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Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association | 
 enlarge | Author: Terry Pluto
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy New: $8.36
You Save: $6.64 (44%)
New (35) Used (10) from $5.48
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 28312
Media: Paperback
Pages: 464
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 141654061X
Dewey Decimal Number: 796
EAN: 9781416540618
ASIN: 141654061X
Publication Date: November 6, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
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Product Description
What do Julius Erving, Larry Brown, Moses Malone, Bob Costas, the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs and the Slam Dunk Contest have in common? They all got their professional starts in the American Basketball Association.The NBA may have won the financial battle, but the ABA won the artistic war. With its stress on wide-open individual play, the adoption of the 3-point shot and pressing defense, and the encouragement of flashy moves and flying dunks, today's NBA is still -- decades later -- just the ABA without the red, white and blue ball. Loose Balls is, after all these years, the definitive and most widely respected history of the ABA. It's a wild ride through some of the wackiest, funniest, strangest times ever to hit pro sports -- told entirely through the (often incredible) words of those who played, wrote and connived their way through the league's nine seasons.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
One Of The Funniest Sports Books You'll Ever Read December 2, 2008
Craig Connell (Lockport, NY USA)
Not living in an ABA city, I never saw many of that league's games but after reading this book, I sure wish I had! Terry Pluto has put together a fantastic book of comments ("oral history") from various people who were involved with the ABA. Man, this was fun read!
I lost count how many times I just laughed out loud and some of the outraegous people that made up the fledgling pro basketball league. I learned a lot about the various teams, from the Kentucky Colonels, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, New York Nets to - best of all - the St. Louis Spirits. A young "Bobby Costas," who got his pro start in broadcasting with that team, relates some very funny stories in this book.
Some of the players are just plain thugs (see the chapter, "The Meanest Men in the ABA") and some are brutal prima donnas (can you say, "Marvin Barnes?") but the good guys are equally memorable. For instance, I have more respect for Julius Erving than ever after reading this book. There are some wonderful unsung "stars" of this league that few people got to appreciate.
If you like basketball and fascinating people, this book is a real treasure. Check it out!
Brings back many enjoyable memories December 1, 2008
Jonathan Groner (Silver Spring, MD)
This book is one of those guilty pleasures and was very hard to put down. I read it over a long Thanksgiving weekend, in fact. I am old enough to remember the ABA and I spent many a wasted evening watching Dr. J, Louie Dampier, Byron Beck, George McGinnis, and many other stars. Pluto brings back those days very successfully with his oral history approach.
In addition to the basketball memories -- I'd forgotten that the ABA brought us the slam dunk contest and the three-point shot -- the business aspects are hilarious as well. Teams came and went, moved from city to city, all on the basis of calculations done practically on the back of an envelope. It must have been a lot of fun, but not so much fun for the players who didn't always get paid on time.
Best History of the ABA August 22, 2008
D. Olinger
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
One of the funniest books I have ever read. Great stories told by the players themselves. The pre-packaged NBA in its current form has nothing over the ABA and its love of the game.
Included in every chapter seemingly is a Bad News Barnes story involving Bob Costas as the rookie broadcaster of the St. Louis Spirit. Dr. J's exploits are talked about with reverence. Tales of strength and awe about Artis Gilmore and George McGinnis make current NBA musclemen seem puny.
And then there is the smell. Yes, the smell of the bad ABA areas, hotels, and travel accommodations literally seap through the book.
Pluto, as always, does a great job in putting it all together. No one is a better interviewer in sports journalism. A book that I've read two times and will probably read again.
Loose Balls-ABA history at its finest July 31, 2008
Noel Eel (San Francisco, CA)
Losse Balls is funny and thoroughly entertaining book about the old
American Basketball Association. It covers all the individuals involved
in the forming of the league, its quirky players and all the stats
during its existence. For those who like basketball, its a great read.
Great Read, Facinating History April 9, 2008
Postman35 (USA)
I can't recommend this book highly enough. I love basketball to death but have the misfortune of coming of age in the late 90's, well after the holy trinity of MJ, Bird, and Magic and WELL after the ABA.
This book is an oral history that gives some amazing insights as to how things were before the world of cable and internet and before the NBA was the marketing juggernaught it is today. It is also full of ridiclous stories about players, coaches, fans, and owners. It is facinating to see what aspects of the ABA resonate in todays NBA. Though some of the book is dated (the book was written in 1990) in terms of how things are relayed to the reader, the essense of the book has and will continue to hold up very well.
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