Review of "Tanking to the Top"

 Having a decent library of unused audio books, I decided to go back to occasionally listening to a book instead of reading it, and I settled on this one about the "Process" and the Philadelphia 76ers.  About what I expected, although the author did a decent job considering the lack of cooperation.  Here is my review of "Tanking to the Top"

Title/Author:

"Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Most Audacious Process in the History of Professional Sports" written and narrated by Yaron Weitzman

Tags:

Basketball, professional, history, 76ers, audiobook

Publish date:

March 17, 2020

Length:

304 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Fans of professional basketball, especially those of the Philadelphia 76ers, are familiar with "The Process."  In a nutshell, it was the accepting of a few seasons of losing basketball in order to stockpile high draft choices to build a championship team.  Add in a GM who not only used this strategy but also to accumulate second round picks from other teams that usually view them as expendable and you have the basic story of this book by Yaron Weitzman.

One must give credit to Weitzman for being able to put together a complete book when the main subject, the 76ers and their former general manager Sam Hinkle, refused to cooperate or allow Weitzman to interview personnel for the book.  Nonetheless, he crafted a fun-to-read accounting of the team and how it went from the days of Allen Iverson to the current team led by Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. 

Two slight criticisms I have about the book are minor, but should be noted.  One is that Weitzman makes this strategy of "tanking" and stockpiling draft choices as something that was revolutionary, mainly because of the way that Hinkle and the team sold it.  It really isn't anything new – in fact, that is how the Iverson-lead teams in the 2000's were built.  The other one is how one measures that the Process is successful.  If one believes that making it to the second round of the playoffs makes the Process worthwhile, then so be it but many would believe that only a championship can be the crowning achievement.  An achievement the 76ers have yet to accomplish with its current players.

But those are minor compared the wonderfully entertaining stories about the people who played key roles in building this team.  The main subject would certainly be Hinkle and some of the crazy situations in which he found himself.  He also was a polarizing figure, with some saying he had no idea what he was doing, while others were so supportive of his methods that they would go to the NBA draft when the 76ers would have a high draft choice chanting "Process."   Weitzman's descript of Hinkle's reign as the 76ers general manger was engaging, especially on the audio version.  His narrative led credibility to his writing, something I usually find when listening to an audio book that is narrated by the author.

The great stories are not limited to Hinkle.  The adventure of Joel Embiid from a middle-class life in Cameroon to the NBA is a fascinating adventure.  The ups and downs of Jimmy Butler are also great, from his demands to leave Minnesota to his leadership in his one 76ers season to when he too was shown the exit door, leaving as a free agent to sign with the Miami Heat.  Information on Ben Simmons is also very good.  That was the best part of this book – the human stories behind the Process.

Overall, this book is best read by those who are not familiar with the history of the team or this "new" method of building the team as there isn't any new or groundbreaking material, mainly due to the limits mentioned earlier. But still a good read or listen.

Book Format Read:

Audio

Buying Links:

Amazon.com: Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Most Audacious Process in the History of Professional Sports (Audible Audio Edition): Yaron Weitzman, Yaron Weitzman, Grand Central Publishing: Audible Audiobooks