Review of "A Hollywood Ending"

It might come as a surprise that I was interested in a book that concentrated on a player AND a team where neither rank high on my favorites of their sport.  But...glad I read it because it was quite interesting.  Here's my review of "A Hollywood Ending"

Title/Author:

“A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers” by Yaron Weitzman

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

The Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most prominent sports franchises, have never had an issue to attract star players who want to add an NBA championship to their resumes (additional if they already have one or more) and LeBron James is one of those players.  His time with the Lakers, as well as some of the lead-up to his signing, is well-documented in this book by Yaron Weitzman.

As a basketball fan who is not a big fan of either James (although I do acknowledge he is one of the best players ever) or the Lakers, I expected this to be very critical of both parties.  It wasn’t – I was impressed with how fair Weitzman presented his information. This doesn’t mean everyone is off the hook – especially the children of Dr. Jerry Buss that inherited the team after his death.  There are plenty of critical pieces of both the family, James and other parties such as Klutch, the sports agent conglomeration who represented most notably Anthony Davis. 

There are plenty of complimentary stories about the Lakers and James as well, and together they paint a great picture of how this chapter of Laker history has its ups and downs. The best of the positive pieces is how the team handled themselves in the “bubble” during the pandemic of 2020, when they won their only championship during the LeBron James era.  There’s also the feel-good (to some) story of LeBron playing alongside his son Bronny.  The only downside to the entire book I would say is that the ending feels too abrupt, especially after the trade that brought Luka Doncic to the Lakers – unless there’s another book in the plan for a new “era” in Laker history.

I wish to thank Doubleday for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: Amazon.com: A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers: 9780385550222: Weitzman, Yaron: Books

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 "Built to Lose"

A hot topic in sports today is "tanking" - purposely losing in order to improve a team's draft position in their respective sport.  While it is talked about in all the major sports, this book concentrates on basketball and the NBA and does a good job of teaching the reader the management and culture of those teams who have engaged in the practice.  Here is my review of "Built to Lose."

Title/Author: “Built to Lose: How the NBA’s Tanking Era Changed the League Forever” by Jake Fisher

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:  In basketball, more than any other professional sport, one draft pick can make or break a team’s future success.  Therefore, draft picks, or more correctly, draft capital, are considered a very valuable commodity.  Because the NBA draft lottery does not guarantee that the worst teams will get the first pick, some teams may want to accumulate draft capital in addition to losing more games, known as “tanking”, in order to improve their draft position.  How this was done by some NBA franchises in the five year period between 2013 to 2018 is chronicled in this very good book by Jake Fisher.

Fisher conducted many interviews with players, coaches and team management personnel to collect the information and stories he uses throughout the book and it provides very good insight into the workings of those teams who sought to improve their draft capital.  While several teams are discussed in the book, the primary focus was on the Philadelphia 76ers and their “process”, as it was called, in obtaining draft capital at the expense of wins.  They came very close to breaking their own record for the worst full season but did get some valuable picks. 

Other teams include two that might surprise people – the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.  While both of those storied franchises may not come to mind when the subject is tanking, they did fit the profile that Fisher gives to teams who may lose many games, trade veteran players for draft picks or realize that it may be more beneficial to try to gain draft capital instead of chasing a low playoff spot.  The results are mixed – the Celtics and Lakers did not take long to go back to their winning ways while others, such as the 76ers (on the rise, but not a champion yet) or the Minnesota Timberwolves (still struggling at the time of the book’s publication) have not seen the fruits of this type of management.

While the book is a good look at this type of management of a basketball franchise, the stories jump around and at times it’s hard to keep up with all the different names and stories being discussed.  Because of that, no one team’s experience is described fully.  Not even the 76ers’ story could be considered complete here.  There is another book on their process that is recommended if the reader wants to know more about them specifically – “Tanking to the Top” by Yaron Weitzman.  But if a reader wants to learn more about this type of management in a more general sense, this is good reference.

Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Built-Lose-Tanking-Changed-Forever-ebook/dp/B091FVVKFR/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1647543251&sr=1-1

Review of "The Spencer Haywood Rule"

Spencer Haywood was one of the first basketball players I enjoyed watching as a kid learning the game and when I saw this book, I was interested.  It wasn't what I hoped it would be but it wasn't a bad read either.  Here is my review of "The Spencer Haywood Rule"

Title/Author: “The Spencer Haywood Rule: Battles, Basketball and the Making of an American Iconoclast” by Marc J. Spears and Gary Washburn

Rating: 3 of 5 stars (good)

Review:  It is isn’t often an athlete will have a certain rule or process named for him or her, but Spencer Haywood is one of those athletes.  After bucking the NBA’s rule for not allowing players who did not attend at least three years of college and playing in the rival ABA, the NBA changed and allowed players that young to compete.  The amended rule was known for a long time as the “Spencer Haywood Rule” and that is the title of this biography of Haywood by Marc J. Spears.

There are many aspects of Haywood’s life that even hardcore fans of that era of basketball in the 1970’s and early 1980’s will learn.  Not many realized that he was working picking cotton in Mississippi before going to Detroit and learning that his basketball skills will bring him farther than he dreamed.  It was also interesting to read about his time on the 1968 US Olympic basketball team and his perspective on the civil rights issues of the time.  It was clear from his commentary that despite the extra attention he received and the perks that come with his celebrity, he did not forget the struggles of not only his mother Eunice but all Black Americans. 

There are some parts of his commentary, however, that will not resonate with some readers.  His language is raw at times, as he is quoted frequently in the book no matter the topic or how he is talking. He does point out many people and even cities that he felt did him wrong, whether it concerned his basketball career, his drug use (which was a part of his basketball downfall) or his personal life.  It would be safe to say Haywood experienced many highs and lows – some of which were his doing, some of which were not.  This is his life and the way that he sees the circumstances that played out to make that life the way it was.  For that, no matter how it comes across, it is authentic and therefore worth the time to read.

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

Link:  Amazon.com: The Spencer Haywood Rule: Battles, Basketball, and the Making of an American Iconoclast eBook : Spears, Marc J., Washburn, Gary: Kindle Store

Two for the 4th, part 1 - review of "Tall Men, Short Shorts"

Happy Independence Day to those in the United States. On its 245th birthday, I decided to post two reviews of books I just finished in the last two days, both on sports truly American.  One is a basketball book on the longest dynasty in the professional version of a sport invented in the United States, basketball.  This memoir/historical book is an excellent read in many ways.  Here is my review of "Tall Men, Short Shorts"

Title/Author: "Tall Men, Short Shorts" by Leigh Montville

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: Leigh Montville, a well-known Boston sportswriter, covered the 1969 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers for the Boston Globe and it was one of the biggest assignments in his burgeoning career.  His reflection on both his writing about that event and the two teams involved is the subject of his latest book.

The book reads like the current septuagenarian Montville wants to talk to his 25-year old self.  However, that isn't because he has advice that he has learned over the years and wants his younger self to treat the plum assignment any differently.  Instead, it reads almost like a time travel memoir in which the older man is back in 1969 and viewing what his younger self was doing while covering the last hurrah for one of the longest dynasties in professional sports.

In 1969, the Celtics were getting older as their star throughout their dominance in the 1960's, Bill Russell, became their player-coach and knew that his time left to play was getting short.  They were not their usual dominant selves in the regular season but had enough left to make it back to the finals, where they had won 10 of the last 12 NBA championships.  On the other side were the Lakers, who were frequent victims to the Celtics in those years.  They too had their superstars, had just recently acquired Wilt Chamberlain to match up against Russell and also had an aging star, Elgin Baylor, who wanted his one last shot at a title.

The writing in the book on the teams and the players (including other stars on the teams like Jerry West and Sam Jones) was very good- and much of it was due to his columns written during that series.  However, it is the manner in which he reflects on his more daring self during that time that makes the book a great read.  Montville refers to his younger self never by name but by "the bright young man" or TBYM.  This is the case even when that TYBM makes some youthful mistakes, but these are never documented in a scolding or regretful way.  Indeed, the whole book reads like one great wonderful memory from his youth and that is why it is such a fun basketball book for any fan, of any era. 

