5 Comments so far
Leave a reply
Partner Ads
Chatting Corner
Search This Site
Subscribe
Categories
Archives
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- June 2008
- May 2008
Blogroll
Live Stats
The author actually believes dunking began with Kobe and LeBron! Obviously, the author is someone that thinks basketball started when he began dribbling. We learn more about the author than we do about the professional game. I really don’t care that the author can make an NBA three or touch the rim with a running start. Please! Giving this waste of paper “one star” seems overly generous.
Rating: 1 / 5
A very interesting collection of articles and episodes from various players and insiders that will interest most readers who follow the NBA.
Downside is that much of the articles and episodes were introduced in bits and pieces before, so not many of the material in the book is really new or revealing if you are an avid follower of the NBA blogs and such.
Rating: 4 / 5
The Art of a Beautiful Game is a gift for anyone who loves basketball. The writing is fluid; the research goes way beyond what you usually find in a book of this kind. For those of us who still play, though, this book gives words to why we love this game. I gave the book to my son who played in college and we have been breaking down each chapter, usually at the conclusion of an NBA game. My nephew, who also plays, told my sister that this book has changed the way he watches basketball.
Anyone who plays basketball knows what drives Kobe is “the Jordan thing” as Sam Cassell calls it. But to hear Kobe, through Ballard’s prose, explain why he feels no compunction about putting away a lesser player, why he must do it, is to truly understand what makes a player great. I don’t know if the casual fan realized how much work an NBA star puts into his game before this book arrived. I love hearing how individual NBA stars study the game and their opponents, and then apply what they learn. The craft of the game carries the narrative. Like all great books, I keep going back and re-reading it, each time with new meaning.
On a scale of 1 to 5, this book get six stars.
Rating: 5 / 5
An enjoyable look at modern pro basketball and the men who “play” it, I enjoyed this one. Anyone interested in what separates Kobe Bryant from other physically gifted players would be wise to give this one a read. It is obvious that author Ballard has enormous respect for the athletes who compete at the highest levels. An enjoyable read and recommended for all NBA fans.
Rating: 3 / 5
The Art of a Beautiful Game by Chris Ballard is subtitled as The Thinking Fan’s Tour of the NBA, and it certainly lives up to that description. Mr. Ballard is a senior writer at Sports Illustrated, and he has done an excellent job with this book. It should appeal to all basketball and sports fans and is a must-read for fans of the NBA. The author has played a lot of basketball himself so he is able to understand somewhat technical basketball discussions with NBA players and coaches and then convert the information into laymen’s terms.
The book is packed with behind the scenes information. Mr. Ballard interviewed a number of the key people in the NBA and what they have to say is extremely interesting. For example, Kobe Bryant dwells at length on his killer instinct and compulsive need to win. Steve Kerr talks about shooting three-point shots and engages in a shooting contest with the author. Dwight Howard and others talk about rebounding. Steve Nash covers point guard play, while Shaquille talks about being a true big man. Other sections of the book focus on defense (Shane Battier), shot blocking, training, and free throws. The book ends with an excellent chapter on LeBron James.
For anyone who is interested in basketball, this is a fun book to read and you may learn some things that you can use to impress your sports buddies.
Rating: 5 / 5