Lapchick: The Life of a Legendary Player and Coach in the Glory Days of Basketball - Hardcover

Alfieri, Gus

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1592288693 ISBN 13: 9781592288694

Publisher: The Lyons Press, 2006

Synopsis

Joe Lapchick is a legendary figure in the history of basketball: a Hall of Fame player and member of the original Celtics barnstorming team, a coach of four national championship teams at St. John’s, and the first coach of the New York Knicks. The first and only biography of Lapchick, the book transcends mere biography and provides a priceless look at the history of the game, including early rule changes and the era of barnstorming teams, dramatic NIT championship games (when the NIT was the tournament in the nation), the point-shaving scandals in college basketball, the formation of the NBA, and the integration of professional black players (including Sweetwater Clifton, the first black member of the Knicks, who played for Lapchick). This book is a must-read for any basketball fan with a passion for the game.

About this title

About the Author

Gus Alfieri played for Lapchick at St. John’s University and was point guard for the school’s 1959 national championship team.

From the Back Cover

Joe Lapchick. The name is legendary in the history of basketball. As a Hall of Fame player and member of the original Celtics barnstorming team, a coach of four national championship teams at St. John s, and the first coach of the New York Knicks, Lapchick made a lifetime of contributions to the game he loved. In this, the first and only biography of Lapchick, Gus Alfieri not only tells Lapchick s life story but also provides a priceless look at the history of the game?from its early rule changes and barnstorming and club teams, to dramatic National Invitational Tournament games (when the NIT was the tournament in the country) and college basketball point-shaving scandals, to the formation of the National Basketball Association. Perhaps most significantly, Lapchick s signing of the Knicks Sweetwater Clifton, the first African-American player to sign with an NBA team, led the way in the movement to integrate the league. Both an inspiring story of a pioneer sports figure and a nostalgic look at the era in which he played, Lapchick is a must-read for any basketball fan with a passion for the game.

Edition details

• Publisher: The Lyons Press
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1592288693
• ISBN 13: 9781592288694
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 344