Review of "Nicklas Lidstrom" - final review of 2020

Rather than stating some obvious observations about 2020, I will just start this post with the thought that it was yet another year with some great sports books published. This blog will end 2020 with a review of a 2019 book that was okay, but considering the subject is one of the greatest hockey players in NHL history, it was a bit disappointing.  Here is my review of "Nicklas Lidstrom." 

 Title/Author:

“Nicklas Lidstrom: The Pursuit of Perfection" by Nicklas Lidstrom with Gunnar Nordstrom and Bob Duff

Tags:

Ice Hockey, professional, memoir, Red Wings, championship

Publish date:

October 1, 2019

Length:

288 pages

Rating:

3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review:

Nicklas Lidstrom is universally considered one of the greatest hockey players to lace up the skates.  Over a 20-year career with the Detroit Red Wings, his accomplishments include contributing to four Stanley Cup championships, seven Norris Trophies (awarded to the best defenseman in the NHL), 12 all-star selections and gold medals representing his native Sweden in the Olympics and World Championships.  With such an outstanding resume, one would think that a book about him would strive to be as good.  While this memoir/biography co-written with Gunnar Nordstrom and Bob Duff is engrossing at times, overall, it doesn't match his play on the ice.

The bulk of the book is a chronological study of his Red Wings career, with some text about his play in Sweden where the Red Wings couldn't believe their luck to find a defenseman with his skill set being under the radar of most scouts. This is mainly because at that time in the 1990's, there was still a misconception that European players couldn't excel in North America. Even though there were stars from Europe previous such Borje Salming (who is mentioned in the book), that mindset allowed Detroit scouts to draft Lidstrom in a lower round that really didn't reflect his greatness.

Because the book concentrates heavily into his Red Wings career, the reader will only gain minimal information on other aspects of Lidstrom's other experience and also his personal life.  The most that is covered is the last 10% of the book when his family headed back to Sweden after he retired from the Red Wings.  Even that isn't described in great detail – at least nothing close to his time in Detroit.

There is a LOT of praise for Lidstrom throughout the book and numerous quotes from many different people in the NHL.  Not only Detroit teammates, but coaches, general managers, fans – just about anyone who saw him play and would be willing to speak to the authors were quoted.  While there is no question he was worthy of praise, it was almost too much.  He was often called "perfect" as in the perfect player, the perfect person, and such.  About the only person who refuted this reputation was Lidstrom himself, who would often remember imperfections he would exhibit.  The best example of this was his memory of the last shot of game 7 in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals that a Pittsburgh Penguins defender blocked and thereby denied the Red Wings a second straight championship.

Overall, this book is fine to read if one is a big fan of the Red Wings or Lidstrom.  However, if a reader wants to learn more about him outside of the Red Wings, there won't be a lot of material.  Decent book for a quick read. 

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Nicklas-Lidstrom-Fantastic-Gunnar-Nordstrom-ebook/dp/B07BB2Y4L5/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "The Captain"

 David Wright was the face of the New York Mets for 15 seasons and was universally liked by teammates and opponents alike.  His story, including his emotional final game in 2018, is captured in this excellent memoir.

Title/Author:

“The Captain: A Memoir” by David Wright and Anthony DiComo

Tags:

Baseball, professional, memoir, Mets

Publish date:

October 13, 2020

Length:

368 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

David Wright is one of those baseball “what if” stories. What if he was able to stay healthy and not have battled injuries the last few seasons of his career?  What if his team, the New York Mets, had been able to win at least one championship instead of losing some of those chances in heartbreaking fashion?  Those are questions for others to answer as Wright has no regrets and lives up to his reputation as one of the best ambassadors to the game in his memoir, co-written with Anthony DiComo.

Wright doesn’t spend much time talking about his childhood when he grew up in the Norfolk/Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia.  He played alongside another future MLB player, Michael Cuddyer, whom he mentions frequently in this part of his story and later becomes his teammate when the Mets reach the World Series in 2015.  At the time, the local minor league team, the Norfolk Tides, were the AAA farm team for the Mets and Wright had dreams of playing for them.  So when the call came that he was drafted by them, you can imagine the joy he and his family were sharing, even if that meant he had to back out on his agreement to play baseball for Georgia Tech.

