Loose Balls: Easy Money, Hard Fouls, Cheap Laughs and True Love in the NBA - Hardcover

Williams, Jayson; Friedman, Steve

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 038549226X ISBN 13: 9780385492263

Publisher: Doubleday, 2000

Synopsis

The funniest, smartest, most honest book ever written about life in the NBA.

All-Star center Jayson Williams is one of the best players in the NBA, probably the strongest, certainly among the most generous, and definitely the wittiest. His irreverent take on life on and off the court, his sidesplitting one-liners, his pro-fan stance during the 1998 lockout, and his massive donations of time and money to charity have made Williams one of the most popular pro athletes in the country. He's the basketball superstar as human being--down-to-earth, honest, thoughtful, and a naturally hilarious raconteur.

Loose Balls is the basketball book everyone has been waiting for: the first candid report from a land of fragile egos, available women, unexpected tenderness, intramural fistfights, colossal partying, bizarre humor, inconceivable riches, and desperate competition. No inspirational pieties or chest-thumping boasting, just real insider tales of refs, groupies, coaches, entourages, and all the superstars, bench warmers, journeymen, clowns, and other performers in the rarefied circus that is professional basketball.

Loose Balls does for roundball what Ball Four did for hardball. From revelations about the meanest, softest, and smelliest players in the league, to Williams' early days as "a young man with a lot of money and not a lot of sense," to his strong and powerful views on race, privilege, and giving back, Loose Balls is sure to be the most talked-about sports book in years.
All-star center Jayson Williams is one of the best players in the NBA, probably the strongest, definitely the funniest. His irreverent take on life on and off the court and sidesplitting one-liners consistently land him on sportswriters' "all-interview" team and frequent appearances on the "Late Show with David Letterman," "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," ESPN "SportsCenter," and "Imus in the Morning." Jayson's column "The Basketball Diary" appeared during the 1997-1998 season in GQ and Details, and his pro-fan stance during the lockout made him a hero to millions. He's the basketball star as human being--down-to-earth, honest, smart, and a naturally hilarious raconteur.

LOOSE BALLS is the basketball book everyone has been waiting for: the first candid report from a land of fragile egos, easy sex, unexpected tenderness, hand-breaking fistfights, colossal partying, bizarre humor, and inconceivable riches. No inspirational pieties or chest-thumping boasting, just real insider tales of refs, groupies, coaches, entourages, and all the other clowns and performers in the rarefied circus that is professional basketball. -->

About this title

Review:

Here's what you probably know about Jayson Williams: as of 2000, he has been in the NBA for 10 years, played in one all-star game, is one of the league's best rebounders, and has a seven-year, $100 million contract. He also has a reputation as a loudmouth with an attitude problem.

Here's what you probably don't know: he comes from a mixed-race family, lost two of his sisters to AIDS, adopted their children, and became a grandfather at 28, plus he calls his mom and dad a few times every day. Here's another thing you might not know about him: he's funny.

Williams shows off his sense of humor in Loose Balls, an irreverent look at life in the NBA. His style is conversational and snappy, with short vignettes strung together into brief, loosely themed chapters. One chapter, "What's Young & Skinny & Can Do a 580-Degree-Double-Pump-Backward Jam but Doesn't Know How to Shoot a Jump Shot or Set a Back-Side Pick? Meet the Future of the NBA" is all of eight pages long. However, by the end of the book Williams has dished the dirt on dozens of his colleagues--who is the biggest flopper (Rodman, of course), who is the worst trash talker (Gary Payton), and who is the dirtiest player (not John Stockton, but his tight shorts are a problem: "Someone should tell the man the ABA days are over.").

Williams also offers observations on coaches, refs, cheerleaders, and fans across the NBA--as well as events from his childhood, early career, and well-publicized days as a wild man. Williams's candor and charm are apparent throughout the book, as is his love of basketball. Hoops fans will love this book. --M. Stein

About the Author:

Jayson Williams, the All-Star center of the New Jersey Nets, is a ten-year veteran of the NBA and a graduate of St. John's University. He is a recipient of the NAACP Trailblazer Award for community service, and sponsors the Jayson Williams Foundation for Underprivileged Youth. A native of New York City, he lives in northern New Jersey.

Steve Friedman is a contributing editor at Esquire magazine and a former senior editor at GQ. He has written for Outside, ESPN The Magazine, Details, and many other national publications, and his work has been collected in The Best American Sports Writing. He lives in New York City.

About this edition

• Publisher: Doubleday
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 038549226X
• ISBN 13: 9780385492263
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 276