Review of "When the Game Was War"

While wishing all American readers a happy Independence Day today, I decided to write a review on a book about the American game.  No, not baseball or football, but basketball since it was invented by an American without roots from other games in other countries.  This book covered a great era of the professional game and for the most part, I enjoyed it.  Here is my review of "When the Game Was War." 

 

Title/Author: “When the Game Was War: The NBA’s Greatest Season” by Rich Cohen

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: Just as there are many arguments between sports fans about who is the greatest team, athlete or event in a particular sport, this can also come up about the greatest season for a league.  This book by Rich Cohen makes the case that the 1987-88 season was the greatest for the NBA.  While it may not convince every reader that 1987-88 was the best season (including this reviewer – I chose another one in his honorable mention list, 1976-77), Cohen does make a compelling case for this argument.

The book reads better as a long editorial than as a history of that basketball season.  Not only does Cohen make his case about the 1987-88 season, he also makes a case for Isaiah Thomas to be included as one of the greatest players not only of that time – to be included in the conversation with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan – but also of all time.  While I did see a point to the main topic of the book, I do not agree with this assertion and at times, it feels like Cohen is writing more as a fan than as an author or historian when talking about Thomas. Bringing up Thomas’ infamous quote about Larry Bird more than once and defending it by saying it was a thought many Black players had felt like a defense of Thomas.  Cohen does point out his own biases toward not only Thomas and for the reason he felt 1987-88 was the best one, hence why I called the book more of an opinion piece.

I will also note that I have read reviews that point out many factual errors, a few of which I caught without needing to verify them.  Because I read an advance review copy, these were not detrimental to the goal I had for this book, which was to see why Cohen felt this was the best season.  There is also the matter of referring to a season by the latter year (i.e. 1987-88 would be 1988) which is inconsistent throughout the book.  Again, something that will hopefully be cleaned up in the final edition.

But…the positives far outweigh the negatives in this book, especially if the reader is a fan of basketball in that era.  The season is viewed through four teams – the Los Angeles Lakers (who ended up winning the championship), the Detroit Pistons (who lost in the Finals to the Lakers), the Boston Celtics (who lost to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals) and the Chicago Bulls (who lost to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference semi-finals). These four teams made the most sense to include, especially looking back now.  There was the reigning champs (Lakers), the old dynasty ready to end (Celtics), the hungry (and physical) team ready to take over (Pistons) and the new kids on the block getting ready to crash the party (Bulls).  Each team had a compelling chapter in the book and made for excellent reading.

Reading about the matchups during the season and in the playoffs between two of the four featured teams was also great.  Enough detail to truly feel how close the game was, and in the case of many Pistons games, how physical and even violent the play went. This was an era when the game’s big men played in the paint and not often out on the perimeter as Cohen notes.  While he doesn’t explicitly say this, I get the impression that he preferred this type of basketball.  I did as well and why despite the reservations I wrote earlier, I really enjoyed this book and fans of that era of professional basketball will as well.

I wish to thank Random House Publishing Group for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Link: Amazon.com: When the Game Was War: The NBA's Greatest Season eBook : Cohen, Rich: Kindle Store

 

Review of "Game"

 Every year around this time, I start to go back through older books on my list to review and came across this one.  Since it is nearly time for basketball to return, it felt like a good time to read "Game", Grant Hill's memoir.  Here is my review. 

Title/Author:

“Game: An Autobiography” by Grant Hill

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

To say Grant Hill has lived a charmed life would not be inaccurate, but it certainly had some bumps in the road.  From his upbringing by two successful parents (his father was Calvin Hill, an All-Pro NFL running back and his mother was a successful businesswoman) to an eventful basketball career complete with injuries and a near-death hospitalization to successful business ventures, Hill has many stories to share and he does so in this fast paced and fun-to-read memoir.

Having read this fairly quickly on an e-reader, I was surprised to see that the hardcover edition is 400 pages – it certainly didn’t read like a 400 page memoir.  No matter what part of his life Hill is discussing, he does so in a manner that the reader will enjoy as it feels like Hill is sitting next to the reader, talking to them in plain language – even when discussing basketball strategy or later, medical terminology during his injury-plagued years while under contract for the Orlando Magic.

Those years were certainly the most frustrating for Hill, as he not only laments his lack of time on the court but also expresses his displeasure at the medical teams that treated him for his ankle injuries.  One of the surgeries he underwent had complications due to infections and he nearly died in the hospital.  He eventually recovered from these thanks to the medical teams at Duke University and was even able to play some more seasons as a role player for the Phoenix Suns.

It is only appropriate that Duke was the place for his medical recovery as that was where his basketball career really took off and his star rose quickly as in his four years as a Blue Devil, Duke won one championship and appeared in two additional championship games in Hill’s four years there.  He was the third pick in the 1994 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons and immediately made an impact in the NBA as well, as his six years with the Pistons were successful for him individually but not as much for the team before he left for Orlando as a free agent.

