Product Description
Describes the history of the Cleveland Rockers professional women's basketball team and profiles some of their leading players. ... Read more

Product Description
What are the greatest teams in pro basketball and what made them stand out?Learn which players were MVPs and the records of unstoppable teams.Discover how players came together to beat their opponents.Read about changes that were constantly being made to keep up with the growing sport.From talented players to dynamic coaches, this book spans almost 40 years to find the best in pro basketball history. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Inspiring
I originally bought this for my mom who loves women's basketball, but I am so glad that I read it first. This was a truly inspiring read. I don't play basketball and never really have (..except one unfortunate time..). The book spoke to me in a surprising way as a mother of a young daughter and a woman. What I found so compelling was story after story about individuals who feel passionately about something, in this case basketball, and pursue their dreams with persistence.From young kids to professional basketball players and those in between (including the author), I found myself relating to the characters on so many levels.The author has a gift for writing and story-telling that made it difficult to put down, and when I was done, I missed it.I highly recommend it.

Hear me somebody
This is a fine examination of the reason girls and women like to participate in sports. More people--parents, teaches, especially coaches--need to listen to the reasons. Girls can play, too, and they have their own reasons. If you coach or have a daughter who plays, you need to read this book.

Read Why She Plays
Why She Plays is an essential read for basketball players, fans, coaches, and anyone else who enjoys a well-written and captivating book. The author passionately recalls her own successful basketball career, and also details the experiences of famous and well-known people who have made an impact on the sport. Why She Plays is honest, facinating, intriguing, and there is no doubt that the author is a true lover of basketball and if you are too, it would be a shame to miss out on the opportunity to read this book.

WHY SHE PLAYS
Whether you are an athlete or not - WHY SHE PLAYS by Christine Baker is an inspiration to all. From a young tender age Ms. Baker fell in love with Basketball. In her book she shares her thoughts and feelings about the game as well as her dream to become a professional player.WHY SHE PLAYS is mixed with interviews from well known basketball figures including WNBA players Becky Hammon and Diana Taurasi; and sports commentators and former players Doris Burke and Nancy Lieberman.Ms Baker's voice touches everyones hearts and desires to compete and strive to be the best you can be. Read the book and find out WHY SHE PLAYS? You'll be glad you did.

Why She Plays
I have been looking forward to reading, "Why She Plays" for months and this book did not disappoint! It is a revealing account of a woman's relationship with the game of basketball. The author writes about the influence basketball has had on her own journey and that of others. She writes of where the women's game was, is, and where it is going. There were certain parts that brought tears to my eyes because I could feel this author's passion, and her absolute need to write this book. Readers will find it to be inspiring! Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
Facts, team statistics, individual coach and player records, top crowd attendances, the Olympians, and the 100 greatest games in UCLA basketball history -- it's all included inThe Bruin 100. But most importantly, relive the traditions and read the stories ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Must-have book for college basketball fans
I find myself flipping through this book at least three times a month. The author, Scott Howard-Cooper, did a wonderful job. I've seen several of the memorable games he selected. After reading his book, I feel as though I'veseen all 100. Bravo, Scott.

Instant classic for any Bruin hoops fan
I got lost in this book, just flipping page by page and remembering stuff I'd forgotten and reading stuff I never knew about Wooden and Bibby, Baron and Goodrich, Harrick and Hazzard... I loved the way the authorinterspersed the GIANT games that everybody remembers--the 1968 loss toHouston, all of the national title games, Tyus Edney over Missouri--withthe little moments that really make you think and wonder. About Wooden'sfirst game as coach, about Rafer Johnson's first start in 1958, about Cal'sPauley Pavilion upset in 1995, about Reggie Miller and Kris Johnson andPete Blackman, about Gene Bartow and Harrick's firing and Ed O's goodbye...about some incredible things and some sad things and always memorablethings. You can read this book from start to finish, or just drop in andout, from game to game, and relish the details. From Kareem's foreword tothe great stat package in the back, and all the great, evocativestory-telling in between, this is a tremendous book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

NCAA Basketball Heaven
This is a great all around book. It has every single NCAA team, as well as their history, best player, etc. A lot of fun to read about your school and to learn about other schools as well. Great gift for anyone who loves college basketball.

Amazing Book
This book is so much fun to pick up and read.Packed full of NCAA hoops info.Must item for any college hoops fan.

Excellent reference guide for college basketball fans
For a sport that prides itself on its rich history and traditions, this book exemplifies much of what is great about college basketball.You have terrific stories, accounts of the many gripping games, and a profile of every season and school that has played Division 1 college basketball.I believe that this is the only book of its kind.

