Basketball Books

There is nothing "ultimate" about this basketball shooting book. Filled with lots of pictures and fundimental instruction that is in most every basketball book on the market. Certainly not up to the hype.

Mr.Wright was my teacher last year in Jr.High School.He taught History-but BASKETBALL?! Who'd think that a newspaper dweller would know so much about basketball? Anyway-It is a FABULOUS book,and if you play basketball,it is guaranteed to get you on the team!

This is the best book on basketball skills I have ever seen. If you want to learn how to become a very good player, this book is a must. There is nothing I have seen which comes close to this book. It is fantastic!

Basketball has not had a tool like this until now. This book is so complete and easy to understand. If you want to be a great shooter this book will teach you how.

I have over 150 books dealing with basketball and this one blows away all the others. It is extremely clear, precise and gives the player, coach, and parents a tool to teach how to play the game. The chapters on shooting are the best I have ever seen.

Yeah, neither do I. So if you want to spare yourself a couple hours of hearing big Bill yammer on, avoid this collection. Did I mention the cheezy musical fanfare all around Bill's voice on these cd's? It's like NFL films music run amuck for 2 straight hours. The pictures are good, but the book isn't much to read, and it's all so cluttered (does being hip and cool have to mean unreadable?) it made my skull ache.

I've been reading basketball books since I was a teenager and I have to rate this one as one of the best! It gives excellent insight on every memorable games and moments of american pro basketball from George Mikan to Vince Carter. The double CD is also superb with the live broadcast recordings. I recommend this to everyone who loves basketball.

If your looking for a book that has simply beautiful photographs about the NBA, it DOES'NT GET BETTER THAN THIS!!!! This book literally has hundreds of pictures ( big, small, colorful, black and white, etc. ) that chronolize the entire history of the NBA. It is perfectly decorated with big, sharp, bright, colorful pictures that strike the eyes as the pictures come to life with big, bold headlines and lettering that complimant the pictures. The pages are a smorgasborgh of important historical NBA moments and legendary players from the beginning up until the 2000 Lakers championship. These historical events are displayed in non - chronilogical order. You turn to a page to see the Showtime Lakers of the 80's, then you turn to the next page to see a huge picture of Jordan making a monster dunk. The next page after that, may be black and white pictures of the 60's Celtics. This book has words but it is basically for tantalizing the eyes with gorgeous photographs that cover memorable moments of the NBA. It will put a smile on your face as you relive these precious moments in this fun NBA scrapbook. The pictures you will see in this book are of the Boston Celtics (60's and 80's) ; the Lakers(60's 70's 80's and 2000) ; the Bulls ; The 76ers ; The New York Knicks(just to name a few), Magic Johnson, Micheal Jordan, Vince Carter, Larry Bird, Allen Iverson, Kobe and Shaq, Bob Cousey, George Miken, Dr J, Chamberlain, West, Gervin, Wilkins, Ewing, Auerbach, Russell, Barkley, Baylor, Havlicek, Drexler, Pippen, Malone and Stockton, etc., etc., etc.,. This is only a tiny piece of the pie. If you are a NBA fan looking for a fun little book with many beautifully photographed pictures, this would make the perfect gift. You will cherish this book!

If your looking for a book that has simply beautiful photographs about the NBA, it DOES'NT GET BETTER THAN THIS!!!! This book literally has hundreds of pictures ( big, small, colorful, black and white, etc. ) that chronolize the entire history of the NBA. It is perfectly decorated with big, sharp, bright, colorful pictures that strike the eyes as the pictures come to life with big, bold headlines and lettering that complimant the pictures. The pages are a smorgasborgh of important historical NBA moments and legendary players from the beginning up until the 2000 Lakers championship. These historical events are displayed in non - chronilogical order. You turn to a page to see the Showtime Lakers of the 80's, then you turn to the next page to see a huge picture of Jordan making a monster dunk. The next page after that, may be black and white pictures of the 60's Celtics. This book has words but it is basically for tantalizing the eyes with gorgeous photographs that cover memorable moments of the NBA. It will put a smile on your face as you relive these precious moments in this fun NBA scrapbook. The pictures you will see in this book are of the Boston Celtics (60's and 80's) ; the Lakers(60's 70's 80's and 2000) ; the Bulls ; The 76ers ; The New York Knicks(just to name a few), Magic Johnson, Micheal Jordan, Vince Carter, Larry Bird, Allen Iverson, Kobe and Shaq, Bob Cousey, George Miken, Dr J, Chamberlain, West, Gervin, Wilkins, Ewing, Auerbach, Russell, Barkley, Baylor, Havlicek, Drexler, Pippen, Malone and Stockton, etc., etc., etc.,. This is only a tiny piece of the pie. If you are a NBA fan looking for a fun little book with many beautifully photographed pictures, this would make the perfect gift. You will cherish this book!

