In a rousing trip through the worlds of Basketball and Football, George Thomas Clark explores the professional basketball league in Mexico, the Herculean talents of Wilt Chamberlain, the difficulties and humor of attempting to play basketball in middle age, and observes that coaching at Caltech can be more painful than studying all night for a physics exam. We also peer into the minds of legends LeBron James, Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant, John Wooden, Adolph Rupp, and numerous others.
On the gridiron Clark reveals the talent and tragedy of Donald Rogers, an All American at UCLA and a star for the Cleveland Browns, the challenges of attending a Seahawks game in Seattle, the thoughts of brilliant but tormented Bill Walsh, the glory and horror of O.J. Simpson, major college football players being exploited by the NCAA and university bureaucrats, the rise and fall of the USC Trojans, issues of alcoholism, substance abuse, and domestic violence, and more.
Half the stories are straight nonfiction and others are satirical pieces guided by the unwavering hand of an inspired storyteller.