2024 the best nba team of all time review

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(as of Dec 20, 2024 03:07:08 UTC - Details)

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
 
Acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team. As a writer for Sports Illustrated, McCallum enjoyed a courtside seat for the most exciting basketball spectacle on earth, covering the Dream Team from its inception to the gold medal ceremony in Barcelona. Drawing on fresh interviews with the players, McCallum provides the definitive account of the Dream Team phenomenon. He offers a behind-the-scenes look at the controversial selection process. He takes us inside the team’s Olympic suites for late-night card games and bull sessions where superstars like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird debated the finer points of basketball. And he narrates a riveting account of the legendary intrasquad scrimmage that pitted the Dream Teamers against one another in what may have been the greatest pickup game in history. In the twenty years since the Dream Team first captivated the world, its mystique has only grown. Dream Team vividly re-creates the moment when a once-in-a-millennium group of athletes came together and changed the future of sports—one perfectly executed fast break at a time.
 
With a new Afterword by the author
 
“The absolute definitive work on the subject, a perfectly wonderful once-you-pick-it-up-you-won’t-be-able-to-put-it-down book.”—The Boston Globe
 
“An Olympic hoops dream.”—Newsday
 
“What makes this volume a must-read for nostalgic hoopsters are the robust portraits of the outsize personalities of the participants, all of whom were remarkably open with McCallum, both then and now.”—Booklist (starred review)

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ballantine Books; Reprint edition (April 9, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0345520491
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0345520494
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.14 x 0.83 x 7.96 inches
Reviewer: Jason Frost
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fun book on the NBA and The 1992 Olympic 'Dream Team'.
Review: I saw this book first mentioned on some website while I was on vacation. So I did what most people usually do when they see a book on vacation... they write the name down and wait until AFTER vacation to read it. Yeah, I've never been good with reading books on vacation and I'm not sure why. This was, however, the first book I read after my visit to the land of milk and honey (Florida) and I had an absolutely enjoyable time reading it. We always hear people say "I would love to be a fly on the wall when...". Well the fly is Jack McCallum (sorry Jack) and the wall is a canvas drawn with the 1992 Olympic Games as the base and the Dream Team as the primer.I'm a basketball fan but not to the point of absurdity, as some are. But because of the impact that Jordan, Bird, Magic, Barkley, Pippen had on (pretty much) everything, this was a book that I needed to read. Completely enjoyable, this book can be enjoyed by an "asylum fan" or a casual fan. It was nice to read about the little things that we mortals miss because we didn't travel with the NBA superstars. Jack does a great job of telling this fairy tale with wit, real anecdotes, and a history that we heard about but never really HEARD about. We knew the team was picked, but HOW was it picked? We knew that it was chock FULL of stars, but how would they get along? What is the REAL story behind Jordan vs. the Reebok jacket? Was Isiah Thomas screwed out of a position by Jordan? (Let me help you with that one... YES!)The author has a good bead on interviewing and it was interesting to see some of the places he (and the interviewee) choose to talk. It's almost impossible to narrate the entire experience of the 1992 Dream Team into a single book, but I like how it is done here. Almost everyone has a chapter or three (Jordan. Forever the competitor) and we get a fun yet informative history on the beginnings of a (pro) US Basketball team.Also, to anyone reading this book you'll notice one other thing: this author enjoys books. Not only writing them, reading them as well. Now I'm some of you just went "duh, he's an author", but trust me on this. Not every author likes to read and you can clearly differentiate the ones that do. Jack do's. Aside from his "nonfiction doesn't have to be dull" way of writing, I enjoyed the literary reference sprinkled throughout this book.But getting back to basketball... you'll like this book. A lot. Jack's BIO says that he was with `Sports Illustrated' for thirty years. It's a shame I missed all those articles. (Shut up I know there's Google). It takes a lot for this fiction ONLY lover to heap praises on a non-fiction book, but that's because it is well deserved. Jack is a well respected reporter and it wouldn't be a stretch to say, a friend, to more than a few of the NBA legends. That also comes across in this book and that only adds to the authenticity of his work. Alongside the crude jokes, practice barbs, and gambling stories, are personal stories that must be read to be felt. There's a lot going on on the cover of this book. The only thing missing are the letters "Volume 1".One reader's wish if I may; while I hope this author lives a long time I can only hope that he's writing a tell all book to be published posthumously. Jack spent a lot of time around the NBA's greatest and this man has some stories to tell. Seriously. I want to know who the NBA Dream Teamer was that ran into the family room demanding "who's got a rubber, I need one quick". Just one of the many quips like that in this book. Just one of the many quips like that that are unwritten.But aside from that... please live a long time Jack. And keep writing books like this.**One other thing: the eBook/Kindle edition DOES NOT have the pictures that the print book does. Why? Not sure, but I hope the publisher reconsiders.

