Books about the Blazers

Halberstam’s The Breaks of the Game is the crucial text. If you can’t find a cheap copy on Amazon or some other used bookseller, I suggest finding a local university or community college and asking for them to send a copy via interlibrary loan. Trust me. It’s worth it.

Come to think of it—someone ought to start a petition on Blazers Edge to get Halberstam’s book back in print.

There is one other Halberstam text on Michael Jordan (Playing for Keeps) which has a wonderful story about a Team USA practice where Drexler shows up with two left-foot shoes. Halberstam uses this story as an example of Clyde’s low self-esteem, because Clyde decides not to get the right foot shoe; instead he keeps practicing with the wrong shoe. Meanwhile Jordan has been teasing him mercilessly at every single practice about the recent Bulls win against the Blazers in the ‘92 Finals. (You might say this demonstrates Jordan’s low self-esteem: newspaper articles written during the Finals put Jordan and Drexler on the same level, and Jordan was outraged.) I love Clyde, but this was a cute story to make him seem a little more human.

Two final books on the Rip City era: Blazers’ Profiles, written by Eggers, has some wonderful stories, including one where Jerome Kersey used to shovel the driveway in winter to shoot baskets, and Duck confesses he would be a carpenter if he weren’t a baller; and of course, Rick Adelman’s Long Hot Winter.

by Mary Monroe.

Technically it’s not about the Blazers. On the contrary. It’s by Phil Jackson (with a co-author) and describes the 2003-04 Lakers season (Amazon link). But after reading what the Zenmeister has to say very candidly about dealing with Kobe & Company, you will be so much more happy being a Blazers fan. It’s a good read, lots of funny and revealing moments. Also one quickly understands why a team assembled of superstars (especially selfish ones) is a recipe for failure. I wonder if the described players, agents, managers and coaches have read it. And what they think about Jackson now.

I own pretty much all of them.

“Breaks of the Game” is required reading, not just as a Blazer book but as a book on professional basketball. Many of the issues raised in that book are prevalent today.

“Idol Time” by Larry Colton is perhaps my favorite Blazer book, because it allows us to see the 1977 championship team more in-depth, we see them as people off the court and this book allows us to go past our typical fond memories of them. Also, you really get a sense of how Blazer-crazy Portland was in ‘77.

“The Pride of Portland” has more details about the championship season and the aftermath (the walton affair) than any other book. You will know every litle fact about the championship season after reading this book.

“Wherever you may be: the Bill Schonely story” . Come on, it’s Schonely’s autobiography!!! You get to find out the origins of his catchprases, and find out how important Schonz was in promoting the team in the early days.

“Idol Time” and “Pride” are incredibly difficult to find, so search a rare books site.

...but because I’m lazy, I’m glad you started the thread Tim-you did a much better job than I would’ve anyway.

Like almost anybody, I love “Breaks of the Game.” There’s a lot of funny stories in it, a ton of detail that is a revelation even to a hardcore long-time fan (you really get a feel for the player’s personalities from that era-for instance, Tom Owens apparently talked a mile a minute, usually at Kevin Kunnert, his silent foil). And there’s some really poignant stories, especially regarding Kermit Washington’s long road to rehabilitate his image after the infamous punch of Rudy T. One can’t help but conclude that Kermit’s being painted as a monster after that was nothing but base racial stereotyping, and I hope his time in Portland helped bring him some needed and deserved peace.

Matt Love’s recent “Red Hot and Rollin’” is, for the most part a wonderful evocation of That Championship Season. Love and those he interviewed paint a detailed and loving portrait of the city and state-the only thing missing is a mention of my namesakes The Holy Modal Rounders (along with their co-conspirators Jeffrey Fredericks and the Clamtones) who were at twin heights of musicality and insanity at that time (Walton should have been a fan. The group(s)-they were the Rounders when Steve Weber sang and the Clamtones when Fredericks took over-were a bit like the Dead, except with way more energy and an infinitely better sense of humor). The inclusion of the wonderful period documentary “Fast Break” on DVD (a set of interviews done over the summer of ‘77) makes the book essential. My only complaint is that Love makes a couple of gratuitous digs at the early 90s teams, and that’s irksome. I think the early 90s teams actually combined some of the best elements of the teams from the ‘77 series: Portland’s teamwork, selflessness and passing ability, and Philadelphia’s breathtaking grace and ability above the rim.

Briefly, I’d also recommend the very interesting “The Long Hot Winter,” and the Clyde and Schonely books are both worth a look. Cameron Stauth’s “The Golden Boys” is an entertaining and irreverant look at the original Dream Team, and there’s a lot of engrossing stuff about how USA Basketball left Clyde in the cold for nearly a year while they were trying to assemble the perfect combination (pity they didn’t do that in 2004, huh?).

...would be worth the time. Some may say they’re outdated and not relevent. I would say his influence has so permeated the game that to not include him in your reading is to leave a huge gap.

Though not specifically Blazer-related, many of his students have passed through Portland and left their mark.

If nothing else, you will gain an insight into where all us “old school” guys are coming from.

It’s about the ‘77 title run

“Promoter Aint a DIrty Word” gives pretty good insight as to who Glickman was before his time with the Blazers, and all the work he had to do to get the Blazers to Portland. You essentially get the jist of it in his introduction to the book “Rip City”, but it’s still worth a read if you’re into the history of sports promotion

..thanks to all who participated! Ideas galore for me.