To examine the interconnected evolution of basketball and the hoops-crazy state of Indiana, Wertheim (Venus Envy
) returns to Bloomington, Ind., to follow a basketball season at his high school alma mater. Interspersed among the chapters about the team are stories about Indiana's connection to basketball and the state of the game on the NBA and college levels. Dealing with subjects like the demise of former Indiana University basketball coach Bob Knight and NBA basketball's low "watchability" factor, Wertheim's assessments shine with top-notch writing and, thanks to the author's Sports Illustrated
background, are augmented by quotes from power players like Larry Bird. Wertheim excels at finding a connection between the bigger basketball world and the Bloomington team, and his examination of the globalization of basketball through the eyes of one family that moved to Bloomington to escape civil war in Sudan and went on to send their five children to college on basketball scholarships deftly shows the bittersweet nature of the American dream. Similarly, Wertheim's decision to confront these issues by observing two Indiana towns—one white, one black—results in original dialogue on the much-discussed theme of the racial politics of American sport. These forays into thought-provoking cultural topics add weight to a fun and fast-paced examination of an enduring game. B&w photos. Agent, Scott Waxman. (Mar.)
