The Breaks of the Game

Details

Photo

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Name

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Author

David Halberstam

Year

1981

Genre

Nonfiction · Sports history

Key themes

Labor, race, strategy, the business of basketball

Sports adjacent

Full box score. This is a film session in book form.

Bathtub commitment

Long, pruney, probably two baths and a third-quarter shower read.

My take

If you’ve ever yelled about switching on a high pick-and-roll, this fills in the why behind the Xs and Os. Also explains half the old guys at the Y.

Best read during

Dead of winter, after a Celtics road loss where the bench looked confused for 48 straight minutes.