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Loading... Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicksby Chris Herring
   No current Talk conversations about this book.  reenum | Apr 18, 2022 |    ) Zach-Rigo | Mar 1, 2022 | no reviews | add a review
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Biography & Autobiography.
History.
Sports & Recreations.
Nonfiction.
HTML:INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A SELECTION ON BARACK OBAMA'S SUMMER READING LIST The definitive history of the 1990s New York Knicks, illustrating how Pat Riley, Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Charles Oakley, and Anthony Mason resurrected the iconic franchise through oppressive physicality and unmatched grit. For nearly an entire generation, the New York Knicks have been a laughingstock franchise. Since 2001, they've spent more money, lost more games, and won fewer playoff series than any other NBA team. But during the preceding era, the Big Apple had a club it was madly in love with—one that earned respect not only by winning, but through brute force. The Knicks were always looking for fights, often at the encouragement of Pat Riley. They fought opposing players. They fought each other. Hell, they even occasionally fought their own coaches. The NBA didn't take kindly to their fighting spirit. Within two years, league officials moved to alter several rules to stop New York from turning its basketball games into bloody mudwrestling matches. Nevertheless, as the 1990s progressed, the Knicks endeared themselves to millions of fans; not for how much they won, but for their colorful cast of characters and their hardworking mentality. Now, through his original reporting and interviews with more than two hundred people, author Chris Herring delves into the origin, evolution, and eventual demise of the iconic club. He takes us inside the locker room, executive boardrooms, and onto the court for the key moments that lifted the club to new heights, and the ones that threatened to send everything crashing down in spectacular fashion. Blood in the Garden is a portrait filled with eye-opening details that have never been shared before, revealing the full story of the franchise in the midst of the NBA's golden era. And rest assured, no punches will be pulled. Which is just how those rough-and-tumble Knicks would like it. No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)796.323The arts Recreational and performing arts Athletic and outdoor sports and games Ball sports Ball and net sports BasketballLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (4.39)
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Wikipedia in English
5
The 1990s Knicks played a joyless brand of basketball, and it's easy to see why. The two main protagonists in the book, Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy, are both very controlling of all aspects of the team. Riley came off as more paranoid and devious than anything. He perceived almost any innocuous action as an unforgivable slight. When Riley leaves, it's almost a relief. Van Gundy would likely have followed in Riley's footsteps if he'd been a more powerful figure. But starting out as a coach meant that people like Dave Checketts could prevent him from going full Riley. The 1990s Knicks played a joyless brand of basketball that only the purest basketball fans could enjoy. Reading about their coaches shows why they were so.
This book also hits all the beats a good sports book should. The anecdotes are interesting. The game action is described quite vividly. The main characters are well formed. There's also a solid arc of the Knicks' rise and fall. I'd put this up against most sports books written in the last 20 years.
I highly recommend this book for the 1990s NBA or Knicks fan in your life. Others may not find it as engaging as those groups of people will. (