First about the book's format and content.The book begins with an introduction and several essays written by famous people from the college basketball world, both players and coaches.Then the meat of the book is the page by page alphabetical profiles of all the schools that play Division 1 college basketball.Each profile is concise and informative.Profiles provide the school's best season, coach, player, a game for the ages, a heartbreaker game to remember, notes about the fanbase, biggest rival, and then has a yearly breakdown of the team's record, as well as some stats on all-time won-loss record, NBA first round picks, All-American players, etc.This is the core of the book, and could entertain a fan for weeks.I have been reading this book during some mealtimes, going alphabetically and reading a few profiles in each sitting.It's a lot of fun to see the history that each school has, and one really develops an appreciation for how this great sport means so much to so many, and how it brings different people together.Regardless of how different the various fans are, each school has had heartbreak, triumph, and some tradition.

The next section of the book is an annual breakdown of every college basketball season.This includes the final standins of every conference, box scores of every NCAAT game starting with the Sweet Sixteen round, and final AP rankings.This helps me a lot, as I often forget who won the national title a few years back, so it's great to have a reference.Also, I can look back on my school's best seasons with interest and remember what things were like in that particular season of college basketball.

My only complaint about the book is the ranking system.These rankings were compiled by Jeff Sagarin of ESPN.His formula is very interesting and provides one objective measure by which to compare different schools.He gives a point for each win, and then two points for each NCAAT win.However, a school receives no additional credit for winning a title.While I can understand the rationale, I believe that a school should get at least some credit for winning a title.The result is that certain teams are ranked much higher than expected, while others are ranked much lower.I'm sure that fans of UConn, Texas and Georgetown will be upset to see their school ranked in the 40's and 50's overall.I've noticed that the rankings seem to favor Big-10 teams considerably, for example Iowa State, a team with fewer titles than Connecticut is ranked above UConn.Like them or not, the rankings will certainly generate conversation and controversy.

Every year in March, many of us are gripped by the madness of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, one of the greatest sporting events in the world.This book captures much of the passion that goes into this sport, and serves as a terrific reference guide.One can try to read it cover to cover, as I am doing, or one can look up their favorite schools, read a little bit, put it down and then return whenever they please.I highly recommend this book to any fan of college basketball.

Great book!
Actually, this book wasn't for us, but for our 24-year-old college basketball fanatic son.He had mentioned wanting it, so we gave it to him for Christmas.He was thrilled and stopped opening gifts to look through it.The detailed current and historical information is perfect for him as his knowledge of the game is incredible and he said now he'll know even more!

Great Book for any NCAA Basketball Fan
I purchased this book for my husband for Christmas after hearing a sports announcer talk about it. My husband loves this book and was really excited to get it as a present. Perfect for the basketball fan! ROCK CHALK! ... Read more

Product Description

“A must-read for anybody who considers themselves a basketball fan.”—Michael Wilbon, The Washington Post

On March 26, 1979, basketball as we know it was born. The NCAA championship game played that day launched an epic rivalry between two exceptional players: Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird. Though they played each other only once as college athletes, that game transformed the NCAA tournament into a multibillion-dollar enterprise and laid the foundation for the resurgence of the NBA. To this day it remains the highest-rated basketball game, college or pro, in the history of television.

In the national bestseller When March Went Mad, Seth Davis recounts the dramatic story of the season leading up to that game, as Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans and Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores overcame long odds and great doubts to reach the game’s grandest stage. Davis also tells the stories of their remarkable coaches, Jud Heathcote and Bill Hodges, and he shows how tensions over race and class heightened the drama of the competition.

Davis combed through several years’ worth of newspaper and magazine coverage, interviewed nearly one hundred people, and watched dozens of games to reconstruct the colorful, historic, and improbable narrative of how Larry Bird and Magic Johnson burst on the scene—a coming-of-age story that continues to resonate. The Final Four, the NBA, and the game of basketball have never been the same.

Customer Reviews (63)

Fun trip down memory lane
I was in high school when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird burst on the national scene.I was a sports nut in those days (not so much today), and I played playground ball with my friends every day.I wasn't good enough to make my high school team, but basketball was a big part of my life regardless.

