Basketball History in Syracuse: Hoops Roots (NY) Review

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Basketball History in Syracuse: Hoops Roots (NY) ReviewWhen I purchased a book called Basketball History in Syracuse, I was expecting a history of the Syracuse Orangemen. Unfortunately for me, this is a history of the Syracuse Nationals, not the Orangemen. Whether intentional or not I think the title of the book is a little misleading but also shame on me for not doing a deeper dive into the book before purchasing. Despite only having a passing interest in the Nats, I did read the book. It's very well written and clearly well researched with a number of cool photos and profiles of "Syracuse Hardwood Heroes" that look like the backs of basketball cards. You get a season by season history of the Nats from their inception into the NBL in 1946 to their transition into the NBA's Philadelphia Warriors in 1963.
To summarize, if you're looking for a book on the history of Syracuse University basketball this is not the book you're looking for. If you're interested in the Syracuse Nationals or you're a basketball history junkie this will make a nice addition to your library.
Basketball History in Syracuse: Hoops Roots (NY) OverviewAnyone who has spent time in Syracuse, New York, knows that basketball season is the most wonderful time of the year. And while the local popularity of the sport is known nationwide, the region also has a long and rich basketball history. Sports historian Mark Baker traces the evolution of Syracuse's "hoops roots," beginning in the early days, when local, national and college basketball organizations were primitive institutions. It was during this time that one of the first teams to gain a national following was founded here by an Italian immigrant, Danny Biasone, and it was in Syracuse that the 24 second clock was invented. From the outset, Syracuse residents and fans were hooked, and this love of the game has endured, feeding the fanaticism that sustains the sport today.

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Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon Review

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Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon ReviewIt's been over thirty-five years since all-time great Jerry West retired from the NBA so it's a daunting task to attempt his biography in a way that will seem fresh and meaningful to longtime Jerry West fans... but author Roland Lazenby succeeded in just such a quest. The author has done yeomen's work in combining archival historical articles, books and interviews... along with recent interviews with former teammates... associates... family members... and probably most impressive of all... former fiery members of competitive teams. I was raised to believe the greatest compliments a ballplayer could receive were from his peers... both teammates and competitors. An example of such haloed praise for West was proffered by Boston Celtic Tom Heinsohn who played... coached... or announced the six straight NBA championship series that West's Lakers lost to the hated Celtics: "WEST AND (TEAMMATE ELGIN) BAYLOR WERE TWO OF THE FIVE GREATEST PLAYERS EVER." Despite the fact that Jerry West finally got his elusive championship as a player by defeating the New York Knicks in 1972... a season that included *THE GREATEST CONSECUTIVE GAME WINNING STREAK BY ANY PROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ANY MAJOR SPORT IN HISTORY (33-STRAIGHT-GAMES)... Jerry's career both in college as an All-American at West Virginia and as a FOURTEEN-TIME-ALL-STAR for the Los Angeles Lakers... will be remembered by Jerry... as well as by those close to him... by the self-imposed anguish that was his daily life. He... like his Mother... was a perfectionist... and a single loss would nag at him inconsolably for months. It's this festering self-doubt and loathing that led some close to him to observe that despite all he accomplished in his career "HE NEVER SEEMED TO FIND ANY JOY IN IT." This self-imposed psychosis is probably the most amazing thing that a reader who is otherwise overly familiar with Jerry West's accomplishments will take away from this book. Hot Rod Hundley who preceded Jerry as a West Virginia All-American... and also preceded West as a first round selection by the Lakers so aptly said: "WEST ACCOMPLISHED TEN TIMES AS MUCH AS I DID IN MY CAREER, BUT HE'S ABOUT A TENTH AS HAPPY AS I AM."
There are plenty of unmatched statistics such as during the six NBA finals series against the Celtics in 1962,63,65,66,68, and 69... he averaged 31,29,34,35,32, and 38. In the 1964-65 six game Western Conference playoff series with the Bullets, "WEST AVERAGED 46.3 POINTS PER GAME, A RECORD THAT HAS WITHSTOOD THE TEST OF EVEN MICHAEL JORDAN'S BEST." Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan wrote: "NO CELTIC OPPONENT HAS EVER HAD MORE FANS WISHING HE WOULD SWITCH UNIFORMS, AND THAT INCLUDES MICHAEL JORDAN."
*JERRY WEST WAS NAMED THE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER OF THE 1969 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES... THE ONLY TIME IN LEAGUE HISTORY THAT THE MVP CAME FROM THE LOSING TEAM!*
The reader will hear no holds barred comments from West regarding such luminaries as Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Jack Kent Cooke, Jerry Buss, Fred Schaus, Phil Jackson... and many others. You will learn... or be reminded that West is probably the most loved and respected player to ever come from the state of West Virginia... in fact the author who is also from West Virginia says that his Father worshipped Jerry West. "I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE THAT THERE WERE TWO PICTURES ON THE WALL OF OUR HOME WHEN I WAS A BOY. ONE WAS OF JESUS. THE OTHER WAS OF JERRY WEST. THE PICTURE OF JESUS, I TELL PEOPLE, WAS HUNG HIGHER THAN THE PICTURE OF JERRY, BUT ONLY BY ABOUT AN INCH OR TWO."
The only part of this book from my perspective that was not five star quality was approximately thirty-odd pages near the beginning of the book that went into the history of West Virginia as far back as the 1700's. Perhaps I... like many other potential readers was simply chomping at the bit to immediately get to the main subject... my childhood hero Jerry West. I grew up in Los Angeles while West was playing for the Lakers. I wore his number 44 on my high school team... my junior college team... and on my military team. I practiced day and night imitating Jerry's unstoppable jump shot until mine was one and the same.
In my house... Jerry's picture was higher on the wall than any other.
Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon Overview

