EVERYTHING YOU WILL EVER WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE BLAZERS—AND MORE
Art Hill
December 07, 1981
There is a manner of writing, employed by the best reporters when they go book-length, which implies that the writer knows at least as much about his subject as God does, and maybe a little more—perhaps because God knows when to avert His gaze. They don't surmise, they know. In The Best and the Brightest, David Halberstam told us everything we ever wanted to know about how we messed up in Vietnam. In The Powers That Be, Halberstam did the same for The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, CBS and Time Inc. Now, in The Breaks of the Game (Alfred A. Knopf, $15), he applies his reportorial skills to professional basketball with equally comprehensive effect.
Billy Ray Bates. Wayne Embry. David Twardzik. The subtleties of the game. Apparently it is as fraught with nuance as a Pinter play—which is why good teams often get worse after acquiring a superstar. There are many intriguing people and there is much good stuff in The Breaks of the Game. If you're a sports fan, it's a good bet you'll enjoy this book even if you have been lukewarm about the sport. If you're a basketball nut, it's my guess you'll still learn a few things from it. And even if you're not a fan, you'll enjoy Halberstam's reportage.
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