LOVE IN THE NBA: A Player's Uninhibited Diary

by Stan & Ron Rapoport Love ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 14, 1975

This is actually a ""half-diary"" since it covers the first pre-season scrimmages in August up to the All-Star break in January. The author, a 25-year-old reserve forward with the Lakers, recounts the doubly-disappointing '74-'75 campaign in which the team floundered in the cellar and he languished on the bench. Despite being both physically and mentally prepared to play, Love had to contend with his image of a flake who ""likes to kid around"" (he's the brother of one of the Beach Boys). To make matters worse, he was never given a chance to wrest one of the starting positions away from Connie Hawkins, Happy Hairston and Cazzie Russell. The Lakers' season was full of dissension and frustration--Jerry West retired; Russell wore a cast on his leg; the most promising guard (Jim Price) was traded; the trainer was fired; others were cut: and the team's regular center (Elmore Smith) would rather have been a full-time Jehovah's Witness. Love himself was traded to the San Antonio Spurs at mid-season and has since been shuffled back to the Atlanta Hawks. Not quite the ""whole NBA experience'--still, this scrub's perspective is quite acute.

Pub Date: Nov. 14, 1975

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Saturday Review/Dutton

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1975

Categories: NONFICTION