In the Year of the Bull: Zen, Air, and the Pursuit of Sacred and Profane Hoops

Although there may be some debate about whether the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls were the best basketball team ever (see Peter May's The Last Banner, reviewed in this issue), none can argue that it didn't compile the winningest record, going 72 and 10. Principally responsible was Michael Jackson, generally agreed among sportscasters and fans to be one of the best hoopsters ever; he was supported by Scottie Pippen and, to a lesser degree, Dennis Rodman, the sport's enfant terrible, all under the management of Phil Jackson, who features a brand of ""Zen Christianity,"" a melange of Eastern and Native American philosophies mixed in with the joyless Christianity he experienced as a preacher's child. Telander, Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist, has written a disappointing chronicle of the great team. He presents the usual information on Jordan--he is supremely talented, enormously rich from endorsements and a prisoner of his fame. Most of the book, however, is about Rodman, the flamboyant attention-getter who colors his hair garishly and sometimes appears in drag. The author's pop psychoanalysis of Rodman diverts attention that might better have been devoted to the play. Photos not seen by PW. (Dec.)