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September 14, 2009
I’m often asked what play-by-play broadcasters in the NBA do during the offseason. My standard answer always includes working on the Hornets Radio Network, hosting charity events, serving as a guest speaker throughout the community, volunteering for events on both the Northshore and Southshore, checking off items on the “Honey Do List”, and vacationing with my family. What I usually leave out of my answers is reading. I figure most people catch up on their own favorite authors when time allows and so my doing so isn’t of much interest to you. However, this offseason I chose to wash away the memories of the team’s First Round Playoff elimination by immersing myself in a solid stretch of reading. For me this period begins when the Hornets post season concludes and ends when training camp gears up. It’s not that I can’t plow through a few good books during the season; problem is, I usually start two or three books in-season and rarely finish any of them. It seems I always end up finding other things to do during those long road trips (including movies, Sudoku, and connecting with friends/relatives) and never seem to get back to the books.
So, with all of that in mind I have decided to begin an annual end-of-the-offseason update called Bob’s Books... a short list of some of the summer reading I caught up on while Jeff Bower, Byron Scott, George and Chad Shinn and the entire Hornets coaching and scouting departments revamped the team’s roster. My list is brief, but varied. One sports book, “Loose Balls”, made the list and another, “What Happened”, did not. The latter, written by Scott McClellan of the Bush Administration, was a bit too serious for me during the early summer days where economic collapse, government bailouts, and health care reform were in the news on a daily basis. I simply decided it did not fit my agenda during the summer – to escape reality and enjoy the quiet time!
So, with apologies to those with children who had to work on and turn in summer reading assignments last month, and those who would rather watch someone else’s home movies than read a book review, here is my first-ever installment of BOB’S BOOKS (not to be confused with Oprah’s Book Club).
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DESCRIPTION: Another page turner from Patterson as part of the women's murder club novels. This time detective Lindsay Boxer pursues her friend's attacker, while assistant D.A. Yuki Castellano prepares to prosecute a high high-profile trial. San Francisco also deals with a crime spree as children of wealthy families are being kidnapped.
MY TAKE: A very fast moving, enjoyable read. As usual there are a few twists and turns at the end of each story. If you’re into solving mysteries or following multiple plots – this is a perfect addition to your reading list. As with most of Patterson’s work this one grabs you immediately and doesn’t let go until the crime solving ends!
GRADE: B
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DESCRIPTION: Dr. Pausch, a professor of computer science and human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, has incurable pancreatic cancer. This fact does not prevent him from giving a last lecture to friends, family, faculty and students. The wisdom he imparts is sometimes simple, sometimes common sense, but never talks about death. It's about overcoming life's obstacles and living out life's dreams.
MY TAKE: This book will help you focus on what’s important in your life. Am I too serious about the wrong things? Am I missing opportunities to impact the lives of my children? Am I too critical about everything at work or school? These are among the questions you’ll ask yourself as you breeze through this heart-wrenching chronicle of Pausch’s experiences. Instead of a maudlin trip through his life the 47-year-old professor does the opposite – he hits on everything positive that happened in his life – from his upbringing to his lucky breaks. Never once does he curse the misfortune that has fallen upon him…and that is probably the genius of this work. One word of warning for those of you who consider yourselves very emotional, read this next to a box of Kleenex.
GRADE: A+
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DESCRIPTION: A jury in a crowded Mississippi courtroom returns a shocking verdict against a chemical company accused of dumping toxic waste into a small town's water supply, causing the worst "cancer cluster" in history. The company appeals to the Supreme Court, whose nine justices will either approve or reverse the verdict. The owner of the chemical company is a billionaire who attempts to purchase a seat on the court by financing, manipulating and marketing his own potential Supreme Court justice.
MY TAKE: A disturbing, pessimistic look at the corruption of the legal system; even for Grisham this is a deep, dark ride down the road of political deception. Like so many of Grisham’s legal thrillers this one forces you to second guess your own personal stands. I have some issues with the direction the book takes and in a way it sets the reader up for a different ending than most Grisham tales.
GRADE: B
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DESCRIPTION: The NBA used to have a rival league, the American Basketball Association, during a nine-year stretch from the mid 60s through the mid 70s. It was during this time that many basketball innovations occurred such as the three-point basket and the slam dunk contest. As the financially strapped league continued to survive for nearly a decade prior to its merger with the National Basketball Association so did its legendary stories of spectacular talent. Players such as Julius Erving, George Gervin, and Moses Malone began their pro careers in the ABA, as did coaches Hubie Brown and Larry Brown. This book, written in 1990 by the Cleveland plain dealer's Terry Pluto, is the most comprehensive compilation of stories and details about the league.
MY TAKE: Having grown up in Greensboro, North Carolina this book brought back great memories of me and my younger brother attending Carolina Cougar games at the Greensboro Coliseum. We saw Billy Cunningham, Joe Caldwell, Larry Brown (and his plaid suits), Julius Erving, George Gervin, and Artis Gilmore. Among the great stories found in this book are:
1. Former Hornets’ General Manager Bob Bass making the decision to switch Gervin from forward to guard, thus creating one of the highest scoring backcourts (along with James Silas) in basketball history.
2. How Atlanta took cash over the rights to Dr. J
3. How the ABA began the practice of keeping offensive and defensive rebounds as well as steals and blocks as official statistics.
4. How the league began the practice of drafting and signing college underclassmen
5. How Moses Malone became the first high school player ever to sign a pro contract.
6. How the owners of the St Louis Spirits negotiated the greatest contract in sports history.
7. How David Stern, who was at the time an attorney for the NBA’s league office, played a part in the merging of the two leagues.
And those aren’t even the best stories in this must-read for any basketball fan. Bob Costas, for instance, got his broadcasting start in the ABA and a young, female jockey became the first ever woman pro basketball player…playing one minute in one game…as part of a publicity stunt.
This is an enjoyable book for basketball diehards as well as the casual sports fan who may wonder why the ABA failed to sustain itself as a second major pro basketball league.
GRADE: A+