Best collection of NBA action photos of any book I have found. 216 pages of excitement. The book also had two audio CDs that connected to 82 pages of the book with live original broadcasts and commentary from Michael Jordon, Karl Malone, Bill Walton and others. It's amazing to listen to the CDs as you enjoy the book. Each CD track number is noted on 82 pages of the 216 page book.

The award winning sports jounalist Bryan Burwell tells the legendary stories of the greatest moments in NBA history with 9 chapters with hundreds of photos and stats. Chapters include: Great Shots, Michael & The Jourdanaires, Great Moves, Great Duals, One-Man Show, Power Moments, Unusual Moments, Monumental Moments and Final Moments.

This was a great gift to myself and to give my Dad.

The author provides an impressive recollection of all the key figures in basketball history from the inaugural 1947 season to the 1998 season.

Yet, I believe he doesn't provide a keen insight to some of the more complex intricacies of the game when giving a thorough analysis of the true impact of a player. Basketball is not like baseball in which you can compare the overall volume and averages of statistics with players in different eras in order to assess who was a more effective player. Basketball is a game of flow, in which controlling and maximizing possessions on both sides of the floor can not be boiled down simply in how many points, rebounds, and assists a player gets over four quarters (or else a player like Antoine Walker would be a Hall of Famer).

What the author didn't mention in his book are : (1) Oscar Robertson's pension for destroying the confidence of his teammates, dominating the ball way too much which detracted the effectiveness of his teammates, and lacking the fire and grit in which players like Jerry West and Michael Jordan had aplenty (2) Wilt Chamberlain's squads blowing three straight Game 7s ('68,'69, and '70) against inferior teams (Let's face it, he should've sent Russell into retirement in '68) and his inability to make in-game adjustments within his playing style, (3)Michael Jordan (with a HOF sidekick tailor-made for his talents in Scottie Pippen) able to lead his team to six titles from the shooting guard position (a definite basketball anomaly) (4) Karl Malone's inability to maintain a low post presence in the fourth quarter in an important game (see '97 and '98 finals), (5) David Robinson's inability to stay out of foul trouble when guarding the likes of Karl Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon in the playoffs (cost him two straight playoff exits in '95 and '96) (6) Larry Bird and Magic Johnson possessing huge deficiencies in 1 on 1 defense (7) Elvin Hayes possessing zero off the ball skills (1 on 1 defense, passing, moving without the basketball) outside of rebounding and shot-blocking (8)Elgin Baylor's disinterest in defense and inability to win a Game 7.

This book is a good read if you want to familiarize yourself with the history of the league. Yet, if you want the cold-hard details and realities of why a player is great, then you'll just have to do your research. Recommended writers to read are Bob Ryan, Sam Smith, Charley Rosen, Bill Simmons (very entertaining), the late Ralph Wiley and Jack McCallum if you want more insight. Some of these individuals might have a personal agenda against some of the players (such as Rosen with Isiah Thomas) yet they all bring you closer to the truth. Ken Shouler, Elliot Kalb, and the late Leonard Koppett are good reads if you like this book.

There is simply no other basketball book out there that provides the same historical richness. Engaging portraits of hundreds of the sport's historical figures are supplemented by concise histories of both college and pro ball and a most useful historical timeline. And the Epilogue arguing for a reassessment of the "greatest player of all time" is a must read.

