Product Description

Filled with over 300 action-packed photographs, this volume is a fascinating and in-depth look at basketball's greatest players, teams, coaches, and moments -- including great upsets, virtuoso performances, clutch shots, great duels, and greatest games. From Wilt Chamberlin's 100-point game to Michael Jordan's 1989 last-minute miracle shot against Cleveland, every stunning event in basketball history is included in this important book -- a must for any sports fan.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #881531 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 160 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The first game of basketball, played in 1891 with wooden peach baskets nailed to the lower rail of a gymnasium balcony, lasted 30 minutes, during which time only one basket was scored. A decade later, during the aptly named Cage Era, the game closely resembled a pay-per-view wrestling match: "‘Players would be thrown against the wire... and most of us would get cut. The court was covered in blood,’" remarked one player. As this volume illustrates, however, basketball would slowly evolve, aided by scores of innovative players and coaches, its popularity elevated by marquee teams, among the earliest of them the Harlem Globetrotters (originally named the Savoy Big Five of Chicago) and the NBA’s first dynasty, the Minneapolis Lakers. Employing a magazine-like layout, with numerous images interspersed with short, easily digestible chunks of text, this book is better suited to the coffee table than the bookshelf. Fans of basketball history will find the first section an enjoyable, albeit brief, decade-by-decade overview of the game, chock-full of statistics, player and coach profiles, and synopses of some of the biggest moments in the sport’s history. The "Elements of the Game" section, meanwhile, is a hodgepodge of basketball tidbits, covering everything from key innovations in shooting and the evolution of the game’s rules to NBA collectibles and on-court dancers. Fans of the ever-loquacious Bill Walton, an analyst for ABC/ESPN and one of the game’s greats, may find his foreword disappointingly brief. The volume’s many photographs, however, are a treat, particularly those that capture the game in its infancy, providing a visual context out of which readers can better understand just how far the sport has come.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Hall of Famer John Havlicek personified greatness as he helped lead the Boston Celtics to 8 NBA titles in 14 seasons. He is the Celtics all-time leading scorer.

Customer Reviews

THE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NBA's Greatest
by John Havlicek
This book is about the greatest NBA players of all time. It is also about the greatest games. Also it tells about the best teams in the league.
I think an interesting part is when Scotty Pippen told about Dirk Nowitski. Here are some words he said, `' He's definitely shown me a different dimension in the power forward game,'' said Pippen.''He's probably the only power forward that I've seen that can do the things he does being a 7 footer.''
I think that people who like basketball would like to read this book. Also if someone just wants to read about certain players in basketball , and he's a legend, this would be the book for them. Finally if you want to find out about the greatest moments in basketball look at this book.
I would give this book a 10 out of 10 because it is a good book to read. If you want to learn about the NBA's Greatest check here.

Certainly the NBA's Greatest
An awesome basketball book. I just love it. Informs one about the best players ever in the NBA, from guys like Cousy, to Wilt, Jordan, to Ewing, and Duncan to Kidd. Also, shows the best NBA duels from Bird vs. Magic, to Iverson vs. Carter. Don't forget about the best teams ever assembled in the NBA like the 95'-96' Chicago Bulls. Then, read about the best guys to ever lead their team to glory . . . the coaches. Daly, Jackson, Auerbach, Wilekns, Riley . . . you can find them all here. And finally, catch up on the best momenets ever. Remember "Havlicek stole the ball" and the year Oscar Robertson AVERAGED a triple-double. Well, there all here in this book.

Definitely a book that all basketball lovers should own.

very enjoyable Book
I always enjoy reading what other Players have to say about Other Players through out time&also who they personally feel are the Greats of the game&all the details involved.this Book is a Must for any Hoops fan from start to finish it's very detailed.cool Photos&Moments that you will never forget if you follow the game like myself.