Review of "Game Changer"

Normally, the books I read about the business side of sports are about labor disputes.  This one instead focuses on on the work of a team's general manager.  It's a very good description of the job. 

Title/Author:

“Game Changer” by Bob Whitsett

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good) 

Review:

If someone followed professional sports in the Pacific Northwest during the 1990’s, chances are good that he or she has heard of Bob Whitsett. He was the general manager for the two NBA teams in that region at the time, the Seattle SuperSonics and the Portland Trail Blazers.  Plus, for a short time, he was also the GM of the Seattle Seahawks.  All of this work made him one of the more prominent front office personnel at the time and he writes about this work in this memoir.

The most interesting story of the book, in my opinion, was the work he did to keep the Seahawks in Seattle.  For those who were not aware or did not follow football at that time, the team threatened to move to Anaheim unless Seattle built the team a new stadium. Whitsett worked hard to secure the votes to get the stadium, negotiated contracts (his arrangement to sign two players in the midst of the campaign for the new stadium was very good) and still ran the Trail Blazers at that time. It shows just how much multitasking that he was doing.

Multitasking is a good word to describe what Whitsett writes about, as he was constantly at work – or so it seemed.  Whether it was contract negotiations, putting out fires, public relations, working with players or a multitude of other tasks, Whitsett was on top of his work.  It goes with his upbringing, and he started out in the business by doing anything needed.  As he called it, he started as a “gopher” with the Indiana Pacers and worked his way up, becoming one of the youngest GM’s in the NBA when he got the job with the SuperSonics.

One of the big topics he has in the book is negotiations. On this topic, I do believe that this topic had the best stories and also included a nice checklist for anyone who has to do negotiating in their job. While each skill he describes is explained by how he handled contract negotiations with players and their agents, they had great tips for everyone else as well.  Also, he had a great story about his first draft choice signing, Clark Kellogg.  Kellogg was a first round draft choice by the Pacers, but at the time, the team didn’t have enough revenue to pay Kellogg the going rate for a first round draft choice. As Whitsett could only amount one maximum amount and let Kellogg and his agent know this, he nonetheless signed the player. How he pulled it off is an excellent tale on how one can still accomplish their negotiating goals. An excellent book by an excellent sports executive

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

Link: Amazon.com: Game Changer: An Insider's Story of the Sonics’ Resurgence, the Trail Blazers’ Turnaround, and the Deal that Saved the Seahawks: 9781959411260: Whitsitt, Bob: Books

Review of "From the Ouside"

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the United States and it is celebrated in part with a full slate of NBA games.  In between catching those in which I had interest, I also read this memoir by former NBA star Ray Allen.  I was able to complete it fairly quickly and enjoyed it. Here is my review of "From the Outside."

 

Title/Author:

“From the Outside: My Journey Through Life and the Game I Love” by Ray Allen with Michael Arkush

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: Most memoirs from current or past professional basketball players will follow a certain pattern as they are read, from the less than desirable conditions, for whatever reasons, the subject went through in their formative years.  Then because a certain person or persons believed in them, they achieved success on the basketball in youth leagues or high school and they were able to take that newfound success into a career in the NBA.  This memoir by former NBA All-Star Ray Allen follows the same path, but reads differently in a few ways.

One is that Allen was a child of a military member, so when he talks of his father not always being there for him, it was due to his father’s military commitments, not because he was absent from his children’s life.  However, due to this, Allen obtained much of his personal traits from the women in his life, starting with his mother.  He mentions that frequently through the book.  Another difference is that when he became a teenage father, he remained in the child’s life even though he and the child’s mother did not marry (although they did attempt to keep their relationship going when Allen went to college).  That experience made a difference in how Allen lived his family life when he married and had children with his wife.

This type of writing is not the main point of the book, however, as it is very basketball-centric as Allen describes his experience in high school basketball in South Carolina, his college career at the University of Connecticut and his NBA career in which he played for four teams – the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.  The last two teams are the ones he speaks most fondly of, mainly because that was with whom he won his championships.  Throughout his basketball career, no matter what level, there is one constant theme that worked well for him – his work ethic. He always wanted to be the first one at the gym and he would always be working toward improving his game, especially his shooting.