Basketball, unlike its counterparts in baseball and even football, hockey and tennis to a lesser extent, does not respect and revere its rich history. Too many "fans" today think the game started with Larry, Michael, Magic and Shaq. But the truth is, without mostly forgotten basketball men like Mikan, Luisetti, Holman, Lambert, Meanwell and many others, there would be no game as we know it today. Peter Bjarkman's "Biographical History of Basketball" sets out to rectify this oversight with over 500 incisive portraits of basketball's well-known and more importantly, lesser-known significant contributors to the game's history. Included is also an insightful look into why the game has become the national pastime, at least for the under-35 set, by examining basketball's one on one aspects. Its ability to have a single player affect the action more than in other team sports, as well as our society's increasing need to make heroes out of individuals in these often confusing, leader-less times, has made the game even more appealing. Most of the book's importance lies in its homage to the forgotten, underappreciated past of hoops as it recounts A-to-Z the overlooked men (and women) of the game from Bevo Francis to Dave Zinkoff. But it also traces the game's roots from the early barnstorming era to college basketball's heyday and the evolution of the game from "hardwood to hangtime." "The Biographical History of Basketball" is a lively, fun and informative look into how the game has moved from a loosely organized, dimly-lit past to status as perhaps the world's most popular sport by one of the nation's most prolific and knowledgable sports writers, Peter Bjarkman.

Here's a tome that's a must for serious students of the game's history for generations to come. the author answers every question about basketball except how they get "Sha-shef-ski" out of Krzyewski. The book offers up a smorgasbord of biographical and historical roundball facts about the game. Included are the famous, like Dr. James Naismith and John Wooden, and the all-but-forgotten - but equally important - like Danny Biasone, the father of the shot clock. Bjarkman traces the game from the lackluster days of jmp balls after each basket and stationery, two-handed set shots all the way through to today's above-the-rim action. The amply-illustrated book is divided into seven sections. Along the way, the author plumbs basketball's murky origins, and surfaces with some surprising finds. For example, one of the coaches in the first 5-on-5 collegiate hoops contest was Amos Alonzo Stagg, better known as a gridiron coaching legend. The biographical material is divided into three eras: 1891-1954; 1955-1980 and 1981-present. Bjarkman maintains that basketball (which he calls an "appropriate mirror image of a frantically paced, highly impersonalized" modern society) has replaced baseball as the National Pastime. This definitive work makes a very strong case for Bjarkman's thesis.

Doctor James Naismith is credited with the invention of a game mainly to be used as a form of relaxation for businessmen. Since the inception of the game changes have occurred at almost every level and Peter Bjarkman has put together once of the most complete books on those changes.

In the over 575 pages covering one of America's most loved games, you'll be treated to more than 500 portraits of those that played this game and transformed it from the peach basket to the break away basket. Bjarkman's remarkable look should have this book in the hall of fame in Springfield, MA.

While the book is broken down to cover the major periods of the game, the reading is often not fluid. I found that book can be read from any chapter without having to read the previous ones. The book covers just about everyone who ever played and this was a certain treat.

From the Big O, Wilt, Dr. J., Bird, Magic, Isaiah Thomas, and of course the best of all Jordan, you'll have a never ending treat of players right at your finger tips and best of all the book cost less than the price of tickets to see these men play. Overall a very good job.

Bob Huggins reveals his excellent coaching skill and extreme discipline that anabled him to build a basketball powerhouse at the University of Cincinnati.

I just have one question for everyone who has read this book? Is Bob Huggins disguised as God or is God disguised as Bob Huggins?

This book relives the great teams of the early Nineties. If you attended UC in the Eighties and Nineties then you'll love this book

This book excedes all expectations and tells what it is really like to run a winning program. He holds nothing back and tells it like it is. He is not afraid of the consquences of his actions because his players know that he will lay the smack down. Anyone who does not like this book must be a Xavier(Norwood University) fan or a fan of another confrence usa team.

It what could of been an interesting book about the sometime volatile coach, Huggins spends too much time discussing season after season, game after game. The early part of the book is better. This is where he discusses how he came to be a coach. I wanted more about the behind the scenes look at coaching rather than a game by game summary

It shows the game from a ref's standpoint.. it's a good book

If you're a basketball official, you need to read this book. Earl Strom was regarded as the best and he couldn't write this book until he retired. It's now out of print, but if you can locate it, do it! Is Fantastic...

Earl Strom is regarded by many as the greatest referee in NBA history. He was officiating NBA games for over forty years, and his insights tell a lot about the changes in the game over the years.

