, however, you will probably not enjoy this book. It talks about him almost exclusively, and glimpses into Chinese basketball and cross-cultural struggles are given only from his perspective. Still, if you are collecting athlete biographies, this is not one to overlook.

Great book to know more about the history of Yao and his roots. Highly recommend.

The Houston Rockets spent the 2001 season's number one draft pick on Yao, a seven-foot, five-inch center from Shanghai, China. Yao's journey to the NBA has been chronicled in his autobiography, "Yao Ming: A Life In Two Worlds". He has proven to be a marketing goldmine for the profit-driven NBA. Yao appeared in a nationally televised Apple Macintosh Computer commercial (alongside the ubiquitous Verne Troyer, "Mini-Me" from Austin Powers) and being billed alternatively as the "Ming Dynasty" or the "Ming Emperor." Ticket sales and merchandising increase dramatically for Houston, trends that began before Yao had ever played a minute in the NBA. On the court, as well, he has made a huge contribution to his franchise. Ed Derse in a January 16, 2003 radio broadcast for American public media stated that "The Rockets, who finished in 2001 near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, now contend for a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive west."

Yao's commercial success and basketball skills signal the dawn of a new era in the NBA game. While the league has historically had some international flavor (Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon, Lithuanian Arvydas Sabonis, and Sudanese Manute Bol being members of the old guard of international competitors in the NBA), the American game is now reaching new heights of global exposure and global presence. Truly, these trends are complimentary in nature. As the NBA acquires more international talent, global citizens from regions that nurtured this new NBA talent become ardent fans and supporters of a specific NBA franchise or simply of the NBA in general. Jon L. Wertheim wrote in a piece for "Sports Illustrated" that these fans buy merchandise, tickets, and a portion of American culture all at the same time." They often go to great lengths to show support for their hometown heroes. The NBA reaches new heights in the era of radio, television, and Internet exposure. "Yao Ming: A Life In Two Worlds" is a first hand account of the ongoing globalization of the NBA.

Once I started reading the book, I could not put it down until I was done .

We have been buying this price guide since it's inception but the quality and content has been dropping the last few years. I suppose they are trying to keep the price down, but they are omitting and reducing too much. I would say though, until someone comes up with something more complete, it's the one to buy.

Great book, came in awesome condition and I love using it! Highly recomended for all NBA card collectors!

This book is so cool.I suggest you get it.It tells you just about everything you want to know about your cards and how much they are worth.Worth your money to buy it.It is the best thing that I have and it can be yours

Look, we all know that monthly price guides cannot possibly keep up with the explosion of basketball cards produced by all the companies putting out cards today. All they can do is focus on the name cards on the stars. But if you are trying to put together a set of 1957-58 Topps, 1986-87 Fleer or 1992-93 Hoops, then you need to know ALL the cards so you are prepared for dealers whether they organize their cards by number or team or player's name. With the "Beckett Basketball Card Price Guide" you have your best chance to find out exactly what is out there. True, in practical terms the prices quoted have a chance of being obsolete by the time you track down the cards you want, but the key thing about all of these Price Guides is that they list all the cards, including all the extras, bonsues, special sets and the like. Whether you are looking for a card of this year's MVP, Allen Iverson or Ernie Calverley (he was on the first basketball card put out by Bowman in 1948), this is the book you want to use to put together your want lists when I head out to the card shows.

This is a great source for the basketball collector. It is the most recent of the annual beckett price guides and provides listings for card sets that can't be found such as classic, scoreboard, chivas de guadalajara, and 5-sport sets. no card is left out has been left out. This updated book now gives you updated values for some of Kobe Bryant's rarest cards like the Scoreboard Die-Cut and the Chivas de Guadalajara team set Kobe RC edition. This book is recommended to all collectors.

I really enjoy this book, I wish that Art Chansky had waited until Smith past Adouph Rupp (which we all knew was going to happen) to release this masterpiece (Now I have to go out and by another editon of the same book!!!) None the less this is something all true blue fans need more than oxygen!! Congrats, Dean, we miss you. GO TAR HEELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Dean's List details every year of North Carolina basketball during Dean Smith's reign as coach. You get a brief commentary from Art Chansky, alot of good pictures and a team roster. The championship year of 1982 gets special attention, which is justified as it was a special team. You're not going to find any major revelations amongst these pages, but if you are a fan of Carolina basketball, this is an enjoyable read.

