Whose basketball tell-all book would you most want to read?
Kobe Bryant (photo. Mannion)In college, me and some of my journalism-geek friends used to ask each other the following:
“If you could interview one person and they HAD to answer all of your questions truthfully, who would it be?”
Typical answers would be George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, a high-ranking C.I.A. official, etc., but my answer was pretty consistently O.J. Simpson. Question #1: Did you do it?
If you knew for certain that every word was true, whose basketball-related tell-all autobiography would you most want to read? (Not a puff piece, but an actual book recapping someone’s entire career.) Michael Jordan? David Stern? Kobe Bryant? Tim Donaghy? Dennis Rodman? Pee Wee Kirkland?
September 8th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
A-Slam says:
Shawn Kemp all the way, although you may need like two books for his tell all
September 8th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
A-Slam says:
I can already see the title of Kobe’s Tell-All book…. “If only she went with it”
September 8th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
it aint easy being green says:
brian scalibrine’s most def!!!!
September 8th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
A-Slam says:
you kiddin me, BRIAN SCALABRINE??? I can see it noww…. “Scalabrine: Tales from my splintered ridden ass on the Celtics bench” with a feature of “The Duty of Heating Paul Pierce’s spot”
September 8th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Jeffrey says:
Kobe’s book should be titled:
“Mile High Insanity”
or
“Eye For A Bald Eagle”
or
“Crazy 8’s”
or
“It Wasn’t Me”
or
“The ***** Set Me Up”
or
“BEEF” (Kobe’s name)
or
“Whipped”
I could go on all day with this!!!
September 8th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Sam I Am says:
I would soooooo ask Charles Barkley everything that they make fun of him on TNT
September 8th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
A-Slam says:
“Josh Howard: hits from the bong”
September 8th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Meica says:
No question: either Charles or Shawn Kemp. Kemp’s would read like an unauthorized Motley Crue bio, but Chuck’s would not only be funny, but I’m sure there would be a lot of interesting anecdotes about many of the other huge stars, like Jordan, etc.
Oh man, both would be so great.
September 8th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Kobeef says:
Without a doubt – Wilt.
September 8th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Kobeef says:
oh yeah…the title of Wilt’s book “50,000 ways to leave your lover”
September 8th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
hahns says:
its got to be david stern…the way he thinks about specific players in the league/coaches/franchises, his true vision for the league, anything he tried to manipulate, like preventing a detroit san ant finals, stuff like that. kobe would be interesting, mj, larry brown, and shaq would round out my top five
September 8th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
justice says:
Shaq all them hoes…
September 8th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Austin Burton says:
Marv Albert’s book would be scandalous. He’s been around the game forever and has to have tons of stories about MJ, Barkley, Ewing, Magic, Dr. J, etc. Plus he’s got his own issues of freakishness.
Isiah Thomas’ book would be phenomenal, from growing up to Indiana to his NBA playing career to his post-playing career.
September 8th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
ERIC says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?=vCrvCbh26K8&feature=related
September 8th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
ERIC says:
oops –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCrvCbh26K8
September 8th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Sam I Am says:
for real for real ya’ll are OK…
But clearly Charles Barkely would be priceless !!!
Stern’s would be tooo serious, no more frowning and bad stuff for the league,
Let people smile for a while
September 8th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
it aint easy being green says:
josh howard and marv albert could do like a co-biography entitled “BONGS AND THONGS”
September 8th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
nick says:
kg’s would be a pretty good one i would hope.
September 8th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
Not OJ- we already know the answer to that question!
I’d like Craig Sager’s called “blonde bitches and basketball”
Or
Ron Ron’s with the cover a picture of Artest laying on stern’s couch with his Rick James boots on titled “fuck yo couch nigga!”
September 8th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
dagood says:
magic johnston. I wanna know how he got sick – thousands of women, or something else…
September 8th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
hahns says:
actually, i retract my comment. im going to have to agree and go w/ zeke. his tell all story would be sick…from the bad boys days and what on in the locker room/strategies to being snubbed on the dream team/beef w/ mj, to the nyk era w/ anucha brown sanders and all his crazy gm moves. i would buy that book….