The book is comprised mostly of insights, stories, and reflections about the game and Strom's career. It contains some sound advice for beginning officials, as well as interesting technical criticisms of officiating mechanics today compared to the mechanics of the fifties and sixties. It also contains hilarious stories from behind the scenes - fights with fans, for example, something you will never see in an NBA game today. Overall, this book is a must for every fledgling basketball official and basketball enthusiast.

I found this book to be entertaining; a good book, but not a great one. It is filled with Earl Strom's own perspectives on the game, the business, and the industry of professional basketball, and these perspectives are well worth reading.

A person who spent parts of five separate decades in the NBA is certainly going to have a lot of stories to tell about life on the road, the pressures of the job, the pressures on family due to extensive travel, and so on. Many, though I am sure not all, of Earl Strom's stories appear here.

The author also adds some little pieces of advice for the prospective referee. Here is one really good one:

"I've known guys who started out strong and were courageous enough to make tough calls against the home team late in the game if they had to be made, but you could see them change as the players and the coaches and the fans got to them. 'Why bring the house down on my head? Why get killed for something nobody really appreciates anyway?' I've had guys say that to me. If you ever stop to say, 'What's going to happen to me if I make this call?' you might as well take your whistle and shove it because that's all the respect you're giving it. I was taught from the beginning, and it has stuck with me through all these years, that it's much easier to fight your way out of a place than to have to go look in the mirror and admit you backed down from a tough call." (pp 31-32)

With only a little bit of a down side, I would call this a pretty decent book. Four stars.

If you're a basketball official, you need to read this book. Earl Strom was regarded as the best and he couldn't write this book until he retired. It's now out of print, but if you can locate it, do it! Is Fantastic...

I am one of those parents that played a limitted amount of Baseball when I was a kid then never played again. Faced with a child in kindergarten that wanted to play on a pee-wee team that needed a coach, I volunteered. This book has not only helped me coach, but also helped the kids be better players. Thanks to Amazon's extensive selection, I once again was able to bail myself out.

This entire series is great for beginning to intemediate coaches. Plenty of great ideas to try on your team.

This was the first "Coaching" book I have purchased. The book provides excellent insight into what is truly involved in coaching a youth baseball team. The practice planner section was a big help in conducting an organized and effectice practice. I highly recommend this book to beginning coached like myself or seasoned veterans.

I bought this book after I had volunteered to coach a Pinto League (7-8 yr old) team that my son was on. This book provided a good starting point for getting organized and creating a good practice worksheet. Sound baseball fundamentals, being organized and having fun in a supportaive environment lead to a successful and happy Little League experience.

A Well Organized book, as a rookie coach last season, it gave me what I needed to know. I particularly liked the overview of safety presented up front -- too many people take this for granted and stupid injuries can result.

Be Advised though that the rest of the Baffled Parents Series doesn't necessarily live up to the standard set by this book - I found the Basketball book very average.

I was asked to coach my son's basketball team for the YMCA. Not being a big fan of the game, I needed a good introduction and skill fundamentals for third and fourth graders.

The book covered all aspect for someone new at coaching basketball.

Great tool for first time coaches. I'm coaching 7 year olds that never played basketball before and this is helping me coordinate my practice and game plans.

I have coached kids (boys and girls) in basketball of ages 4-12, this book provided the best information on what to do and what to expect. Particularly, the part of patience, repetition/reinforcement, and the fundalmentals. The recommended offensive plays (post interchange, wheel, shuffle, etc.) and defensive strategies (whether man-to-man or zone) are excellent. Additionally, the chapters on vision, motivational phrases, and running a practice are worth reading. The author recommends the use of parents during practice time, called "stations" to maximize proper skill development. This book is a must for those interested in coaching youth basketball.

This book does a good job of covering the basics, including the fundemental of shooting, dribbling, passing, pick and roll, give and go, fakes,etc. with good photos. Good section on defense fundamentals too. There are also sections on offense and defense (both man-to-man & zone) with diagrams. There are sections for coaches including running a practice complete with a check list. A good section for parents is added complete with motivational phrases.

