Book Description

Rod Hundey announces Jazz games on radio, TV, and cable and he has the unique distinction of being the only announcer in Jazz history. His broadcasting career includes stints with the New Orleans Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Phoenix Suns. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

You Gotta Love It, Baby
This is a refreshing and amusing book about a man who has made the NBA a more entertaining place for the basketball fan. You do not have to be a Rod Hundley fan, a Utah Jazz fan, or even a basketball fan to enjoy his opinions and experiences. From his troubled childhood to his golden years, Hundley speaks his mind in a fresh and honest manner. The effort put in by McEachin to edit and organize 60 years of Hundley's stories and anecdotes is obvious, and the result is a thoroughly enjoyable book.

Excellent book about Hundley's basketball experiences.
Hot Rod Hundley was the first player drafted in the 1957 NBA draft. He played six years for the Lakers in Minneapolis and Los Angeles. Following his playing career, Hot Rod has remained active is the sport. He is currently the play by play announcer for the Utah Jazz. Since 1957, he has seen or played with or against almost every great NBA player. In his book, which is basically his basketball autobiography, Hundley analyzes the game and its great and not so great players. Hot Rod Hundley was a showy basketball player; he was fancy and "cool" long before they became essentials in the professional game. His writing is much the same as his game was. His book is a good interesting read. His style is both conversational and informative. He gives his opinions freely and unhesitantly. He can be lavish with his praise and unsparing with his criticism. If you are a basketball fan or a Hot Rod Hundley fan, you will enjoy this book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

About Michael Jordan's Life & Game
This book is fantastic and super! You should buy this book if you're Michael Jordan fans! It's so cheap,if you go out and buy it,it is much more expensive than buying it from the internet! So get it now! For more information,please e-mail me at chew_rachel@hotmail.com! ... Read more

Book Description

If you know a sports trivia buff, then Sports Publishing's 101 Little Known Facts series is the perfect gift for your favorite fan, young or old! These unique books are chock full of interesting information, statistics and photographs about five of America's most beloved sports celebrities, including Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Karl Malone, Troy Aikman and Ken Griffey Jr. Did you know Michael Jordan has a putting green in the basement of his home? Or that, at eighteen months old, Tiger Woods had an 11 on a 410-yard, par-4 hole, the first hole of his life? Did you know that NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone's first basketball cost $2.98 which his mother obtained with a down payment of 75 cents? Were you aware that Dallas Cowboys' star Troy Aikman originally planned to attend medical school? Or that Seattle Mariners star Ken Griffey Jr. and his father, Ken Griffey Sr., are the only father-son duo to play big leaugue baseball at the same time? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Highlights of a Superstar
Many people probably would think this book dosen't make sense because of the name. I mean think about it 101 Little known facts about Karl Malone. This book is probably one of the best book about a Star ever. 101 Little known facts about Karl Malone is one of the best little known facts books ever written, it covers facts about a superstar who is becoming one of the greatest basketball player. One of the best books about a star ever written. Covers things you will definitely want to read ... Read more

Book Description

This hardcover book (256 pages) is the only book on the marketthat ranks (one through fifty) the best players in NBA history.Ituses expert opinions (Hubie Brown, Bob Ryan, Bill Walton and dozens ofothers), statistical tables and argumentation to rank the greatestguards, forwards and centers in the history of the game.Photos of all50 of the greatest players are included.PUBCOMMENT:Kenneth Shoulerhas written a book replete with arguments about basketball's all-timegreats.It is not a marketing list of the game's most popular players(Shaquille O'Neal, etc.) but a selection of the game's best based onmerit. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Basketball's real dream team!
Thinking that what we have here is just another book that gives you the 50 best at whatever sport, in this case basketball? Well before you say yes, you might want to open the book and see what you may have missed.

The book uses a unique concept of ranking within the guard, forward and center groupings, rather than the overall 50 best players. Picking the 13 best guards, 21 best forwards and 16 best centers and the task is certainly a tough one.

Along with each person selected you have a great explanation about the player and what makes him or her one of the best 50 players. After reading the book you and your friends can spend hours discussing which players are in the wrong order and you'll have plenty of facts to back you up.

From Pete Maravich and Michael Jordan, to Julius Erving and Larry Bird, there is sure to be someone you remember. This is the perfect gift for any sports fan and a great collectors item for any basketball enthusiasts. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Long Strange Journey; but Mundane Occasionally
The book definitely discusses in detail, Phil Jackson's zen/indian philiosophies and techniues, and his propensity to use such things to create champions.

