The untold drama of the 1974 NCAA Basketball Champions: the North Carolina State University Wolfpack As the 1973-74 college basketball season began, most experts expected John Wooden's UCLA Bruins-led by All-American Bill Walton-to win its eighth straight national championship. Only one team truly challenged them: an archetypal Naismith team--the NC State Wolfpack led by the dynamic trio Tommy Burleson, David Thompson, and Monte Towe recognized by many at the time as the best one-two-three punch in college basketball. Their historic run for the national championship was accentuated by challenges, successes, and failures. It was one of personal sacrifice and determination by a group of young men who pulled together amidst adversity to become one of the great college basketball teams ever.

The definitive biography of basketball genius Julius Erving--the icon who transcended his sport and defined an era

Julius Erving, aka Dr. J, was a wizard with the basketball, performing feats the world had never seen before: midair spins and whirls punctuated by powerful slam dunks, which he was the first to glamorize. In a career that lasted from the 1970s well into the 1980s, he was one of the first players to make extemporaneous individual expression an integral part of the game, setting the style of play that has prevailed ever since. He's also long been respected as a gracious, dignified, and disciplined man. As there are great men of history, there are great men of sports, and Dr. J is just such a man.

This book tells Dr. J's amazing story, following his basketball journey from his Long Island childhood to the street games of New York City to a college career as his skills, reputation, and character grew. It follows his entrance into the ABA, where he revolutionized the game by glamorizing the dunk, and his conquering of the NBA, where he was Michael Jordan before there was a Jordan. It relates the family struggles he's had since leaving the game and charts the transformation of the man into myth.The first complete biography of one of the greatest and most popular basketball players of all timeDraws on interviews with Dr. J's childhood friends and his family to teammates and coaches at all levelsWritten by a "New York Times" sports journalist and author of "Asphalt Gods: An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament"Includes Erving's years as a player with the Virginia Squires, New York Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers

Read "Doc" and follow the incredible journey of the basketball genius who elevated the game off the hardwood and helped make it America's passion.

Coaches: Win more games by teaching your players the fundamental skills, intangibles and finer points of the game that other coaches don't know. Help your players eliminate costly turnovers by learning to read the defense, score more points by fine tuning your fast break and improve your offensive attack skills. Players: Take your game to another level by learning the skills and details of the game the elite players know. Learn how character issues can impact a player either positively or negatively. Gain insight into the minds of coaches and learn to think like a coach on the court. Fans: Have a deeper appreciation of the game beyond just recognizing the type of defense or offense being used. Impress your fellow basketball fans with your knowledge of the finer points of the sport and become a true connoisseur of the game of basketball. "There has never been a book before for coaches, players and fans like The Game of Basketball. For the coach, this book is about moving a player's game to a higher level. For the player, the information in this book can make the difference between being an average player and a good player or even a great player. For the fan who wants to appreciate the sport and the nuances of the game, this book provides many of tiny details the average fan is never aware of." Rusty Rogers - 2 Time NAIA Div. II National Championship Coach and 2 Time National NAIA Coach of the Year "Once again Kevin Sivils has produced a book that ought to be in every coach's library. Too often, we fall into the trap of thinking that Xs and Os are the holy grail, but Coach Sivils reminds us of the truth articulated by John Wooden over 50 years ago, "It's not what you do, it's how well you do it." I've never seen a better compilation of the little things that can turn a basketball player into a "Player." Coach Doug Porter - Head Coach Olivet Nazarene University Women's Basketball - 8 Time Coach of the Year

Why does she play basketball? Since the enactment of Title IX in 1972, that question has come to be asked of more girls and women--and answered in more ways--than ever before. Christine A. Baker, herself an avid player and an assistant coach, pursues an answer through the ranks of the sport from youth basketball to the WNBA.
Baker sets the stage with a quick look at current statistics and trends in women's basketball nationwide, noting the profound changes in the last thirty-five years. A series of exclusive interviews then takes us into the heart and soul of the sport. Her subjects are players and coaches, from neophytes to stars such as Dawn Staley and Nancy Lieberman; from legendary coaches such as Jody Conradt to the masterminds of USA Basketball and the 1996 Women's Dream Team; from Donna Lopiano, former CEO of the Women's Sports Foundation, to tomorrow's Olympic athletes. A richly detailed, all-encompassing portrait of the sport, these interviews offer a wealth of insight into the game, American sports culture, and, indeed, why Baker plays.

