From Set Shot to Slam Dunk: The Glory Days of Basketball in the Words of Those Who Played It [Paperback]

Charles Salzberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1998

Basketball in its early years was rough and rowdy, on the courts and off. Players had names like Feets Broudy, Sweetwater Clifton, and Easy Ed Macauley. There was no twenty-four-second clock, no jump shot, and only one referee, and fouls were called only for real injury. But from the very start the game won fans. From Set Shot to Slam Dunk brings back the glory days of basketball as lived by fifteen old-time players and officials.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Identified as an "avid" fan, Salzberg is probably unique in considering the 1940s, '50s and '60s the "glory" days of U.S. basketballmost think the sport reached its zenith only in the past decade. Nevertheless, this collection of interviews with players from that era is a bit of nostalgia that will intrigue cage fans (there is one account from a player who actually participated in a game conducted in a cage). Onetime stars Ed Macauley, Dolph Schayes, Jerry West and others discuss the game and athletes then and now, and almost to a man they find the contests faster-moving and more exciting, the participants quicker, stronger and more talented than formerly. There are also absorbing observations on players from George Mikan to Wilt Chamberlain and coaches from Honey Russell to Red Auerbach. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This is a most entertaining look at the early days of the National Basketball Association through a series of brief interviews with its pioneering greats. Though most of these individuals will be unknown to current fans, such figures as "Sweetwater" Clifton, "Easy Ed" Macauley, and George "the Bird" Yardley were the game's original stars, who labored for such teams as the Ft. Wayne Pistons and the Syracuse Nationals. All of those interviewed retain a passionate love for the game and voice surprisingly few regrets at not having played in an era of big money. Others included in the book are Johnny "Big Red" Kerr, Bill Sharman, Cal Ramsey, Dolph Schayes, Jerry West, and referee Norm Drucker. Recommended for large sports collections. Joseph W. Constance, Jr., Boston Coll. Lib.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 269 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803292503
• ISBN-13: 978-0803292505
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,021,988 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Charles Salzberg is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in New York magazine, Esquire, Elle, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, the New York Times Arts and Leisure, the New York Times Book Review and other newspapers and periodicals. He is the author of more than 25 books, including From Set Shot to Slam Dunk, On a Clear Day They Could See Seventh Place, Soupy Sez: My Zany Life and Times, and his latest, the novel, Swann's Last Song. He has been a Visiting Professor of Magazine at the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, and has taught writing at Sarah Lawrence. He now teaches at the Writer's Voice and the New York Writers Workshop, where he is a Founding Member.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, Informative and fun, August 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: From Set Shot to Slam Dunk: The Glory Days of Basketball in the Words of Those Who Played It (Paperback)

I love basketball, and I love this book. It's got great nuggets of stories, and it's fun to read, too. I've given it for gifts to friends of mine who enjoy the raucous stories and humor. If you love basketball, you'll love this book--in fact, you'll love it even if you don't

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life in the early NBA, February 14, 2006

By 

Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Set Shot to Slam Dunk (Paperback)

If teams such as the Syracuse Nationals, Rochester Royals, and Fort Wayne Pistons mean anything to you, or names such as Dolph Schayes, Bob Pettit, Bill Sharman, and Bob Cousy ring a bell - or merely wonder why they do for many people - you will enjoy this book. It's a look at what professional basketball was like in the '40s and '50s, when the NBA was first coming to light (a mix of teams from various regional leagues) and developing. Charles Salzberg conducted 15 interviews with players from that era, asking them to relate their experiences - how they got started, what they thought of their teammates and opposing players, highlights of their careers, how they think the game has changed, what they think of basketball today (1980s) - and the results are interesting and informative.

The game was played differently back then, before the 24-second clock went into effect: it was a much more deliberate game, slower in execution, lots of passing, the set shot the main weapon. Just about all the interviewees note how the 24-second clock changed the game, made it more exciting (especially near the end of the game), some thinking it actually saved the NBA from extinction. Bill Russell is someone mentioned by many of them as having a profound influence on the game, too, and the reason for the Boston Celtic dynasty in the 50s-60s. Most of those interviewed believe that players today have more talent, especially when it comes to shooting the ball, but regret the loss of team play the way it was for them. There aren't a whole lot of surprises here (most of the interviews talk in generalities rather than specifics) and no skeletons in the closet are revealed, but for anyone getting a little long in the tooth it's a nostalgic look back at the game before multi-million dollar contracts and schoolyard antics became the mainstay. And for younger fans it's a reminder that there was basketball before Michael Jordan.