Basketball: A Love Story Hardcover – September 18, 2018

It's not the usual procedure, but sometimes the movie gets a head start on the book.That's the case with "Basketball: A Love Story," which fans whose memories go back beyond Stephan Curry will thoroughly enjoy.ESPN put together something of an oral history of basketball for this project. It grabbed all sorts of interviews from people involved in the game over the years.At some point, it was decided that there was enough material there for a book, and then some. So Jackie MacMullan and Rafe Bartholomew, two first-rate writers, came on board to help put together a printed version.You may have seen parts of the documentary over the past few months. It has popped up on television at odd times, with a ton of fresh interviews on a variety of subjects. The filmmaker, Dan Klores, obviously was given the time and space to do everything right.The first point to know is that the book doesn't go all the way back to the beginning of the NBA, which dates back to just after the completion of World War II. The book is arranged by topics, and the first areas of discussion are the Celtics dynasty (1957-69) and the UCLA run (1964-75), the civil rights era of the Sixties, and the gambling scandal of the early 1960s.And away we go from there. There are topics that obviously were converted into parts of the documentary and are therefore more complete - Olympic play, North Carolina, New York City ball, the ABA, Michael Jordan, UConn vs. Tennessee, and international play.It's the voices along the way that you'll remember, though. Time has allowed many of the participants in the game to ability to give a very honest account. Here's Elvin Hayes on the time that his Houston team beat UCLA in the Astrodome - a game that really put college basketball on the map:"(Lew Alcindor, later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) was all-everything, and I wanted to take his star down and put mine up there. ... Before that, we were friends, but after that Houston game, we never talked again. We could play on the same All-Star team and never talk to each other."Or UConn women's coach Gino Auriemma on Pat Summitt of Tennessee: "What the outside world wanted us to do was compete like that and then go to dinner and have a great time. I'm saying, 'Where does that happen? What part of the world, in any sporting endeavor, when you've got two fierce rivals like this, do they really enjoy each other's company?'"How about Kenny Smith on Shaq and Kobe? "These guys are like Felix Unger and Oscar Madison, but they live in the same house, so they just gotta learn to get along. ... They could have done a better job at it, honestly."The group also interviewed some media types to provide some perspective along the way. Most of the time, this works well. Who wouldn't want to hear what Bob Ryan has to say about a particular area?But it's the players and coaches who really shine here. Their first-person accounts are frequently fascinating, and they make "Basketball: A Love Story" a fascinating read for anyone who loves basketball and its rich history.

Good purchase

While there are many books available on the history of basketball, at various points in the very interesting history of the sport, this collaboration by three very good basketball writers takes a different approach to talk about various aspects of the game and it worked.The most notable aspect of this book is that aside from a few paragraphs between each section of interviews, there is no anecdotal approach to basketball history. Instead, there are quotes from interviews with the appropriate people to talk about that topic. Those topics range from the early history of both the game itself and professional basketball to international players, the evolution of the women’s game and observations about some of the best to ever play.This approach to use quotes and observations from others instead of from the authors mostly worked well. I use “mostly” because there is some repetition in a few sections, especially when talking about players. Some of the superlatives given for Michael Jordan and LeBron James, just to name two, are like that where several people are repeating what others said. There are also some parts that just seem too short to fully appreciate the topic – that was the case for me when people shared their thoughts on Cheryl Miller. Yes, she never played professionally as she was injured shortly after her college career ended and could not play in the WNBA as the league did not start until several years later.Something that made this format work well was the transitions from one area to another within the topic. An example of this would be the chapter on international players. When Dirk Nowitzki was talking about how he developed his famous fade away jump shot, he also talked about he overcame the language barrier. From there, that was the next topic as several other international players shared that aspect of their adjustment to American professional basketball. Segways like that made the book read well and it is one that any basketball fan of any level should read.

Basketball: A Love Story is an incredibly well written journey through basketball and the players and culture that have defined the history of the beloved game. It highlights, the history and culture in a truly enlightening way. It features issues as vital as the Civil Rights movement and Title IX and shows the hardships and tests that players had to struggle through to just be able to play or in many cases be included in any level of basketball. Basketball started as under rated and unappreciated but has emerged as a game that can unite people throughout any nation and status.

I bought this for my husband who is a big basketball fan for many years. He most of the players in the box and is really enjoying the context of it. I read a lot of reviews that did not like the way it was written but he really likes the way it is written and how it is in quote form. It may not be for everyone but he is loving it and that is what counts for me. He likes all the little antidotes that you normally don't hear and the behind the door discussions.

This book is phenomenal..my only regret is that it ended..from a dentist who played basketball in the small gyms in Minnesota to the large auditoriums in Van Nuys onto San Diego State(div 2 ) then and ten fingers that still work well and precisely....Congratulations on a perfect book

As a longtime NBA fan and author myself, I really enjoyed the different storytelling approaches here. I was jealous of all the people who helped put all the interviews together, because I was an unknown trying to score interviews on my own for Season of the 76ers. This book was a read that brought back so many memories and also explained some things that happened to teams and players along the way. Thumbs up.

If you love basketball,you'll love this book.A three point shot to your heart.It will steal your attention as you pass the hours huddled with the book.

Bought as a present for my husband who loves basketball. He loved it.

Love that style of book, told through the words of former players/coaches/journalists/etc. I also like how it's divided by subjects (women's game, Bird vs Magic, Olympic ball, UCLA Wooden years, ABA, etc.) and not merely chronologically. Highly recommended for basketball junkies.

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Loved the range of stories and perspectives about many important moments in Basketball history.

Well written, several historical elements covered as told by the players and coaches involved. If you are a basketball lover, then this is a must read.