Basketball Books

Rick Barry wrote eight books covering eight NBA seasons, basically for general managers and coaches. They provide scouting reports by one of the games 50 greatest players. Written in B-Ball jargon Barry provides readers with a keen insight into athletic talent and its application or mis-application whichever the case.

After perusing all eight books, I looked up the first five players drafted in every year back into the late seventies. Lo, I found that unless your team had one of the first three players taken in the entire draft your team did not win the NBA title. Furthermore I concluded that, after 13 years of holding season tickets for the Bullets, the teams that won most often have 8-9 good players vs those that lose who have only 3-4 good players. But, the pivotal player who carries the team must be present for ultimate success to be realized.

To draw a comparison, I learned years ago that there were one million high school football players. These reduced to 70,000 college players and then condensed further to 1200 NFL players. These remaining players averaged 3-4 years in the league, but the top 100-125 played for 10-15 years. The team who had the most of these head-and-shoulders better players won the championship. I believe this model holds true in all sports at all levels. It fits with a basis tenet of chaos theory and also with Mike Hart's book "the 100: A Ranking of the 100 most influential people in history." Thus I maintain that it's a model for how free markets and their unfettered, spontaneous ordering arrange civilizations. This leads into why western civilization has succeeded in raising living standards more for the common man in contrast to command and control economies.

Too bad Rick B. and Jordan Cohn stopped after the '97 season. It was great stuff for contemplative fans.

I never do really read books, also ones that are long and have small print like this one. But I was really into it. It explained everything I needed to know about one of my favorite baseball players. Of course I bought this book at the Cooperstown hall of fame where the book should be rewarded a plaque and where A-Rod will go. I read it and understood as a reader that preffers non-fiction, in 5 days I finsished it on the way to Six flags great adventure.

This is a great book! Tamika Whitmore will most likely be Most Improved Player of the Year for 2002 and she is just an awesome player and person. This is definitely a must have for any Liberty fan.

"This is came from public library resell store market major collection central general.
So, that is library stickers and marks and official making normally include.
Recorded books, unabridged, 11 audio cassettes, 16 hours, narrated by Norman Dietz are in plastic case.
But, case has been seen cracked tapped and dirt.
But, still listenable condition."
[from the experience]

"Roughing It: A Personal Narrative by Mark Twain.
Unabridged Narration by Norman Dietz.

"I had grown wonderfully fascinated with the curious new country, and concluded to put off my return to 'the States' awhile.
I had grown well accustomed to wearing a damaged slouch hat,
blue woolen shirt,
and pants crammed into top boots,
and gloried in the absence of coat,
vest,
and braces.
It seemed to me that nothing could be so fine and so romantic.

"If there is any life that is happier than the life we led on our timber ranch, it must be the sort of life which I have not read of in books or experienced in person.
We did not see a human being but ourselves during the time,
or hear any sounds but those that were made by the wind and the waves,
the sighing of the pines,
and now and then the far-off thunder of an avalanche.
The forest about us was dense and cool,
the sky above us was cloudless and brilliant with sunshine,
the broad lake before us was glassy and clear.

The eye was never tired of gazing,
night or day,
in calm or storm;
it suffered but one grief,
and that was that it could not look always,
but must close sometimes in sleep,"
[from Roughing It]

"Two American originals, Mark Twain and the West,
come face-to-face in this documentary of the author's seven-years
"PLEASURE TRIP" TO THE SILVER-MINES OF NEVADA.

Twain had originally planned the trip should last only three months:
his journey,
like this book,
has a way of taking ever-unexpected turns and prolonging itself to the reader's delight."
[from the case and tapes]

Basketball is life for Mackey and J.R. They've known each other forever and spend most of that time involved with basketball. Lucky for them, Rucker Park offers the cream-of-the-crop. The park has long been the scene of pick-up games and tournaments between actual pro-players and the best street players ever. Mackey and J.R. have long dreamed of playing in the annual tournament.

Unfortunately, Mackey gets involved in the "dark" side of basketball (game fixing), and as a result he may have been responsible for the fatal stabbing of his friend, J.R. Determined to make things right, Mackey starts the final tournament game intending to win it for J.R. no matter the consequences. But between his feelings of guilt, the pressure from the "dark" side, and the fact that J.R.'s own father is the long-time referee for the tournament, Mackey has everything he can do to play the game and not fall apart.

Paul Volponi demonstrates his knowledge of basketball in RUCKER PARK SETUP. The entire story revolves around the one tournament game. Readers are artfully filled in on the background information of Mackey's family and J.R.'s death through the use of flashbacks and the tormented thoughts of young Mackey. Colorful characters, top-notch players, and streetwise vocabulary help make the reader feel a part of the non-stop action. Fans of Volponi's Black and White (Speak) and Rooftop will not be disappointed.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

I haven't read this book yet, but obviously it's a good book, right? I mean it is about the Kings and all. It would be better if it was written after Jason Williams was born into the NBA, but it is probably still a good book!

Don't let the footnotes intimidate you. This book is not a difficult read; it's smart and beautifully observed, and it raises plenty of interesting questions, but the footnotes don't come across as pedantic and superfluous, as is sometimes the case with this type of move. Instead, the footnotes add interesting, often witty historical information on two things - Mormonism and the Utah Jazz, both of which are fundamental to the protagonist, Brian. You might even say that the novel's plot is this character simultaneously fighting against and embracing his own religious and cultural history. He's a transplant to Kalamazoo, Michigan, an outsider. Defrain does a terrific job of evoking the Midwest bleakness and oddballness that is Kalamazoo without resorting to cheap pop culture references and "Hey, I know that place!" landmarks. Brian's angst and loneliness feel real and justified, and when he embarks on a road trip to Utah with a potentially homicidal stranger, the reader is rooting for him all the way (while at the same time asking, "What the hell are you thinking?"). It's this type of complexity and dedication to character over gimmick that make this such a pleasant and satisfying read.

Lazenby broke ground in assesing the young star and leading the reader into wondering/predicting his future status in the basket ball sports arena. The book is a documentary of the young UVA phenom and the rucuss he created among Virginia Basketball enthusiasts

A season is a lifetime is the story of Duke's back-to-back championship seasons. It is an interesting, insightful look into the relationships coach K has with his players. There is no collegiate program better than Duke's, and there is no better book about Duke than A Season is a Lifetime

I received this book as one of the set of books by Chris Warner.
I really liked the Tribute to Pete Maravich in the middle of the book. I saw him play in his floppy socks at Auburn back in the early 70s and he was phenomenal. This is a great book for any serious SEC basketball fan. All of the great players' and coaches' stories are there. I highly recommend it!