Playgrounds to the Pros

Playgrounds to the Pros

Author: Jeff Karzen

Publisher: University of Illinois Press

Published: 2023-02-07

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 0252053893

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Howard Nathan. A. J. Guyton. Sergio McClain. Marcus Griffin. Frank Williams. Shaun Livingston. This dazzling constellation of talent helped make Peoria a prep basketball hotbed from the 1980s to the 2000s. Jeff Karzen takes readers inside the lives of the players, coaches, and others who defined an era that produced six state titles and four Illinois Mr. Basketball winners. Drawing on dozens of in-depth interviews, Karzen tells the stories behind the on-court triumphs while providing a panorama of the entire Peoria scene--the rivalries and relationships, the families and friendships, the hopes and hard work. Karzen also follows the players into their Division 1 and NBA careers and pays special attention to the pipeline that, by connecting Peoria to Champaign-Urbana, powered one of the most successful periods in Fighting Illini basketball history. Intense and intimate, Playgrounds to the Pros chronicles a basketball golden age in America’s quintessential blue collar town.


Playgrounds to the Pros

Playgrounds to the Pros

Author: Caroline Denyer Gallacci

Publisher: University of Washington Press

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780295984773

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Provides an extensive overview of the sports played in the region during the last 150 years


Hoops Nation

Hoops Nation

Author: Chris Ballard

Publisher: Macmillan

Published: 1998-03-15

Total Pages: 385

ISBN-13: 0805048774

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"Hoops Nation" is the result of former college-basketball player Chris Ballard's six-month quest to find the best pick-up games in the country. Entries from all 48 mainland states break down the key points of each game site, including level of play, number of hoops, playing surface, whether women play, average age of players, and whether night play is an option. Ballard also gives the entertaining low down on local basketball culture, lore, and etiquette. 93 photos. Line drawings.


Playground Day!

Playground Day!

Author: Jennifer J. Merz

Publisher:

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780618816965

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Children play on the playground, imitating animals from bunnies and squirrels to elephants and penguins.


The City Game

The City Game

Author: Pete Axthelm

Publisher: Open Road Media

Published: 2011-06-28

Total Pages: 275

ISBN-13: 145322064X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

DIVA fascinating chronicle of New York basketball, from the concrete courts of the city’s parks to the bright lights of Madison Square Garden/divDIV/divDIVThe New York Knickerbockers, one of the NBA’s charter franchises, played professionally for twenty-four years before winning their first championship in 1970, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in a thrilling seven-game series. Those Knicks, who won again in 1973, became legends, and captivated a city that has basketball in its blood./divDIV /divDIVBut this book is more than a history of the championship Knicks. It is an exploration of what basketball means to New York—not just to the stars who compete nightly in the garden, but to the young men who spend their nights and weekends perfecting their skills on the concrete courts of the city’s parks. Basketball is a city game, and New York is the king of cities./div


Heaven is a Playground

Heaven is a Playground

Author: Rick Telander

Publisher: U of Nebraska Press

Published: 1995-01-01

Total Pages: 246

ISBN-13: 9780803294271

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In 1974, Rick Telander intended to spend a few days doing a magazine piece on the court wizards of Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant. He ended up staying the entire summer, becoming part of the players' lives and eventually the coach of a loose aggregation known as the Subway Stars. Telander tells of everything he saw: the on-court flash, the off-court jargon, the late-night graffiti raids, the tireless efforts of one promoter-hustler-benefactor to get these kids a chance at a college education. He lets the kids speak for themselves, revealing their grand dreams and ambitions. But he never flinches from showing us how far their dreams are from reality. The roots of today's inner-city basketball can be traced to the world Telander presents in "Heaven is a Playground," the first book of its kind. Rick Telander is a senior writer for "Sports Illustrated" and the winner of the 1987 Notre Dame Club Award for Excellence in Sports Journalism.


Homer

Homer

Author: Jeff Karzen

Publisher:

Published: 2012-05-13

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 9780975270646

DOWNLOAD EBOOK


That's Why I'm Here

That's Why I'm Here

Author: Chris Spielman

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2012-05-08

Total Pages: 261

ISBN-13: 0310336163

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Chris Spielman, an Ohio State football legend and a four-time NFL Pro Bowl linebacker, didn't tackle his toughest opponent until his playing career was almost over. In 1998, Spielman's wife, Stefanie, was diagnosed with breast cancer, launching an eleven-year journey that brought joy and suffering to the Spielmans and hope and inspiration to thousands of others. In That's Why I'm Here, Spielman traces his storied career, recalls his courtship with Stephanie, cherishes the growth of their four children, and invokes the deep, spiritual faith that gave their family wisdom and comfort in times of struggle. Though Stefanie passed away on November 19, 2009, her memory and inspiration live on. With laughter and tears, joy and heartbreak, That's Why I'm Here will show you the healing power of: What it truly means to love your spouse in sickness and in health The importance of honoring the caregivers in our communities Facing the unknown with grace, strength, and hope Praise for That's Why I'm Here: "Consider this book a guide for selfless giving. Many aspire to live in such fashion, but few demonstrate it so openly and naturally in day-to-day living as Chris and Stefanie did . . . Knowing Stefanie and Chris has enriched my life. For me, just to be in their presence and to see how they conducted themselves gives me hope and inspiration whenever I encounter the adversity and uncertainty of life and come face-to-face with my own demons." --Charles L. Shapiro, MD, Mount Sinai


Hoop Roots

Hoop Roots

Author: John Edgar Wideman

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Published: 2002-11

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 9780618257751

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A multilayered memoir of basketball, family, home, love, and race, this book tells of the author's love for a game he can no longer play.