While the Celtics did go on to win that series in seven games and capture that 11^th title in 13 years, it is not one that only Celtics fans should read, nor is it the typical sports memoir. As noted above, anyone who enjoys basketball should read it.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Tall-Men-Short-Shorts-Reporter-ebook/dp/B08P48J2HZ/

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 "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=

Review of "No Malice"

This memoir certainly didn't read like many other sports memoirs - but then Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, didn't exactly have a career and life similar to many other athletes, hence my interest in reading this book.  Here is my review of his memoir.

Title/Author:

“No Malice: My Life in Basketball or: How a Kid from Queensbridge Survived the Streets, the Brawls and Himself to Become an NBA Champion” by Metta World Peace and Ryan Dempsey

 

Tags:

Basketball, memoir, Lakers, Pacers, Bulls, Knicks, Rockets  

Publish date:

May 15, 2018

Length:

282 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Excellent basketball memoir Usually a sports memoir will follow the same pattern. An ex-athlete will talk about his childhood, his career while playing his chosen game and his life after retiring. While some of this is true for Metta World Peace (formerly known as Ron Artest), his story takes on extra meaning because of his willingness to talk about his mental health issues so candidly. He does verify some of his more off beat moments, such as working at Circuit City while still a player.Usually a sports memoir will follow the same pattern. An ex-athlete will talk about his childhood, his career while playing his chosen game and his life after retiring. While some of this is true for Metta World Peace (formerly known as Ron Artest), his story takes on extra meaning because of his willingness to talk about his mental health issues so candidly. He does verify some of his more off beat moments, such as working at Circuit City while still a player. He does speak frankly about the infamous brawl in Detroit during the 2004 season that cost him nearly five million dollars in salary and many years of bad memories. But it's clear to a reader that he has turned things around and, appropriately enough, seems to be at peace with himself. Any basketball fan who knows about Artest/ World Peace should pick up this book. A great and fast read, one will be happy with the eventual outcome of a man who finally is at peace with him

 

Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/No-Malice-Basketball-Queensbridge-Survived/dp/1629374032/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-malice-metta-world-peace/1126250975?ean=9781629374031#/

Review of "Showtime"

Having not reviewed an audiobook for awhile, I picked one out written by an author that I am growing to enjoy tremendously. Jeff Pearlman is one of the best for detailed research and interviews and this shows in the quality of his work. This book about the 1980's Los Angeles Lakers is a great example.  Here is my review of "Showtime"

Title/Author:

“Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Dynasty of the 1980’s” by Jeff Pearlman, narrated by Malcom Hilgartner

Tags:

Basketball, professional, history, Lakers, championship, audiobook

Publish date:

October 7, 2014

Length:

496 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

The Los Angeles Lakers played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) finals eight of the ten years of the decade of the 1980’s, winning five titles.  Easily the best team of that decade, their story of dominance is captured in this excellent book by bestselling author Jeff Pearlman.

The time frame covered by the book is from the first championship season in 1979-80 through the 1991 NBA Finals when an aging and slower version of the “Showtime” team lost to the Chicago Bulls and their transcendent star Micheal Jordan.  Between those two bookend seasons, the reader will be taken on an entertaining ride – some of it expected, some of it surprising but all of it easy to read and enjoy.

The story starts with the coash who is often forgotten when one thinks of these Laker’s teams – Jack McKinney.  He lead the team to the 1980 championship with the game’s all time leading scorer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and a rookie point guard from Michigan State, Earvin “Magic” Johnson.  From there, these two players were the foundation for the Laker dynasty, with other various players and coaches.

The saga of the head coaching position for the Lakers during this time makes for interesting reading.  McKinney was involved in a horrific bicycle accident which led to assistant coach Paul Westhead getting promoted while McKinney recuperated. He and Johnson had a rocky relationship.  That lead to Westhead’s dismissal and the hiring of Pat Riley.  Riley’s contribution to Showtime and his leadership is explained in fascinating detail – everything from his relationship with the players (great at first, deteriorated to awful by 1990), his wardrobe and his ego.  Even Riley’s successor, Mike Dunleavy, had his story told in great detail.

