Just Ballin': The Chaotic Rise of the New York Knicks

by Mike Wise and Frank Isola

Just Ballin' takes us to dramatic playoff games and wild practice sessions, on memorable rides aboard team buses and charter planes. From the locker room to the boardroom, from the preseason through the Finals, it tells the unforgettable story of a team that won over New York--and the ongoing saga of a league still wondering about the shape of its future. Book jacket.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 068487220X
• ISBN13: 9780684872209
• Release Date: November 1999
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 267 Pages
• Weight: 2.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.7" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

What can you say?

After reading this book, what can you really say except, WOW! I'm not a Knicks fan at all, but it's amazing how they took all their inner problems and used them to make the most improbable chase to the NBA title ever in '99. Of course I witnessed some of their heroics on national TV, whether it was Allan Houston's lucky bounce that ended Miami's season, or Larry Johnson's dramatic four-point play that killed Indiana's spirit in the conference finals, or Latrell Sprewell's incredible scoring run in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Spurs, it was all amazing. But even then, I knew that with Patrick Ewing's injury they wouldn't win the title, because of the Twin Towers problem in the Finals, and it proved too much as the Knicks ran out of gas.

Just Ballin' is Just Fun!

As a lifelong Knicks fan, I got caught up in the emotional roller coaster that was the 1999-2000 season. Since the beginning when I was heartbroken to see Starks and Oakley gone to the final game against the Spurs, I would pick up the paper to read on anything new about the Knicks. Just Ballin' fills in all the little holes and answers alot of the questions fans will have about the infamous Camby - Oakley trade, how Spree fit with the team, LJ's leadership role, etc. And although I knew about half of these stories, I felt that the authors did a good job showing the evolution of the time and the pressure they felt. This book is great for any Knicks fan or anyone just interested in learning how the modern NBA operates.

it`s the 411 on the modern day knicks

this book was very good read. some times i was late getting back from my lunch breaks, becase i could not put it down.if your interested in the inner workings of a basketball team read this book .it`s very informative and just a great book

Excellent insider-information into the New York Knicks

I've been a Knicks fan for many years, and, as many others, went through a whirlwind of emotions during last season's crazy ride to the finals. Just Ballin' gave me the behind the scenes story of that ride in amazing detail -- from locker room conversations to vignettes about the players' home and family lives. What I liked best about Just Ballin' is that it not only gave me great insider information into the players themselves -- what it was like to be Allan Houston, Patrick Ewing or Latrell Sprewell during those crazy months -- but also went into the political pressures that were the backdrop of the season -- the rift between Ernie Grunfeld and Jeff van Gundy, and Dave Checkett's role as mastermind of the team. A definite must read for any Knicks fan, old or new!

the best sports book I have ever read

This book is a great gift to an avid sports fan. I read it cover to cover in a day.