Great pictures, great memories, and great storie

The second I opened it I could not put it down! I love tarheel basketball. Everthing you want to know about tarheel basketball is in this book, baby!!

The problem with this book is not the content; Chansky's stories are often interesting. The real problem is that Chansky has serious problems with the English language. Scarcely a page goes by without a mangled mixed metaphor or breathless cliche. If you're a Carolina fan though, you probably won't notice.

THIS IS ABOUT THE FINAL YEAR OF THE GREAT DYNASTY OF THE BOSTON CELTICS FROM 1950'S THRU THE 1960'S. ALONG THE WAY THE AUTHOR TELLS A LITTLE ABOUT EACH PLAYER INCLUDING GM RED AUERBACH.ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS DISCUSSED ARE THE RACISM GOING AROUND NOT ONLY IN BOSTON BUT IN JUST ABOUT EVERY MAJOR CITY IN THE USA. I ALSO FOUND THE COVERAGE CONCERNING RUSSELL VS WILT VERY WELL WRITTEN AND TO ME THE MOST INTERESTING PART OF THIS VERY GOOD BOOK. IT CENTERS MOSTLY AROUND BILL RUSSELL, AS WE FOUND OUT THAT HE IS INDEED VERY HUMAN ALONG WITH BEING THE ULTIMATE TEAM PLAYER. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL BASKETBALL AND ESPECIALLY CELTIC FANS. WELL WORTH READING.

I feel the book's strength is that you receive in-depth portraits of many of the star's who played for the Boston Celtics in addition to their announcer Johnny Most. In addition we are also provided with descriptions of Wilt Chamberlain and other NBA stars during this time period. Chamberlain, by the way, acquired his nickname "The Big Dipper" by having to often duck when entering through a doorway. However, the title suggests a concentration on the 1968-1969 season, and only the chapters on the playoffs at the end of the book provide us with this information. I enjoyed the book, but I found much of the same information in Bob Cousy's book and Red Auerbach's recent book. In addition, former St. Louis Hawks' superstar, Bob Pettit, the first man to score 20,000 points, had his name spelled incorrectly both times it appeared in the book and also in the index. If you enjoy the Celtics I'm quite sure you will enjoy the book, but I found it to be repetitious in what I found in other books. It is, indeed, unfortunate that this great Celtics team often played before a half empty Boston Garden before fans who really didn't appreciate what they had representing their city.

In an era when the NBA is about individuals (Kobe, Shaq), reading a book about a true team is very refreshing. To a man, the players on the 1968-69 Boston Celtics talk about defense, rebounding, and meshing their abilities with those of their teammates. Not one of them is concerned about how many points he scored on a given night, only about whether the team won. It's also very interesting to read about an

For those of us who were lucky enough to be around New England in the 1960's the incredible championship run of the Boston Celtics was a wonder to behold. Imagine winning 11 World Championships in 13 years! I really don't think many of us truly understood the magnitude of what was being accomplished. And needless to say, it's a pretty safe bet that there will never be anything like it again in professional sports.
"Dynasty's End" recalls the incredible accomplishments of Bill Russell, Sam Jones, John Havlicek and the rest of the cast that completely dominated the sport for more than a decade. While the focus is ultimately on the Celtics improbable 1968-69 championship season author Thomas Whelan has done a nice job of filling us in on the history of this storied franchise. It is really quite stunning when you realize that for many years the Celtics were winning championship after championship on a shoestring budget and were rarely able to sell out the building. You begin to understand just how smart Red Auerbach really was. Whelan also recalls great fondness longtime Celtics radio announcer Johnny Most. He truly was one of a kind and really was an intregal part of the Boston Celtics story.
While Whalen gives us the lowdown on all of the significant Celtics players of the period he hones in on Hall of Famer Bill Russell. Here was a multi-talented player with an extremely complex personality who toward the end of his storied career would have the distinction of becoming player-coach of the Celts. Some of the stories and anecdotes about Russell are absolutely priceless. Whalen also profiles many of the Celtics key adversaries of the day including Elgin Baylor, Bill Bradley, Billy Cunningham and of course Bill Russell's arch-rival Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain. Suffice to say that Russell had his way with the 7'1" Chamberlain more often than not.
"Dynasty's End" is a well written book destined to be enjoyed by history buffs and basketball fans alike. It is a snapshot of a different era in the country as a whole and professional sports in particular. A worthwhile read!

