Lapchick: The Life of a Legendary Player and Coach in the Glory Days of Basketball

Alfieri offers a good-hearted, reverential homage to basketball great Joe Lapchick that's colored by the author's own experiences playing for Lapchick at St. John's in the 1950s. A lanky kid from Yonkers who grew up with the game as it was growing up in the early 1900s, Lapchick was a pioneer as both a player for the traveling Original Celtics and later as a coach at St. John's and with the New York Knicks. Alfieri's book rings with respect for Lapchick's career and demeanor both on the court and along the sidelines. While its strength does not lie in thrilling or lyrical prose, it's carried forward by the energy Alfieri clearly brings to the subject. The extent of his research coupled with his own firsthand recollections allow him to dip into occasional re-created scenes and conjure images of the game's past, including bygone protective padding and oversized balls that got beat out of shape during a single contest. Still, testimonies from people as disparate as Bobby Knight and Bill Bradley make clear that the author is not alone in his admiration of Lapchick. (Oct.)