It was a pleasure to talk to Pete Croatto about his new book From Hang Time to Prime Time: Business, Entertainment and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA

https://newbooksnetwork.com/from-hang-time-to-prime-time

The birth of the modern-day NBA is often attributed to Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and David Stern. In From Hang Time to Prime Time: Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA (Atria Books, 2020), PeteCroatto pays homage to those legendary figures, while putting their contributions to the game in the context of some of the cultural, business and technological forces that built the NBA into a pop culture juggernaut. Croatto examines how the ABA/NBA merger, CBS’s personality-driven coverage of key players, the expansion of cable television, the emergence of hip-hop culture and a brilliant marketing team at NBA Entertainment transformed a fledgling league searching for its identity into a global phenomenon.

The breadth and depth of this thoroughly researched book (Croatto interviewed over 300 sources) is staggering, and yet, the author managed to present the narrative in a breezy, easy to read narrative. From Hang Time to Prime Time has something for everyone, appealing to die-hard and casual basketball fans alike. The reader will learn about building a business, marketing a product, music, fashion, technology and more.

It was great to talk to a couple of coaches about my book on Bleachers and Boards.

It was a treat to be on the other side of the New Books Sports Podcast to talk about my book The Knicks of the Nineties. https://newbooksnetwork.com/the-knicks-of-the-nineties

Our last season podcast link

Harvey Araton is one of New York’s–and the nation’s–best-known sports journalists, having covered thousands of Knicks games over the course of a long and distinguished career. But the person at the heart of Our Last Season, Michelle Musler, is largely anonymous–except, that is, to the players, coaches, and writers who have passed through Madison Square Garden, where she held season tickets behind the Knicks bench for 45 years. In that time, as she juggled a successful career as a corporate executive and single parenthood of five children, she missed only a handful of home games. The Garden was her second home–and the place where an extraordinary friendship between fan and sportswriter was forged.

That relationship soon grew into something much bigger than basketball, with Michelle serving as a cherished mentor and friend to Harvey as he weathered life’s inevitable storms: illness, aging, and professional challenges and transitions. During the 2017-18 NBA season, as Michelle faces serious illness that prevents her from attending more than a few Knicks games, Harvey finally has the chance to give back to Michelle everything she has given him: reminders of all she’s accomplished, the blessings she’s enjoyed, and the devoted friend she has been to him.

Chock-full of anecdotes from behind the scenes and cameos from Knicks legends–from Frazier, King, and Ewing to Riley, Van Gundy, and many more–the story of Harvey and Michelle’s nearly four decades of friendship is a delight for basketball fans. But at its core, Our Last Season is a book for all of us, offering a poignant and inspiring message about how to live with passion, commitment, and optimism.

I talked 90s Knicks with the guys on The Baseline

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-34-interview-with-paul-knepper-the-knicks-of-the-nineties/id1506607533?i=1000498048376

Podcast with the editor of my book, Aaron Fischman, on his podcast On the NBA Beat. https://www.spreaker.com/user/11494655/11-06-20-paul-knepper

Knicks-ish Show

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-212-the-knicks-of-the-nineties/id1323624192?i=1000497421415