Basketball Books

Well, since I am the first to write the review for Out of Bounds I will tell you what I thought of it. Out of Bounds was the first Nancy Drew Files I'd ever read, and I thought it was totally exciting. That's what got me to reading more. You don't have to take my opinion for it just read it your-self!!

Outside Shooter: A Memoir is the personal autobiography of professional basketball player Philip Raisor. The pressure of serving in a team sport in the 1950's is aptly recalled (especially since this was an era when American society first took steps toward integration in professional team sports), steps as hotly resisted in the area of athletic competition as anywhere else. Both Philip's physical struggles and difficulties of conscience are astutely and honestly detailed in superbly insightful work which is especially recommended to the attention of anyone interested in the history of basketball as seen through the eyes of a player on the front lines.

The season was straight out of a storybook and it is wonderful to relive the moments through the book. Lots of neat insight and "fly-on-the-wall" moments with the team. The writer (Chris King) does a nice job of weaving in sidebars, history and other interesting tidbits with the game accounts. The reader learns a lot about how this team was put together and the coach's philosophies. Sports fans and those who appreciate a good story will find this an easy, quick read.

This book describes so great the life of a basketball official. How he handles and indeed lives his job. Even though this book is old it gives me that "special" fever to read it over and over again. Richie Powers sarcastic discussions with players and coaches are great. Every fan, player and official should read it to understand the life of a basketball referee in the National Basketball Association. I wish Richie Powers would have written one book for every season he had been in the league. I'm also waiting for a book of one of the referees who officiate in the NBA right now. Again: A Must-Read for everybody interested in basketball!!!!

This book is a great overview of thee magic of the Pacer's 1994 season. You can feel the intense rival of the New York Knicks and Indianapolis( Not to mention Spike Lee and Reggie Miller), a Reggie Miller's phenomenal 8 points in 8.9 seconds that rocketed the pacers to Madison Square garden victory. Reggie Miller was the glue of the Indianapolis Pacers, and that year his magic was flowing, as he let loose a dazzling pantheon of clutch plays, including a fadeaway three-pointer to win the Pacers-Knicks series and send the pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals. Overall, a great twist of excitement, and good writing that helps the reader to thoroughly grasp the magic of the pacers 1994 season.

Granted that the number one complaint about the current crop of homegrown NBA players is that they do not know how to play the game (notice that players from Europe know how to shoot the ball, especially the mid-range jumper, and not just how to do spectacular dunks). A related complaint is that most of these players, along with their young fans, know little about the history of the game. The reasoning was that if you knew about the likes of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird then you would understand how winning games and championships has to do with more than slam dunks.

To help remedy this hole in the basketball education of young readers we have "Above the Rim: The NBA Library." This four-volume set devotes a book to the history of each team in each of the league's four divisions. Of course the selling point on the back of the volume is the greatest basketball player of all time, noting that "We can't all fly like Michael Jordan, but we can still enjoy learning about and following our favorite teams and players." Indeed, the chief value of these books is that those who are fans of Chris Webber or Ray Allen would also learn about Oscar Robertson and Jack Sikma.

Covered in "Pacific Division" are the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Sacramento Kings, and the Seattle Supersonics. The division was not formed until 1970, when the NBA added three teams and formed four divisions (a Time Line in the back of the book details teams moving into the division or winning the NBA title), however the history of each team goes all the way back to their origin (the Warriors and Lakers have been members since 1946, albeit in Philadelphia and Minneapolis at that time).

For each team you get a history of the franchise focusing on those seasons that resulted in an NBA championship. One nice touch about this book, written by Ted Brock, is that when it describes a team such as the Trail Blazers winning the title it talks not just about a Hall of Fame player like center Bill Walton, but also mentions power forward Maurice Lucas and guards Dave Twardzik and Lionel Hollins. If you are a fan of a particular team Brock does a good job of providing a basic history of the franchise, which includes not only the great players and teams but also the owners and coaches. I have been following basketball long enough to know that players like Clifford Ray, Lonnie Shelton, Alvin Adams, and Bob McAdoo are also important along with the superstars like George Mikan, Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kobe Bryant to the success of a team.