Even though he had a fairly quick route to the major leagues, he talks about his insecurities and questioning of his ability to reach the majors.  Knowing what we know now about his success (when healthy) during his time with the Mets, that seems awfully strange, but it was a constant for him throughout his minor league time.  That is one explanation behind his work ethic, which is another topic he writes about often, 

Wright had the image of a clean cut, very friendly baseball player who would rarely criticize anyone and lead more by example than by yelling.  That image is certainly verified in this book, where he is very reluctant to criticize anyone, tell stories that would shed a negative light on anyone, or even say anything bad about some who are not favorably received.  A very good example of this is his praise and thanks to the former owners of the Mets, the Wilpon family.  While most Mets fans do not look upon the former owners too kindly, Wright is very thankful to them for giving him the chance to succeed.  Another is his defense of Carlos Beltran for taking the third strike to end game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series and thereby costing the Mets a chance to go to the World Series.

The best baseball stories for Wright come from the more successful seasons that the Mets had during his time, such as the aforementioned 2006 season and the 2015 season as well, even though by this time, he had already begun missing significant playing time due to various injuries.  His home run in game 3 of the 2105 World Series is the moment that he considers to be his best as he states it was one of the few times he didn’t think about the game at hand and just let himself enjoy the moment.  It probably helped that this was the one game the Mets won during that series.

After Wright was diagnosed with spinal stenosis in 2016 which eventually led to his decision to retire, it is clear to the reader that he is less engaged in baseball and more about his family as he got married and had two daughters in that time.  When he finally made the decision to retire and asked if he could play one last time on the penultimate day of the 2018 season, the reader will feel the joy and relief that Wright did when he knew that this was the end, but was very appreciative of the love that he received from the sold-out crowd at Citi Field.

A memoir that truly reflects the person who wrote it, “The Captain” is a book that Mets fans will want to add to their collection and one that baseball fans who just want to learn more about the captain of Mets will also want to read.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                               

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Captain-Memoir-David-Wright/dp/1524746053/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=

Review of "From Hang Time to Prime Time"

Christmas Day is the day when the NBA is on display with games from noon until late into the night.  I, like many other basketball fans enjoyed a lot of the game action, but during some of the downtime, I started this book - and I missed a couple of the games because I was so engrossed in the book, it was that good.  Here is my review of this great book on the rise of the league as an entertainment league as well as a basketball league, "From Hang Time to Prime Time."  

Title/Author:

“From Hang Time to Prime Time: Business, Entertainment and the Birth of the Modern NBA” by Pete Croatto

Tags:

Basketball, professional, business, history

Publish date:

December 1, 2020

Length:

384 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Current fans of NBA basketball are treated to not only the sport itself, with the displays of athleticism and flash provided every game, but also to a complete entertainment package whether watching at the arena or at home.  The league has been the leader in many innovations when it comes to making a game an entertainment spectacle, but it hasn’t always been that way.  This book by Pete Croatto is an excellent account of how the league went from irrelevance to the global phenomenon it has become.

Many people, including non-basketball fans, know about Julius Erving, or “Dr. J”, for his entertaining dunks in the 1970’s when his career was at his peak.  Basketball fans, even casual ones, know that he performed at this level not in the NBA, but the rival ABA league.  While that league eventually merged with the NBA because of its financial situation, the NBA wasn’t in much better shape.  The league had just gone through a lengthy court battle with the player’s association over free agency with the end result being that their reserve clause was struck down.  Led by commissioner Larry O’Brien (who gets a lot of credit for the state of today’s NBA by the author), the NBA not only took in four ABA franchises and now had Dr. J playing for one of their signature teams, but also started looking at how to better market themselves through television and other forms.

