The Franchise: Building a Winner With the World Champion Detroit Pistons, Basketballs Bad Boys (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The winners of the NBA playoffs for the 1988-89 season were the Detroit Pistons, long a poor-to-mediocre team, but one that had come close to triumph in 1987-88. The story of how the Pistons became champions is told here by the author of The Sweeps , who concentrates on general manager Jack McCloskey but also pays close attention to the other officials, coaches and players involved. The victorious team was put together over a period of years, with the final player added during one of the most unpopular trades in Piston history, when Adrian Dantley was sent away. Stauth attributes McCloskey's success to choosing players with a passion to compete, and to his ability to assemble a squad with the proper balance of youth and experience. This examination of a franchise from top to bottom is conscientious and detailed. Photos not seen by PW. Author tour.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In much the same way John Feinstein chronicled Indiana basketball in A Season on the Brink ( LJ 11/1/86), and Peter Golenbock detailed North Carolina State's program in Personal Fouls ( LJ 8/89), Stauth uncovers the business behind the Detroit Piston's NBA championship in 1989. He traces the building of the winning team: the draft choices, signing of free agents, and timely trades, all adding up to the proper team chemistry, the vital key to any championship. The man behind the franchise is no-nonsense general manager Jack McCloskey. Stauth's narrative is the exceptional story of the Pistons and their rise to NBA success. He pulls no punches; much of his book reflects the attitudes of players and management as well as the media. Although many will question Stauth's condemnation of certain practices in professional basketball, this is one of the best books ever on professional sports. Recommended for most libraries.
- Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ. Lib., Ala.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 365 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (April 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688095739
• ISBN-13: 978-0688095734
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #212,459 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE Book For Armchair Basketball General Managers, December 30, 1997

By	[e-mail] (Middletown, CT) - See all my reviews

Cameron Stauth actually followed the Detroit Pistons around for two championship years, and it appears he didn't even get in their way!

Instead of focusing on the drama of any one game, The Franchise follows the Pistons through their ups and downs over more than one season. From the draft rounds to the heartbreaking playoff losses, this book shows that running an NBA team is about much more than dribbling and shooting.

This book is excellent for anyone with even moderate knowledge of the game of basketball. It includes several colorfully written characters, such as a (somewhat milder) Dennis Rodman, years before he became a Chicago Bull. The only reason I don't give this book a '10' is because it isn't for everyone. Most fans are interested in the story behind the game, but some aren't.

Stauth also writes like a sports reporter, not a novelist. He details everything that goes on behind the scenes that fans never see. The many phone calls and callbacks that may or may not lead to a trade for a draft pick or a supporting player. The panicked decisions to find players to fill out the bench when a star goes down. He really does on excellent job of presenting the coach's and the GM's perspective: that NBA basketball isn't just about the superstars, it's about getting fans in the seats, giving them a good time, and using the money to put a COMPLETE and COOPERATIVE team on the court.