Last December, I received a text message from Fully Booked Eastwood. “Sir, The Book of Basketball that you reserved is now available for PhP1260. You have three days to pick it up.” Bloody hell! PhP1260?!! I usually just spend around PhP300 to PhP400 per book, why should I pay three times the price for a non-fiction book? I am too averse on spending lately I get a headache when I am about to spend the same amount of cash as some guy will on a regular date.
The following night, I was at Eastwood carrying a Fully Booked bag.
I gave in to the temptation despite the fact that I have two to three fiction books lined up to be read. Why? It was simply because I am a fan of Bill Simmons’ (a.k.a. “The Sports Guy”) works. If you are a fan, you stupidly throw every rationale out of the window. Following that something is your passion. It is what makes you happy. It does not matter if it is costly. This is the same reason why car aficionados throw their months’ worth of salary customizing their cars. This is why girls empty their wallets for their 1,578th bag. In my case, it was that PhP1260 hardbound book (and the reason that I have not really spent a lot on books for the past few years…but that is beside the point).
I also spent money for this book because I want to read something entertaining when I run out of anything to read from ESPN.com (as Bill Simmons barely writes and half of the writeups are for Insiders nowaday). I am still reason… Anyway, let’s move on…
Nevertheless, Bill Simmons’ The Book of Basketball is a special book (aside from its expensive price) because it pretty much explains NBA from a fan perspective and more importantly, it is done in Simmons’ hilarious, sarcastic and in-depth way of writing. He is a die-hard Celtic fan but amidst his biases on Kareem and Wilt, The Book of Basketball is as objective as it could be. Thus, it was a no-brainer that I set aside the Murakami book that I was reading then (even up to now, I am still at the part where I stopped at in the Murakami book).
The Book of Basketball starts with The Sports Guy’s first experience of being a basketball fan. Ironically, it was also about money. His dad got a significant income tax refund and he chose to spend it on a Boston Celtics season ticket. For less than $150, Simmons’ dad was able to buy very good tickets for around 35 home games. Wow! That’s even cheaper than an NBA ringside ticket these days. Does it mean that his dad bought it on a premium? Probably, but he continues to renew his season tickets up to the present time (and I bet these are worth more than ten thousand dollars a year). Being a fan is never reasonable. But because of the crazy money that they spent for watching NBA games, Bill Simmons was able to share the very reasons why it is worth it being a fan. He got to see the 80s Celtics dynasty (well, he is a lucky bastard); he was able to high five the players before they head to the bench; and he got to see the funny scenes in the background that you will not see in TV.
I can attest that watching a live sports event (no matter how costly and inconvenient it is) is so much better than watching it from your TV set. The atmosphere is electrifying. And of course, nothing beats the ecstasy of winning. I can still remember losing my sickness when I watched an Ateneo-La Salle game before. I could have exhausted myself to the point of worsening my health condition as I perspire heavily but you know what, it did not happen. The adrenaline of a passionate fan is really one of a kind. It seldom is rational but things like stupidly making an African American nickname for yourself are sometimes worth the fun as a fan. These are what Bill Simmons tackled in some parts of The Book of Basketball. That is the magic of Bill Simmons’ write-ups.
The Book of Basketball not just tackles the fan experience, it also discusses the history of NBA in a very deep level. History? Isn’t it boring? Actually, it is not. Bill Simmons narrates it colorfully with exaggerations like ‘pieces of Basketball Player X rolling around the parquet floor like a shattered piggy bank’ after Player X was charged by his opponent. He throws out pop culture references every now and then from Turtle of Entourage to The Godfather to Lost. He pokes reader-writer jokes as you read it (i.e., he states a false statement and comments ‘I’m just checking if you are thinking’). With a tinge of Simmons’ perspective, the trip down to NBA memory lane is fun and informative in The Book of Basketball. In every page, there is that fanatical passion telling you “this is the rich NBA history and this is why we, fans, should care!”