This was helped greatly by two of the biggest names in college basketball, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, joining the league in the same year and also joining two of the league’s most storied franchises, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers respectively, and also by the tireless work by O’Brien’s legal counsel, David Stern.  Stern did a lot of legwork to get a new television contract, start the division of NBA Enterprises and oh, yes, negotiate the first salary cap in professional sports history. The stories of people who were working at NBA Enterprises in the 80’s when Bird and Johnson were joined by Michael Jordan as the faces of the league.  Their stories of their long hours, the poor working conditions and the endless questions by Stern would usually make a reader cringe, but both the people interviewed and Croatto make them seem like they had the best job in the world.

If the NBA was doing better in both finances and exposure with Bird and Johnson, both of those areas saw explosive growth once Jordan came on the scene. His on-court dunks, his on-camera persona, his savvy business acumen such as his deals with Nike, and oh, yes, winning championships in Chicago, all helped make the NBA an international league.  The changes in attitudes toward the skills of international players and the 1992 Olympic team were the catalysts for this change as they are covered in this book as well.

The last aspect of the growth of the league, especially for entertainment, was that it was in tune with the pop culture of the era.  When the VCR gained popularity, the league started promoting recordings of highlights and family-friendly entertainment geared around NBA stars tor sale.  When rap music gained mainstream popularity, the NBA was right there alongside to incorporate it into its marketing. The league was also willing to now take chances that some more conservative executives and fans may not have considered.  One great example of this was allowing Marvin Gaye to sing his version of the national anthem before the 1983 All-Star game.  If you have never heard it, make sure you do as it can be found on YouTube.  Watching the players move to the beat is just as good as the singing. 

Croatto’s in-depth research, hundreds of interviews and writing style that is so engrossing make this a book that every person interested in basketball, the NBA or the pop culture of the 1980’s should read.  It will capture your attention at the start and will be one that is very difficult to put down.

I wish to thank Atria Books 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/Hang-Time-Prime-Entertainment-Modern-Day-ebook/dp/B084GBGKZS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/from-hang-time-to-prime-time-pete-croatto/1136314613?ean=9781982103972

Review of "J.L. Wilkinson and the Kansas City Monarchs"

 As we approach the holiday season and the end of 2020, like many others, I have been interested in learning even more about the Negro Leagues after they obtained major league status.  This book is a good read on one of the most successful teams of that time, the Kansas City Monarchs.  Here is my review of "J.L. Wilkinson and the Kansas City Monarchs." 

Title/Author:

“J.L Wilkinson and the Kansas City Monarchs: Trailblazers in Black Baseball" by William A. Young

Tags:

Baseball, professional, Monarchs, Negro Leagues, history

Publish date:

November 2, 2016

Length:

240 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

The Kansas City Monarchs were one of the most successful franchises in the Negro Leagues for nearly the entire time those organizations existed.  They wouldn't have lasted long into their first decade had it not been for the resources and progressive actions of the team's first owner who was a white man, J.L. Wilkinson.  The story of Wilkinson and the Monarchs is captured in this quick, easy read by William Young.  

At times, especially in the beginning of the book when the topic is mainly Wilkinson and his interest in owning a baseball franchise, seems to be TOO easy a read and is more of a long conversation instead of a story. Because of this, at times a reader may become lost with all of the names of people, players and others involved in the Monarchs or Negro Leagues. Those are the only aspects of the book that is otherwise a very good source of information on not only the Monarchs franchise but also for the development of the Negro Leagues.

Reading about how Rube Foster's dream of creating a professional league for Black players who were not allowed to play major league baseball is probably the best part of the book.  However, that doesn't diminish the colorful history of the Monarchs team, whose history and players make for great stories and are shared in this book.  Through it all, the most common theme, however, is Wilkinson's acceptance by everyone involved with the team.  This is because not only did he treat his players and employees fairly, he compensated them well (in line with what white players earned in the major leagues) and provided them with the best equipment, uniforms and facilities possible.  It is also notable that despite having to rent the ballpark in which the Monarchs played, he did not follow the standards of the day and opened all parts of the park to all fans, regardless of race.

