(Part 2) Top products from r/nba

Played with it a couple times. I hear it takes a while to break in. For indoor use, here are some of my recommendations:

• As mentioned, the Wilson Evolution is very good. I've been told there's a higher end and lower end one, and I can't quite tell by ales listings but I've played with some that feel markedly different. Might be worth looking into.
  
  
• I really like the Rawlings OHSAA basketballs, which I played with in a tournament and some pickup games in Ohio. Similar feel as an Evo but a little softer feel and smooth.
  
  
• TF-1000s are good, but supposedly used to be better. Some of the newer ones have a harder, almost glossier feel, less supple. A friend has an old one that feels great. They now offer a 'classic' and 'legacy' version, but I wouldn't mess with them at all these days.
  
  
• I play with a MacGregor mostly indoors these days. Can't find it online at the moment, but similar to OSHAA and Wilson Evo. One of my favorites.
  
  
• The FIBA official basketball is also very nice. Slightly different feel, but great for indoors.
  
  
• Finally, The Rock is another great option for indoor only play. Dribbles and shoots well, and in the same category as the Evo.
  
  EDIT: Update

>If the goings-on at Pickfair were wild, the events hosted by Johnson were orgasmic. The star point guard had lived in one of Buss’s apartment complexes until 1984, when he purchased his own nine-thousand-square-foot Bel Air mansion. Though not quite as awe-inspiring as Pickfair, Johnson’s Tudor home had once belonged to the French consulate, and contained (among other things) an indoor racquetball-basketball court, a sauna, a whirlpool and a disco complete with strobe lights and thousands of records. Alongside the master bedroom was a tiny room with a sunken hot tub and a panoramic view of the canyon his home overlooked. The house also boasted something close to his heart—the greatest stereo system anyone had ever seen. With speakers the size of Cadillacs, the eighteen rooms filled with the sounds of Michael Jackson and Earth, Wind & Fire and Marvin Gaye.

>While Johnson didn’t host as many shindigs as Buss, the ones that took place were beyond compare. The Lakers point guard neither drank alcohol nor did drugs, but his parties were odes to excess and extravagance. Many Lakers agree the most beautiful women they ever met were encountered at Johnson’s. They were models, strippers, actresses, exotic dancers. There was no hotter icket than an invite to the mansion, but—while Laker players and opponents were almost always allowed—women had to meet certain criteria. First, they had to be gorgeous. Second, they had to be promiscuously dressed. Third, they had to be willing to do . . . things.

>Johnson fancied himself not merely an entertainer, but a maestro. “If you ever die and go to heaven, you want heaven to be Magic’s house parties,” said Frank Brickowski, a future Lakers teammate. “He would have the finest girls in L.A. there. The absolute finest. And at midnight you had to get busy with somebody or you had to get the fuck out. So if you were a guy, at midnight you’d get as close as you could to the hottest possible woman. Magic went around in this freaky voyeuristic way. He’d check on you. He’d go throughout the house, the pool. He’d order people to start doing things. All you had to be was near a chick. There were guys who would yell, ‘Magic, she’s not getting busy! She’s not!’ He’d run over and she’d get busy. Celebrity is seductive in L.A. Girls have this desperation about them, like moths to a flame. It’s sad. But when you’re young and single, fame matters.”

>Just because one was a Laker didn’t mean sexual conquests always came easily. Yet Johnson wasn’t merely the most eligible bachelor in Los Angeles—he was the most eligible bachelor in California. He once wrote of his rendezvous: “Some were secretaries. Some were lawyers. Quite a few were actresses or models. Others were teachers, editors, accountants, or entrepreneurs. There were bimbos, too, but not that many. Most of these women were college-educated professionals. Some were black, some were white, some were Hispanic, or Asian. Some of these women were very open about what they were doing, and some were more discreet. A few would even brag about all the players they had slept with. For others, this was all a part of a very secret life.

From Jeff Pearlman's excellent book about Showtime.

I enjoyed these two:

NBA Coaches Playbook: Techniques, Tactics, and Teaching Points

Basketball: Multiple Offense and Defense

I've never coached, though, so not sure how helpful either would be. Just like to read and I thought they were interesting.

From my understanding, the best ways to learn coaching are from doing it and observing other coaches run a practice. I know college teams have open practices on occasion where high school coaches can go in and watch. There's surely yt videos online of such.

Kids are brats. Good luck

Thanks for posting this, OP. Have you ever checked out Stephen Shea's book, Basketball Analytics: Spatial Tracking?

Shea's calculations show a lot of the same trends, and he goes pretty far to describe the strategic reasons behind things like decreased offensive rebounding stats and pace changing. His analysis is great (albeit focused more on the stats from 2010-2014) and may help your next 49 posts. Looking forward to more cool graphics.

I found that More than a game by Phil Jackson was an excellent book. It basically is a look into the life and coaching philosophy of one of the greatest coaches of all time as well as an inside look into the 2000 champion Lakers.

Also the Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons is an essential read for all NBA fans.

