Hard Labor: The Battle That Birthed the Billion-Dollar NBA

by Sam Smith

Overview

Oscar Robertson is known as one of the best players in NBA history, a triple-double machine who set the stage for the versatility of today's NBA superstars like LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Draymond Green. But The Big O's larger legacy may lie in spearheading the fight for his fellow players' financial equity and free agency, joined by fellow stars John Havlicek, Bill Bradley, Wes Unseld, and more. In Hard Labor, Sam Smith, best-selling basketball scribe emeritus and author of The Jordan Rules, unearths this incredible and untold fight for players' rights and examines the massive repercussions for the NBA and sports in the United States in the 40 years since. Diving into how "The 14" paved the way for the record-setting paydays for today's NBA players - stars and role players alike - as well as the harsh consequences faced by those involved in the lawsuit against the NBA, Hard Labor is an essential read for both NBA and sports fans alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629372785
Publisher:	Triumph Books
Publication date:	11/01/2017
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Sam Smith is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Jordan Rules, Second Coming, and There is No Next. Sam received the Naismith Hall of Fame 2012 Curt Gowdy Media Award and he writes for Bulls.com. You can follow him at @SamSmithHoops.

Table of Contents

Our Players xi

1 Back in the Day 1

2 You'll Never Play Again 29

3 Elgin, Wilt, and Bill 47

4 Mr. Bradley Goes to Washington 89

5 The "Bad" Influence of "Pogo" Joe Caldwell 123

6 Rick Barry vs. the World 157

7 Bob Cousy Can't Get Those Dues 167

8 The Mad Russian Warrior Poet 183

9 Camaraderie and a Crashing Plane 197

10 The Kangaroo Kram 223

11 Spencer Haywood Was First 249

12 The Subtle Art of Wes Unseld 279

13 Twyman Becomes Someone to Stokes 289

14 The Decision 299

Afterword 319

Epilogue 335

Sources 345