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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Shooting the Pistol: Courtside Photos of Pete Maravich at LSU Review

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Shooting the Pistol: Courtside Photos of Pete Maravich at LSU ReviewStudents today at LSU call the Pete Maravich Assembly Center the P-MAC. I can't stand to hear that. If they read this book, they might give the building the devotion it deserves. "Shooting the Pistol" is a clever name and the cover of this book and its design are also clever. I was expecting only pictures, but was amazed at the amount of copy that went along with the games corresponding to the photos. Pete is shown in all kinds of situations and the descriptions are amazing. This will make a great Father's Day gift.Shooting the Pistol: Courtside Photos of Pete Maravich at LSU OverviewEvery basketball team has its star player.From 1967 to 1970, Louisiana State University saw the rise of a legend: "Pistol Pete" Maravich, one of the greatest basketball players in LSU history and arguably the greatest to ever play college basketball.Known for his dazzling ball handling, creative passing, and extraordinary shooting, he averaged 44.2 points per game at LSU--without the benefit of a three-point line--and remains the NCAA's all-time leading scorer. Danny Brown, a journalism student at LSU during most of Pete's college years, took hundreds of photographs at LSU basketball games as part of his course work.In Shooting The Pistol, Brown offers more than eighty photographs--most never before published--of Pete in action, along with game statistics and personal recollections, to form the single most complete portrait ever made of Maravich at LSU.Danny first met Pete not on the basketball court, but during Air Force ROTC training, where Danny was Pete's squadron sergeant.Upon learning that the tall, scrawny guy with the shaved head and the purple-and-gold beanie cap was scoring 40 points a game on the freshman team, Danny replied, "That kid can play basketball?"Danny eventually became friends with Pete and his father, Coach "Press" Maravich, and his images pay tribute to an amazing athlete and a magical time in LSU sports history. Brown's photographs provide intimate courtside views of Pete's gravity-defying, play-making skills.Many capture Pete in midair, where he seemingly floats, his off-balance body positions resembling moves in an athletic ballet.Famous for his ability to stop on a dime, Pete--as Brown's pictures demonstrate--often caught opponents flat-footed as he quickly maneuvered for an opening to the basket or sent a sudden "no-look" pass to a teammate.The volume culminates in Brown's near-perfect photographs of Pete's shot that broke the NCAA scoring record during the 1970 Ole Miss game and of the ensuing game-stopping victory celebration. While the majority of the images here show number 23 in motion, several reveal the personal side of the shy star, including a rare game attendance by his mother and quieter off-court moments with his father.Throughout, Brown weaves a rich conversational commentary--anecdotes about Pete, circumstances surrounding the more notable photographs, and descriptions of the games and Pete's performance.Seeing LSU's basketball phenomenon Pete Maravich through Danny Brown's lens will transport fans back in time, under the goal, to witness firsthand the making of college sports history.

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Ever Green The Boston Celtics: A History in the Words of Their Players, Coaches, Fans and Foes, from 1946 to the Present Review

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Ever Green The Boston Celtics: A History in the Words of Their Players, Coaches, Fans and Foes, from 1946 to the Present ReviewThis book can best be described as an extremely long Boston Globe article on the Celtics by Dan Shaughnessy. Shaughnessy covers many tidbits in the book. Many interesting things about the old Boston Garden, Red Auerbach, and the team. Overall, an excellent read for a new Celtics fan (old ones as well).Ever Green The Boston Celtics: A History in the Words of Their Players, Coaches, Fans and Foes, from 1946 to the Present Overview

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Operation Yao Ming: The Chinese Sports Empire, American Big Business, and the Making of an NBA Superstar Review

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Operation Yao Ming: The Chinese Sports Empire, American Big Business, and the Making of an NBA Superstar ReviewI am NOT a huge sports nut...you know the kind who rattles off stats and knows all the players, but I really enjoyed this book. The story of Yao Ming was very interesting especially as it interlaces with China's history. I think it gives a very interesting look into the evolution of Chinese sports, politics and government. It kept me interested and I really looked forward to picking it up again every evening to read.Operation Yao Ming: The Chinese Sports Empire, American Big Business, and the Making of an NBA Superstar Overview

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Personal Foul: A First-Person Account of the Scandal that Rocked the NBA Review