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How March Became Madness: How the NCAA Tournament Became the Greatest Sporting Event in America Review

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How March Became Madness: How the NCAA Tournament Became the Greatest Sporting Event in America ReviewFans of college basketball will enjoy the information and stories provided in this book. The book is a collection of interviews, set forth in story format, in which the author met and interviewed with a number of significant figures in college basketball, including coaches, media, and players.
There are many great stories here, and the book is divided up into different stories on the different personalities, so it makes for an accessible read. You can pick up the book, read one article, then put it down. I found the stories by the coaches to be among the most entertaining: Coach K, Roy Williams, Rick Pitino, Dean Smith, Guy Lewis and others all provide insightful stories.
Also, the book puts college basketball in its historical context, with a focus on the first televised basketball game, UCLA vs. Houston, played in the Astrodome. Overall a very informative and entertaining book, I would strongly recommend it to any college basketball fan.How March Became Madness: How the NCAA Tournament Became the Greatest Sporting Event in America OverviewThe March to Madness is the fascinating account of how the telecast between Houston and UCLA laid the foundation for what became one of the greatest sporting events in America.It's an account told through the voices of a who's who of great players, coaches, and announcers.

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Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure Review

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Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure ReviewThe book is a basketball travelogue that takes the reader around the world to illustrate the global nature and universal appeal of the game of basketball. As a fan of Ivy League basketball two chapters in particular stood out to me: "Philadelphia: Quaker Meeting House" and "Princeton, New Jersey: Through the Back Door"
As you might have guessed, the "Quaker meeting house" in question is the Palestra. The first half of the chapter recounts the past glories of the building while the latter half brings to life the famous Penn-Princeton game that took place on February 9, 1999.
The Princeton chapter deals with the legendary "Princeton offense." It uses the context of lunchtime pickup games at Princeton's Jadwin Gym to make its points and gives a wonderful look inside the family atmosphere that permeates Princeton basketball like few other college basketball programs.
I would add "Big Game, Small World" to a list of recommended basketball reading that includes John Feinstein's superb "The Last Amateurs."Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure Overview

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