As a native Bostonian, I can say that a book on the Celtics' most enduring triumph is more than welcome. Anyone who grew up in Boston in the 1950's and 1960's knew that the Celtics were just about at the end of their championship run. After Philadelphia ran the Celtics out of the 1967 playoffs in five games, it was clear that a power shift of major proportions had taken place between the two teams, with Boston on the "down" elevator. The 1968 title was, at the time,their most improbable, their defeat of the 76ers after trailing in the East Finals 3-1 an unprecedented achievement. Their 1969 title dwarfed the noble 1968 entry, and Thomas Whalen has submitted a welcome and long-overdue work on the subject. As an African-American, having attended regular-season and playoff games at the Boston Garden, I can say that Mr. Whalen, if anything, muted the issue of race in Boston. The Garden could be quite an unhospitable place for people of color, not only for spectators, but for visiting and Celtic players as well. Boston's entire history of race relations was prologue for the city's Ragnarok in the 1970's when the buses rolled into the "wrong" neighborhoods. Boston was a tense place after Martin Luther King's assassination, an event which figured largely in the early stages of the Celtics-76ers' playoff series between April 5-19, 1968. The 1968-69 Celtics seemed worn out, a Frank Sinatra opening the show for someone else. Mr. Whalen does a commendable job of taking the reader through the successive stages of the playoffs. I wish, though, that he had devoted more space to the Boston-New York Eastern Conference Final, especially the nerve-wracking sixth game. The Celtics' reward was to be an historic pairing with the "greatest team ever assembled": the mighty Los Angeles Lakers with Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West. How could L.A. lose? An entire chapter devoted to the great seventh game would have been the cherry topping on the sundae. The flaws in the book may be relatively few, but they are, unfortunately, glaring. On page 114, the author writes that the pass stolen by John Havlicek which elevated him to icon status on April 15, 1965 "was intended for [Wilt] Chamberlain." That's a major error of fact. The Celtics were leading the Philadelphia 76ers 110-109 with just four seconds showing on the clock. Hal Greer's pass was intended for Chet Walker. Chamberlain was posted along the baseline, guarded by Bill Russell. Philly had basically four options on the play, including a return pass from Walker to Chamberlain for an easy, series-clinching dunk. Mr. Whalen also writes that the Celtics' late-season 108-73 humiliation to the Lakers occurred at the L.A. Forum; wrong: it was at Boston Garden, where the 14,171 who showed up jeered the Green mercilessly. The mis-spellings of names [Bob Pettit and Dave Gavitt are two] should never occur in a major work; it's the kind of carelessness which forces the casual [or dedicated] reader to wonder if the author is as conversant with his subject as the book's jacket implies. Another drawback is the overwhelming use of footnotes. They are the scholar's tool, but forcing the reader to keep two places in the book, constantly jumping from the text to the source and back again, severely hampers one's reading enjoyment. After more than 100 pages, I simply gave it up and stuck to the text. I also found the writing derivative, lapsing into the "sportspeak" of the 1950's and 1960's magazines, like Sport and Sports Illustrated. It is probably unfair to compare Mr. Whalen, an academic, with David Halberstam, a professional historian, who, in my opinion, has written the two-finest books on pro basketball: "The Breaks of the Game," and "Playing For Keeps." In the latter, Mr. Halberstam crafted a splendid account of the Chicago Bulls' final NBA title without the benefit of a promised interview with Michael Jordan. Mr. Whelan interviewed only one-third of the 12-man Celtic roster; why not the others, or, at the very least Russell, Sam Jones, and Havlicek, plus Red Auerbach? For those who remember that grand spring of 1969, however, the book is more than a worthwhile read, and for the millions of Celtic "fans" who weren't aware of the team before Larry Bird hit town in the fall of 1979, this book can serve as a gazetteer about the NBA's whistle-stops in its early manifestation; an on-point but far-too-brief analysis of an unhappy city and its tortured history of race relations; and a documentary about American sport's most majestic team as it stared down its Gotterdammerung in an epic struggle in a seventh game far, far from the Boston Garden, on May 5, 1969.

The author started with a history of professional basketball which includes a timeline of the major events, teams and players that played the game. The book also proposed an alternative way of evaluating the best professional basketball players for a team not just by using free agents, scouting,gut feelings, or draft picks but acutually using a scientific approach to anaylze the talents and athletic abilites of a player.This book is awesome and should be read basketball purists and fanatics-for the love of the game.