That last aspect is what he became most noted for, especially his accuracy with three-point shots.  He made one of the most memorable three-point shots in NBA history, a game tying 3 point shot at the end of regulation in game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals with the Heat.  That shot not only sent the game into overtime, but it catapulted the Heat to win that game and the championship over the San Antonio Spurs. I enjoyed this section of the book (including the description of that shot in Chapter 1) along with his stories about his championship team in Boston.  On that 2008 team, he bonded well with Kevin Garnett who like Allen, was a key off-season acquisition by the Celtics to build that championship team.

The last aspect of the book that should be mentioned is that Allen never comes across as angry or bitter, even when describing issues that if they did, would be understandable.  Of course, he was subjected to racism but other incidents such as with his Milwaukee coach George Karl or when he was told several times that he would not succeed, he always wrote in a tone that suggested that he was glad he overcame whatever obstacles that situation or person made him endure.  It’s a very good read for those who enjoyed watching Allen become one of the better shooters of his era.

Link: From the Outside: My Journey Through Life and the Game I Love: Allen, Ray, Arkush, Michael, Lee, Spike: 9780062675477: Amazon.com: Books

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

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 "KD: Kevin Durant's Pursuit to Be the Greatest"

It usually isn't easy to find decent books on current star players in any sport, mainly because there will be so much more to the player's complete story.  Even so, this book on Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors is a fantastic read and highly recommended for every basketball fan.  Here is my review.

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Title/Author:

“KD: Kevin Durant’s Relentless Pursuit to Be the Greatest” by Marcus Thompson II

 

Tags:
Basketball, professional, biography, Warriors, Thunder, SuperSonics

Publish date:

May 14, 2019

Length:

272 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Very few athletes who are stars in their sport, no matter which one, escape some type of controversy in their careers. Kevin Durant is no exception as his decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016 to join the Golden State Warriors set off a furious reaction not seen since LeBron James left Cleveland to sign with the Miami Heat in 2010.  The story behind Durant’s decision, as well as a look into his complicated world, is told in this excellent unauthorized biography by Marcus Thompson.

 

Having already penned one best-selling book about a Golden State star, Stephan Curry, Thompson writes about Durant’s ascent to stardom from Prince George County in the Washington DC metro area, or DMV for DC/Maryland/Virgina as the region is called throughout the book, where he was not only competing but thriving in games against boys older than him.  The book then follows Durant to the University of Texas for his one spectacular season for the Longhorns which vaulted him to being the #2 pick in the NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. He had a fine rookie season, being named the Rookie of the Year and followed the team when it moved to Oklahoma City.  This time in Durant’s career was my only negative takeaway from the book – there was far too little written about Durant’s time in Seattle almost like it never happened.  That is ironic because later when the Warriors and Sacramento Kings played an exhibition game in Seattle, Durant was the recipient of much love from the Seattle fans.

 

While the reader will learn about Durant’s rise to superstar status while he was on Oklahoma City, what the reader learns about Durant’s personality and the conflict between Durant’s inner feelings and the public off-court persona he portrayed makes for some of the best reading in the book and why it is a compelling read.  In public, Durant never showed any tattoos for a long time, but he had a lot of ink with significant personal meaning on areas of his body where they would be hidden by clothing in public appearances.  Through interviews with other players and research, Thompson achieves something difficult to do – providing the reader with an insightful look into an athlete who is still in the prime of his or her career without interviewing the subject.  Of course, it has to be taken that this is the viewpoint of Thompson, but it still comes across as a very interesting topic.

 

Thompson also discusses at length the most controversial part of Durant’s career – his decision to leave the Thunder two years after declaring he would never go elsewhere and sign with the Warriors, who were already a championship team.  There are many reasons that have been discussed in the media before, and Thompson addresses every one of them.  Much like Durant’s versatility in his game – a seven footer who has a great shooting touch and an explosive first step – Thompson writes about this controversy with much skill as the reader will finish this part of the book with an understanding of what Durant did.  That doesn’t mean those who were angry with this move will accept it – they will just become more informed. A great look inside the career of one of the best in the game today as well as a compelling read, fans of today’s NBA will want to add this one to their libraries.

t iI wish to thank Atria 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/KD-Durants-Relentless-Pursuit-Greatest-ebook/dp/B07GNTXW84/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kd-marcus-thompson/1128864386?ean=9781501197833#/