The two men who owned the team during this time, Jack Kent Cooke and Dr. Jerry Buss, have very different and interesting personalities. While Cooke treated everyone associated with the team badly, Buss not only changed this environment, he led a playboy lifestyle and even constructed a lounge in the team’s arena, the Forum, that was a haven for partying, drugs and sex.  It was stated that players, both Lakers and visiting players, hurriedly showered and changed after games so they could quickly get up to the lounge for the after game parties.

Nearly every player who donned a Laker jersey has his story told and the public images associated with the team’s stars are confirmed for most.  Magic Johnson’s bubbly personality was not an act – he is continuously portrayed as such throughout the book.  The same goes for Abdul-Jabbar’s aloofness and sulking (he is probably the most criticized player in the book), A.C. Green’s spirituality (confirmed by his remaining a virgin until he married, despite the high libidos of his teammates and the owner), and Mark Landsburger’s “stupidity”.

These are just a few examples of how Pearlman exposes everything about each player, whether good, bad, controversial or embarrassing.  He is a master of letting the reader find out as much as possible about these athletes and this book is no different. The narration by Malcom Hilgartner is just as good as the writing.  For those who have heard interviews by these players over the years, the listener will be surprised at how much he sounds like them, especially Magic Johnson.

Pearlman is a master of deep research and interviews to provide the reader with the most information possible on the book’s subject and this book is one great example. Fans of the Lakers and professional basketball will certainly want to read this book.

Book Format Read:

Audiobook

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Showtime-Kareem-Angeles-Lakers-Dynasty/dp/1592407552/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/showtime-jeff-pearlman/1115700015?ean=9781592408870#/

Review of "The Soul of Basketball"

The synopsis of this excellent book says that the 2010-11 season is one that could be considered a season that saved the NBA.  I thought that was a bit strange - after all, it was the season where LeBron James jumped from his hometown to take his talents to South Beach.  How in the world could this have been the one to "save" the league?  Well, the book makes an excellent case of just that point.  It is one of the best basketball books that I have read.  Here is my review of "The Soul of Basketball."

Title/Author:

“The Soul of Basketball: The Epic Showdown Between LeBron, Kobe, Doc and Dirk that Saved the NBA” by Ian Thomson

Tags:

Basketball, professional, Heat, Mavericks, Celtics, Lakers

Publish date:

April 17, 2018

Length:

352 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (Outstanding)

Review:

The 2010-11 basketball season turned out to be one that was very pivotal for the sport and the league. Why this season was such an important one is explained by author Ian Thomson in this excellent book about not just LeBron James and the Heat, but also about other key player and teams.

It started during the summer when the game’s biggest star, LeBron James, announced “The Decision” to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat and in doing so, became a villain in the eyes of many fans, not just those in Cleveland. From there, the season was a topsy-turvy affair for the top teams. Not just for the Heat, who now had three stars (they also signed free agent Chris Bosh to go with their star guard Dwayne Wade), but also for the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks.

Thomson takes the reader inside these teams and one key person for each team. For the Celtics, that is their coach Doc Rivers, who led the team to the championship in 2008 and lost a heartbreaking seven game series to the Lakers in the 2010 Finals.  This has weighed heavy on Rivers’ mind and he wants to make sure this does not deter from his team’s goals. The Celtics had good success against the Heat during the 2010-11 season and they meet in the playoffs.  Through the stories of not only Rivers, but also Paul Pierce and Rajan Rondo, the reader will experience the ups and downs of the season up to their elimination by the Heat in the playoffs.

Speaking of Miami, the Heat’s adventures are covered with the same extensive detail about their key personnel.  The reader will learn about James’s inner turmoil about becoming the player everyone loved to hate.  He realized that announcing his joining the Heat in the manner that he did was not popular, that the rally held soon afterward in which he, Wade and Bosh predicted multiple championships added fuel to that fire, and that he was realizing that he was not the only cog that made Miami a good team.