The book is certainly not limited to his basketball career or his medical issues as he talks at length about his parents and their influence in his life, both in childhood and adulthood.  He also spends much time discussing his marriage to Canadian singer Tamia and their two daughters.  His love for hip hop music is evident throughout the book and he even dips into social and political commentary.  The latter is written quite well and even-toned which was a welcome change from the divisive dialogue of today.

One doesn’t have to be a basketball fan to enjoy this book, although it does help when he is discussing his time at Duke and in Detroit, where much of the basketball talk is focused.  The book is a great look at the man and his mostly humble personality.  I say “mostly” because he isn’t shy in sharing his opinions when they enhance the discussion.  

I wish to thank The Penguin Group for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

Link: Amazon.com: Game: An Autobiography eBook : Hill, Grant: Books

Review of "Shake and Bake"

 Upon seeing that a book was being published about Archie Clark, I immediately jumped at the chance to read it.  At first, I was disappointed because I wanted to learn more about his time at the University of Minnesota but as I kept reading, I ended up enjoying it a lot as it was a great look at the life of professional basketball players during that era.  Here is my review of "Shake and Bake"

Title/Author:

"Shake and Bake: The Life and Times of NBA Great Archie Clark" by Bob Kuska with Archie Clark

Tags:

Basketball, professional, biography, Lakers, 76ers, Bullets, Supersonics, Pistons

Publish date:

February 1, 2021

Length:

352 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Sometimes an athlete can have a very good career and while he was recognized and lauded by the fans, the press and teammates while playing, that player may not be remembered after his or her playing career ends.  Archie Clark could be considered one of those athletes.  He was an All-Star guard who played for five NBA teams – Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers (he was one of the players in the famous Wilt Chamberlain trade), Baltimore/Capital Bullets, Seattle SuperSonics and Detroit Pistons.  He was one of the early pioneers of the crossover dribble and used it quite effectively, hence the title of this book by Bob Kuska that looks back on his NBA career.  

The subtitle, however, can be a bit misleading as the book does not cover his "life and times" very much – whether it is Clark's personal life, his childhood or his playing days in high school and the University of Minnesota.  These parts are not completely missing, and there are segments in which Clark himself talks about some of this, such as when his first marriage was ending.  But the vast majority of the text is about Clark's NBA career.

That career was enough to make the book a very interesting and enjoyable one to read.  A reader will learn much about the life and times of a professional basketball player in the 1960's and 1970's - maybe it is here that the subtitle is appropriate. In addition to the games and seasons on the court, the book contains many stories about contract negotiations, the NBA's reserve clause preventing players from becoming free agents at the end of their contracts. That was being fought in the courts during much of Clark's playing career, eventually being deemed illegal. Because of his own sometimes tenuous contract negotiations, Clark became a champion for player's rights, including retired players.  Reading about his negotiations, the means of how owners or their representatives would trick players into signing for less than their worth or even Clark's adventure with trying to find the best agent is great reading.  As one who likes to read about the business side of sports, this was very enlightening.

Other stories about the life of a NBA player include the flights on road trips on commercial airlines, the meager amount of per diem meal money that sometimes resulted in vending machine food having to be a player's dinner and the conditions of some of the arenas at the time. These stories are very interesting.  The writing about the games, playoff pushes (Clark was on a playoff team every season of his career) and other stories about his teammates and owners is also informative and entertaining. 

Any basketball fan who followed the game during the era in which Clark played will enjoy this book immensely as it felt like it would take the reader into a time machine when professional basketball had a very different look than it does today.

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)

Buying Links:

https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9780803226548/

Shake and Bake: The Life and Times of NBA Great Archie Clark: Kuska, Bob, Clark, Archie: 9780803226548: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "Havin' a Ball" - first review of 2021

Happy New Year to everyone and thank you for visiting my blog.  Starting off another year of reviewing some great books with one on longtime basketball coach Richie Abudato.  While he may not be a household name or have his name engraved on the Larry O'Brien trophy, he certain has some great stories to tell from his lengthy coaching career.  Here is my review of "Havin' a Ball."  

Title/Author:

“Havin’ a Ball: My Improbable Basketball Journey” by Richie Adubato with Peter Kerasotis

Tags:

Basketball, professional, memoir, coaching, Piston, Mavericks, Magic, Liberty, Mystics

Publish date:

October 1, 2020

Length:

216 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Richie Adubato is what one could call a basketball lifer. Between playing, coaching and broadcasting, he has been involved in the game in some manner for over six decades and shows no sign of stopping.  Currently doing color commentary for the Orlando Magic, Adubato had a very interesting career as a coach. He didn’t have the success of a Hall of Fame coach like Pat Riley or Phil Jackson, but he did become a well-known and beloved figure in professional basketball.  As a result, he has plenty of stories to share as he does in this very entertaining memoir.

