Title/Author:
“The Sixth Man” by Andre
Iguodala with Carvelle Wallace
Tags:
Basketball,
professional, Warriors, Nuggets, 76ers
Publish date:
June 25, 2019
Length:
256 pages
Rating:
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)
Review:
Basketball is unique in one way in
that a player can become even more famous when he is no longer in the starting
line up and instead will come off the bench to contribute in a valuable manner
to his or her team. One player who has done that is Andre Iguodala. While he
was a very good player as a starter for the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver
Nuggets, he became even more noticed as the sixth man for the team that has won
three of the last four NBA championships, the Golden State Warriors. He tells the story of his life, his career
and his take on some of today’s issues in the game in this excellent memoir
with Carvelle Wallace.
While the writing may not be as
crisp as some other memoirs, what I found refreshing about this book is the
Iguodala was very candid about every topic he addressed. Whether it was whether
college athletes should be paid, the point in his career when he truly realized
that professional sports are a business and not just a game, how the public
believes athletes should communicate in the media or racial issues, Iguodala
lets the reader know up front that this is his viewpoint and how he sees the
particular issue.
The latter two topics come up in the
incident in which I believed that this book went from good to excellent and
that was when he used a phrase that sounded like one used from the days of
slavery when he answered a question on the relationship between a head coach
and the players. He didn’t back off of his comment, he didn’t take swipes at
those who criticized his remarks (and there were plenty) and his explanation of
it was consistent with his stance on his viewpoints earlier expressed on racial
matters and the ways in which professional athletes are expected to conduct
themselves.
None of them are really shocking or reveal
new material, but are excellent to read for the sheer rawness of exposing his
feelings. When he praised Curt Flood, who challenged baseball’s reserve clause
in 1970, it showed that he has studied the history of these subject extensively
and his comment that every professional athlete should thank Flood for them
being able to enjoy the freedoms and riches they have today was profound.
Of course, he talks about basketball
in the book a lot as well as these other issues. On this topic, he is quite
fluid as well. This part of the book does follow the tried and true formula of
chronicling the highlights of each level of basketball played. His reflections
on his time at the University of Arizona and what coach Lute Olson did for and
to him were very interesting to read as it can be the case for many college basketball
players, but was something I had never read before.
Iguodala’s time in Philadelphia was
marked with many ups and downs, both on the court, where the 76ers enjoyed some
moderate success and off the court with his relationship with the fans and
press an ongoing drama. After a brief time in Denver, he signed with the
Warriors as a free agent and his accounting of his time with Golden State is
one in which he really learns what it is like to share the spotlight with
superstar players. He explains how these
players like Steph Curry and Kevin Durant not only are excellent players but
how they each contribute to the success of the team on the court and in the
public eye.
Any fan of the current NBA game, especially
Warriors fans, will want to read this book about the team’s vital sixth man and
how he sees the world of professional basketball. It is a book that once a
reader starts, it will be very hard to put down.
I wish to thank Blue Rider Press for
providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)
Buying Links:
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