Book Review: The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons
Nov 27, 2009 Book Review
Since NAS had so much fun reviewing John Calipari’s new book a few months ago, we thought we’d continue the trend of reviewing new books about the game as we get to read them. Because remember kids, reading is fundamental, even if it’s not always Nets-centric.
Bill Simmons, aka, ESPN’s “The Sports Guy,” has long been one of my favorite writers – with his fan’s perspective and irreverent sense of humor that often incorporates pop culture references galore, I love it – but he’s definitely an acquired taste for those who are looking for more serious, “insightful” opinions in sportswriting.
So I’m fairly certain that Simmons’ new book “The Book of Basketball,” is going to invite a whole range of opinions. There will be many who call the book overlong and self-indulgent, with way too much focus on the Boston Celtics, and an blatant disregard for some of the newer statistical metrics that have been embraced by many of us in the True Hoop Network. Those critics wouldn’t be wrong, but I enjoyed this book anyway, because it reads exactly how I would expect a 715-page magnum opus about basketball written by Bill Simmons to read.
It’s uneven and rambles a bit, and can’t say I learned a whole lot about the game, except the fact that Michael Jordan is a deadly, cold-blooded assassin (duh), and that Bill Russell was clearly better than Wilt Chamberlin (I’m too young to have seen either of them play, so it’s an argument I could care less about). But again, I don’t think you ever read Simmons to learn anything new. A Simmons column is the equivalent of going to a bar with a bunch of sports-obsessed buddies and talking about the game for hours – with the conversation devolving into such things as Rocky movies or OJ Simpson references as more and more drinks are consumed. You read Simmons, because you’re just as much a fan of the game as he is. This is the mentality that got me into sports blogging in the first place. While a game recap in a daily newspaper is usually informative, I’ve always found the best insight comes from fan observations. Fans are the ones who complain about a guy not getting enough playing time, and they’re the ones who remember the otherwise inconsequential games in January where somebody made an incredible shot that makes us revere those players in such a way that it can sometimes defy logic. Sports blogging gives those of us who are lucky enough to have developed a regular audience an opportunity to share our own silly little observations about the game. I can only hope that my observations lead to additional observations and reactions from our readers. Simmons embraces this mentality, and for the most part, so does “The Book of Basketball.”
The Nets actually come up in the book more than I expected – especially the ABA version of the team. Simmons appears to sympathize with how the NBA-ABA merger in the summer of 1976 decimated the Nets (then of New York). The Nets had to pay the Knicks $4.8 million over 10 for territory rights – a move that so financially crippled the organization, they had to unload their franchise player Julius Erving to stay afloat.
In another chapter, Simmons looks at the 2002 MVP race between Tim Duncan (who ultimately won) and then-Net Jason Kidd. Categorizing the MVP as “fishy but ultimately okay,” Simmons sets up the argument where he sees the logic of a Kidd MVP: “Energized by the change of scenery, Kidd led the perennially crappy Nets to 52 wins, swung the New York media behind him and stood out mostly for his unselfishness and singular talent for running fast breaks …” Read the rest of this entry »