1976 is a year many people in the village of Westville will never forget. Their local hometown basketball team, the Tigers, took their fans on a magical ride in a quest for the state championship. The interviews from everyone involved, including the players, coaches, and fans recount the journey of this unforgettable team, from the high expectations of pre-season to their heart wrenching final game of the Class A state tournament. Remember Westville is a story of triumph and heartbreak as seen through the eyes of the 1976 Westville basketball team and the community that loved them. What happened in 1976, in many ways, molded these teenagers into the men they would eventually become. The loyalty of the fans was unmatched in the season of '76; Westville fans continue to support their Tiger teams. But their hearts still hold this special team close to their hearts. It's the team the town can't forget.

"Howie Thompson shares his insights about the game he loves. Wow He even uses me in his story. Unbelievable Hey, this story is fascinating as it depicts the love for the game by the local PTPer, a prime time performer and a superstar, who comes back from being a player to coach at his alma mater." Dick Vitale Trey 'Shooter' Parrish looked at his coach of four years and said, "Get me the ball, Coach, I can make it." Dripping from sweat, exhausted beyond his thoughts of what he could endure, the star high school senior was ready for his day in the sun. The aged and revered coach of South Willow High School designed a play that would set a triple pick for Trey and bring him out to his favorite spot just beyond the three point line at the top of the key. Coach Jones was seventeen seconds away from his nineteenth straight state high school boys' class 4A title, and it all rested on the talented hand of his senior shooting guard. He had seen Trey make this shot many times before, and every time he knew it was good when it left his hand. That's why he had no trouble drawing up what he believed would be the final winning play of his storied career. Coach Jones, after twenty-five years at South Willow High School, was hanging up his whistle and giving up coaching the game he so loved. After twenty-five years and eighteen State Titles, he was saying farewell to the hardwood and taking his wife on a long cruise. The school had thrown a party for him about two weeks before the state playoffs, and this was to be the final play of the last game of a storied coaching career. He looked at all of his players, a trace of a tear in the right corner of his eye, as he said, "Men, you are the best group of players I have ever coached. Whatever happens now, I will never forget you. Thank you." With that, Jones brought his players' hands together, and like he had done an uncountable number of times before, looked them all in the eyes and said, "You're the best. Go get 'em " The hands broke as they all yelled, "We are...TEAM " Off the five players went to mid-court. As they trotted out onto the hardwood floor, Trey glanced up at the scoreboard. Any doubts he had during the timeout huddle that there wouldn't be enough time to run Coach Jones' play disintegrated as Trey realized they still had seventeen seconds left in this second five-minute overtime. Trey would take the ball out and then circle behind two concealed picks and come off a third pick at the top of the key to receive a pass from his middle school and high school teammate, Ron Gentry. Ron was one of the best passers in high school and led the nation twice in assists. Trey thought to himself how perfect this would be for him, his coach, and Ron - how they would all celebrate yet another state title after the game.

The Butler Way opens with a discussion of the Butler Way. Barry Collier, a former Butler player, was hired as coach in 1989 and slowly rebuilt a program that has declined since the days of Tony Hinkle. Collier emphasized the Butler way which featured team play. Fans will also be pleased to read about the famed Hinkle Fieldhouse, the greatest coaches, teams, players, and great moments in the storied history of Butler basketball.

Miller chronicles his senior year with North Carolinas famed basketball program, taking readers inside the locker room, on the court, and behind the scenes, in this unique book written about one of the most famous college sports dynasties of all time.

In the mid-1950s three unrecruited black basketball players, coached by a white former prison guard who had never before coached a college team, led a small Jesuit university in San Francisco to two national titles. "The Dandy Dons" describes for the first time how the unprecedented accomplishment of the Dons, led by coach Phil Woolpert and future hall-of-famers Bill Russell and K. C. Jones, paved the way for black talent in major college basketball and transformed the sport.
James W. Johnson traces the backgrounds of the coach and players, chronicles the heart-stopping games on the road to the championships, and details the Dons' novel techniques: a more vertical game, more central defense, and intimidation as part of game strategy. He also gives a textured picture of life on an integrated basketball team amid a culture of racism and Jim Crow in mid-twentieth-century America.

