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HONDO: The Celtic Man in Motion by John & Bob Ryan Havlicek

HONDO: The Celtic Man in Motion

By

Pub Date: Jan. 12th, 1976
Publisher: Prentice-Hall

The timing could hardly be better for this book--John ""Hondo"" Havlicek, one of basketball's few indisputable superstars, is probably in the last year of an exemplary career--but the book could certainly be better. It suffers from jerky organization; Havlicek can't remember the details of some key contests; and the book mostly consists of playoff games. Perhaps ""Hondo"" has just had it too good, playing with all those great Celtic teams: ""Not making the 1960 Olympic basketball team is probably my most bitter disappointment in sports, and I will never get over it."" And when he is interesting, it's about someone else--his comparison of centers Bill Russell (his personal hero) and Wilt Chamberlain is the liveliest thing in the book. Otherwise, ""Hondo"" just doesn't score many points.