Shoot Out the Lights (First Edition)

Chronicling the season that brought New York its first NBA title, the story of the New York Knicks, its players, general manager Eddie Donovan, and coach Red Holtzman follows their notable winning streak and difficult play-off challenges. 25,000 first printing.

In this portrait of the World Champion 1969-70 New York Knicks, Spitz (Barefoot in Babylon) has reincarnated a basketball team that could shoot the ball, play defense and outsmart every club in the league. Coached by Red Holzman, the team was led by captain and center Willis Reed, a man with a passion to succeed and the fists to make it happen; "Dollar" Bill Bradley, the tenacious forward and future U.S. senator; Walt "Clyde" Frazier, the master of the steal; Dave DeBusschere, a rebounder and guzzler of beer supreme; and Dick Barnett, who always commanded his jump shot to "fall back, baby." With the best won-loss record in the league, the Knicks advanced to the finals against the Los Angeles Lakers of Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain. They received a terrible blow when Reed went down with a hip injury in the fifth game. In the final game, however, Reed dragged his body onto the floor, hit his first two (and only) jump shots and the Lakers were history. This book is marred by the author's slangy writing style that conjures up the trash-talking of today's game. Nevertheless, Knick fans will enjoy the journey back to that championship season. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The 1970 National Basketball Association champion New York Knicks captured the imagination of basketball fans like no team before or since. Not the Celtics of the Russell era or the Bird era, not the recent Michael Jordan Bulls or the Magic Johnson Lakers. The difference? The Knicks had no superstars. Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, and Dick Barnett were all good players--all-stars, even--but none approached the abilities of Magic, Jordan, or Bird. Together, though, they were the quintessential team--what coaches talk about when they refer to the sum being greater than the parts. New Yorker Spitz examines the team, the players, and the season in detail. He pays particular attention to the building of the team by general manager Eddie Donovan and coach Red Holzman, who shrewdly mixed trades and draft choices to assemble a starting five whose chemistry remains unsurpassed. As he works his way through the season, Spitz profiles not only the starters, but also the bench warmers and many of the Knicks' key opponents. For longtime NBA fans, the book offers a delightful trip down memory lane. For younger fans, the Knicks' story provides an instructive contrast to the flashy, slam-dunking, MTV'd NBA of today. The Knicks epitomized selfless team play; that sounds corny, but Spitz helps us remember it's what produces team sports at their best. Wes Lukowsky

The New York Knickerbockers' 1969-70 championship season has been thoroughly discussed (see, for instance, Red Holzman's The Knicks, LJ 3/1/77, and Phil Berger's Miracle on Thirty-Third Street, Four Wall Eight Windows, 1994), which is perhaps the primary problem with this book: its story has been done to death. This account is well written and interesting, but are even the most dedicated basketball fans ready for another book on the subject? Spitz treats the season chronologically, continuing through the Knicks' victory over the Lakers in the NBA championship. Of note here are the views of rookie John Warren and a particularly interesting portion about how the team was built and how the "chemistry" of a basketball team can affect its performance. Also of interest is a history of the series prior to the championship, which is generally overlooked. Recommended only for the most complete basketball collections.
William O. Scheeren, Hempfield Area H.S. Lib., Greensburg, Pa.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.