This is a book that readers who are interested in the team or the Negro Leagues, especially with the increased attention those leagues have received after obtaining the long overdue major league status, should pick up and learn the story of one of the most storied franchises.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)

Buying Links:

https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/jl-wilkinson-and-the-kansas-city-monarchs/

https://www.amazon.com/J-L-Wilkinson-Kansas-City-Monarchs-ebook/dp/B01N66LXZC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=  

Review of "Buffalo Football"

Getting an early start on my New Year's resolution of working on older review requests first and this book is one that I meant to read when the current NFL season started, but like so many other good intentions in 2020, this was put aside for other matters.  This book is a decent summary of the glory years of the Buffalo Bills. 

 Title/Author:

“Buffalo Football: A Game-by-Game Summary of the Glory Years" by Chris Stucchio

Tags:

Football (American), professional, Bills, history

Publish date:

July 7, 2020

Length:

160 pages

Rating:

3 ½ of 5 stars (good)

Review:

While the Buffalo Bills are usually remembered for losing four consecutive Super Bowls in the early 1990's, it still meant that those teams were successful enough to win their conference championship and as such, they had much success to even get to that point.  These successes are the main focus of this quick read written by Chris Stucchio.

The time frame for this book is 1988 to 1994 which was the time of the greatest amount of success for the Bills.  The context is straightforward – quotes from notable players and the stars of those teams such as Bruce Smith, Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas are interspersed in accounts of each game played by the Bills, from preseason to the playoffs.  The game descriptions are good recaps, especially for those which the Bills were victorious and Stucchio notes each game in which he was in attendance.

Of course, each of the Super Bowl losses are covered in a little more depth, but that doesn't detract from the main goal of the book. That is, a reader will not only learn about the number of wins and the extent of success that these Buffalo teams achieved, but also a little bit about the players from their quotes and the pride they had wearing the Bills uniform.  If a reader is looking for longer stories or biographies of players, coaches or other key personnel from those teams, those are not in this book.  But for fans who remember the glory years of the Buffalo Bills, this is a good book to pick up to take a trip down memory lane and recall those years when the Bills were among the best teams in the NFL.

I wish to thank Mr. Stucchio for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1645433889/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1645433889&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

Review of "The Irish Whales"

This was certainly the first book that I have read about these particular events in the Olympics, especially about the now-discontinued 56-pound weight throw.  No, despite the name, this is not about whaling, but instead about some terrific athletes who represented the United States in the early 20th century.  Here is my review of "The Irish Whales."

Title/Author:

“The Irish Whales: Olympians of Old New York" by Kevin Martin

Tags:

Summer Olympics, track, hammer throw, discus, history

Publish date:

September 1, 2020

Length:

238 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Some of the most successful American athletes in some of the early modern Olympic games were immigrants from Ireland, either first or second generation.  These men all competed in track and field events such as the hammer throw, the discus throw and the now-discontinued 56-pound weight throw. The stories of these men and their histories are told in this well researched and informative book by Kevin Martin.

To give a complete background of the athletes, the book starts by describing the conditions that Irish immigrants faced in the latter part of the 19^th century in the United States. Having just left their homeland due to a famine, these immigrants often lived in abject poverty, taking menial jobs and enduring discrimination.  It is against this backdrop that these athletes rose above these conditions to excel at their sport. The Irish Whales, as they were called, got the moniker from their large size which was certainly a factor in the success they enjoyed.

While the first of the Irish Whales, Jim Mitchell, did not win medals at any Olympics as his legacy of success took place before the advent of the modern Olympics, he is credited as probably being the best of the Whales, with complete dominance of his events from 1891-1896.  Following him, there was John Flanagan, who today remains the only athlete to win a gold medal in three consecutive Olympic games for the same event as he took the gold in the hammer throw in 1904, 1908, and 1912.  These three Olympic games is where he and the other Irish Whales enjoyed their greatest success.

It should also be noted that there is good material in the book about the trials and tribulations of these early Games, especially the poor organization of those who ran the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis.  This is very interesting information and while it reads a bit slow at times (as does the history of the Irish immigration wave), it is an important part of the overall story of these athletic heroes to both America and Ireland.  Thiers is a story that needs to be told in order to prevent it from being forgotten.  