Not all of the material about the Heat is about the players, however. The reader will learn a great deal about the inner workings a team will execute when attempting to sign a star player when he or she reads about Pat Riley’s wheeling and dealing to sign James.  These passages were very informative and helped the reader understand why James eventually chose Miami – and late in the book, also why James left Miami to head back to Cleveland. These are part of the “self- corrections” that Thomson illustrates as an important part of the NBA culture.

The Los Angeles Lakers were the defending champions during the 2010-11 season, and the determination and drive to succeed exhibited by their superstar, Kobe Bryant, is well documented.  However, the best writing about a player who is exhibiting a special talent to win is saved for Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki. What is especially entertaining about Nowitzki’s story is how he worked closely for many years with Holger Geschwindner.  Holger worked with Nowitzki on everything from his footwork to his shot selection to his mental game. Like his team, Nowitzki didn’t start the 2010-11 season with a lot of fanfare, but by the time the NBA Finals were done, the Mavericks were the champions, defeating James and the Heat with Nowitzki being the dominant player in the Finals. His reaction to winning was interesting – he lifted both fists up in triumph, then ran into the locker room where he was crying hard while being urged to come back out to the arena to accept the award of being named the MVP of the Finals.  It made for great drama.

The book is certainly one of the best basketball books one will find about recent NBA history and one of the best I have had the pleasure to read. The NBA is carving out its own identity, according to Thomson, as the sport of the American Dream as Major League Baseball is drawing criticism for its slow pace and the NFL has issues with the violence of the game and the dangers of concussions. The book is a compelling case for arriving at this conclusion and is one that any NBA fan will want to add to his or her library.

I wish to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Basketball-Showdown-Between-LeBron-ebook/dp/B01MZ876IN/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-soul-of-basketball-ian-thomsen/1125350310?ean=9780547746517#/

Review of "Golden Days"

Having been in a bit of a reading slump, the best way to get out of it is to pick up a book by an author whom I like.  This book is written by Jack McCallum, considered to be one of the best basketball authors today.  This did the trick - it was a great book on two legendary teams.  Here is my review of "Golden Days." 

Title/Author:

“Golden Days: West’s Lakers, Steph’s Warriors and the California Dreamers Who Reinvented Basketball” by Jack McCallum

Tags:

Basketball, professional, Lakers, Warriors, championship

Publish date:

October 24, 2017

Length:

336 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Two of the best teams in the history of professional basketball are the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers and the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors.  Both teams had lengthy winning streaks – Golden State had a 24 game streak and the Lakers had a 33 game streak that still stands as the longest winning streak by a professional team in the four major sports.  Both teams won their respective championships.  Both teams had several all-star players on the roster.  The comparison between the two teams is captured in this wonderfully written book by Jack McCallum, considered one of the better basketball authors in the business.

There is one link between the two teams from different eras – Jerry West.  West was one of those all-star players on that Lakers team, and was relieved to finally win a championship after many years of finishing second to either the Boston Celtics or New York Knicks.  After his playing career, he worked in the front office for several teams, but his best work was with the Warriors in putting together the team that includes Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Drayman Green. 

The book is fast paced, has many humorous passages and is a wonderful looks back at both teams’ construction and the championship seasons.  One chapter is dedicated to each game of the Lakers’ historic winning streak – this was my favorite section of the book as a reader will either have great memories of the team or, if too young to have seen this team, will learn what the culture of professional basketball was at the time and the colorful characters that made up the Los Angeles Lakers.

This doesn’t mean McCallum shorts changes his quality work for the Warriors either.  The reader will learn how the Warriors went from laughing stock to domination through the hard work of new-thinking owners, sheer luck on draft night in 2009 that allowed them to draft Curry and how they have become the hip team of the current basketball culture.  I enjoyed reading about this team as well, mainly because McCallum writes in such a manner that he shows great respect for both teams without the book coming off as a love fest for either one of them.  It is simply a lot of great information and stories about two legendary teams. This book is highly recommended for all basketball fans of all ages.

I wish to thank Ballantine Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399179070/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399179070&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2  

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/golden-days-jack-mccallum/1126893361?ean=9780399179075#/