A woderful book. Short (156 pp.) and highly readable, McCarthy makes it all very simple. McCarthy covers the fundamentals (footwork, dribbling, rebounding, etc.) but intersperses his text with invaluable practical advice -- e.g., "I always say to drive as close to a defender as possible. If he reacts and moves back into that lane, he will commit a foul." There is also a great emphasis on team play, and how to encourage kids to pass and play a team game. I have played and coached basketball for twenty five years. While this book covers enough basics for a novice, it also contains many valuable insights that I use in coaching a 12 and under youth program today.

Clyde gives it to you straight and he's right on the money - about the game itself and today's NBA.

Walt Frazier hits the nail on the head with his insights into the game as it is played today compared to the way it should be played.

"It's an excellent and provocative book." I don't think there's a former great with more cogent things to say about the game of basketball than Walt Frazier. I enjoyed this book immensely and I think it's great for old-timers who remember watching the grace and skill Clyde played the game with and "newbies," who want to learn how to play winning basketball. The chapters on Money, Race and The Players' League are particularly insightful and honest. If you like basketball and care about its evolution, then pick up this book and read it.

Everyone involved with the NBA should read this book. From my viewpoint, as a 40 year old fan and as someone who loved and played basketball through my freshman year of college, Clyde cogently points out the attraction of the game and most importantly where today's professional game has gone dangerously awry.

I'm old enough to remember Clyde's championship Knick teams and still take inspiration from the way those incredible individuals all focused on teamwork.

As the NBA stumbles and bumbles (a nod to Clyde) and becomes more and more irrelevant to a formerly passionate fan base, David Stern and company should take Clyde's analysis to heart. If things don't improve the NBA could soon stand for Nothing But an Afterthought in the world of professional sports.

The Game Within the Game by Walt "Clyde" Frazier with Dan Markowitz is an entertaining, if lighthearted meditation on the game of basketball. Clyde takes modern ballplayers to task for the way they approach the game, but the book is at its best whenever he casually mentions his own youthful indiscretions, like the time he invited two women to the same game and was so worried they'd find out about each other that it wrecked his concentration on the court.

"Voice of the Terps" broadcaster Johnny Holliday has written this book from the heart. It's an often humorous but always sincere account of Maryland Terp basketball memories that stand out as Holliday's favorites. It is very selective but very cool, and the photos are varied and add much to the enjoyment of this book. A few things make Johnny's book worth having for every college basketball fan: a chapter on many of the veteran referees who were in the middle of the action. Their memories, quotes, opinions, etc are interesting. Coach Gary Williams obviously spent time with Holliday and his co-author Stephen Moore on chapters discussing program "turning points" and the 2002 championship, and Coaches Lefty and Bud give their views as well. Dozens of players talk with Holliday about their favorite moments. Holliday was also friends with Len Bias, and the chapter on Bias is very moving. Many fans are also featured. All in all, I think this is a book for every Maryland Terp fan.

In 2002 I had the honor of working with the legendary Johnny Holliday on his autobiography, "From Rock To Jock." This detailed account of the "Voice of The Terps" life was critically acclaimed as an entertaining and significant history of broadcasting, Top 40 radio, and sports through the eyes of Johnny. We became close friends during the two years we worked on "From Rock To Jock", and this friendship continued when we were asked to write "Hoop Tales," a very different book, with different goals.

For starters, "Hoop Tales" follows the publisher's format for this popular series. The recipe is assemble a collection of great pictures (and our book has some very good ones, several from Sports Illustrated, and the rest from UMD Hornbake Archives, the Athletic Dept, and personal collections), and select about ten stories that basketball fans will love.

I think we did that and much more. We uncovered new information, such as the earliest formation (and games) of the team; experiences of the veteran referees- in their words - of great players, games, and their interactions with Coaches' Bud, Lefty, and Gary. Coach Williams provides his overview of the turning points in the program's evolution. The chapter on Len Bias is Johnny's personal account of knowing Lenny, and describing his growth as a player and person over four years. Several Terp players have thanked us for this positive portrayal. Coaches Bud, Lefty, and Gary, and many famed players - from Keith Booth to Walt Williams- contributed time and candid accounts to "Hoop Tales," and the greatest living sports writer, John Feinstein, wrote the Foreword.

