Eastern Basketball

The Eastern Professional Basketball League (1946-78) was fast and physical, often played in tiny, smoke-filled gyms across the northeast and featuring the best players who just couldn’t make the NBA—many because of unofficial quotas on Black players, some because of scandals, and others because they weren’t quite good enough in the years when the NBA had less than 100 players. In Boxed out of the NBA: Remembering the Eastern Professional Basketball League, Syl Sobel and Jay Rosenstein tell the fascinating story of a league that was a pro basketball institution for over 30 years, showcasing top players from around the country. During the early years of professional basketball, the Eastern League was the next-best professional league in the world after the NBA. It was home to big-name players such as Sherman White, Jack Molinas, and Bill Spivey, who were implicated in college gambling scandals in the 1950s and were barred from the NBA, and top Black players such as Hal “King” Lear, Julius McCoy, and Wally Choice, who could not make the NBA into the early 1960s due to unwritten team quotas on African-American players. Featuring interviews with some 40 former Eastern League coaches, referees, fans, and players—including Syracuse University coach Jim Boeheim, former Temple University coach John Chaney, former Detroit Pistons player and coach Ray Scott, former NBA coach and ESPN analyst Hubie Brown, and former NBA player and coach Bob Weiss—this book provides an intimate, first-hand account of small-town professional basketball at its best.

From its beginnings at the turn of the 20th century to its pervasive presence in 21st-century America, basketball has grown into an undeniably important sport. The 575 entries in this biographical dictionary present concise narratives on the lives and careers on the most important names in basketball history. Entries include both classic players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob Cousy as well as more recently established and up-and-coming stars such as Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett, and LeBron James. Entries for coaches such as the Boston Celtics' Red Auerbach and Mike Krzyzewski from Duke University present the figures who have shaped the game from courtside, while the inclusion of female players and coaches such as Lisa Leslie, Diana Taurasi, and Pat Summitt show that basketball is not just a sport for men. From its beginnings at the turn of the 20th century to its pervasive presence in 21st-century America, basketball has grown into an undeniably important sport. The 575 entries in this biographical dictionary present concise narratives on the lives and careers on the most important names in basketball history. Entries include both classic players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob Cousy as well as more recently established and up-and-coming stars such as Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett, and LeBron James. Entries for coaches such as the Boston Celtics' Red Auerbach and Mike Krzyzewski from Duke University present the figures who have shaped the game from courtside, while the inclusion of female players and coaches such as Lisa Leslie, Diana Taurasi, and Pat Summitt show that basketball is not just a sport for men. This volume is an ideal reference for students seeking easily accessed information on the greats of the game.

The Historical Dictionary of Basketball is a comprehensive account of all forms of basketball_amateur, professional, men's, women's, Olympic, domestic, and international_from its invention in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith through the present day. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 600 cross-referenced dictionary entries on the people, places, teams, and terminology of the game.

NCAA men’s basketball is always a hot sport because of the talented young players and exciting action on the court. However, history and tradition also play huge roles in the sport’s popularity. Basketball in the Big East Conference takes a closer look at the great teams, players, and coaches in the powerhouse Big East conference, as well as the heated rivalries and longstanding traditions that make the Big East conference among the best in college hoops.

From Ward 'Piggy' Lambert to Gene Keady, John Wooden to Glenn Robinson, the glorious history of Purdue Boilermaker basketball is documented in Most Memorable Moments in Purdue Basketball through Lafayette Journal and Courier game stories, news reports, features and columns. Enhancing the collection of stories and photos are 10 new features, filling in the gaps of some of the greatest players' and coaches' careers.