Other interesting areas include his background coaching in a turbulent, out of control south American league, where drunken fights in the stands were the norm and bullets weren't restricted to the stands.

Discussions of his idiosyncracies as a player, and the mentoring he received as a coach, especially when learning/incorporating the triangle offense, are also definitely worth a read.

The books discussions of his behind-the-scenes experience with management, in team meetings, and on the tour bus reveal him as an expert in "playing politics." Despite its somewhat negative connotation, his "Mind Games" (also the book's title) appear ro have contributed to his tremendous professional success (NBA Championship rings).

However, his somewhat antagonisitic actions towards team ownership and media have left him with a somewhat questionable reputation. The book discusses this in detail. For example, without provocation, he once kicked a reporter off the team bus, leaving her stranded, and regularly exiled the team's owner from meetings). The book explains the rationale for these actions. Jackson sees "team solidarity" as a crucial aspect of "building the team spirit" and allowing it to grow.

In addition, the book is fairly current and details his brief, ongoing career with the Lakers, revealing some surprisingly esoteric insights about the team and his role in it.

His unorthodox, yet wildly successful NBA coaching career make this an interesting and thoughtful read. However, this review ranks the book four stars out of five, simply because the book's meticulously long discussions seasons' worth of quasi-important matches on the hardwood floor becomes a bit redundant and irrelevant(playoff/championship games excluded).

But if you're a basketball fan, a Lakers' fan, a Bulls' fan, or are simply intrigued by the man and his phenomenally successful, yet wholistically unorthodox approach to life, interpersonal relations, and success, this book comes highly recommended.

Rob Rumsey

Nice read. Full of inside stuff.
This is an excellent read about a different drummer. I'm a Lakers fan, but Bulls fans will like it just as much.

Title is misleading, but a good quick read nonetheless
I have always been intrigued by the work of the "Zenmaster," which is why I first decided to read this book. I had heard about Jackson's work in mending the rift between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant and had wondered how he did it when others could not. The first 100 pages of this book delve into the mind of this phenomenal coach, but the rest of the book goes on to name his achievements. Yes, it was interesting to learn a little more about Michael Jordan, Pippen, Grant and Rodman but those guys were not the reason I picked up the book. If I wanted to learn about those players, I would have read "The Jordan Rules." Bottom line, I would rather pick up "Sacred Hoops" or "Maverick", which were actually written by Jackson himself.

History of the Bulls..... Not Jackson
This is an easy read... But you have to hash through a lot of common knowledge about the Bulls to get any interesting tidbits about Jackson. Sacred Hoops gives you much more perspective into Jackson than this book does. The author teases the reader with an opening story about how Jackson smokes two cigarettes and drinks a beer before he talked to the Bulls after a game... A great bit of informaion, but many true Bulls fans could have picked this up the the local papers or sports talk shows... The author gets most of his inside information from Tex Schram, Johnny Bach, and Skip Schaefer. The majority of the book is a general chronicle of the Bulls 8 year 6 title run offering few insights on Jackson. If you followed the Bulls, read Sacred Hoops, the only 'fresh' information comes from the last two chapters about Jackson's year off and some information about Jackson's first year with the Lakers. It reads quick, but do not expect learn any new in depth information about Jackson.

Interesting, But Nothing That Will Blow Your Mind
As someone who has read "Sacred Hoops" three times and follows Phil Jackson's coaching career very closely, I was very excited to see this on the shelf at my local bookstore. This was a good book. I breezed through it. I thought it was very well written, and it did have some interesting anecdotes. In my opionion, probably the most interesting part of the book wasn't even about Coach Jackson, but rather about the people who have worked with him. The short biopics of the Chicago Jerrys, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and others were very interesting to me - and very fair (which is tough these days when you read anything about Krause).

On the other end of the stick, I would agree that the book did seem a tad superficial as far as Jackson is concerned. It promises to give you insight into one of the most complex figures in contemporary sports, but really does not do that. It only touches superifically on his connection to Buddhism, meditation, and his relationships outside of basketball. Indeed, the end of Jackson's second marriage - certainly one of the more important influences in his life - is entirely covered in one short paragraph of a few sentences.

All in all, this was a decent book. However, I won't be reading it again. ... Read more