September 8th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Diego says:
LOL @ most of the above posts. Good stuff! (Who will have post of the day?!)
September 8th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
RENO says:
Gotta go with Barkley…. Between his interviews and what he says on TNT…. You know his book would be the most entertaining of them all. He pretty much covers everything from bar fights to politics. And you know he’ll have the best stories about everything NBA… Dirt and all. Gotta be Chuck.
September 8th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Celts Fan says:
all I know is Shawn Kemp’s better reveal a latex allergy
September 8th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Daily boy says:
It’s got to be Magic, just from him being one of the best ball players in the history, and from when he found out that he had HIV & how others treated him afterwards.. I would be very interesting
September 8th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Michorizo says:
Did toilet seat covers become the norm before or after Magic retired?
September 8th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
the mamba says:
I heard that magic johnson and one other player had a private room with hot tubs and shit in the forum. They would pull chicks out the crowd and take em 2 the private room 2 party after the game
September 8th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Michorizo says:
Was A.C. Green the other player…?
September 8th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
bsteezy3 says:
I’m gonna go with “The Big Dipper” for #1.
September 8th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
bullet380 says:
Wilt Chamberlain
Book Title: Behind the Scenes of the Real Big Dipper!
September 8th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
rob stewart says:
Horace Grant because he played with Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Shaq, Penny and Kobe. I would interview someone who played a long time and with alot of superstars so I could get real info on everyone.
September 8th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Three Stacks says:
Jayson Williams, Stephen Jackson, and Paul Mokeski.
September 8th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
P_Dizzle says:
Holy hell! No one has said the Worm, Dennis Rodman. We would found out when ‘Zeke jumped onto the crazy train. We would find out about the off-court shenanigans of the 72 wins Bulls and the Bad Boys. Find out who MJ was cheating with. We would find out how good Madonna and Carmen Electra are in the sack. I am sure we would find quite a few players that would call Rodman up for a “snort” or whatever other things Rodman had in his bag of “goodies”.
He would be a good source to hit up. He has seen and been a part of more shit then we could imagine. Didn’t he also say at one time that he was bi?… maybe I want someone else.
September 8th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
P_Dizzle says:
Phil Jackson would be another good one. From dating a porn star to dating your boss’ daughter. Also managing and keeping raps on MJ & Pippen and Kobe & Shaq. That would be interesting to hear what he would say about that. He’s been around the league for a while and so it would be a riot to hear some of his stories.
September 8th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
DO says:
Rodman already has a book out.
I would go with Rasheed Wallace. It would be a bonus if he would agree to read for his book on tape.
September 8th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
GEE... runnin a train! says:
Joey Crawford’s. Just to see what dude got against Duncan fa real lol.
September 8th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
A-Slam says:
A.C. Green: Like a Virgin. haha!
September 8th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Amar says:
Greg Ostertag: This is what Shaq’s ass tastes like.
September 8th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
A-Slam says:
John Amaechi: Finding love in basketball and in all the wrong places
September 8th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Austin Burton says:
If Jerry Sloan had coached for 20 years in anywhere but Utah, his book would be a best-seller.
September 8th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Gregg says:
Definitely John Salley. I heard he was pimp.
September 8th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
GEE... runnin a train! says:
Cedric Ceballos: What really happened when I went missin.
Kendall Gil: I’m so sad.
Jerry Sloan: The Pick and Roll hasn’t really gotten me shi*.
Robert Horry: When it counts!
The guy who threw the cup at Ron: On tap?
September 8th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
dapro says:
For me it doesn’t have to be a superstar just someone who’s been around enough to know the real sh** that happens off the court (even on the court)
but since I can only think of stars
Off the top of my head
Steph-I wanna know what dirt he had on Zeke
Jalen Rose- he’s been around too long not to have something good
Shaq- nuff said
September 8th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Austin Burton says:
What dapro is saying makes a lot of sense. Someone like Brian Shaw, who played with everyone from Bird to Shaq to Iverson to Kobe, who was an assistant under Phil Jackson and has been in and around the League for the better part of 20 years. He’s been there for Jordan, for the lockout, for when the League really exploded onto the mainstream, for the Magic HIV scare, etc.
