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Vincent M. Mallozzi

Författare till Asphalt Gods: An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament

5+ verk 45 medlemmar 3 recensioner

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Vincent M. Mallozzi has been a sports writer for the New York Times since graduating from college and has written on the subject for Reader's Digest, Sport, Time, Out New York and Source magazines. Mallozzi wrote Basketball: Legends of the Game, which pays tribute to 292 of the game's biggest stars visa mer and Hoop Drills: The Coaches Guide. (Bowker Author Biography) visa färre

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This is a "biography" of Julius Erving, better known to sports fans as Dr. J, that relies almost exclusively on news and video accounts and an over decade old interview of the man himself. It also includes interview material with his former teammates and coaches, and they do add flavor to the biography, but not a lot of real substance.

It is shocking that for such a glowing biography of Julius Erving that he and his family apparently refused to be interviewed or contribute to it. This is not a true biography but an encomium to the athletic prowess, excitement, and unbelievable dunks and moves that Dr. J displayed in his youth, playground, college, ABA and NBA days. It essentially chronicles his athletic exploits and what the Doc did to create a vibrant and exciting style of basketball that kept the ABA alive for a while, and the he eventually brought over the NBA. His unbelievable dunks, hang time, and drives to the hoop are what this biography is all about.

There is really very little about Julius Erving's private life and boyhood in this biography. It does paint him as a paragon of virtue as far as being fan friendly, great with teammates and coaches, and dedicated to his craft. The last section of the book does go into some detail, although again relying on mostly news accounts, of his lack of virtue in his family life leading to his eventual divorce from his first wife, Turquoise.

But, as the author himself says, the book is a "valentine" to his sports hero. And if that is how this biography is judged, it is definitely a very readable and informative account of the Doc's career and place in basketball history.
… (mer)
 
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DougBaker | 2 andra recensioner | Jul 24, 2019 |
As a teenager, I loved watching Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell match up when the 76ers and Celtics were on TV, which was usually on Sunday afternoons or during the playoffs. My interest in professional basketball grew even stronger during my college years in Pittsburgh (where the ABA Pittsburgh Pipers played) and after college when I worked in Philadelphia and attended occasional 76ers games. Unfortunately, Julius Erving did not join the 76ers until the year after I had left Philadelphia. Of course I remained a big 76ers fan and became an even bigger Julius Erving fan. Although I never got to see him in person, I certainly enjoyed watching him take the ball to the hoop on TV whenever I could. DOC: The Rise and Rise of Julius Erving is a tribute to Dr. J’s basketball skills. It focuses on what he did on the basketball court when he played on the playgrounds of Long Island, when he played in high school, when he played at the University of Massachusetts and during his great years in the ABA and the NBA. It includes detailed information about all those stages of his basketball career, covering each season and many of his greatest individual games. The book quotes and paraphrases many of Dr. J’s teammates, opposing team players, coaches, friends, and broadcasters. Players such as George Gervin, Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson, Darryl Dawkins, Dominique Wilkins, and many others share their admiration for Erving. Broadcasters such as Bob Costas and Marv Albert also weigh in on his talents. Almost all of them express what an incredibly talented, skilled, and smart basketball player Julius Erving was. Of course, most of them discuss his amazing ability to dunk the basketball over almost any defender or defenders. Many cite specific dunks during specific games, which they maintain to be the greatest dunks ever. Many even attribute superhuman abilities to Julius. The book also presents much information regarding Dr. J’s contract issues with the ABA (Virginia Squires and New York Nets) and NBA (Philadelphia 76ers) and his relationships with other players and coaches. The book would have been enhanced by more information about Erving’s personal life and by contributions from Dr. J himself. Unfortunately, the author states that Dr. J refused all of his requests for interviews. The book also provides information about Erving’s post-player activities, including working as a broadcaster for NBC and several business ventures. Unfortunately, it also presents brief unflattering information about the breakup of Erving’s marriage and his relationships with his children. Overall, this book a very interesting read for anyone interested in professional basketball, and especially for anyone who admired Dr. J’s work on the basketball court. The bottom line is, Dr. J was one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and he was recognized as such in 1993 when he was selected for the Hall of Fame and in 1996 when he was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History by a panel of journalists, former players, former coaches, and former team officials.… (mer)
 
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clark.hallman | 2 andra recensioner | Feb 19, 2010 |
Balanced expose of the life of Dr. J on & off the court.
 
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n2funstuff | 2 andra recensioner | Jan 22, 2010 |

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Statistik

Verk
5
Även av
1
Medlemmar
45
Popularitet
#340,917
Betyg
3.8
Recensioner
3
ISBN
12