cover image Winning a Day at a Time

Winning a Day at a Time

John Lucas. Hazelden Publishing & Educational Services, $19.95 (216pp) ISBN 978-1-56838-028-5

Writing with freelancer Moriarty, basketball player and coach Lucas recounts the story of how he overcame an incapacitating alcohol and drug problem by attending daily Twelve Step meetings. The son of a high school principal father and a junior high school principal mother, Lucas starred in tennis and basketball in secondary school and in basketball at the University of Maryland. In 1977 he was drafted by the Houston Rockets and began a pro career that covered 14 calendar years but not 14 seasons, since he played for six teams but was frequently dropped or traded because of substance abuse. Once his recovery began, however, Lucas dedicated himself to helping others, particularly pro cagers, through the therapeutic program he founded, John H. Lucas Enterprises. With copious quotes from family members, teammates, NBA league officials and others, Lucas, who is now general manager and coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, tells his inspiring tale. $100,000 ad/promo; author tour. (Sept.)