A self-proclaimed “Jersey Boy”, Adubato began his coaching career in the junior and senior high schools of New Jersey, primarily in the Paterson area. He gained not only a good coaching reputation but also was known for his toughness both on and off the court, mainly due to the neighborhoods of the schools in which he worked.  He also coached at Division III Upsala College when he got his first break into professional basketball.  It came when a fellow Jersey Boy, Dick Vitale, called Adubato to be one of his assistant coaches of the Detroit Pistons.

From there, Adubato got the itch to stay in the professional game and he turned it into a lengthy career.  When Vitale was fired in the middle of his second season, Adubato became the interim head coach.  After the Pistons gig, Adubato made several stops as both an assistant and as a head coach for the Dallas Mavericks and the Orlando Magic.  He had success at both places, guiding the franchises to playoff appearances but also had down seasons that led to his dismissal at both places as well – such is the life of a NBA coach.  However, he didn’t let that stop him as he became the head coach of the New York Liberty in the early years of the WNBA, leading that team to at least the Eastern Conference finals in four consecutive seasons.  He also coached in Russia (one of the most entertaining stories in the book took place there) and came back to the WNBA, coaching the Washington Mystics in his last coaching job before going into broadcasting.

With all of this experience and travel, one would expect the book to contain plenty of stories and name-dropping.  It certainly delivers on that promise as Abudato shares so many stories of not only his coaching career, but also a few stories about meeting other celebrities such as Frank Sinatra.  There isn’t a lot of personal information in the book as he doesn’t talk about his family very much.  The most amount of text used for a personal or family story was when he married his second wife Carol and they were able to brag that they got married in Italy – Italy, Texas that is. 

The book doesn’t have a really good flow, although Abudato tells his stories in chronological order, which is helpful.  The writing is pretty good and is clearly in conversational style as he sometimes just goes immediately from discussing one coaching job ending to another starting and a reader may not remember which season this refers to unless he or she is paying close attention.  But those are minor annoyances because reading this book is just so much fun. The stories will often make you laugh, but a few are more somber, such as the story of one of the players he coached in Dallas, Roy Tarpley.  Those stories and situations are just as easy to read, however, and it shows how much coaching and basketball are in Abudato’s blood.

Any basketball fan who has heard about Abudato, either through his coaching or his broadcasting, will want to read this book. It has the feel of a chat on the porch while sitting on a swinging bench and enjoying one’s favorite beverage while the coach shares another tale from his coaching life.

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)                                                                                                                                   

Buying Links:

https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496212825/

https://www.amazon.com/Havin-Ball-Improbable-Basketball-Journey/dp/1496212827/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 

Review of "City of Champions"

When I picked up this book from the publisher, I expected a collection of stories from the championships for Detroit teams.  It turned out to be something far different, and far better, than any type of book like that.  Here is my review of "City of Champions"

Title/Author:

“City of Champions: A History of Triumph and Defeat in Detroit" by Stefan Szymanski and Silke-Maria Weineck

Tags:

Baseball, football (American), basketball, ice hockey, boxing, Tigers, Red Wings, Lions, Pistons, race, social issues

Publish date:

October 13, 2020

Length:

416 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Detroit has a very interesting and rich history, both in sports and in political, racial and social contexts. Some of it is very uplifting, some is very unflattering but all of it is worth discussing as these two authors do in this very informing and extensive book about the connection between the city's sports and its track record for various political and social issues.

The format of the book is the first clue that this will not be a typical sports book that mingles a few political or social issues into the discussion of what happened on the field and the athletes that accomplished those feats. The book goes in reverse chronological order, starting in 2017 with the opening of the new home for the Red Wings and Pistons and goes all the way back to the 18^th century when the city was settled.  Through each chapter the connection between a significant sporting event and the issues of the day in Detroit are covered completely and with impeccable research.

Selection of the events was a good cross between significant events in Detroit sports history. The Pistons' "Malice at the Palace" in 2004, the Lions' last playoff victory in 1970, the Tigers' 1945 pennant in the last year when "4Fs" were the majority of major league players and Joe Louis' victory over Max Schmeling in 1936 are just a few of the major sports events involving Detroit are covered.  They are complemented by events that shaped Detroit's image and explained how they tied in with the systemic racism and economic inequality that plagued the city.  The 1967 riots, the struggle for union workers despite the presence of a large union (that tied in nicely with a chapter on Red Wings' star Ted Lindsey) and the fate of the automobile industry are just a small sampling of those issues in which the research and writing are even better than the sports coverage.

For readers who want to get a good picture of how intertwined sports and social issues can be within a population, this is the best source for that kind of information that one can find. Whit it wasn't a topic for which I was seeking more material, it certainly was a book that I could call an education for history in both sports and the city of Detroit.

I wish to thank The New Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/City-Champions-History-Triumph-Detroit/dp/1620974428/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/city-of-champions-stefan-szymanski/1136204408?ean=9781620974421