September 8th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
dapro says:
@
Austin
I couldn’t think of any non superstars until you mentioned Shaw
A few names jumped out
Ron Harper-was a star until injuries, played with MJ, played assistant coach been around the league for years
Danny Ainge- still involved in the game but played in the “Golden Era” of the NBA. Traded to enough teams to see it all
September 8th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Luigi says:
i would like to read the adventures of Gilbert Arenas. i mean think about it
September 8th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Drink The Haterade (Kobe Rocks) says:
How about C-Webb you could ask him about all his big game mishaps, like the time he traveled in the NCAA Championship Game or what was going thru his head as he called that time out? Or how he missed that last second shot against the Twolves in the 04 playoffs, or how in the world the Kings choked when up against the Lakers.
It could be C-Webb Choke Artist? Or Bad Luck
September 8th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
the rocket cat says:
If he actually told the truth, it would have to be Stern. I can’t imagine any sex or anything in there, but the true story of all the ways he has manipulated the league would be amazing (and criminal, I’d guess).
Runner up: Larry Brown
I’d just love to see his head explode when forced to answer this question truthfully: has anything ever been your fault?
September 8th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
A-Slam says:
Tony Massenberg just because he’s been with like 13 different nba teams
September 8th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
chiaki says:
kobe: i’ll tell you how shaq’s ass tastes
September 8th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
I Hustle says:
Shawn Bradley. C’mon who else got dunked more. He ran the risk of gettin dunked on every game. Can you imagine what teammates dunked on him in practice over the years. He was the NBA’s version of a crash dummy.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Drink the Haterade (Kobe Rocks) says:
what about someone like Rod Mahorn or John Salley
September 8th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Borgs says:
J. R. Smith’s. Not that I would find the book itself particularly interesting, I’d just like to know if he can write.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
jnuh says:
Jordan.
I’ve always had a feeling that his “retirement” was actually a mutually agreed on suspension by the NBA for his gambling problems – I never bought that whole baseball angle.
I’d like the skinny on that.
September 9th, 2008 at 12:30 am
heartbreaker85 says:
NY TIMES BESTSELLERS
kobe bryant “a night in denver”
stephon marbury “the greatest book ever written: by the greatest point guard in the NBA today”
jason kidd “how to choke a…”
eddie curry “want fries with that?”
manu, varejao & divac “the art of flopping”
September 9th, 2008 at 12:50 am
A-Slam says:
I know I bring this one up alot, but you basically have to… “Frederic Weis: Life after Vince Carter’s Balls”
September 9th, 2008 at 2:03 am
HugotheHornet says:
Isiah Thomas…..The Bad Boys of Detroit, coaching the pacers, and Finally get some insight into to his buiness sense, relationship with Starbury and Larry Brown, and his sexula harrasment lawsuit
September 9th, 2008 at 2:06 am
HugotheHornet says:
Hahns, I saw you already had Zeke….good call
September 9th, 2008 at 2:08 am
HugotheHornet says:
Pat Riley’s could be interesting too, from his laker and knicks days, to basically screwing Stan Van Gundy out of an NBA title and his dirt on Shaq
September 9th, 2008 at 2:09 am
kowtz says:
TWO:
Phil Jackson: Getting love from screwing my boss’ young hot daughter…
John Ameachi: “Hard On” on the “Hard Court”
September 9th, 2008 at 5:22 am
karan says:
definately michael jordan
the guy was bigger than basketball, and if there’s anyone who’s life, motivations, work-style, and success i’m most interested in knowing about, its AIR
September 10th, 2008 at 6:57 am
AB40 says:
Darko Millicic – Why I should be drafted number 1 or larry brown ain’t got shit on me