Loose Balls | 
 enlarge | Author: Terry Pluto
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Category: Book
List Price: $21.95
Buy New: $3.49
You Save: $18.46 (84%)
New (5) Used (18) Collectible (2) from $2.82
Avg. Customer Rating:  35 reviews
Sales Rank: 163169
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 1.3
ISBN: 0671749218
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.323640973
EAN: 9780671749217
ASIN: 0671749218
Publication Date: December 15, 1991
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: GREAT Bargain Book Deal - like new, some may have small remainder mark - Ships out by NEXT Business Day - Over ONE MILLION Amazon orders filled - 100% Satisfaction Guarantee!
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Product Description
The American Basketball Association (1967-1976) gave birth to Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Bob Costas, the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs, the Slam Dunk contest, flashy moves, and the three-point basket. During its nine seasons, the ABA generated scorn and laughter--and made a lasting impact on how the game is played. 24 pages of photographs.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 30 more reviews...
greatest basketball book ever written December 31, 2007
this book covers everything about aba even bob costas said this book has it all so he wont write on about his time in the aba. 2 chapters on wackiest team ever spirits of st louis and tells of the greatest money deal ever by the silnas that will go on for ever. have read over and over and still enjoy can pick up book any chapter and start reading fun to read and very interesting
Amazon, Pair This Book Up With "Going Long" June 12, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
If Amazon was really on the ball, they would pair this book together with "Going Long," the book about the old AFL - both are entertaining, hilarious at times, and just great reads - you start to see a connection between the leagues in a way, the startup antics, the dubious franchises, and the hilarious happenings. If you are a sports fan or not, you have to get this book - it is hilarious and an absolute joy to read!
A Must Have!! April 23, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I rank this book right up there with "The Bronx Zoo" and "Thin Ice - A Season in Hell with the NY Rangers." It is a captivating book that is very difficult to put down once you begin reading it. A++++!!!!
This is a great read February 27, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you were a fan of the ABA growing up this is the book for you. For some reason I just loved the ABA. To read about the beginning of the league and all the trials and tribulations the league went through is funny. Players I remember as a kid come to life. The Doctor, Lou Dampier, Dan Issel, Artis Gilmore, Laverne Tart. They are all here. The only challenge is that the book is narrated by many former participants and at times it is hard to remember who each person was. However, this is a minor criticism. This was a great book to read and brought back a lot of memories.
The Original Dr. Dunkensteins November 18, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Before 24-hour sports coverage on cable TV and back in the day when a basketball fan was lucky to get one nationally-televised NBA game per week, there was an upstart league with a flashy basketball, flashier players and paychecks that oftentimes bounced higher than the ball.
Terry Pluto, a long-time sports columnist for the Akron Beacon-Journal, captures the crazy times and legendary personalities on the court and in the front offices in this oral history of the American Basketball Association.
It was a league that hit the NBA where it was most vulnerable; signing players to contracts that were unheard of at the time. For example, Mel Daniels - a number one draft pick in both leagues - opted to play in the ABA and became one of the all-time greats. There were renegades like Rick Barry and the sky-walking dunks of "Dr. J," Julius Erving, arguably the greatest player of his era.
The league went straight to the heart of the NBA for its first commissioner, hiring George Mikan as a means to gain credibility in the eyes of the stodgy national sports media. Larry Brown and Doug Moe were ABA players before becoming pro coaches. And - if nothing else - who could beat franchise names like the New Orleans Buccaneers, Minnesota Muskies, the Spirits of St. Louis and the San Diego Conquistadors (with Wilt Chamberlain as player/coach)?
Though the final few years of operation - with a merger inevitable and the league consolidating its shrinking resources - became an abrupt climax to the ABA, the teams and players that made the jump to the NBA made for a dramatic leap in the quality of the game & it can be argued set the pace for the style and grace of Magic, Michael, Dominique and LeBron.
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