"Hoop Tales" is a written celebration of the Maryland Terrapins with great photos. I'm giving my own co-authored book a five star rating here - and I know some readers will be critical of this self-promotion - but I can't post this author's info without a rating. And we are very proud of this book and we hope Maryland fans will support it. Thanks, and GO TERPS!!

This very short, very readable history of Maryland University's men's basketball program is an enjoyable read, especially for Maryland basketball fans. That said it also has some drawbacks.

First, there really are not a lot of details here. I didn't really learn anything I didn't already know about the program except maybe some of the items in the first chapter about the program's origins and early years. For example, the chapter on Len Bias is short and non-analytical. I know much, much more about that sad chapter in Maryland's history than is presented in this book - which basically is "it's a sad story, Len Bias was a great player, it hurt the program." Ditto the run to their first Final Four and subsequent NCAA Championship Season.

This book is probably basically what it's supposed to be, a short synopsis of the team's history and is probably better suited for pre-teens and teens than adults who have followed the program for years. Overall, I can't say I was disappointed, but I didn't really get anything out of reading this book.

As life long Terps fan, this read is a must. I loved it. Mr. Moore really has captured what being a Terrapin really means to those of us that are die hard fans. Thanks.

Award winning broadcaster Johnny Holliday can add another title and experience to his long and illustrious career - Author!

In "Hoop Tales: Maryland Terrapins Men's Basketball" Holliday, and Stephen Moore, takes the reader inside the Maryland "huddle" to gain insight into one of the most storied programs in college basketball.

As a reader, one can sense the passion Johnny Holliday has for the program, and written words are as enthusiastic as his play-by-play call, or as sweet as the swish of a long jumper.

Len Clark

I was fortunate enough to find this book for ONE DOLLAR at a used book store. I must admit that it is the best dollar that I have ever spent. I watched Manute when I was a teenager and I just remember the extreme height of this man. Thankfully this book showed me that there is MUCH more to Manute than just a really tall Dinka.

I learned a great deal about Sudanese culture and government, much more than I ever learned in school, and I have a Social Science Degree! I was amazed at the value of cows. I was shocked by the rites of passage to become a Dinka man. I was mesmerized by his journey to become an American icon. It's almost too much to believe.

More than anything, this book taught me that a person's true self and personality are what make you special. Although Manute may be the strangest looking man on the planet, you instantly feel a connection to him. It's a shame that Americans hide behind so many walls, titles, etc. and never let their true selves shine as brightly as Manute

i picked up this little gem for seven bucks (used), and it was well worth it. the subject, manute "'nute" bol, is a fascinating one. he came from an iron-age african existence to play pro hoops in the USA. not that he was a great player by any stretch of the phrase (ha!), but he DID make it, right? even if most of his "talent" was wrapped up in his astounding height (7'7"). still, montville's style of writing is a tad simple, so if you're used to and fond of, say, nineteenth-century russian-literature-in-translation, you'll find both the complexity of syntactical structures and level of descriptive detail to be somewhat lacking. buy, hey, it IS, after all, only a sportswriter and his tale of a ball-player, so what the heck can i expect? any hemingway fans out there?

picked up this number used. definitely worth the seven bucks that i shelled out for it. the subject, "nute," is a very interesting one. the guy came from, basically, an iron-age existence in africa to emerge as american pro hoops player. albeit not a great player, but he DID make it, right? even if all of his "talent" was tied up in his height (an astounding 7'7"). an amazing story, and manute is portrayed as both intelligent and amusingly eccentric. still, montville's style of writing is a tad simple, so if you're used to and fond of, say, nineteenth-century russian-literature-in-translation, you'll find the complexity of syntactical structure and the level of descriptive detail to be somewhat lacking. then again, it's only a sportswriter talking about a ball-player. any hemingway fans out there?

Spectacular description of the life of the greatest shotblocker of all time. From killing tigers in jungles of Sudan to sending opponents' shots into the 10th row with the Rhode Island Gulls -- this one is a winner

I had the great pleasure of working with this slender giant for a few years back when he blocked shots for the Bullets and I was an assistant there. I found this book brought back many memories and really captured the kindess of this man. His political beliefs and fight are so great still. He is like the Sudan's Muhammad Ali except stretched to cruel proportions like black taffy. The writing in this book is straight forward as it should be. I hope Manute knows how proud many of us are of his example. Highly recommended!!