Taking Shots: Tall Tales, Bizarre Battles, and the Incredible Truth About the NBA (Hardcover)

by Keith Glass (Author)
Key Phrases: eleventh pick, restricted free agent, weight clause, New York, New Jersey, Coach Wooden (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"...a wild ride from start to finish." -- Asbury Park Press

"...insightful and at times very funny." -- Sports Illustrated

"Arguably the best basketball book that came out in 2007. …For those looking to get into the industry…this book is basically a must-read. It’s all told in a pointy, cynical tone… …Extremely informative and entertaining." -- draftexpress.com

"Glass displays a razor-sharp wit and an amazing capacity to tell a story. …fans will love this book…" -- The Tennessean

"Glass is deliciously passionate about things. …Strong opinions make for good reading." -- Orlando Sentinel

"I found myself only reading 20-25 pages at a time, because I didn’t want it to end too soon." -- Phil Jasner, Philadelphia Daily News

"Taking Shots should be required reading for anyone who cares about the game." -- Fran Fraschilla, ESPN college basketball analyst

"Through humor, he expresses a fairly weighty opinion… Keith may have outsmarted us all with his covertly brilliant writing style." -- Paul Shirley, Phoenix Suns, author of Can I Keep My Jersey?

"…Entertaining and enlightening." -- Chicago Tribune

"…It’s a good read, a rollicking ride, and bodes well for Glass’s retirement job as a stand-up comedian…" -- Montreal Gazette

Review
".Entertaining and enlightening." (Chicago Tribune )

"Arguably the best basketball book that came out in 2007. .For those looking to get into the industry.this book is basically a must-read. It's all told in a pointy, cynical tone. .Extremely informative and entertaining." (draftexpress.com )

"Interesting, insightful, humorous and factual-Taking Shots has it all! A must read for any and all basketball or sports fan." (Jud Heathcote, former coach, Michagan State )

"For an irreverent look at NBA life from an insider, consider the new book Taking Shots by Keith Glass." (Good Times )

"Through humor, he expresses a fairly weighty opinion. Keith may have outsmarted us all with his covertly brilliant writing style." (Paul Shirley, Phoenix Suns, author of Can I Keep My Jersey? )

"Glass has had some intriguing experiences as an agent for NBA players.he has some stories to tell." (Bill Littlefield, WBUR )

"Glass displays a razor-sharp wit and an amazing capacity to tell a story. .fans will love this book." (The Tennessean )

"...insightful and at times very funny." (Sports Illustrated )

"Taking Shots should be required reading for anyone who cares about the game." (Fran Fraschilla, ESPN college basketball analyst )

"Glass is deliciously passionate about things. .Strong opinions make for good reading." (Orlando Sentinel )

"I thought Keith Glass's book was terrific. Taking Shots will now be required reading at St. Anthony's." (Bob Hurley, St. Anthony High School )

"...a wild ride from start to finish." (Asbury Park Press )

".It's a good read, a rollicking ride, and bodes well for Glass's retirement job as a stand-up comedian." (Montreal Gazette )

"Part memoir, part purist manifesto...a winding tour of everything right and wrong with the NBA." (New York Times )

"I found myself only reading 20-25 pages at a time, because I didn't want it to end too soon." (Phil Jasner, Philadelphia Daily News )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperEntertainment (February 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061231851
• ISBN-13: 978-0061231858
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #607,204 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Good !, March 16, 2007

By	D. Mandel (Malibu, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a lifelong basketball fan, I was really pleased to read Keith Glass's view of today's NBA. This is a thoughtful, informative and personal look at the treatment and mistreatment of young athletes and their relationships with the public and their agents. I particularly enjoyed reading Mr. Glass's first hand experiences with professional basketball players and his telling of stories with humor and insight. Glass is direct, courageous and clearly unafraid to critique the organization that he has worked with for years. I found the chapter on his "Greek" player revealing and interesting; it showed how the draft operated, especially in connection with young, talented European players and how commitments were given and then ignored. Mr. Glass's chapter about Mahmoud Abdul Rauf was extremely informative and portrayed a different point of view from what I had read in the media. I appreciated Mr. Glass's insight (although his disagreement) with Rauf's position on the National anthem, and the problem of his relationship with Rauf because Glass was Jewish and Rauf a Muslim. I was touched by the airline tickets/ auction story, which presented a different image of Rauf and suggested that he could step up for the seemingly small and personal things that mattered. If you grew up with basketball as part of your life or are interested in today's world of the professional athlete, I recommend this book. You couldn't find a better read.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars NBA ON FULL DISPLAY: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE GREEDY!!, March 18, 2007

By	RBSProds "rbsprods" (Deep in the heart of Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Four FASCINATING Stars!! Keith Glass portrays the NBA as a multi-million dollar business like no other in the world. In "Taking Shots" we get a real insider's view of the NBA, the players, coaches, and the entire system. He may well have burned a few bridges in the process of writing this book, such is the level of detail and the abundance of inside stories. Although not exhaustive, this book is interesting and informative as it is.

We also get some information on John Wooden, the rise of Larry Brown and his current fate (on which the book ends) and much on Mr Glass, his family and the athletes he represents. Keith Glass' unfavorable comparison of NBA basketball with the game that Dr Naismith invented was an easy layup, the author sees that the game "has become a selfish, tedious, and colossal bore" at times. As such, it cycles between truly exciting games and 'going through the motions' games, between one-on-one post ups on the left and on the right sometimes dominating the action and true team play exhibited by some of the teams.

The litmus test for any insider NBA book is Latrell Sprewell's career and antics and here Mr Glass does not fail, giving the lowdown on what happened before, during, and after the 'choking incident'. Other stories recount players who, unbelievably, refused trades and others who refused to go into the game, and one injured player who, as a true sportsman, retired rather than just play for the money. There are many cases of head coaches and officials being sacrificed for the sake of the team by management, over and over. The anthem "If you can play, you get paid" regardless of your many personal troubles, reverberates across the landscape of this book and the NBA. Maybe I shouldn't have said "greedy" in the review title, maybe they're worth every penny of what they make in their short, frantic careers. Definitely Recommended! Four REVEALING Stars!!

(This review is based on an unabridged digital download in secure eBook format.)

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Sports Book , March 16, 2007

By	S. Passo - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have just completed reading "Taking Shots" by Keith Glass. I tried to count the times I actually laughed out loud but lost track. This book is not only a side splitting ride but has some very poignant parts as well.
I was taken into situations in a first hand way that people never get a real chance to experience in the sports world.
Anyone who doesn't laugh and learn from these stories either is missing a funny bone or really hasn't read the book.