EDIT: I recently also read the Jordan Rules by Sam Smith. It isn't a particularly eye opening book, but basically it's about the 1990-1991 NBA championship season from the Chicago Bulls perspective, and also a look into MJ's transformation from a ball hogging douchebag to the greatest of all time. Good read.

For those unaware, the author of the piece, Mark Titus, played with Greg at OSU and is pretty talented in his own right. His blog was titled "Club Trillion", due to the fact he rode the bench at OSU and his box scores would often be 1 minute played followed by zeros across the board. His book titled Don't Put Me In Coach is a pretty good read. Here is a video of one of his funnier moments, where he announced to the crowd he would returning to school and not declaring for the NBA draft.

Loose Balls is an amazing read, and easy to just pick up where you left off to read 15-20 pages at a time. Very entertaining and a great oral history of the crazy league that was the ABA. Very sad to hear about Barnes. Never got to see him play really, but by all accounts he was one of the most dynamic scorers of his generation. Shame drugs got the best of him. RIP, Marvin.

No problem. That specific quote is from The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. It's a sequel to The Name of the Wind. One of the best written fantasy books around, and a great read even if you're not into the genre. Fans are eagerly awaiting the third and final book.

Well according to this book at least.

Fun Fact: Michael Cooper loved his coke

I wasn't, but if anyone wants a good history on the league, told by the players, coaches and others who were directly involved with it, go read the book Loose Balls by Terry Pluto. Fun knee title, I know.

He didn't play very long because of knee issues, I believe. He may have played 1 year in the 80s, but his career ended rather abruptly considering that he was an all star from 77-79. I find that not many people that I talk basketball with know much about 70s basketball anyway, so I'm not too surprised. If you've never read Pistol:The Life of Pete Maravich, you should, it reads pretty well for a sports biography.

Jason Kidd -What The Kidd Did ft Money B

Kobe Bryant's unreleased album Visions which includes K.O.B.E. ft Tyra Banks and Thug Poet ft Nas, 50 Cent & Broady Boy

Shaq's music discography which includes Can't Stop The Reign ft Biggie

Cedric Ceballos - Flow ft Warren G

Gary Payton - Livin Legal and Large

Chris Webber's 2 Much Drama album which includes Gangsta Gangsta ft Kurupt

[Troy Hudson's Undrafted album](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undrafted_(album) includes Troy Hudson - Bang Out

Hyperizers - Don't Criticize ft Mo Williams, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodola, and Rashard Lewis

Ron Artest My World album which includes Ron Artest - Champion

Gordon Hayward -Too Big Yo

J9 "Keep It 100 Remix" Feat Marquis "Q6" Daniels

Grant Hill random freestyle?

Carlos Arroyo -Se Va Conmigo ft Yomo

Dejuan Blair - Special Directed

Brian Shaw - Anything Can Happen

Allen Iverson - 40 Bars

Lou Williams - Imma Boss freestyle

Dana Barros - Check It

Wayman Tisdale - The Glow Of Love

The 2010-2011 Chicago Bulls - 12 Days of Christmas

> then what accounts for how much more often teams win at home?

It probably doesn't explain why each team is getting blown out on the road but to answer your question in the general: Officiating bias, influenced by crowds.

In short, particularly when split second decisions are being made, referees do fall prey to a large group of people clamoring for a call at home.

Reference: This book. They even reference a fun study where I believe they ask refs to watch a game and call fouls with and without crowd sound to determine how much of an effect it has.

It's about the ABA, but Loose Balls is filled with amazing stories about pro basketball.

Don't Put Me In, Coach is supposed to be pretty good.

I really enjoyed "Seven Seconds or Less" by Jack McCallum, which chronicles the 05-06 Phoenix Suns. It gives you a good look into how teams are run, how insecure NBA players can be (Shawn Marion), and how the players act in between games.

One interesting part of the book was reading about how much Nash disliked Kobe, which made him (one of my favorite players) coming to the Lakers really surprising.

I've also heard good things about "Breaks of the Game" by David Halberstrom, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet.

One of Phil Jackson's books

11 Rings and The Last Season

not as amazing when it comes to the writing technique I guess, but still very hard to put down if you love the sport

>when you write the best book about basketball ever

ahem

Best indoor ball for me is the Wilson Evo: http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Evolution-Indoor-Basketball-Official/dp/B0009KMXWY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1405926536&sr=8-5&keywords=basketball

I use it almost everyday on an indoor court.

Basketball and Other Things by Shea Serrano - it's great

Awesome writer too.
Basketball (and Other Things): A Collection of Questions Asked, Answered, Illustrated https://www.amazon.com/dp/1419726471/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_knQ6Cb9WJHC5X
Phenomenal book.

This is pretty hard to beat. Rockin Steady - A Guide to Basketball and Cool by Walt Frazier

From one Knicks fan to another, this was ridiculously awesome.

I really enjoyed 7 Seconds or Less. Story of the 05-06 Phoenix Suns.

U Can't Touch This Includes Arnold Schwarzenegger impression and Charles Barkley roast.

