Cages to Jump Shots: Pro Basketball's Eary Years
- Book Review,
by Robert W. Peterson
From Publishers Weekly
Peterson, author of Only the Ball Was White , triumphs again with this history of the hoop game from its origins in 1891 to 1954, when the 24-second shot clock was introduced. Even those who are not fans of the sport will delight in Peterson's accounts of early games featuring 40 players on each side and the wild fights to recover out-of-bounds balls which led to the setting up of wire or rope cages all around the court. The book offers sidelights on the game as it developed: the gradually increasing importance of players' height (many of the early pros weren't even 510), the influx of Jewish players during the Depression years and the rise of the Harlem Globetrotters to counter Jim Crow on the courts. Newspapers and magazines of the 1891-1910 era barely mentioned the sport, and Peterson has done admirable work in ferreting out information. Photos not seen by PW. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
YA-- 1991 marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of basketball; Peterson's book deals with the neglected first 50 years of pro basketball. The author traces the game from when James Naismith drew up the first rules in 1891, through the early barnstorming professional teams playing in gaslit social halls, to the beginning of NBA games at Madison Square Garden. In addition to his careful research, Peterson draws on interviews with former players. Another informative aspect of the book deals with how changes in society have affected the game and the teams.- Mike Printz, Topeka West High School, KSCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Before Bird (Larry), before Magic (Johnson), before Michael (Jordan), yes even before Kareem (Abdul Jabbar) or Dr. J. (Julius Erving), there were basketball stars like Ed and Lew Wachter, Johnny Beckman, Maurice Tome, and Joe Lapchick. Along with literally hundreds of others, they helped to lay the framework for the popularity of today's professional basketball. Peterson, author of Only the Ball Was White (LJ 5/1/70), traces the evolution of basketball from its early days in cages to the modern game, viewed annually by millions. For its first 50 years the professional game was marked by small crowds in armories, assorted leagues in the Northeast and Midwest, and players jumping from one team to another--often playing on two or more at one time. The sports' growth to maturity culminated in the formation of the National Basketball Association in 1949. Essential reading for sports fans, this entertaining volume is recommended for most libraries.- Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ. Lib., Ala.Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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