Review of "Above the Noise"

There was a lot of pre-publication buzz about this book and after reading it, I believed it lived up to the hype.  Here is my review of "Above the Noise", the memoir of DeMar DeRozan. 

Title/Author:

“Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm” by DeMar DeRozan

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

When NBA star DeMar DeRozan made a simple tweet to state that he wasn’t okay, no one expected the outpouring of not only support but also the attention that it would lead to the mental health of athletes.  While that was probably the best part of his memoir, it is one of the better sports memoirs I have read and one that every basketball fan will want to add to their library.

The format of the book isn’t much different than any other sports memoir – stories about his childhood, who helped push him into the athlete he became, his successes and failures that he endured along the way to where he is now.  What made this one stand out from others to me was his refreshing humility.  He was raised in Compton and frequently mentions the hard day-to-day life in that section of Los Angeles. He never forgets his roots when he is now living a much different lifestyle and it’s clear from the writing that this isn’t just being told to sound good – he truly does care for that community.

DeRozan is also frank about his personal relationships, whether with teammates, coaches or his wife and children.  He is honest about the struggles in his marriage and while his commitment to stay together with her may come across as “staying together for the children,” it is clear that part of his process of dealing with his mental health matters includes ensuring his relationships are strong as well.

And yes, there is plenty of basketball in the book.  It was clear that despite changing teams twice (from Toronto to San Antonio to Chicago) when he did not want to leave either time, he was able to quickly adjust and not only be welcomed, but welcomed being in a new city with new teammates despite missing his family.  He talks about his all-star seasons in Toronto, his relationship with coach Greg Popovich with the Spurs and his new role with the Bulls in helping them regain some of the glory they had in the days of Michael Jordan.

It's the feeling of refreshing honesty that made this book a very good read and one that I completed fairly quickly.  Hopefully this book will not only be a good one for basketball fans, but also for anyone who is dealing with mental health issues.  Reading about DeMar’s story is something that hopefully will be able to help others dealing with similar issues.

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

Link: Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm: DeRozan, DeMar, Zarum, Dave, Popovich, Gregg: 9780593581261: Amazon.com: Books

Wonderful time of the year

This is one of two wonderful times of the year for a sports fan. Baseball is in full swing, the NBA Finals have started and the NHL playoffs are in the Final Four (although they are usually in the Stanley Cup finals by now.) Three of the four major leagues in action makes for tough choices. Not just for a night like tonight when I had to decidee whether to tune in to hockey or baseball, but also to read one of the three books I am working on for this blog. Spoiler alert...the three books are two biographies and a tell-all. Won't give away anything else...butI will say all three have been good thus far. Hockey won for tonight with the chance for Boston to head back to the Finals. Would like to see that. Although now it will be tough to top game 1 of the NBA Finals. I wrote earlier that San Antonio is one of the best franchises in professional sports. It would be fitting to see their "Big Three" of Duncan, Parker and Ginobli win it all. Next review is coming soon -I promise..but now back to the game!

Model Sports Franchises

Just received the latest issue of Sports Illustrated and the cover States that the St.Louis Cardinals are baseball's model franchise. Have not read the article yet...have to get through the next book for this blog! :) Anyway, it got me thinking about model franchises and what makes a franchise "a model" one. I see three important characteristics. 1) Consistent results on the field. This doesn't mean championships every year or even playoffs. But the team will be a factor year in and year out. 2) Stability in the owner's box, coaching staff and roster. The best example of this is the NBA's model franchise, the San Antonio Spurs. When was the last time you heard that the Spurs were for sale, fired the GM, or let go of the coach? And how long has the core of Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker been there? Stability at its finest. 3) Players want to play for the team for reasons other than money. Yes, today's sports landscape rarely allows players to stay with one team for long. But when players want to sign with a team like the New England Patriots, how can you not take notice and try to see what they are doing right? Those three teams, along with the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, make up the model franchises for each sport. Do you agree? If not, which franchises are they? And why? Let's have some fun with this topic.