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Personal Foul: A First-Person Account of the Scandal that Rocked the NBA ReviewThis is the memoir of disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy. As most basketball fans know Donaghy pleaded guilty in federal court in 2008 to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting wagering information through interstate commerce. Donaghy delivers to the reader a no-holds-barred indoctrination of how a boy who not only grew up loving sports and dreaming of playing or refereeing in the NBA one day... but also looked up to his Father whose life as a high school and college referee was the embodiment of integrity. When Tim fulfills his childhood dream of becoming an NBA referee... he exalts in the fame and fortune that this position provides. He gets to rub shoulders with the likes of Jack Nicholson... Spike Lee... and countless other celebrities... in addition to having superstars like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant... et al... currying to win favor from him... whether real or imagined... or what lies in between. In a painful self-evaluation the author paints a self-portrait of a man who literally became a degenerate gambling addict. In addition to contacts with childhood friends who became involved in organized crime and started "working" Donaghy for predictions of who would win specific NBA games... Donaghy slowly but inexorably... couldn't live without gambling. "MAKING 35 TO 40 BETS PER WEEK ON FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, AND HOCKEY, WE CONTINUED TO GAMBLE ON GOLF AT THE COUNTRY CLUB, CARDS IN THE BACK PARLOR, AND BLACKJACK IN THE CASINOS." Despite being a husband and Father of four young daughters... he lied to his wife and went to Atlantic City for binges at the casinos while telling his wife he was elsewhere.
But what was at the absolute despicable core of his illegal and immoral activity... was the inside information... that he was privy to as an NBA referee. And as a referee... the sanctity of the entire game... and league... rose and fell... at the hands of the referees. According to Tim... he never fixed a game... but he would call his associates... and at times... merely minutes before the game... to report unknown injuries... or team fatigue... to his organized crime cronies. In the author's defense... he does not for a minute deny his unsavory deeds... and his shame for the disgrace that he rained down on his entire family... from his Father... to his wife... to his kids... is palpable. But his admission of how easy it is to predict winners (he was right almost SEVENTY-PER-CENT of the time) based on numerous criteria... of which the most powerful tool he used in his betting "advice" was which referees were assigned to which games. And from here is where his proclamations draw the most attack by NBA commissioner David Stern and associates. Tim painstakingly describes over and over... which ref's had grudges against which players (such as Allen Iverson)... which ref's had grudges against which coaches... (and sometimes even owners)... which ref's had friendships with which coaches. Donaghy names names and gives example after example.
I played basketball at multiple levels in my life... and I am a basketball fanatic. I have been a season ticket holder and I read book after book on basketball... and watch it on cable and still attend games... so when I discuss the next portion of Donaghy's mea-culpa-combined-with-NBA- allegations... I'm not saying all of them are true... but his claims make sense... and I would say every allegation he makes... I have heard fans (including me) say AT LEAST ONE-HUNDRED-THOUSAND-TIMES!" He says there are two sets of rules. One for star players and one for non-stars... unless the ref of that game has a grudge against that star... and believe me he will make that star suffer on a particular night. The NBA *DOES* care about who is in the playoffs... and how many games a series goes. Ref's can easily effect the outcome of a game in so many ways... such as when "SHAQ" asked a ref before the game to let some air out of the game ball so he would get a softer roll on his brick-like free throws.
What pleasantly surprised me about this book... was that... despite the fact that I knew the ending... I found myself anxiously reading to the next chapter to learn the detailed steps of the author's journey to embarrassing ruin... which of course was federal prison.
Despite the fact that you will have a distaste for Donaghy because of his misuse of trust and responsibility... he openly admits his guilt and disgust with what he himself did to his life. When he has to call his beloved venerable Father to tell him of the crimes he's committed... you have to feel for him when he says:
"DAD, I'M IN SOME TROUBLE, A LOT OF TROUBLE."
Personal Foul: A First-Person Account of the Scandal that Rocked the NBA OverviewThe media has often speculated and sports fans have debated, but until now no one has known the real story. Personal Foul takes an in-depth look at former NBA referee Tim Donaghy and the betting scandal that rocked professional basketball. This is the decisive book that reveals exactly what was done and how it all happened. Which games were affected and how? Did referees target particular players or teams? Just how much did the NBA know and when? How did the mafia get involved? The book answers all of these questions and more. Thrilling and poignant, Personal Foul takes readers on the journey of one man wrestling his own demons and shines a light on a culture of gambling and "directive" officiating in the NBA that promises to change the way sports fans view the game forever. The book also includes a foreword by Phil Scala, the FBI Special Agent who worked the Gambino case.

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Dynasty: The Rise of the Boston Celtics Review

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Dynasty: The Rise of the Boston Celtics ReviewI read Dynasty primarily because I am a fan of the Boston Celtics and given their recent championship thought this might make for a timely if somewhat self serving book trying to time the market right. Let me say that this is an excellent all around sports book that all fans of sports and people who think sports doesn't matter in our society should read.
The Celtics during their amazing dynasty of the 1960's took the old sports adage that they were a team and put it to truth. It didn't matter where you sat on the bench you were as equal to the success of the team as if your name were Cousy or Russell. The Celtics players did not see black versus white and socialized with each other because the guy next to them was a teammate nothing more. Dynasty shows that the team did exist in a bubble during this period but chose to fight their battles on the court and prove that blacks and whites can exist together at a time when the country wasn't sure they could.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to see how you succeed as a team and how ultimately the matters we can't control matter little next to those we can.Dynasty: The Rise of the Boston Celtics OverviewThe behind-the-scenes story of one of professional basketball's most respected and beloved teams.

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