Magic and Bird, especially Magic, utterly transformed the games that we played.I remember vividly how everyone started trying to pass the ball with Magic's flair.All of a sudden, scoring wasn't as big a deal as delivering a perfect pass.We tried going behind the back, between our legs, bounce passes from half-court, and even lobbing to each other (which had to be exquisitely timed for kids who had vertical jumps of maybe 15 inches).We all dribbled less and passed more; we wanted to be Magic or Bird.

"When March Went Mad" does a decent job of chronicling what it was like to be a basketball fan in those days -- when the greatness of Magic or Bird was more a rumor than something that was visible on your TV, computer or handheld device all the time.We would read the articles about these guys, but it wasn't until we saw them that we understood -- really understood -- that they were different.And because we saw so little of them, it made those early glimpses even more memorable.

It was fun to relive those days, as well as to get the more raw inside stuff that the author has unearthed.He gives full coverage to the remarkable stories behind Magic, Bird (who quit Univ. Indiana and worked on a maintenance crew for a year before going to Indiana State), and their coaches (the volatile, mean Jud Heathcote and the rookie Bill Hodges).

Less successful is the author's repeated efforts to remind us how "small" big-time basketball was in the late 1970s.A few observations would have been enough, instead of the repetition used to pad the size of the book.Also, the idea that the NCAA championship game between the Magic's Michigan State Spartans and Bird's Indiana State Sycamores "changed" the game of basketball is an exaggeration.Bird's and Magic's sustained excellence in the NBA really did the trick, because that's where they took the top level of the game and made it better, more creative than it had been in a decade.College basketball was not transformed by Magic and Bird but by other factors that swept Magic and Bird along for a short period of time.

A Lansingite's perspective
I was a sixth-grader in Lansing when this game was played. It was the biggest thing that's ever happened in my hometown. Before Magic Johnson came along, we were just a state capital. I totally agree that local pride pushed Magic Johnson toward Michigan State. My dad took me to see him play when he was still a high schooler at Everett. (I ended up going to the school Magic really wanted to attend: Sexton High.) With its profiles of other local heroes like Dr. Charles Tucker, Jay Vincent and George Fox, this book brought back those days. It also reminded me of how lucky Jud Heathcote got that year. If Magic had grown up in Flint, he would have attended Michigan. No one wanted to play for that crusty coach.

Although Davis did a great job of describing my hometown -- even better than Magic in his own autobiography -- as a Lansingite, I do have to point out a few errors. "Grand Ridge" should be Grand Ledge, "Troll Bridge Road" is Trowbridge Road, and Dwight Rich was a junior high school in those days, not a middle school.

I love this book.
I didn't see the game - heard about it of course.This book lets you in on so much more than just the one game at the end of the season.It tells you how Magic ended up at MSU and how Bird came to be at Indiana State - it wasn't where he started college.It also gives you details about all of the teammates - some of whom, while mostly forgotten by history, were also pretty darned good basketball players.Neither Michigan State nor Indiana State, it turns out, were one man teams.This book takes you through all the important events leading up to the 1978-79 season and it takes you through the entire season.Some of the events and some of the games that occured before the final were as interesting, or more so, than the final game, so that information isn't just filler - not just stuff to take up space until you get to the main event - it's riveting reading.This book isn't a literary masterpiece, but it's a great read about a not-so-long-ago time when things were... different (I'd say better) in college basketball.These days, Bird and Magic would never meet in the championship because they both would already be in the NBA by this point in their careers - and that's a shame.

When Two Giants Collide
Seth Davis does an excellent job of building up to one of sport's most defining moments-- Indiana State's Larry Bird, the shycountry boy and Michigan State's Earvin "Magic" Johnson, the charismatic big city phenom met in the 1979 NCAA finals.Seth Davis did excellent research into the backgrounds of these two superstars. As well as the rocky road both their schools followed to get to the big game.
Bird and Johnson went on to become part of arguably the most storied rivalry in professional sports.

Great insights on Bird and Magic and Other Characters
As Diehard Spartan I thought I knew all there was to know about The Game.
Seth Davis did a great job making this more than just a sports book getting into the lives and character of not just Bird and Magic but many of the other characters that contributed to The Game That Made March Madness ... Read more

Product Description
In 1905 Lawrence Peter Hollis went to Springfield, Massachusetts, before beginning his job as the secretary of the YMCA at Monaghan Mill in Greenville, South Carolina. While there, he met James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, and learned of the fledgling game. Hollis returned to the mill and changed the face of athletics in South Carolina. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Lack of Information
Book was actually pretty good.The only drawback I could see with the overall completeness of the book was the fact that the Junior Girls and Boys Basketball teams were left out of the book altogether.I was especially interested in the 1962 Southern Textile Junior Girls Tournament as I was the coach of the Brandon Mill (Woodruff, S.C.) Junior Girls of which I remember several of the girls, i.e.:Brenda Gossett; Kay Kennedy; Starr Owens to name three of the main line players and stars.Brenda and Starr were named to the All Southern All-Star Team.More research should have been put into the publishing of this book and the information on the Junior Tournaments as well.Overall a good book, but lacking in information for everyone.

