Customer Reviews

FreeDarko Presents: The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac: Styles, Stats, and Stars in Today's Game

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I might as well just come out and say it: I'm an NBA fan, through and through -- rabidly, almost, it's kind of insane. I wasn't for awhile. I grew up living and dying with the Lakers, but somewhere between the second and third titles of the Shaq/Kobe era, I just lost interest. Politics, art, activism, music, and other interests took hold, and I thought I was leaving behind a banal, childish fixture for more sophisticated tastes. And while it wasn't the FreeDarko collective or their fabulous blog that brought me back into basketball (how THAT happened, I'll never figure out), they were responsible for convincing me that the NBA, despite its clamoring for mainstream appeal and the obsessive attempts to ingratiate itself to corporate America through not just its business model, but the leagues entire culture -- despite standing for so much that I am against, it was this group of writers that taught me that this sport is worthwhile. That not only is basketball sophisticated, it's fun.

The Macrophenomenal Almanac analyzes the league as it was meant to be seen -- in terms of the players, and is complemented perfectly by beautiful illustrations and graphs, and the purely genius "style guide". Thus, the authors spend a full chapter each on several of the most interesting, meaningful players in the game. And meaningful is of their own definition -- meaning in terms of symbolism, not wins and losses, which is why there is a chapter on Stephon Marbury, who for all his talent and ability may never play another game in his career, simply because he's such a nutjob, and not on more "deserving" players like former MVP's Dirk Nowitski or Shaquille O'Neal. That's because the book rests on a refreshing new basketball worldview, which is given in an incomplete form in the "Manifesto" which precedes the book: Basketball is fun. It is the league of style and improvisation, and a player's playing style is 1) an essential part of the game and 2) often the truest way to learn about the true personalities of millionaire celebrities who hide their quirks and most human traits for fear of losing product endorsements. But, dig deeper on the FreeDarko blog, especially come playoff time, and you'll see this manifesto fleshed out and sing. Basketball teams become gestalt personalities or group ideologies, and a basketball game becomes a battle of Hegelian dialectics of one team ideology versus another. So, this all sounds rather ridiculous, and they know it is. These folks make no bones about the fact that their intellectual language isn't entirely in place for the subject matter. But it follows their outlook on basketball perfectly -- intellect is their swag, and their swag is phenomenal.

Here's the real important part, though: rather than simply analyze basketball as detached academics, they come at the sport as impassioned fan, and they'll root for whichever style they favor. They fully bridge the two polar extremes of modern sportswriting -- the fanatic enthusiasm of the "fan's eye view" of sports with the sober expertise of a sports historian, and the result is incredible. Again, enough cannot be said about the phenomenal illustrations and design of this book, as well.

As dense as it acts from time to time, the Almanac reads actually as a more accessible introduction to the FreeDarko collective's nigh-impenetrable (more due to encyclopedic knowledge of the game and inside jokes than high-falooting language) blog, which is actually the greater ouvre, and I highly recommend it. But for those that have never read the blog, this is the perfect intro. And for those who already do, well, you already know why to read this.

The authors of this book must be brilliant NASA engineers on the side or something. They approach the NBA with a ton of enthusiasm and brainpower. And quirkiness. They tell us answers to questions we would never have thought to ask: like why Lamar Odom can only be understood through a careful analysis of his facial expressions, why Tim Duncan's "spirit animal" is the nurse shark (Tracy McGrady's is the monitor lizard), and why the Egyptian pyramids would have gone up much faster if Phoenix Suns guard Leandro Barbosa had been in charge of building them.

There are some really impressive charts that prove the authors must have watched every second of every NBA game over the past several years. But even though the Almanac made me laugh out loud, and got me in the mood for this year's season, its look is what stands out most -- the art throughout is stunning. It's weird that the most beautifully designed book I now own is about pro basketball, but there it is....