Speaking of Simmons’ perspective, I think I realized why I have become a fan of his works. It is not because of his comedic and sarcastic lines or his pop culture references. I appreciated The Sports Guy’s writings because of his arguments. To be honest, I was pretty much disagreeing to most of his articles when I began reading them some time in 2007. I never liked his logic in picking fantasy players and I hated his fanaticism for the Boston Celtics (a team that I heavily rooted against then). However, he turned the tables when he wrote about the Celtics and the Lakers in the NBA Finals of 2008. Yes, Boston won then but Simmons gave arguments that were devoid of any fan biases. (OK, he may have done the column thrashing his Celtics because he wants to reverse jinx. But still…) He was able to acknowledge the Lakers for what positive they deserved to have. He still gets to show his his fanatic tendencies (by poking at the fair-weathered Laker fans) while being fair and he pulls it off. Despite the fact that he is a fan, he still remains reasonable in his arguments by stating what is fair. He also uses some comedy to poke fun at himself so that he does not come across as arrogant. These pretty much differentiates Simmons from any die-hard passionate fanboy blogger who does not respect his team’s rivals. Amidst the many times I disagreed with The Sports Guy, I learned to respect him for his arguments (even if he hates Duke a lot) as he is a levelheaded fan. After all the unreasonable qualities of a fan, there is sensibility in being a fan after all. It is the ability to accept your team’s shortcomings and acknowledge your foe’s strengths. You may still have fanatical tendencies like rooting for your team and wishing your opponent to lose but you are not delusional to give inappropriate arguments. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the best type of fan.
Ironically, The Book of Basketball made me realize why I appreciated Simmons’ work by disagreeing more with him. I understand his arguments but it is always fun if you happen to look the other way and have reasonable arguments to counter it. (And that is what makes it great to read subjective write-ups) Here they are:
Allen Iverson as the 29th best player of all time. I know that he admitted that he overrated AI in a podcast before, but posting counter-arguments is still fun. Iverson is one of the most prolific scorers in the history of NBA but the fact that he did it the wrong way at his peak (being a ball hog and missing a lot of shots) should actually be a huge concern. Also, AI never got “The Secret” (to be discussed later) even up to the present time as he refused to be a team player and play a role off the bench. He may have the stats to prove his case (although his FG was really lousy) but his only spotlight was when they reached the Finals once. Furthermore, Iverson played in a very, very weak Eastern Conference. His inability to succeed in the postseason in the latter half of his career is also glaring.
The following night, I was at Eastwood carrying a Fully Booked bag.
I gave in to the temptation despite the fact that I have two to three fiction books lined up to be read. Why? It was simply because I am a fan of Bill Simmons’ (a.k.a. “The Sports Guy”) works. If you are a fan, you stupidly throw every rationale out of the window. Following that something is your passion. It is what makes you happy. It does not matter if it is costly. This is the same reason why car aficionados throw their months’ worth of salary customizing their cars. This is why girls empty their wallets for their 1,578th bag. In my case, it was that PhP1260 hardbound book (and the reason that I have not really spent a lot on books for the past few years…but that is beside the point).
I also spent money for this book because I want to read something entertaining when I run out of anything to read from ESPN.com (as Bill Simmons barely writes and half of the writeups are for Insiders nowaday). I am still reason… Anyway, let’s move on…
Nevertheless, Bill Simmons’ The Book of Basketball is a special book (aside from its expensive price) because it pretty much explains NBA from a fan perspective and more importantly, it is done in Simmons’ hilarious, sarcastic and in-depth way of writing. He is a die-hard Celtic fan but amidst his biases on Kareem and Wilt, The Book of Basketball is as objective as it could be. Thus, it was a no-brainer that I set aside the Murakami book that I was reading then (even up to now, I am still at the part where I stopped at in the Murakami book).
The Book of Basketball starts with The Sports Guy’s first experience of being a basketball fan. Ironically, it was also about money. His dad got a significant income tax refund and he chose to spend it on a Boston Celtics season ticket. For less than $150, Simmons’ dad was able to buy very good tickets for around 35 home games. Wow! That’s even cheaper than an NBA ringside ticket these days. Does it mean that his dad bought it on a premium? Probably, but he continues to renew his season tickets up to the present time (and I bet these are worth more than ten thousand dollars a year). Being a fan is never reasonable. But because of the crazy money that they spent for watching NBA games, Bill Simmons was able to share the very reasons why it is worth it being a fan. He got to see the 80s Celtics dynasty (well, he is a lucky bastard); he was able to high five the players before they head to the bench; and he got to see the funny scenes in the background that you will not see in TV. I can attest that watching a live sports event (no matter how costly and inconvenient it is) is so much better than watching it from your TV set. The atmosphere is electrifying. And of course, nothing beats the ecstasy of winning. I can still remember losing my sickness when I watched an Ateneo-La Salle game before. I could have exhausted myself to the point of worsening my health condition as I perspire heavily but you know what, it did not happen. The adrenaline of a passionate fan is really one of a kind. It seldom is rational but things like stupidly making an African American nickname for yourself are sometimes worth the fun as a fan. These are what Bill Simmons tackled in some parts of The Book of Basketball. That is the magic of Bill Simmons’ write-ups.