Twist And Shout

Woomp There It Is

Lets Get It Started

ABC Michael Jackson cover


All Star Cover, Smash Mouth

Will You Be There?

You can Buy the album here, only 18 copies left!!

U Can't Touch This Includes Arnold Schwarzenegger impression and Charles Barkley roast.

Twist And Shout

Woomp There It Is

Lets Get It Started

ABC Michael Jackson cover


All Star Cover, Smash Mouth

Will You Be There?

You can Buy the album here, only 18 copies left!!

Another book I highly recommend - Has some history but also nonsense, Shea Serrano is a fantastic author - Basketball (and Other Things)

Second. If you're playing indoors, your search begins and ends with this ball. Luckily you can usually find them in a ton of places. Gart sports, Target, Amazon, etc.

EDIT: Here it is for $50 with Amazon Prime

A good book with that exact purpose.

This is a good book: http://www.amazon.com/NBA-Coaches-Playbook-Techniques-Teaching/dp/0736063552

He's not a "one time associate"
Rosen was Jackson's assistant coach back during the CBA days, they coauthored a book together, and if you've ever read Rosen's articles back when he was at FoxSports, he spent a part of every single article name-dropping his good buddy Phil Jackson.

i highly recommend this book for you http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Put-Me-Coach-Incredible/dp/0307745384

As someone who likes Lebron and wants the Cavs to challenge the warriors.

I decided I too would buy a toaster, fly from the west coast to a CLE game, and have someone from the Cavs (probably JR) sign it too.

Unfortunately......

Too fucking savage. It's like some unseen force is covering all GSW's bases.

Seven Seconds or Less - a look at the behind-the-scenes happenings of the run and gun Phoenix Suns (Nash, Shawn Marion, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, etc.) and the stories during their surprising playoff run while Amare was injured most of the season. It's an amazing read for basketball fans.

Can't Go wrong with this classic

He's a rapper.

http://www.amazon.com/My-World-Dvd-Ron-Artest/dp/B000IHYWBI

• Red and Me
  
  
• The Last Season by Pjax
  
  
• Not A Game
  
  
• :07 or less

I've read Pistol Pete's biography. They mention this fact somewhere around the beginning

http://www.amazon.com/Basketball-Analytics-Tracking-Stephen-Shea/dp/1503236277

https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Basketball-Ben-Taylor/dp/1532968175

https://www.amazon.com/Basketball-Analytics-Objective-Strategies-Understanding/dp/1492923176

https://www.amazon.com/Basketball-Analytics-Tracking-Stephen-Shea/dp/1503236277

https://www.amazon.com/dp/013419330X/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

https://www.amazon.com/Mathletics-Gamblers-Enthusiasts-Mathematics-Basketball/dp/0691154589

$400 and it's yours! :D

Edit: Found a cheaper one here.

History.

Someone quickly have Lebron sign a Cavs toaster. https://www.amazon.com/NBA-Cleveland-Cavaliers-Toaster-Elite/dp/B007OANBDC

https://www.detroitgamegear.com/product=/cleveland-cavaliers-toaster/

https://www.amazon.com/Spalding-74-149T-Microfiber-Composite-Ball/dp/B000HI5N7A

It's real.

We already knew that though

Walt "Clyde" Frazier.

The video probably exists.

I'll see if I can find anything out about it.

Edit: I found it.

More about it in this article. http://articles.latimes.com/2007/feb/01/sports/sp-simers1

Uhhh....apparently.

It's.......not good.

Check out the book scorecasting. https://www.amazon.com/Scorecasting-Hidden-Influences-Behind-Sports/dp/0307591808

https://www.amazon.com/NBA-Cleveland-Cavaliers-Toaster-Elite/dp/B007OANBDC

Cavs fans, one of you needs to find one of these and somehow get Lebron to sign it before the game starts.

https://www.amazon.com/Spalding-74-149T-Microfiber-Composite-Ball/dp/B000HI5N7A

You should try to sell it.

Book 1: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Book 2: The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Book 3: The Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss

https://www.amazon.com/NBA-Coaches-Playbook-Techniques-Teaching/dp/0736063552

You won't get their best stuff or anything but it's a start.

Did Detroit really say no, or did that Lakers team implode?

Edit: that question purely based upon the conclusions I drew after reading this book: https://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Season-Team-Search/dp/0143035878

Actually, this is not bullshit at all. This is from Showtime by Jeff Pearlman (great book by the way).

>“We had a flight during training camp,” said McNamara, the backup center. “I’m sleeping and all of a sudden Bill Bertka screams, ‘Wake up! Wake up!’

>He smelled a cigarette. It was Vlade, smoking in the bathroom. A federal offense.

>“As a trainer, his smoking shocked me,” said Gary Vitti. “I told him how stupid it was. We once even got a bill from a hotel for smoking in a room.

>I screamed at him—‘Vlade, $250 for smoking in a room!’ He told me it was my fault.”

>“How is that my fault?” Vitti asked.

>“Why,” replied Divac, “did you put me in a nonsmoking room?”