Every spring, the first four days of the NCAA men's basketball tournament attracts a horde of basketball bettors to Las Vegas. From the tip-off of the tournament's first game on Thursday morning to the final whistle on Sunday, throngs of bettors--overwhelmingly male--sit in smoky casinos obsessively watching as many as forty-eight college basketball games. This book immerses readers in that action. In "The Madness of March: Bonding and Betting with the Boys in Las Vegas," Alan Jay Zaremba travels to The Strip and gives us a front-row view of the betting culture that surrounds the frenzied first weekend of the tournament. Alternating between humorous accounts of gamblers' exploits and cultural theories on sports in society, Zaremba provides an engaging analysis of the sporting ritual that such gambling has become. With forays into the history of the tournament, the background of sports betting, and a little betting of his own, Zaremba raises the question of whether this subculture of March Madness is a blessing or a curse--and what, finally, it all means.

What can the film Hoosiers teach us about the meaning of life? How can ancient Eastern wisdom traditions, such as Taoism and Zen Buddhism, improve our jump-shots? What can the "Zen Master" (Phil Jackson) and the "Big Aristotle" (Shaquille O'Neal) teach us about sustained excellence and success? Is women's basketball "better" basketball? How, ethically, should one deal with a strategic cheater in pickup basketball? With NBA and NCAA team rosters constantly changing, what does it mean to play for the "same team"? What can coaching legends Dean Smith, Rick Pitino, Pat Summitt, and Mike Krzyzewski teach us about character, achievement, and competition? What makes basketball such a beautiful game to watch and play? Basketball is now the most popular team sport in the United States; each year, more than 50 million Americans attend college and pro basketball games. When Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, first nailed two peach baskets at the opposite ends of a Springfield, Massachusetts, gym in 1891, he had little idea of how thoroughly the game would shape American -- and international -- culture. Hoops superstars such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Yao Ming are now instantly recognized celebrities all across the planet. So what can a group of philosophers add to the understanding of basketball? It is a relatively simple game, but as Kant and Dennis Rodman liked to say, appearances can be deceiving. Coach Phil Jackson actively uses philosophy to improve player performance and to motivate and inspire his team and his fellow coaches, both on and off the court. Jackson has integrated philosophy into his coaching and his personal life so thoroughly that it is often difficult to distinguish his role as a basketball coach from his role as a philosophical guide and mentor to his players. In Basketball and Philosophy, a Dream Team of twenty-six basketball fans, most of whom also happen to be philosophers, proves that basketball is the thinking person's sport. They look at what happens when the Tao meets the hardwood as they explore the teamwork, patience, selflessness, and balanced and harmonious action that make up the art of playing basketball.

For most of the twentieth century, West Virginia was a college basketball hotbed. Its major programs were a success, but perhaps even more successful was the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, composed of fifteen schools that rarely earned headlines but set many records and became an identifiable part of small town culture and a source of state pride. This ethos exists today in small town Kentucky and Indiana but struggles to survive in West Virginia. Part of the reason is the state's population decline since the 1950s. That, author Bob Kuska argues, along with the rise of cable and satellite TV and the major college basketball empire, stole the thunder--and the crowds--from these small town communities. And yet, these teams play on in obscurity and still find success. Against the backdrop of West Virginia's great small college history, Kuska chronicles the day-to-day struggles and triumphs of one modern school, Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia. What happened to that team during a rags-to-riches yearlong stretch would've been remarkable at any level, let alone at a school with very low athletic department budgets and low visibility that makes recruiting talented players almost impossible. As he alternates between coaches and players, past and present, Kuska contrasts the fan enthusiasm of the conference's early years with the apathy that plagues the teams of the twenty-first century. If sports fans can get past the media and the madness that has made college basketball increasingly similar to professional basketball in its self-indulgence and sensationalism, they are left with leagues like the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference--scrappy, intelligent, and spirited--and still finding ways to succeed and thrive.