What others in sports are saying about The Best-Laid Plans... "Randy and Matt have put together a great book for building a high school basketball program. ...This book would be an excellent read not only for high school basketball coaches, but also for coaches of all sports and all leaders of young people." from the Foreword by Bob Huggins "This book is a great source of information for any coach or interested reader about how to properly run a basketball program and lead young people. I personally have observed many of the ideas in this book, especially during Randy's career. In my years of high school and professional sports, I have not found a better blueprint for success than that which is presented in The Best-Laid Plans of a High School Basketball CEO." Dean Chance - 1964 Cy Young Award Winning Pitcher - All-Ohio and State Champion Basketball Player "I came to know Randy very well while recruiting one of his players. He runs as good a program as I have seen throughout the country. Randy and Matt Kramer have put together a great tool for design and example in how to lead a high school basketball program from top to bottom. The Best-Laid Plans comes to you with my highest recommendation. Brad Brownell - Head Men's Basketball Coach - Clemson University A leadership book, a book that offers tips on how to run a sports program from kindergarten through high school, an inspirational underdog story-The Best-Laid Plans of a High School Basketball CEO is all of the above and more. Here's a sample: Matt Kramer's boys' basketball team from Navarre Fairless High School was perhaps the worst in the Canton (Ohio) area, finishing 3-19 in 2004; in 2005, he was sitting on a coaching "hot seat" at 0-12 in the middle of January. His program and his career were left for dead... ...Twenty-six months later, Coach Kramer was standing on a ladder in the Canton Memorial Field House cutting down the nets after his Fairless team won the prestigious Canton Division-II District Championship Game in overtime and earned a spot in Ohio's Division-II "Sweet-16." Miracle? No, it happened with hard work, a little luck, and the mentoring of a legendary 500-win coach, Randy Montgomery-ideas that are now shared here in The Best-Laid Plans of a High School Basketball CEO. Matt Kramer Born the son of a basketball coach on July 16, 1969, Matt Kramer spent his childhood in a gym by Dan Kamer's side watching him run the program at Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron (Ohio). Kramer went on to play at Hoban, graduating in 1987, then went on to a two-year career as an NCAA Division-III collegiate basketball player at The College of Wooster for legendary coach Steve Moore. After transferring to Mount Union College in the fall of 1989, he incurred a back injury that ended his playing career and sent him down a career path in coaching and education. Married to his wife Christine since 1996 and father of three-sons Luke and Landon, and daughter Olivia-Matt Kramer shares ideas and stories here that range from being inspirational to heart-breaking, illustrating the roller-coaster ride a twenty-one-year career in coaching can be. Randy Montgomery A Hall-of-Fame high school basketball coach, and a disciple and close friend of West Virginia University head coach Bob Huggins, Randy Montgomery has spent over three decades using his innovative approach to lead two high school programs-Wooster Triway and North Canton Hoover-to elite status.

Part reference, part trivia, part brain teaser, and absolutely the most unusual and thorough compendium of basketball stats and facts ever assembled! Did you know that Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld are the only two players in basketball history to win both the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards in the same season? Or that Mark Jackson had more than 10,000 assists in his career, but is not in the Hall of Fame? How about that Kevin Love has the longest consecutive streak of double-doubles, with 53? Inspired by The Baseball Maniac’s Almanac—first created by legendary sportswriter Bert Randolph Sugar—The Basketball Maniac’s Almanac includes thousands of fascinating lists, tables, data, and stimulating facts never before compiled in one place! Inside, you’ll find all of the big name basketball heroes like Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Rick Barry, Kevin Durant, Jerry West, Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, and a lot of information that will be new to even the most devoted fans: Hall of Famers drafted #1 overall Points leaders by state of birth Most blocked shots by players under six-feet tall Career leaders in four-points plays Oldest player selected to an All-Star Game Players with career Quadruple-Doubles Former ABA players leading the NBA in 3-pointers Most career technical fouls Fathers and sons both drafted in the first round Coaches winning Coach of the Year award and championship in the same season And so much more! Not just a collection of facts or records, this is a book of glorious fun that will astound even the most bookish basketball fan. Read up and amaze your friends, family, and anyone who loves the game of basketball!