Basketball: A Biographical Dictionary - Hardcover

Porter, David L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0313309523 ISBN 13: 9780313309526

Publisher: Greenwood, 2005

Synopsis

From its beginnings at the turn of the 20th century to its pervasive presence in 21st-century America, basketball has grown into an undeniably important sport. The 575 entries in this biographical dictionary present concise narratives on the lives and careers on the most important names in basketball history. Entries include both classic players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob Cousy as well as more recently established and up-and-coming stars such as Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett, and LeBron James. Entries for coaches such as the Boston Celtics' Red Auerbach and Mike Krzyzewski from Duke University present the figures who have shaped the game from courtside, while the inclusion of female players and coaches such as Lisa Leslie, Diana Taurasi, and Pat Summitt show that basketball is not just a sport for men.

From its beginnings at the turn of the 20th century to its pervasive presence in 21st-century America, basketball has grown into an undeniably important sport. The 575 entries in this biographical dictionary present concise narratives on the lives and careers on the most important names in basketball history. Entries include both classic players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob Cousy as well as more recently established and up-and-coming stars such as Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett, and LeBron James. Entries for coaches such as the Boston Celtics' Red Auerbach and Mike Krzyzewski from Duke University present the figures who have shaped the game from courtside, while the inclusion of female players and coaches such as Lisa Leslie, Diana Taurasi, and Pat Summitt show that basketball is not just a sport for men. This volume is an ideal reference for students seeking easily accessed information on the greats of the game.

About this title

About the Author

David L. Porter has edited several reference books on sports, including the Biographical Dictionary of American Sports and Latino and African American Athletes Today: A Biographical Dictionary.

Reviews

Porter's latest work continues the format and tone of his other volumes in Greenwood's series of biographical dictionaries of sports. As with the others in the series, the entries are arranged alphabetically, contain no illustrations, and include brief bibliographies.

The entries treat 577 individuals, among them almost all of the nearly 300 who are enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Fourteen foreign-born inductees are omitted--this is especially odd, given the current internationalization of basketball. Players, coaches, executives, and journalists are covered. It is good to see many female personalities from the college and professional ranks included. The treatment is factual and does little to bring out the life and personality of basketball. Special attention is appropriately paid to awards, performances in all-star games, play-offs, and championship series at various levels.

The front matter includes a list of alphabetical entries and a list of abbreviations used within the text. The main body of the text is followed by three appendixes. First is a list of entries by place of birth (mostly within the U.S.). The second appendix is a list of women who have entries in the encyclopedia. A list of all those enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame makes up the final appendix. The very comprehensive index is not as helpful as it could be. Some index entries, notably those for the NCAA, NCAA men's All-America Team, and the NBA, are so long as to be useless, since they point to nearly every entry in the text.

Much of the information presented in this book is easily available on the Internet. The Basketball Hall of Fame is a great resource for the inductees [http://www.hoophall.com]. The volume would be of use mainly in libraries with comprehensive basketball collections and those that serve novice basketball readers. If your library needs a book about basketball with a biographical bent, pick up a copy of Peter C. Bjarkman's The Biographical History of Basketball (McGraw-Hill, 1999) instead. Jeff Kosokoff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Greenwood
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0313309523
• ISBN 13: 9780313309526
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 616