When Dr. James Naismith first nailed a peach basket to a Springfield, Massachusetts, gymnasium wall over one hundred years ago, even this inventor of basketball couldn't envision how popular it would become. Nor would he realize how firmly entrenched the game of hoops would become in the foundation of American society. From the schoolyards and driveways of the heartland to the playgrounds of New York City and Washington, D.C., to fabled arenas such as Madison Square Garden and the Great Western Forum, basketball has become the grass-roots game of America. The level of competition - from pickup games at the local "Y" to the championship game of "March Madness" and game seven of the NBA finals - may vary, but never the reason for competing. Whether able to sink an arcing three-point shot a la Larry Bird or fly along the baseline like Michael Jordan for a spectacular slam dunk, everyone plays for the love of the game.
The Schoolyard Game shares this love for the sport with any gym rat who has ever harbored dreams of playing in the NBA or has simply been content to have been the last player chosen for a pickup game. The Schoolyard Game features such classics as Pat Conroy's father-son confrontation in The Great Santini and John Updike's poignant scene in Rabbit, Run. John Edgar Wideman describes the poetry-in-motion of Michael Jordan; Pete Axthelm laments the tragic life of playground legend Earl Manigault; Dave Anderson recalls the greatness of Jerry West; and Ron Shelton captures the flavor of the playground culture in his screenplay for White Men Can't Jump. The Schoolyard Game will become a treasured anthology for every fan of basketball and literature.
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