The Book of Basketball not just tackles the fan experience, it also discusses the history of NBA in a very deep level. History? Isn’t it boring? Actually, it is not. Bill Simmons narrates it colorfully with exaggerations like ‘pieces of Basketball Player X rolling around the parquet floor like a shattered piggy bank’ after Player X was charged by his opponent. He throws out pop culture references every now and then from Turtle of Entourage to The Godfather to Lost. He pokes reader-writer jokes as you read it (i.e., he states a false statement and comments ‘I’m just checking if you are thinking’). With a tinge of Simmons’ perspective, the trip down to NBA memory lane is fun and informative in The Book of Basketball. In every page, there is that fanatical passion telling you “this is the rich NBA history and this is why we, fans, should care!”
Speaking of Simmons’ perspective, I think I realized why I have become a fan of his works. It is not because of his comedic and sarcastic lines or his pop culture references. I appreciated The Sports Guy’s writings because of his arguments. To be honest, I was pretty much disagreeing to most of his articles when I began reading them some time in 2007. I never liked his logic in picking fantasy players and I hated his fanaticism for the Boston Celtics (a team that I heavily rooted against then). However, he turned the tables when he wrote about the Celtics and the Lakers in the NBA Finals of 2008. Yes, Boston won then but Simmons gave arguments that were devoid of any fan biases. (OK, he may have done the column thrashing his Celtics because he wants to reverse jinx. But still…) He was able to acknowledge the Lakers for what positive they deserved to have. He still gets to show his his fanatic tendencies (by poking at the fair-weathered Laker fans) while being fair and he pulls it off. Despite the fact that he is a fan, he still remains reasonable in his arguments by stating what is fair. He also uses some comedy to poke fun at himself so that he does not come across as arrogant. These pretty much differentiates Simmons from any die-hard passionate fanboy blogger who does not respect his team’s rivals. Amidst the many times I disagreed with The Sports Guy, I learned to respect him for his arguments (even if he hates Duke a lot) as he is a levelheaded fan. After all the unreasonable qualities of a fan, there is sensibility in being a fan after all. It is the ability to accept your team’s shortcomings and acknowledge your foe’s strengths. You may still have fanatical tendencies like rooting for your team and wishing your opponent to lose but you are not delusional to give inappropriate arguments. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the best type of fan.
Ironically, The Book of Basketball made me realize why I appreciated Simmons’ work by disagreeing more with him. I understand his arguments but it is always fun if you happen to look the other way and have reasonable arguments to counter it. (And that is what makes it great to read subjective write-ups) Here they are:
Allen Iverson as the 29th best player of all time. I know that he admitted that he overrated AI in a podcast before, but posting counter-arguments is still fun. Iverson is one of the most prolific scorers in the history of NBA but the fact that he did it the wrong way at his peak (being a ball hog and missing a lot of shots) should actually be a huge concern. Also, AI never got “The Secret” (to be discussed later) even up to the present time as he refused to be a team player and play a role off the bench. He may have the stats to prove his case (although his FG was really lousy) but his only spotlight was when they reached the Finals once. Furthermore, Iverson played in a very, very weak Eastern Conference. His inability to succeed in the postseason in the latter half of his career is also glaring.
LeBron James as the 20th best player of all time. I am a huge LBJ fan but I do not think he is the 20th best right now. I do not think that LeBron has passed some notable players with magnificent full careers (Robinson, Stockton, Pippen, Isaiah, Garnett, Cousy) YET. Give LeBron two more dominating years before giving him #20.
Arvydas Sabonis as the 86th best player of all time. Seven years and just one quality year?! Seriously, Simmons?! There is no effin’ way Sabonis beats Kemp and KJ. Arvydas could have been better but did it really happen and was his career really impactful? I watched that guy in the late 90s and I do not see him in the Top 100.