I wish to thank Rowman and Littlefield Publishers 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/Irish-Whales-Olympians-Old-York/dp/1538142309/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1607962604&sr=1-1

 

Review of "The Dynasty"

This was one of the most anticipated sports books of the fall as it promised to tell the complete story of the New England Patriots dynasty.  It delivered on that promise as it did that and more.  Here is my review of "The Dynasty."

Title/Author:

“The Dynasty" by Jeff Benedict

Tags:

Football (American), professional, history, Patriots

Publish date:

September 1, 2020

Length:

587 pages

Rating:

4 ½ of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

The New England Patriots have built one of the longest lasting dynasties in professional sports, lasting 20 years built primarily around three people – owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichik and quarterback Tom Brady.  Together, those three brought the Patriots to the Super Bowl nine times, winning six of them and galvanizing millions of fans on one side or the other of being fans of the team.  This dynasty is captured in this lengthy but well-written book by Jeff Benedict. 

Something that will be noticed by readers soon after starting the 587 page book is that while a football team is the subject and the games they have played, including the Super Bowl, will be captured throughout the book, they will not be the primary focus of the book.  Much more space is devoted to the off-field activities of all three of these men, even Brady. At times, this is much more interesting than the games on the field.  One of the topics in which I believe the writing and storytelling is superb is how Kraft ended up owning the team, which was quite and adventure and nearly resulted in the team playing in Hartford instead of suburban Boston. 

Some of these stories are well-known – Brady becoming the starting quarterback only due to a serious injury to veteran signal caller Drew Bledsoe, Belichick becoming coach of the Patriots one day after being named coach of the rival New York Jets and the subsequent negotiations for compensation, "Spygate" when the Patriots were accused of illegally taping Jets coaches and "Deflategate" when the Patriots and specifically Brady were accused of deflating footballs below the required pressure in the 2015 AFC Championship game.  These and so many more stories about the team are told in a such a fresh and entertaining manner that readers who are avid fans of the team and know about these matters will still enjoy the book.

This review only scratches the surface of the information contained in this publication and Benedict pulls no punches.  He has many words about former coach Bill Parcells, the upset by the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVII that kept the Patriots from enjoying a perfect season and the improbable comeback by New England in Super Bowl LI.  Readers who enjoy pro football, regardless of their fandom of the Patriots, should add this one to their reading lists.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Dynasty-Jeff-Benedict/dp/1982134100/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=  

 

Review of "Black and Blue"

Whenever I read a book on a particular game or series between two teams, I always prefer one that is balanced in the amount of space devoted to each team as well as presenting a balanced viewpoint.  This book on the 1966 World Series does just that, despite the fact it ended in a sweep for the Baltimore Orioles.  Here is my review of "Black and Blue." 

Title/Author:

“Black and Blue: Sandy Koufax, the Robinson Boys and the World Series That Stunned America” by Tom Adelman

Tags:

Baseball, professional, Orioles, Dodgers, history, championship

Publish date:

January 1, 2010

Length:

268 pages

Rating:

4 ½ of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

The 1966 World Series was supposed to be a one-sided affair.  Representing the National League were the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, led by the greatest pitcher in the game at that time, Sandy Koufax.  With another Hall of Fame pitcher in Don Drysdale, plus other capable arms like Claude Osteen, the Dodgers were picked to easily dispose of the American League champion Baltimore Orioles. Even though the Orioles were led by Triple Crown winner Frank Robinson and a young pitching staff led by Dave McNally and Jim Palmer, they were supposedly no match for the mighty Dodgers.  How that World Series played out and very good information on both teams is captured in this very good book by Tom Adelman.

The format of the book is very simple.  There are six chapters in the book, plus an epilogue.  The six chapters represent both teams and each game played in the series – a sweep by the Orioles, hence the subtitle of book.  Aside from the most ardent Baltimore fans, there were not many who thought the Orioles would even win a game, much less the series.  While Adelman’s writing is very fair and impartial throughout the book, which was a terrific characteristic, it was clear to the reader that the Dodgers were the heavy favorites.