Of course these volumes are already outdated. Stephon Marbury was traded to the New York Knicks during the season, Rasheed Wallace won a ring with the Detroit Pistons, and the Lakers apparently will undergo a major overhaul after losing the NBA Championship. There is even a note to readers regarding the NBA's consideration of a plan to reorganized the league into six divisions of five teams for the 2004-05 season (not going to happen) and the addition of a 30th team, the Charlotte Bobcats (expect a lot of pre-draft dealings as teams try to protect their unprotected players).

"Pacific Division" is illustrated with photographs of superstar NBA players, with both black & white shots of the likes of Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West along with color shots including Charles Barkley and cover boy Shaquille O'Neal (but Chris Mullin gets two photographs, one captioned as Nate Thurmond) The back of this book includes all time team records, as well as the career leaders in points and rebounds for each franchise, and members of the Naismith Memorial National Basketball Hall of Fame from each team (Golden State and the Lakers each have 14 at this point, the Kings 13). There is also a Glossary of terms from "assists" to "small forward," along with the aforementioned Time Line, Books and Web sites for additional information about the Pacific Division and the NBA, and an Index.

This hard to find book is a must read for any Purdue basketball fan. Mark Montieth follows one of Gene Keady's best teams through an entire season. Fans familiar with the Troy Lewis, Everett Stephens, Todd Mitchell, Three Amigos era will greatly enjoy this book because it acts as a time capsule.

Hopefully there will be another book written about a Keady Purdue team in the future.

Reviewed by Brianne Plach (age 10) for Reader Views (11/07)

What could be more exciting than to be a part of a basketball camp with a bunch of other boys who love the same sport? This is a bright spot too, since Jay, and his family, is forced to live with his grandfather since his family lost their house in a fire. Jay is all excited to be a part of the Acadia University Basketball Camp in Nova Scotia. He gets to stay in an actual college dorm and be away from home for a whole week. What makes it even better is the fact that his best friend Mike is going to the same camp.

What starts out as being probably the most thrilling thing that has ever happened in Jay's life, takes a horrible turn. Mike's older brother, Chad, who is supposed to be the boy's coach and mentor, is not at all what a mentor should be. It will take some work on the part of the boys to make it through a tough week. Sometimes appearances can be deceiving. Chad used to seem like such a great guy. It takes the boys to make a difference in Chad's life.

"Personal Best" is an exciting continuation of the story which was first introduced in Sylvia Gunnery's book "Out of Bounds." I am anxiously waiting to see if Ms. Gunnery decides to continue Jay's story in another book.

What do Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Bobby Jones, Darryl Dawkins, Allen Iverson, Billy Cunningham, Hal Greer, Wilt Chamberlain all have in common? Before you answer they all played basketball, you might be surprised to know that they all played for the Philadelphia 76ers as well.

As a long time Sixers fan, especially through the Dr. J. years, I was pleasantly surprised how mush information in enclosed in this 50-page book. Filled with facts and photos about those who played on the '67 and '83 teams, both young and old will enjoy this quick read.

You'll be treated to chapters about the history of the franchise, from its start in Syracuse, with NBA Legend Dolph Schayes, to the move to Philadelphia, with greats like Wilt, the Doctor and Moses. You'll even read about Wilt's trade and the acquiring of Julius Erving.

Also you can read about some of the more famous players and coaches, look at the career stats of some 76er greats, find out more books to read and even get a website address to visit. Tailored to fit every budget - the book is a great gift for any basketball fan.

These poems focus on leave-taking and return, recording the experiences of rural and urban isolation, dislocation and violence, and the histories of war and reconciliation in our century. They bear witness to the way people endure and continue to love in a time of upheaval.

"Beautiful...Bowen captures the spirituality of Vietnam." --Oliver Stone

"Vietnam. The word has come to define the arrogance of American military power, the mindless violence, the sheer waste and idiocy of the Cold War. PLAYING BASKETBALL is, more than a book, an act of healing and generosity. The war doesn't go on, but the Vietnamese people have survived, and they survive in Kevin Bowen's poetry..." --Harvard Review

Chosen "Pick of the Year" by The Progressive