Naming Karl Malone’s ’97 MVP the worst MVP choice of all time. I am a Jazz fan but I initially thought that there was substantial reasoning that this choice is worse than Nash’s MVP titles. Unfortunately, I think Simmons’ arguments in this one were flawed and insufficient. Here are my counter-arguments:
1) Jordan’s Bulls had a phenomenal season that year by achieving the 2nd best NBA regular season record of all-time (69 wins) but the Jazz also had a superb record (64 wins – just 5 wins short). Analysts normally throw the ‘he shouldn’t be MVP because his team did not have a good record’ reason in discussions (heck, Simmons even named Kobe his MVP after his ’06 Lakers had a lousy record) but there is no doubt that Malone was able to lead his team in a competitive situation in the regular season.
2) Stating the stats did not help The Sports Guy’s arguments. He mentioned that Jordan had a 30-6-4 statline while Malone had 27-10-5. Karl Malone beat Michael Jordan in two categories. Points are important but those are just three points per game. Isn’t it the same reason why Simmons said Russel still fared better against Wilt despite the latter’s scoring domination?
Arvydas Sabonis as the 86th best player of all time. Seven years and just one quality year?! Seriously, Simmons?! There is no effin’ way Sabonis beats Kemp and KJ. Arvydas could have been better but did it really happen and was his career really impactful? I watched that guy in the late 90s and I do not see him in the Top 100.
Naming Karl Malone’s ’97 MVP the worst MVP choice of all time. I am a Jazz fan but I initially thought that there was substantial reasoning that this choice is worse than Nash’s MVP titles. Unfortunately, I think Simmons’ arguments in this one were flawed and insufficient. Here are my counter-arguments:
1) Jordan’s Bulls had a phenomenal season that year by achieving the 2nd best NBA regular season record of all-time (69 wins) but the Jazz also had a superb record (64 wins – just 5 wins short). Analysts normally throw the ‘he shouldn’t be MVP because his team did not have a good record’ reason in discussions (heck, Simmons even named Kobe his MVP after his ’06 Lakers had a lousy record) but there is no doubt that Malone was able to lead his team in a competitive situation in the regular season.
2) Stating the stats did not help The Sports Guy’s arguments. He mentioned that Jordan had a 30-6-4 statline while Malone had 27-10-5. Karl Malone beat Michael Jordan in two categories. Points are important but those are just three points per game. Isn’t it the same reason why Simmons said Russel still fared better against Wilt despite the latter’s scoring domination?
3) The Sports Guy mentioned the ‘sentimental choice’ card in other MVP’s but wasn’t Karl Malone entitled to that as well? Also, Bill Simmons mentioned the ‘everyone is tired of giving the MVP’ reasoning as well. Both scenarios apply on Malone and Jordan.
4) Karl Malone may have benefitted when the star players of his era started to fade (Barkley, Drexler, Hakeem) but the MVP is just about one’s achievement that year, right? Jordan played with the same aging stars, right?
5) MJ proved he was the better player in the Finals by beating the Utah Jazz but that should not make the voters then stupid. They voted for the regular season achievements – they did not know the future yet.
Nevertheless, I understand the reasons why Michael Jordan should be the MVP that season but to say that the MVP choice in 1997 was the worst is quite a stretch already.
Those are probably my biggest complaints on this excellent book (other than the glaring typographical errors at the last parts). My favorite part of the book would have to be the main point of the first chapter. It discusses “The Secret” in basketball. Of all the thousands of basketball players, only few of them know “The Secret” in winning. I actually learned of this when I watched UAAP games (where flawed players heavily depend on team play to succeed) but this book pretty much reinforced my understanding on the game.”The Secret” of success in basketball is when players sacrifice their selfish desires for the betterment of the team. It is when players forget about statistics. “The Secret” is when star players sacrifice their playing time to satisfy their role player teammates. “The Secret” is best exemplified when Michael Jordan passed to the open Steve Kerr in a crucial possession in the NBA Finals. Why? Because it is the best shot. Amidst the athleticism and physical toughness, basketball is a game of smarts. No matter how strong a player you are, you must know when to get the limelight and when to involve your teammates. This is why the Shane Battiers of this world (players who do not have good statistics) are much better players than the Zach Randolphs no matter how many points the latter scores. As Isaiah Thomas quips it, “the secret of basketball is that it’s not about basketball.”
