by Seth Davis
First published 2009
Seth Davis chronicles the 1979 college basketball season that changed everything. Two players arrive on the national stage: Earvin "Magic" Johnson leads Michigan State while Larry Bird captains Indiana State. Neither team seems destined for greatness. The Spartans and Sycamores face skeptics who doubt these programs can compete at the top level. Their coaches, Jud Heathcote and Bill Hodges, are newcomers building from scratch. Race and class tensions add fuel to the competition as both teams battle through March Madness. The season builds toward a single game in Salt Lake City on March 26, 1979. When Johnson and Bird finally meet in the NCAA finals, television audiences break records. Davis shows how this moment creates the modern tournament and sets up the NBA's future success. The sport emerges transformed from a niche college activity into the cultural force we recognize today.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, sports, basketball
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, underdog
Setting: Indiana State, Michigan State, Salt Lake City
Period: 1979
336 pages · Hardcover · Times Books