Ultimate Basketball (NBA) [Hardcover]

DK Publishing (Author)

Book Description

Series: NBA | Publication Date: November 1, 2004

Ultimate Basketball is a fascinating and in-depth look at the sport from its humble beginnings in 1891 to the multimillion-dollar global business of today. Follow a decade-by-decade chronology of the sport, read about legendary coaches and players, team dynasties, the fanciest locker room, and the most important stats and rules of the game. Everything you need to know about basketball is in this action-packed, fully illustrated one-of-a-kind volume.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The first game of basketball, played in 1891 with wooden peach baskets nailed to the lower rail of a gymnasium balcony, lasted 30 minutes, during which time only one basket was scored. A decade later, during the aptly named Cage Era, the game closely resembled a pay-per-view wrestling match: "‘Players would be thrown against the wire... and most of us would get cut. The court was covered in blood,’" remarked one player. As this volume illustrates, however, basketball would slowly evolve, aided by scores of innovative players and coaches, its popularity elevated by marquee teams, among the earliest of them the Harlem Globetrotters (originally named the Savoy Big Five of Chicago) and the NBA’s first dynasty, the Minneapolis Lakers. Employing a magazine-like layout, with numerous images interspersed with short, easily digestible chunks of text, this book is better suited to the coffee table than the bookshelf. Fans of basketball history will find the first section an enjoyable, albeit brief, decade-by-decade overview of the game, chock-full of statistics, player and coach profiles, and synopses of some of the biggest moments in the sport’s history. The "Elements of the Game" section, meanwhile, is a hodgepodge of basketball tidbits, covering everything from key innovations in shooting and the evolution of the game’s rules to NBA collectibles and on-court dancers. Fans of the ever-loquacious Bill Walton, an analyst for ABC/ESPN and one of the game’s greats, may find his foreword disappointingly brief. The volume’s many photographs, however, are a treat, particularly those that capture the game in its infancy, providing a visual context out of which readers can better understand just how far the sport has come.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Bill Walton, one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, currently serving as an analyst for ABC/ESPN's coverage of the NBA. A member of UCLA's NCAA championship teams in 1972 and 1973, Walton led the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA championship in 1977, winning the NBA Finals MVP award, and was a member of the 1986 Boston Celtics championship team.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789496526
• ISBN-13: 978-0789496522
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,755,400 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, February 13, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Nba's Greatest (Hardcover)

THE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NBA's Greatest
by John Havlicek
This book is about the greatest NBA players of all time. It is also about the greatest games. Also it tells about the best teams in the league.
I think an interesting part is when Scotty Pippen told about Dirk Nowitski. Here are some words he said, `' He's definitely shown me a different dimension in the power forward game,'' said Pippen.''He's probably the only power forward that I've seen that can do the things he does being a 7 footer.''
I think that people who like basketball would like to read this book. Also if someone just wants to read about certain players in basketball , and he's a legend, this would be the book for them. Finally if you want to find out about the greatest moments in basketball look at this book.
I would give this book a 10 out of 10 because it is a good book to read. If you want to learn about the NBA's Greatest check here.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Certainly the NBA's Greatest, June 25, 2005

By 

J "Chase" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nba's Greatest (Hardcover)

An awesome basketball book. I just love it. Informs one about the best players ever in the NBA, from guys like Cousy, to Wilt, Jordan, to Ewing, and Duncan to Kidd. Also, shows the best NBA duels from Bird vs. Magic, to Iverson vs. Carter. Don't forget about the best teams ever assembled in the NBA like the 95'-96' Chicago Bulls. Then, read about the best guys to ever lead their team to glory . . . the coaches. Daly, Jackson, Auerbach, Wilekns, Riley . . . you can find them all here. And finally, catch up on the best momenets ever. Remember "Havlicek stole the ball" and the year Oscar Robertson AVERAGED a triple-double. Well, there all here in this book.

Definitely a book that all basketball lovers should own.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very enjoyable Book, June 12, 2004

By 

A customer "mistermaxxx" (usa) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Nba's Greatest (Hardcover)

I always enjoy reading what other Players have to say about Other Players through out time&also who they personally feel are the Greats of the game&all the details involved.this Book is a Must for any Hoops fan from start to finish it's very detailed.cool Photos&Moments that you will never forget if you follow the game like myself.