Reviewer: Atill55
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great read. Incredible story!
Review: As an avid basketball fan and player, I loved this book. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has a love for the game. If you are not a basketball fan, this probably is not the book for you.Jack McCallum had the unique opportunity to ride along with the Dream Team through its wild ups and (very few) downs. His firsthand accord of what happened in practices, games, and locker rooms is fantastic. He obviously established personal relationships with most of the players on the team. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on Christian Laettner and Scottie Pippen. His details about the coaching staff (especially Coach K) kept me itching for more. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for a reporter, and McCallum perspicaciously soaked it all in.The writing in the book is very strong. His use of prose and varying sentence structure was refreshing. As a reader, you could tell this isnt the writer's first rodeo. The only thing I would change would be the length of the book. Certain chapters ran a little long, but didnt necessarily take away from the enjoyment of the book.

Reviewer: Joseph Landes
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great Book About the Greatest Basketball Team Ever
Review: I picked up this book primairly because I remember the Dream Team and how great they were but after hearing Kobe Bryant's recent foolish statements about the current dream team being able to beat the real Dream Team, I wanted to remind myself how great they were and learn more about how they were put together.I found the book itself to be super easy and enjoyable to read and although I started reading it thinking that I may not learn too much that would shock me about the team, I was surprised and also pleased by the number of times I was "wowed"' while reading it. The author does a very good job both profiling each member of the team as well as telling the story in a chronological way about how the team was put together. You have to stop and remember that 11 of the 12 members went onto be voted into the Hall of Fame--th eonly reason it was not all 12 was that USA Basketball really wanted a college athlete-so they took Christian Laettner who was a great college player but never amounted to much in the NBA. The book has a ton of great stories about each player as well as about notable players who did not make the team-most notably Isaiah Thomas. I enjoyed the profiles and stories about Larry Bird and Michael Jordan the most. I never knew that Bird was so funny. I never realized that many people viewed Charles Barkley not only as the craziest player on the team but probably the best athlete. Overall this is a very good book well worth reading especially if you are a multi-generation basketball fan.

Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Jack McCallum has wonderfully chronicled perhaps the most significant event to happen to international basketball.The ending made me feel the same way I'd felt after a my beloved basketball camps growing up.... wishing it had never ended, now it's 'back to reality'.

Reviewer: Victor
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Los libros de Jack McCallum son un imperdible para todo aquel fan del baloncesto americano. Muy muy recomendable.

Reviewer: Cliente Kindle
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: If you love Basketball and Sports, you should read this.The Dream Team changed the way we go about everything in sports business.

Reviewer: Mario
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Un excelente libro acerca del mejor equipo de básquetbol, conformado por los mejores jugadores de la mejor liga del mundo en la época.El libro llegó a tiempo, aunque por ser exportado desde estados unidos, llego abierto y un poco lastimado de un borde. Por eso le quito una estrella a la calificación. Fuera de eso, en excelente estado.

Reviewer: RICCARDO66
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Niente potrà mai equiparare quella squadra, non solo per il valore dei singoli componenti ma per il particolare momento in cui è apparso, conquistando milioni di persone all'epoca inconsapevoli perfino di cosa fosse il basket.Il libro racconta molto bene tutte le faticose e convulse fasi che hanno portato alla creazione di quella squadra, illustra episodi quasi sconosciuti, delinea in maniera vivida le personalità e i caratteri dei vari componenti, non mancando di sottolinearne difetti o mancanze.Stupendo il racconto di come si sono sviluppate amicizie e rivalità durante il Torneo di Qualificazione e le Olimpiadi, con improbabili amicizie (Harry e Larry), selvaggia vita sociale (Chuck), un uomo che viveva in un mondo separato (ovviamente...) e tanti altri aneddoti. Unico peccato del libro: dopo poche ore di avida lettura l'ho terminato...