Although there has been a bunch of work lately trying to rank basketball players this book is at the top of the class. I've read John Hollinger's Pro Basketball and it is nothing more than meaningless stats. This book however goes behind the stats and shows exactly how performance should be measured. In the end I believe that a system like this will be used in the future to determine the MVP adn even All-Star selections. I concur that this is one of the best books ever written on the subject.

This is the approach they should use to select All-Star players and MVP instead of voting for them. Solid work.

I bought this book because I am a very avid basketball fan. I also am very interested in basketball statistics and what they mean and how they can and should be used. Mr. Thompson approaches the question of the greatest basketball player ever with a unique methodology that I found intriguing. Unfortunately, I also found it flawed, and was also dismayed and put off by Thompson's ignorance of the already-growing community of statistical analysts in basketball.

One very welcome and useful section of the book is Thompson's opening on the very early history of the game. He spends about 30 pages on the time period between the game's creation and the formation of the NBA. While it's not comprehensive, it's a good introduction to the key figures in basketball before the NBA was formed.

Mr. Thompson's methodology, in short, is terribly short-sighted. He attempts to quantify every meaningful accomplishment in basketball - statistical performance, most valuable player awards and other awards, championships and playoff performance, and also all-star selection and performance. His methods would be welcomed under other circumstances, but he felt compelled, for some reason, to not only trademark his term "Performance Efficiency Rating", but to withhold certain portions of his formulas because of a pending patent. He further states that his measure is the most comprehensive measure of player greatness ever developed. It certainly is comprehensive, but the flaws in the formulas he uses are evident to those who study the game on a deeper level. The flaws in his evaluation of player statistics - points, rebounds, assists, etc. - are the most evident of all, notwithstanding his taking the highly appropriate step of adjusting everything to a per-minute basis. I would also like to know how he knows how to weight every possible factor correctly, or even why he thinks non-statistical accomplishments are quantifiable.

Further, Thompson is either willfully dismissive or accidentally ignorant of the aforementioned community of statistical analysts already present and growing in influence. I don't know why he felt it necessary to keep his work proprietary, but it does him and his work a disservice by making him appear self-important, and by closing his formulas to mainstream evaluation and constructive feedback. If he felt that his work was worthy of widespread use, I believe he would have been better served to allow others who love and follow the game to see exactly what he was doing.

Finally, the book itself is not very well written. There are many, many errors in punctuation - such as a pronounced lack of question marks where they should be, and the word "though" repeatedly misspelled as "thou". Whether this is the publisher's fault or Mr. Thompson's, it certainly should never have happened. Other authors (such as John Hollinger, who was mentioned in one of the other reviews here) produce books that not only demonstrate that they know basketball, but that are entertaining and well-written. Much more importantly, other authors such as Hollinger haven't yet assumed that they've found the Holy Grail of analysis. They're constantly trying to improve upon what they've already done, and they seek the input of others - something that Thompson apparently didn't consider. They also know that "statistical analysis" means a lot more than mashing a bunch of numbers together and adding them up.

I mean no disrespect to Mr. Thompson. The project he undertook must have been extensive and time-consuming. But it doesn't offer any real advances in common knowledge, and the poor writing detracts from any attempt to take it seriously. As I mentioned to a colleague of mine, "I would have been better served checking this book out from the library instead of buying it."

I recently read that book my Elliot Kalb (Who's better, whose best). I had to scratch my read as it was an absolute load of crap. It is all based on opinions. This book however was a refreshing change. It did not ask anyone about there stupid opinion or anything like that. Instead it relied on cold, hard facts. It looked at how many championships each player won and how much they contributed to the wins. It that sense Robert Horry is NOT listed in the top 100 because he was just a free loader. He jumped from team to team and piggybacked his way to 6 championships.

Anyone who wants to understand how to analyze players should read this book. It lays it out in real simple manner. The author is a professor who knows how to explain stuff. Look at this. MJ is no 1 because he wins championships and he is the primary reason why they won. Bill Russell won the most championships (11) but wasn't the primary reason for their scoring, kind of like Ben Wallace on the Pistons today only better. And Wilt Chamberlain has the best stats but only won 2 titles. Therefore MJ is the best overall because he wins and if the reason they win. I don't think I can explain it like the author but it is an awesome book. Best I ever read on basketball.