The History of the NBA in Twelve Games: From 24 Seconds to 30,000 3-Pointers

by Sean Deveney

Overview

From its early days as a physical, plodding game with franchises parked in outpost towns like Fort Wayne, Moline, and Rochester, to today’s international showcase sport, professional basketball has evolved dramatically over the decades. But the development of the National Basketball Association and its star players was not preordained. There were moments, both obvious and subtle, that steered the direction of the sport, whether it was Bill Russell’s swan song, a near-miss on Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant's All-Star debut at nineteen, a LeBron James legacy game or a deep 3-point-shot by Steph Curry, these moments gradually brought us the NBA we know today—a scrappy league that was jump-started by a 24-second timer and will be defined by the 30,000 3-pointers its players knock down per season. Veteran NBA reporter and editor Sean Deveney will explore the unique characters and backstories of 12 crucial games in the history of the NBA, while putting them into the context of their influence on the direction of the league.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493066650
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	11/01/2022
Pages:	280
Sales rank:	629,352
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Sean Deveney is an editor at Heavy.com with a focus on the NBA and basketball in general. He has covered the league on a national basis for 20 years and has interviewed stars from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West to Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant to LeBron James and Kevin Durant. He is the author of seven nonfiction books, including Fun City: John Lindsay, Joe Namath, and How Sports Saved New York in the 1960s, Remembering Kobe Bryant, and Facing Michael Jordan.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

Chapter 1 24 Seconds to Save the NBA 1

The Game: October 30, 1954, Rochester Royals vs. Boston Celtics

Chapter 2 Bill Russell's Lament 21

The Game: May 5, 1969, Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Game 7, NBA Finals

Chapter 3 Kareem Wants Out 41

The Game: March 14, 1975, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Chapter 4 The 1984 Draft: Tanking to the Top 59

The Game: April 14, 1984, Kansas City Kings vs. Houston Rockets

Chapter 5 When Larry Met Magic 75

The Game: May 27, 1984, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics, Game I, NBA Finals

Chapter 6 Making Michael Jordan 95

The Game: April 3, 1988, Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons

Chapter 7 Pat Riley's Basket-Brawl 113

The Game: May 14, 1997, Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks, Game 5, Eastern Conference Semifinals

Chapter 8 "Bring It On": Kobe Bryant's Close-Up 131

The Game: February 8, 1998, Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference, NBA All-Star Game

Chapter 9 Becoming Dirk 149

The Game: March 29, 1998, World Select vs. Us Select, Nike Hoops Summit

Chapter 10 The Big Rip-Off 167

The Game: May 31, 2002, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings, Game 6, Western Conference Finals

Chapter 11 Lebron James's Demons 187

The Game: June 7, 2012, Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics, Game 6, Eastern Conference Finals

Chapter 12 World, Meet Steph 205

The Game: February 27, 2013, New York Knicks vs. Golden State Warriors

Notes 221

Sources 249

Index 251

About the Author 262

Editorial Reviews

03/20/2023

Heavy.com editor Deveney (Greed and Glory) hits nothing but net in this savvy examination of the development of the NBA. He provides play-by-plays of 12 games that changed the league, starting with the Oct. 30, 1954, contest between the Rochester Royals and Boston Celtics, which was the first to use the 24-second shot clock that had been devised to discourage stalling tactics. Highlighting the Houston Rockets’ Apr. 14, 1984, loss to the Kansas City Kings, Deveney describes how the Rockets’ efforts to secure one of the first two draft picks for the next season by throwing games led to the implementation of the modern draft lottery system. The author credits the Detroit Pistons’ “Jordan Rules” (a set of strategies for countering Michael Jordan’s prowess on the court, devised after the team’s Apr. 3, 1988, loss against the Chicago Bulls) for toughening up Jordan and elevating his game, while the aggressive playing style encouraged by Miami Heat coach Pat Riley led to the implementation of tougher rules against fighting of the sort that broke out between the Heat and the New York Knicks during their May 14, 1997 Eastern Conference semifinal matchup. Deveney’s love of the game and enthusiastic storytelling make for a captivating chronicle of the league. This is a must for any NBA fan. Photos. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"What a terrific idea for a book, and Sean Deveney pulls it off splendidly, with an appreciation for the NBA's history and minutiae that any basketball fan will appreciate."

— Mike Sielski, author of The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality

"The History of the NBA in Twelve Games touches on all eras with equal aplomb and insight. Deveney provides a courtside seat to the first game with the 24-second shot clock in 1954, the first tank job before the 1984 draft, the Bulls-Pistons slugfest that wrought 'The Jordan Rules' and LeBron James’s finest hour. These aren’t history’s 'greatest' games but most important ones and you’ll be a smarter basketball fan for reading this hoop treasure."

—Marc Berman, New York Post basketball writer

"As someone who loves basketball history, I was amazed at how much I learned about the NBA and those who make it extraordinary through Sean Deveney's idea of telling about the sport through a dozen seminal games. The surprising choices he made help take us closer to its heart. From Wilt to Kareem to Michael to Steph, all of the essential characters are present, but the stories told are not at all what one might expect. Deveney always has taken a fresh approach to his subjects, but his work here is even more inspired than usual."

—Mike DeCourcy, Sporting News

“In just twelve games, Sean Deveney expertly tells the story of the NBA through the lens of these key moments, both the well-known and the overlooked. Nearly every major trend in the league’s history is explored. From the invention of the shot clock to the rise of the three-pointer, tanking, international stars, player power and dynasties, it’s all here. A must for students of basketball history and fans of the modern game alike.”

—Seth Partnow, Director of Basketball for StatsBomb and author of The Midrange Theory: Basketball’s Evolution in the Age of Analytics

"Sean Deveney’s inventive storytelling creates new perspective and appreciation for the legends of Magic, Larry, Michael, Kobe, LeBron, Steph and so many others — it’s like meeting them for the first time all over again."

—Ian Thomsen, author of The Soul of Basketball

“A filling, 12-course meal that doubles as a living, breathing basketball time capsule. Deveney purposefully bounces from era to era with his writing, but the book’s throughline is unmistakable: seven and a half decades of hoops history distilled down to the handful of guys, games and moments of glory that ultimately shaped the league into what it is today.” —Chris Herring, author of Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks

“Deveney hits nothing but net in this savvy examination of the development of the NBA.. .. [His] love of the game and enthusiastic storytelling make for a captivating chronicle of the league. This is a must for any NBA fan.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher