Loose Balls [Paperback]

Terry Pluto (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 1991

The American Basketball Association (1967-1976) gave birth to Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Bob Costas, the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs, the Slam Dunk contest, flashy moves, and the three-point basket. During its nine seasons, the ABA generated scorn and laughter--and made a lasting impact on how the game is played. 24 pages of photographs.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Terry Pluto is a columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal. He's the author of 22 books, has twice been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and has been named "Ohio Sportswriter of the Year" eight times. He has been called "perhaps the best American writer of sports books" by the Chicago Tribune. He lives in Akron, Ohio.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (December 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671749218
• ISBN-13: 978-0671749217
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #268,081 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Basketball > Professional

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best sports book ever written?, April 17, 2004

By 

Michael Erisman (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Loose Balls (Paperback)

If you remember the ABA, and loved the red, white and blue ball, the original 3-point line, and what it all brought to the game of basketball, then consider this required reading.

I cannot remember when I have laughed so hard while reading a documentary. The depictions of the players, and the unusual antics the owners tried to get people to come watch is simply too funny to describe here. Whether it was making a big deal out of $100,000 contracts (really just "very" long annuities) or getting the whole crowd to move to one side of the arena (the side shown on TV) the league went to new lengths to promote the product. Cow milking at halftime? Whatever the means, there is no doubt that the ABA changed the game forever. The first slam dunk contest, the 3-point line, and the creativity of the play itself were brand new.

While the league may have been a circus act compared to the classic NBA who had the Laker's, Celtic's, Wilt, Russell, West, Oscar and others, make no mistake that some of the best to ever play came not out of the NBA but the ABA. Connie Hawkins was MJ long before MJ himself followed in the footsteps of another ABA great; Dr. J. The ABA started the early college exodus with the legal decision "hardship" rule applied to the great Spencer Haywood. If you think Rasheed Wallace with his 28 technicals a season is a strange act to follow, he pales in comparison with some of the bruisers in the "other" league. One story about a player/coach, who had benched himself for fighting, ends with the coach putting himself in as a player and decking someone not 30 seconds into the game! Who can forget the famous Marvin Barnes? Here was a guy so talented he could arrive at the game 5 minutes before tip-off wearing nothing but his uniform and a full length mink coat and carrying a sack full of take out hamburgers. His coach is so mad he benches him for the start of first quarter. Marvin gets in the game, yet manages to pay his charter pilot from his checkbook during a time-out! Final stat line for the game for the late arriving Barnes: 49 points and 19 rebounds.

If the stories and no-way-you-can-make-this-up depictions are not enough, then how about a chapter written by Bob Costas on his first assignment - the announcer for the ABA's "Spirit's of St. Louis". The chapter about the wild antics and totally undisciplined plays, including some of the classic on-air gaffes that Costas makes, will leave you laughing until your sides hurt. Who can forget "Fly" Williams? A street player so out of control he tried a 360 dunk on a fast break all by himself and ended up so spun around he threw the ball over the backboard. It was a close game at that!

If you are at all a fan of basketball, you have to read this book. 10 stars!!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent "oral history" about the late, great ABA, February 27, 2004

By 

Todd Hawley (San Francisco CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Loose Balls (Paperback)

Like many others who grew up in the late 60s/early 70s, I wondered about what was really going on behind the scenes of this "upstart league" that wound up ultimately changing the way pro basketball is played (and not just the 3 pointer either!). Pluto took a great approach with this book, letting the former players, coaches and execs tell their own stories of what really happened.

From the league's start to its ultimate merger with the "enemy," (ie the NBA) it also showcases the successful (Indiana, Denver, Kentucky, San Antonio, NY Nets) and the "flameouts" (Spirits of St Louis, LA/Utah Stars and esp the ill-fated Baltimore Claws and San Diego Sails). It talks about the bidding wars for players, the personalities from each team, and what ultimately led to the merger with the NBA.

This book contains a wealth of humorous and virtually unbeleivable stories about the ABA. What little I did see on TV of the ABA I always enjoyed and finally sitting down to read this book brought back some memories.

There is a "new ABA" now called "ABA 2000," but it's strictly a developmental league. While at times the ABA could be "rinky dink," it was never a "minor league" for the NBA.

If you want to know what the ABA was really like in its heyday, get this book. It's a keeper!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Funny Look at the ABA, October 19, 2004

By 

T. Bratz "gwfeds0" (Beaverton, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Loose Balls (Paperback)

Terry Pluto's book is a very funny look at the American Basketball Association. He interviewed several people who were involved with the league and told the story of the league through their stories.

The ABA had some great players and introduced the three-point shot and slam dunk contest, which later became popular in the NBA, but the league was not run well and didn't have enough money invested in it to be a real success. They did manage to hold on long enough to force a merger with the NBA.

This was a league where a game was postponed once when two different airlines lost the luggage of the two teams that were supposed to play, leaving neither team with uniforms for the game. One team gave away something like 500 free tickets to a playoff game and had a crowd of about 520.

The league had its share of characters, and this is a great place to read all about them. It's also the place where Dr. J, George Gervin and some other great players got their start, and you can read about that here too.