The two star players for the teams that year, Robinson for the Orioles and Koufax for the Dodgers, are the two players featured most prominently in the book, but that doesn’t mean that others, especially Orioles players who performed well in the series, are overlooked.  One very good example is Moe Drabowsky, the Orioles reliever who pitched 6 2/3 innings in game 2, striking out 11 Dodgers along the way.  Another Orioles pitcher who has a nice write up in the book is Dave McNally, who was the winning pitcher in the clinching game 4.  As for other Dodger players who are mentioned prominently in the book, they include Drysdale, Maury Wills and Willie Davis, the latter of whom suffered an inglorious fate when committing three errors in one inning during game 2.

While other books on the two teams, especially the Dodgers, may go more in depth about some of the players, this book is a very good synopsis of the two teams, their respective cities at the time and excellent accounts of all four games, especially in the discussions about the lack of offense by the Dodgers.  Readers who are fans of either team or of the game in the 1960’s will enjoy reading about one of the most stunning World Series in the history of Major League Baseball.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                               

Buying Links:

www.amazon.com/Black-Blue-Robinson-Stunned-America/dp/0316067156/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/black-and-blue-tom-adelman/1100622512?ean=9780316075435

Review of "The Speed Game"

 This is the second memoir by a basketball coach that I read over the long Thanksgiving weekend and it lived up to what I hoped it would be - as entertaining and fast-paced as this coach's basketball philosophy.  Here is my review of Paul Westhead's memoir, "The Speed Game."

Title/Author:

“The Speed Game: My Fast Times in Basketball" by Paul Westhead

Tags:

Basketball, professional, college, memoir, Lakers, Loyola Marymount, Mercury

Publish date:

November 1, 2020

Length:

216 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

When basketball fans, players and journalists mention the name Paul Westhead, the immediate thought is fast paced, fast break basketball.  That was the type of game he would coach to his players, no matter who may have agreed or whatever the cost (namely his job) might eventually be.  This is the overall theme of his memoir which reads much like his basketball style – quick and entertaining.

The bulk of this book is dedicated to his time coaching the Los Angeles Lakers. Both the beginning and the end of his time as head coach of the Lakers was unusual.  He was an assistant coach under Jack McKinney when the latter suffered a near-fatal injury in a bicycle accident.  Westhead was given the job on an interim basis, with that tag being lifted when the Lakers won the NBA championship the following spring in 1980.  However, after a humiliating loss to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs in 1981 plus a slow start to the next season, Westhead was fired when Magic Johnson made certain remarks to the press about Westhead's system.

As he continually states throughout the book, that didn't change his coaching philosophy as he still sold his fast break system to get coaching jobs.  He not only coached elsewhere in the NBA (Denver Nuggets) but also had several college coaching jobs, the most famous of these being at Loyola Marymount University in California.  Here, he brought in two transfer players, Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble (both Philadelphia natives like Westhead) who ran the system to near perfection.  They set many NCAA records that very likely won't be broken.  Their magical run ended tragically when Gathers collapsed and later died during a NCAA Tournament game due to a heart condition.

The last notable accomplishment for Westhead and his fast break system was when he coached the Phoenix Mercury, led by Diana Taurasi, to the WNBA championship.  By doing so, he is the only coach to win both an NBA and WNBA championship. Westhead doesn't devote much space in the book to this accomplishment, and compared to how much he wrote about the Lakers, the same could be said for his time at Loyola Marymount as that was only one chapter.  Nonetheless, the reader will gain great insight into Westhead's coaching philosophy and why he believes the fast break system is the best basketball system despite the skepticism of many and also his occasional lack of success with it, as evidenced by his poor record with the Nuggets.  If one was or is a fan of his style, then this book is one to read.

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

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

Buying Links:

https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496222602/

https://www.amazon.com/Speed-Game-Fast-Times-Basketball/dp/1496222601/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=