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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.3230973
EAN num: 9781859842355
ISBN number: 1859842356
Label: Verso
Manufacturer: Verso
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 203
Printing Date: 1998-06
Publishing house: Verso
Sale Popularity Level: 1509387
Studio: Verso
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
The history of blacktop basketball in fast-paced words and pictures. A New York street hustler. A lonely man in a Maryland prison. A confused Native American on a reservation in Idaho. What do they all have in common? They are among the best pickup basketball players in the country. In Pickup Artists, Lars Anderson and Chad Millman tell the complete story of the street game from its mythical past to its glorious present. Using original reporting to examine the evolution of playground basketball, Anderson and Millman are the very first journalists to unravel the thickly woven tapestry of the sport's subculture. Today's super-hyped, corporate-sponsored tournaments weren't always the norm. The foundation of the game was laid with sweat in the 1920s and it has grown from a rudimentary sport to a sophisticated exhibition. Basketball is more than macho melodramas acted out in America's inner cities. It's a town meeting in the heart of Indiana and symbol of freedom for prisoners in jail. Anderson and Millman tap into the essence of pickup basketball, examining its importance everywhere the game is played. They profile not just legends like Earl Marigault and Joe Hammond, but players like Fred 'Spook' Stegman, the man who carries the legacy of being the very first to connect the playgrounds with colleges, and Gregory Vaughn, whose tragic death in the 1980s exposed the underground world of drugs in basketball. Forget about the NBA and showtime. Pickup basketball is about basketball on the blacktops, at its most basic level. It's about the unusual lives of some of the nation's best players you've never heard of. Until now.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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I was totally immersed in this book from beginning to end. It is very well written, and well-edited, and it brings the story Pete Axthelm started closer to present day. I thought, nothwithstanding the comments from NBA.com herein, that its treatment of the relationship between the street and the business of basketball was intelligent and compelling. I recommend it highly.
Rated by buyers -
this is truly an awesome book. not only does it teach you many things about the game and its origins, but it also opens up your eyes to things like growing up in streetball areas isnt as glamourous as it seems. i honestly feel like now everytime i play basketball or watch streetball, i will have that extra boost. another great thing is that it is very intelligently written and has a high reading level so its not boring or nething. THANK YOU PICKUP ARTISTS! i reccomend this to any fan of basketball or ne1 that wants to learn sumtin about it
Rated by buyers 
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This is a very interesting look at the history of amateur basketball from the early 20th century until the late 1990's. It focuses on street basketball, but also highlights basketball in places such as small town Indiana, an Indian reservation, and resort towns of the 1920's-40's. It is more about the culture surrounding basketball and its importance to various communities. There are a lot of wonderful anecdotes and legends included in the story, but they are only minor details in a much larger portrait. The book is not particularly well organized and the writing itself was poor, but it is obvious that extensive research went into it and the subject is very interesting, so I would recommend it on those merits alone.
Rated by buyers 
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As a senior editor at NBA.com, I feel my opinion holds just as much validity (if validity can be held) as a number of the other reviewers, and a little more than the supposed "Don Imus" quote that one of the authors perhaps submitted. While the book should be applauded for its comprehensive look at its subject, it does little to transcend the sad state of postwar sports journalism.
Rated by buyers -
I have read several books regarding street basketball in america. This particular book covers legends across the country. It also takes a look at the sociology of regions. Although the basis of my research has been focused on New York this book was a great, well-written suprise. It is a thoughtful look at personalities and stories surrounding the legends you may have never heard of. If you want to read a good book on the subject this is a great place to start, It is very well written and thoughtful.
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