Tall tales

Description

Before there was a Julius Erving, there was an Elgin Baylor, leaping and twisting in midair, setting the standard for the high flyers to come. Before there was a Magic Johnson giving rise to the "triple double," there was an Oscar Robertson averaging a triple double for a whole season. Before there was an Isiah Thomas, there was a Bob Cousy, leading the fast break with his flashy moves and making a place for the little man in the big man's game. Before there was a Dream. Team, there were the Boston Celtics, winners of eleven championships in thirteen years, a team that started four Hall of Famers and had three more on the bench. And above all these greats stood the twin powers, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, the two fiercest rivals and most dominant players in any sport - ever. The fast-paced showtime extravaganza of today's pro basketball had its roots in the arenas and armories of the 1950s and '60s. There were great players who. Would make anyone's all-time roster: Wilt, Russell, the Big O, Jerry West, Baylor, Cousy. There were wild characters who would be on anyone's all-flake team, including Hot Rod Hundley, who'd rather miss two foul shots through some memorable clowning than break a record that could be forgotten tomorrow; and Tom Meschery, Russian-born poet, who never saw a fight he didn't like. And there were stars whose names are all but forgotten by today's fans: Bob Pettit, the great. Scorer and rebounder who lived at the free-throw line; iron-man Johnny Kerr, who played in 844 consecutive games; Dolph Schayes, the Larry Bird of Syracuse, shooting, rebounding, and passing with an uncanny feel for the game; and Jerry Lucas, one of just three players to average 20 points and 20 rebounds in a season. These men and many more tell their stories that led USA Today to call Loose Balls "the sports book of the year," Terry Pluto provides the best look yet at. The glory days of the NBA. Tall Tales traces the shift from the tough crowds in towns like Rochester and Fort Wayne to the Hollywood glitz of L.A.'s Fabulous Forum; tells the story of Danny Biasone's brainstorm - the recalls the fury everyone in the league felt when 24-second clock - and how it saved the league; Red Auerbach would light up his victory cigar on the bench; recounts the tragic and heartwarming story of Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes, the Brian's Song of the. NBA; and above all - literally - revives the debate that rages to this day: Who was better, Russell or Chamberlain? Whether you're reacquainting yourself with the legends of your youth or meeting these giants for the first time, Tall Tales is an indispensable book, a true portrait of the NBA's Wonder Years, from the pro game's leading writer-historian.

Subjects

Other Editions

• Tall talesSimon & Schuster1992-01-01
• Tall talesBison Books2000-01-01