The Book of Basketball

For Christmas, I received The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons, of ESPN.com. I have been looking forward to this book for some time, as I am a big fan of Simmons' writing and podcasts.

The book is pretty much what it sounds like. It covers all aspects of basketball. It tells the history of the NBA from its origins to present day. It discusses 31 different "What Ifs?" about how a trade here or there or a draft pick or an ownership change or other things each changed the landscape of the NBA or significantly altered the career of a player. It sets up the Pyramid of Fame (replacing the Hall of Fame) in which different players are on different levels of the pyramid, with the top 12 players of all time being at the top and are referred to as "The Pantheon". The book discusses the top 10 champions of all time, as well as the team you would put together if you had a time machine and had to construct a team to play Martian invaders who are set on destroying our planet if we lose. Basically, Simmons gives his thoughts on many parts of the NBA.

The thing that makes this book different than most sports books is that Simmons blends his humor, knowledge of popular culture, and personal bias with the facts about sports. This blend makes a 700 page book a very enjoyable read. I found myself alternating between audible laughter and the noise made when you learn something new. The book is written in a way that you can read a lot at one time, or you can use it for a bathroom reader (which he encourages in one of his columns, I believe).

If you enjoy basketball and you enjoy pop-culturally informed writing, I highly recommend this book. As I mentioned, it's 700 pages, but the read goes quickly given Simmons' wit.