First published 2007
Basketball has become a global phenomenon. Players from Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa now compete at levels that match American professionals. The NBA no longer dominates international competition as foreign talent claims roster spots once reserved for domestic players. Yet this international success contrasts sharply with basketball's problems in America. The league prioritizes individual stars over team play, driven by marketers and television executives who profit from celebrity culture. Players chase lucrative contracts and endorsements through self-promotion rather than collective effort. Harvey Araton traces these issues to college basketball, where undereducated inner-city athletes perform for wealthy white audiences while generating revenue for universities. He calls this system a contemporary version of exploitative entertainment. Araton combines his extensive knowledge of players with sharp analysis of the sport's structural problems. He challenges the NBA to reform itself and offers a vision for basketball's better future.
Genres: business, politics, sports, non-fiction, current-affairs, basketball
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism, reform, social-commentary
224 pages · Unknown Binding · Free Press