Forgive the hyperbole I'm about to lather on, but I felt like this amazing, utterly unique book was written just for me. I fit into what I think is a rare demographic: the all-American basketball lover who just happens to also be a big fan of "literary" writing and hipster urban graphic design. By more than satisfying each of these seemingly incompatible interests, this book represents nothing less than THE standard for 21st century sports books. Seriously. A dry, quirky sense of humor that's never too arch or condescending couples nicely with penetrating statistical rigor and an acute knowledge of history and context. I think of this as a "post-blog" book in that it reads like a tidied up, bound summation of the best NBA blog posts by the best writers around. Think Bill Simmons or even a bit of David Foster Wallace combined with a mountain of interesting stats and stunning artwork. I can't think of a better holiday gift for anyone that's even remotely like me.

The Marcophenomenal Almanac book is a huge victory for sports fans everywhere, and is hands down one of the best basketball books ever created. Most mainstream sports journalists analyze athletes as if they are race horses or children. The Almanac treats athletes like what they are: complex human personalities. The conclusions that the Almanac presents on these various players are truly thought-provoking, which is an especially impressive feat in a world far over-saturated with sports opinions. Question: Is the game of basketball a microcosm of life, or is life a macrocosm at the game? If you've ever wondered this, then go to the top of the page and buy this book immediately! With amazing illustrations, great writing, and eclectic reasoning, it can be enjoyed by non-zealots well.

It's really a great book if you are a basketball fan and especially if you love the NBA and it's characters. This is not for the casual fan, unless you are just a b-ball nerd. The illustration work is tip tier and I want all of these images as posters - every one. My only gripe is that there is no Iverson section. I'll let that go because this book is so damn good.

This book will put a huge smile on your face. It is smart, insightful, and most importantly, hilarious. The player profiles and analyses are unlike anything I've ever read, and the artwork is insane. I am AMAZED by the thought and effort put into this magical piece of work. Casual fans may or may not get the full effect of the book, but for any die-hard NBA fan this is a true must!

This book is a stimulating treat to the eye and mind. The artwork is stunning. The writing is both insightful and funny. Even the statistical graphs are slickly done and fun to look at. You might find a couple misnomers, as a Blazers fan I think their take on Joel Przybilla (p.138) is off-target. No worries though, my quibbles are microscopic compared how much I have enjoyed reading this. There is no other book like it. Great for intellectual basketball fans, but any who appreciate a finely put together piece of work should take a look. More FreeDarko books, please!

You've never dreamed at looking at basketball in such a comprehensive, logical and artful way. I'm amazed at every aspect of this book.

Already a huge NBA fan and a reader of the FreeDarko blog, I purchased this shortly after its release and devoured every page. And although we're 2.5 years past that initial publication date, this is perhaps my favorite book to pick up and thumb through and re-read, because the FreeDarko gang brilliantly captured so many of the characters that intrigue us fans. It's a priceless snapshot of the NBA, circa 2008.

And while the almanac cemented its content in print, the stories of the players profiled continued. Some prominent dialogues of this past 2010-11 season especially resonated against the narratives spun in the book, including Gilbert Arenas' continuing fall from grace, the devisiveness that became LeBron's persona, Amare's desire to finally mold his NBA legacy, the end of Yao, and declines to greats such as Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant.

William Goldman once wrote (to paraphrase): "The greatest struggle an athlete endures is the battle for our memories." The mantle is always passed on from one star to the next, and the league always churns forward (hopefully...).

Some stars will remain enduring parts of the game, but the majority will merely fade away into the statistics of actual almanacs. This is a book that will help me to remember the NBA that I loved, love, and will continue to love and the players involved in that drama.

Creative descriptions of NBA basketball players for the avid fan. But, the material is already somewhat outdated. With modern 24/7 sports coverage available on the internet, any book that assesses the quality of specific athletes is likely to become rapidly outdated. Would recommend as a fun gift for a devoted fan of the NBA.