The most popular outdoor basketball court in New York City is half the regulation size, offers no seating, and has sidelines bounded by a chain-link fence. But the summer league on West 4th Street in Greenwich Village has developed its share of stars and has become known throughout the world for another reason: Here the only thing that matters is the game.

"Inside the Cage" follows the West 4th Street's summer league through a single season, chronicling its legendary history along the way. From 1970s playground legend Fly Williams to NBA veteran Anthony Mason and L.A. Lakers guard Smush Parker, three generations of players have mastered their game at West 4th Street. And the Cage itself -- located in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in America and frequented by men from the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Harlem -- proves that talent can flourish even in the most unlikely places.

In February 1948 the brand-new, all-white Minneapolis Lakers were arguably the greatest basketball team in America, favored to win the World Professional Basketball Tournament later that year. Meanwhile the Harlem Globetrotters, at the center of black basketball, were riding their own incredible 103-game winning streak. Best known to white audiences for their clowning and comedy, the Globetrotters were not even thought to be in the same league with the mighty Lakers. So when these two powerhouses met for the first time--on February 19, 1948, before an audience of eighteen thousand in Chicago Stadium--basketball fans everywhere were in for an eye-opening performance."" "Tricksters in the Madhouse" is the story of this pivotal meeting, a game that would encapsulate the growing racial tensions of the era, particularly the struggle of black Americans to gain legitimacy in the segregated world of sports. Play-by-play, John Christgau recreates the heart-stopping game that would shock white basketball fans raised to view black athletes in separate and unequal terms. Through in-depth interviews and extensive research, Christgau brings this critical match-up to life. By looking beyond the drama in the arena to the broader events of the day, he also puts the game in its sociological context, revealing how, even as it enacted the racial inequities of the time, this crucial game represented an important step toward equality.

In THE GAME WITHIN THE GAME, Frazier breaks down the game of basketball and tells in specific terms how teams that share the ball and play defense, utilizing all five players on the court, usually win.& nbsp; Frazier calls many of today??'s players ???athletes??? and not ???all-around basketball players.??? The NBA has tried to promote individual players and high-flying dunks, but Frazier shows that from the Celtic dynasties of the 1960s to the World Champion Detroit Pistons of 2005, the teams that play ???old-school??? team basketball are the teams that win.& nbsp; The others are shown on the highlight reels, but they go home trophy-less. In his folksy, lively language, Frazier will pinpoint the players and teams he likes today, and the ones he feels need to make an attitude and player adjustment if they are ever to play at the championship level.& nbsp; Finally, the book will cover the game??'s evolution in the past 60 years and where it is heading over the next decade.

UConn was a fledging women's basketball program that had been to one Final Four as of 1995. Tennessee was the king of the hill having won 7 National Championships and having produced some of the greatest women's players of all time. Pat Summitt was and is the head coach and is widely considered to be one of the top coaches in women's or men's college basketball history. In fact, she turned down the Tennessee head men's coaching job. She agreed to play Geno Auriemma and UConn in 1995 in an epic battle in Storrs, CT. UConn won that game and won the National Championship that year and off and running was the series. It has produced as much if not more drama than Red Sox-Yankees, Cowboys-Giants and Knicks-Celtics. It has been compared to Carolina-Duke on the men's side. It is certainly produced more National Championships than both of those schools.

"What Duke and North Carolina represent in men's college basketball, UConn and Tennessee represent in women's college basketball, the greatest rivalry in the game. Two teams that when pinned against one another in 1995 for the National Championship changed the sport of women's college basketball forever. The cast of characters from the polarized Hall of Fame coaches to the all-American icons have raised the bar, the talent and the media awareness at the national level. Although the characters change from year to year, the national fever of this matchup continues to grow. It is an ongoing saga that defines women's basketball and encapsulates all that is good and possible about athletic competition. Any young player should read this book and understand that without these teams, these coaches, these players, we would be watching women's basketball exclusively in March at the Final Four." Colleen Healey, former UConn women's basketball player.