Can't find a better book on this subject!
"The Southern League Textile Tournament" is an amazing piece of research into this South Carolina basketball tournament that has been held annually since 1921. After the 98-page summary of the tournament's 70-odd years follows the known rosters of all the teams who participated, the members of the all-tournament teams, and interviews with 17 participants. If there's a scrap of information existing pertaining to this tournament, Mac Kirkpatrick and Thomas Perry have plowed it up and put it in. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Girls' Basketball Coach/High School-Middle School AD
This bookdocuments the development of basketball from its inception in 1891 to the present. The book provides a thorough history of the sport as it relates to girls and women. While many fans of basketball see this sport as a man's game, basketball for girls and women spread like wildfire within a week of its invention. As I have researched girls basketball extensively, I think it is fair to say that historically, women were more enthusiastic about basketball than men....although everyone loved it from the beginning. Just as their is a rich history of the Negro Leagues that flourished before blacks were allowed to play in the majors, basketball for females also flourished obscurely on the high school and college level. Of particular interest were the industrial leagues of 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. Women were recruited to play for companies that sponsored women's teams to promote their business, attract good employees who were also good basketball players and to create employee loyalty in the face of threats for companies to unionize. These teams gave women a chance to travel and get paid for doing something they really loved.

There are two levels of girls and womens basketball; 1) the historical documentation of rules, leagues and great players and 2) the emotional impact the sport had on the lives of girls and women. This book deals with the former better than the latter. The research is careful and accurate. And it does tell the story. However, Jan Beran's book From Six on Six to Full Court Press, A Century of Iowa Girls' Basketball does a much better job of focusing on what basketball meant to the girls and women who made it part of their lives. I mention this not as a criticism but rather as a statement of focus. I find both books to be an invaluable source.

Girls basketball is my life. I coach girls high school basketball. I also teach young girls in basketball. This book is about the love for a game and the struggle of thousands of women to get equal gym time, equal pay and equal recognition. Great female basketball players have tremendous opportunity today. The great players of past decades became footnotes in sports history. This book does a good job of honoring all who have ever fell in love with the small orange sphere. Read this book and you will appreciate everything that girls' and womens' basketball is today. If you love girls basketball like I do, this is an informative, exciting and fun read. ... Read more

Product Description
Despite the increased popularity of professional basketball, college basketball still has a firm grip on most basketball fans. This book looks back at the game that evolved from a set of peach baskets nailed to a wall to today's slam-dunk, in-your-face, trash-talking version, touching on the all-time great players, coaches, teams, and moments along the way. Photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Definitive Book on College Hoops
This is indeed the definite book on college basketball, replacing the now-dated "All the Moves" by Neil Isaacs. "Hoopa" contains the complete story of college basketball across its first full century, with all the necessary rich historical detail, plus the colorfuloncourt and sideline figures who made the game one of the nation's leadingsports spectacles. Detailed accounts of important games and vital rulechanges flesh out the sport's evolution. I highly valuable andnowhere-else-available year-by-year timeline chronicles all of NCAAbasketball's highlight moments. There is also an informative chapter on theevolution of increasingly popular women's college hoops. Perhaps all thatis lacking in this attractive book is an index which might have furtherenhanced an already first-rate effort. This book is an absolute must readfor any dedicated or casual college basketball fan.

Definitive Volume on College Hoops
This is indeed the definite book on college basketball, replacing the now-dated "All the Moves" by Neil Isaacs. "Hoopa" contains the complete story of college basketball across its first full century, with all the necessary rich historical detail, plus the colorfuloncourt and sideline figures who made the game one of the nation's leadingsports spectacles. Detailed accounts of important games and vital rulechanges flesh out the sport's evolution. I highly valuable andnowhere-else-available year-by-year timeline chronicles all of NCAAbasketball's highlight moments. There is also an informative chapter on theevolution of increasingly popular women's college hoops. Perhaps all thatis lacking in this attractive book is an index which might have furtherenhanced an already first-rate effort. This book is an absolute must readfor any dedicated or casual college basketball fan. ... Read more