A must read for hoop fans

Feb 15, 2011

by YungBolo
posted in Dreading the 2011 NBA Lockout

Rating:

It's tough to follow up a history of basketball book after Bill Simmons' 'Book of Basketball' but the guys over at FreeDarko have done an outstanding job. After hearing nothing but positive reviews about this book, I finally got around to reading it and I was not disappointed.

What it's about:
The book really does cover the entire history of hoops from the start when Dr. Naismith created the sport to the chaos during games by not having a standard set of rules.

The book goes on to talk about the all-time greats and the evolution of the game. The big men like Wilt, Kareem and Russell.

The authors also pay tribute to some fallen heroes such as Maurice Stokes and Drazen Petrovic who really did not fit the typical 'soft Euro-player' stereotype, but paved the way for future European players in the NBA.

Fast-forwarding to the present, the book even talks about today's game where Youtube has changed everything. For example, last night, Blake Griffin completed an alley-oop from a pass beyond half-court from Baron Davis and within 5 minutes, there was a link on my Twitter feed to the dunk.

Other fun stuff:
The illustrations in the book are incredible. The book is brief but extremely informative and the illustrations help. There are some funny ones such as the various hairdos of the 70's and a 'NBA thug-era' illustration of Allen Iverson.

And of course, one of my favorite illustrations, this one of Charles Barkley:

Recommendation:
Like the review headline says, this book is a must read for NBA fans. To quote a fellow reader, 'I just started the Free Darko book and I've already learned 100 new things'. That's how I felt reading the book. A lot of the early history was brand new to me and the section on the 90's really took me back to the good old days of hoops. I don't think I've read a book more than once in my life but I have a feeling I'll read this one again one day.

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About the reviewer

Peter Kim (YungBolo)
Ranked #2

I love basketball, exercise, reading, business, movies and occasionally some brainless reality TV shows =P I am more than happy to help anyone out with anything here on Lunch and definitely looking forward … more

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About this book

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Product Description

The history of basketball has always belonged to champions like the Celtics, the Lakers, and the Bulls. Yet the game's history cuts much deeper than that. The bottom line, the record books and retired jerseys, can never fully do justice to this wild, chaotic, and energetic game. In between the championships, there's the sight of Earl Monroe, spinning and cajoling his way to every corner of the court; or Allen Iverson, driving headlong into players twice his size.

The real history of the game is not its championships, which are indisputable, but the personalities of its heroes, which are, at least, undisputed. It's in the larger-than-life pathos of Wilt, the secret ties that bind Larry Bird to the flashy ABA, and Michael Jordan when he flew a little too high. From the prehistoric teachings of Dr. James Naismith to pioneering superstars such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant, you'll never see roundball the same way again.

A Look Inside FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History
(Click on Images to Enlarge)

"Loud, Fat, and Gifted:
The Irrepressible Charles Barkley"
"The Hair Up There"

"The Nuclear Option:
Wilt Chamberlain, The Man Who Went Too Far"