It is actually ironic that basketball is one of the team sports where one player can change the complexion of a game, yet the total secret of success is when everyone in the team plays on the same page. Ever wonder why Phil Jackson is the greatest coach of all time? It is because he infuses the secret – solid team chemistry – on his teams. Ever wonder why Kobe at his peak (2004 to 2007) was so unsuccessful? It was because he was not the team player that he is now. This is the same reason why Allen Iverson has become a failure recently – he put his personal interests ahead of his team’s. To further understand “The Secret”, Bill Simmons recommends that you watch Teen Wolf.
4) Karl Malone may have benefitted when the star players of his era started to fade (Barkley, Drexler, Hakeem) but the MVP is just about one’s achievement that year, right? Jordan played with the same aging stars, right?
5) MJ proved he was the better player in the Finals by beating the Utah Jazz but that should not make the voters then stupid. They voted for the regular season achievements – they did not know the future yet.
Nevertheless, I understand the reasons why Michael Jordan should be the MVP that season but to say that the MVP choice in 1997 was the worst is quite a stretch already.
Those are probably my biggest complaints on this excellent book (other than the glaring typographical errors at the last parts). My favorite part of the book would have to be the main point of the first chapter. It discusses “The Secret” in basketball. Of all the thousands of basketball players, only few of them know “The Secret” in winning. I actually learned of this when I watched UAAP games (where flawed players heavily depend on team play to succeed) but this book pretty much reinforced my understanding on the game.”The Secret” of success in basketball is when players sacrifice their selfish desires for the betterment of the team. It is when players forget about statistics. “The Secret” is when star players sacrifice their playing time to satisfy their role player teammates. “The Secret” is best exemplified when Michael Jordan passed to the open Steve Kerr in a crucial possession in the NBA Finals. Why? Because it is the best shot. Amidst the athleticism and physical toughness, basketball is a game of smarts. No matter how strong a player you are, you must know when to get the limelight and when to involve your teammates. This is why the Shane Battiers of this world (players who do not have good statistics) are much better players than the Zach Randolphs no matter how many points the latter scores. As Isaiah Thomas quips it, “the secret of basketball is that it’s not about basketball.”
It is actually ironic that basketball is one of the team sports where one player can change the complexion of a game, yet the total secret of success is when everyone in the team plays on the same page. Ever wonder why Phil Jackson is the greatest coach of all time? It is because he infuses the secret – solid team chemistry – on his teams. Ever wonder why Kobe at his peak (2004 to 2007) was so unsuccessful? It was because he was not the team player that he is now. This is the same reason why Allen Iverson has become a failure recently – he put his personal interests ahead of his team’s. To further understand “The Secret”, Bill Simmons recommends that you watch Teen Wolf.
“The Secret” deals heavily on team chemistry. Simmons stated that the ’89 Pistons were the perfect example for this. Their elite players (Isaiah, Vinnie Johnson and Mahorn) gave up minutes for their role players to develop (Dumars and Salley). But when Rodman started stealing crunch-time minutes from Dantley, the latter started to complain (as he was the better player statistically). You know what the Pistons did? They traded Dantley, the better player to Aguirre, the better fit for the team. The result? Two championships. As Simmons states it, it was a people trade, not a basketball trade. Team chemistry matters as players understand the pecking order (alpha dog, wingman, role player). Heck, even attitude largely matters.
After months of reading The Book of Basketball (I have a habit to prolong reading something good so that I can enjoy it bit by bit), I can fully say that every peso spent in the PhP1260 I paid for the book was worth it. I can see myself re-reading the book years from now. It is the definitive book for basketball fans (for casual fans to understand the history better and for die-hard fans to appreciate it further). Heck, I did not put a ‘SPOILER’ warning in this blog because the stuff that I mentioned do not even comprise the ‘tip of the iceberg.’ The great thing about Simmons’ works is that no matter how predictable the ending is, it would not matter – it is the fun on reading the pages before the ending that matters. If I were to rate it on a scale of 1 to Christina Hendricks nude scene, The Book of Basketball is definitely a Christina Hendricks nude scene.
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