First published 2020
Harvey Araton chronicles his friendship with Michelle Musler, a corporate executive who held season tickets behind the Knicks bench at Madison Square Garden for 45 years. Araton draws from his career covering thousands of Knicks games to tell how their relationship began with a shared passion for basketball and evolved into something deeper. While raising five children as a single parent and building a successful corporate career, Musler missed only a few home games over four decades. She became a mentor to Araton as he navigated professional transitions and personal challenges. During the 2017-18 NBA season, when illness prevents Musler from attending most games, Araton finds his opportunity to return her years of friendship and support. The book weaves together behind-the-scenes basketball stories with Knicks legends like Frazier, Ewing, and Riley while exploring themes of friendship, commitment, and aging with grace.
Genres: american-fiction, friendship, sports, biography-memoir, 21st-century, basketball
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, mentor-mentee
Setting: Madison Square Garden, New York
Period: 2017-18 NBA Season
256 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Press