"Players and Pretenders" tells the story of the flip side of basketball's "March Madness," where the game is played by average players for love, not for money. At the end of the 1970s at Bard College, where there was no pretense of institutional support, Charley Rosen gathered his hoops hopefuls and put together a basketball season whose impact reached far beyond the court. Writing with a humorous touch, Rosen details the Running Red Devils' season, simultaneously examining the lives of those who made it so memorable and providing a glimpse of how the team members existed off the courts as both players and pretenders. His book playfully depicts the 1979-80 basketball season at Bard College and the "sports for fun" side of the game.

It was love at first sight . . . One day I picked up a basketball, and it never let me go.

For fifty seasons Lute Olson has been teaching young athletes the skills of basketball---and life. Starting as a high school coach, he worked his way to the top of the basketball world---winning more than a thousand games, a national championship and world championship, producing some of the NBA's biggest stars, and eventually being enshrined in the basketball Hall of Fame.

But Lute is far more than a basketball story. His partner for forty-seven years in building championship programs was his high school sweetheart; his story is also a love story of a couple who together built a sports legend. Lute and Bobbi Olson were a team. Their almost half-century love affair ended with Bobbi's death from cancer. Lute explores how he dealt with her death and how he moved forward to find a new love.

This is the chronicle of one American boy's dream to become a great basketball coach---his achievements, his coaching strategies, and how he dealt with his beloved wife's death---the wins and losses he faced as boy, man, and coach. But always with one constant in his life, the game of basketball. This is the story of fifty seasons in the life of Lute Olson.

Praise for "Lute!"

"Lute Olson's story is the true American dream. He is a legendary coach who has shared his vision of winning with all his players---now we are given the chance to learn too. It's inspirational and downright heartwarming." ---Jim Nantz, CBS Sports

." . . it is exactly what you would expect from Olson---intelligent, first-class, sprinkled with dry wit---personal in ways you might not anticipate."

---"Tucson""Citizen"

"This is not a basketball book. It is not a book about a coach. It is the most unexpected of all things from the inscrutable Olson: the story of his personal life." ---"Arizona"" Daily Star"

What NBA team was the greatest ever? For basketball fans, that question can lead to widespread debate.

Sports journalist and basketball enthusiast Kyle Wright has created a new and unique computer formula to rank every team in NBA history. Coining it as the POST formula, Wright assigns ratings to all NBA teams based on how they stack up to other comparable teams during any year-from the number of wins and losses to points scored and points allowed. The result is a complete ranking that takes you from number one to number 1,153.

Wright brings to light other game-stopping details that sports lovers will appreciate, including:

The most dominant teams to ever play The teams with brilliant records but no titles The unimpressive teams that won championships The teams that lost the most through the years "The NBA from Top to Bottom" is for every diehard basketball fan. It achieves nothing but net as it comprehensively identifies and profiles the best and worst teams ever to grace the court.

In A Rocket at Heart, Rudy Tomjanovich tells the story of how the son of hardworking Croatian parents from Hamtramck, Michigan, helped the city of Houston change its image from Choke City to Clutch City. With unusual insight and unsparing honesty, Rudy talks about the doubts, the fears, and the obstacles he's overcome in becoming such a successful and well-respected coach. He tells how he learned to be a coach while standing in the spotlight; how he developed his theories of offense and defense that helped the Rockets reach the pinnacle; how he learned when to teach with praise and when to be forceful; and how he learned valuable lessons from Bill Fitch about preparation, from Don Chaney about dignity, and from Del Harris about handling adversity. He also talks, for the first time, about the adversity he himself had to learn from: the devastating punch thrown by Kermit Washington that cost Rudy a season in his prime, and could have cost him his life. Along the way, Rudy shares great stories about all the people he's known and the fun he's had in a life in basketball. He talks about his old roommate Calvin Murphy, and how this seemingly mismatched pair became the closest of friends; about watching Hakeem Olajuwon develop into one of the most extraordinary players ever to play the game; about the enormous challenge of changing a championship team in midseason by making the Clyde Drexler trade, and the satisfaction of beating the odds by winning four straight playoff series without homecourt advantage (and then, a year and a half later, trying that transition game again by adding the always entertaining Charles Barkley to the mix). With remarkable candor and self-deprecating wit, Rudy T. shows us the roads he's traveled and the good times and high points along the way.