Forever's Team

by John Feinstein

The coaches and players of Duke University's 1977-78 team, who ended an otherwise successful season with their NCAA championship loss to Kentucky, are traced from their time on the squad to their present occupations.

Genres: Sports, Basketball, Nonfiction

375 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

John Feinstein was an American sportswriter, author, and sports commentator.

Reviews

[Tom Gase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by John Feinstein. I don't believe he's written a bad one. I really got into this one about the Duke 1977-78 basketball team and what happened to all the players after their great season. It's not sluggish at any point, and it takes you through that season and how the pieces to the puzzle were formed within about 170 pages. The other half of the book is all the players, one by one, reflecting on those days and what happened since up to 1989 when the book was written. I must-read for any college basketball fan and required reading for any Duke or ACC fan. I'm not a huge fan of Duke, or else this would probably be a five star book. Not as good as A Civil War, The Punch or Season on the Brink, but still really good.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this weren't about Duke I would have loved it

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

vintage Feinstein here. he's still young (early 30s) and not doing his usual "formula" book (a-year-in-the-life). this is that, yes - it's about the '78 final four run at Duke, which occurred while Feinstein was an undergrad there - but it's simultaneously a look into the future at the careers of Jim Spanarkel, Mike Gminski, Gene Banks, Bill Foster, and all the rest. There's a depth of feeling and detail here that you only see in some of his books (mainly when he's writing about golf or ACC hoops, though that Patriot League book and the Tomjanovich punch were both excellent as well). Very relaxing fare for the toilet or before bed.

Also interesting to read Feinstein's note in the acknowledgments that he's leaving SI for Deford's The National sports daily. That one didn't work out too well!

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book! No one writes better about college basketball than Feinstein and when he really focuses in on a subject, the stories and insights and feeling of being there with that team is second to none. It didn't hurt that this was also about Duke - who I love. But it was about the team when I was only 2 years old, so I only knew a little about them and clearly wasn't following them then. Now I feel like I was. This is vintage Feinstein at his very best.

[Matt M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate to like anything related to Duke but it's an interesting book about the lives of very interesting, diverse people. Worth a read if you like college basketball

[Chris Schaffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic work of Feinstein. A bit sappy, heart tugging, ever penetrating, great game recaps and personal stories. It is a bit tough to read 300+ pages on Duke but this was Duke circa 1974-80.

[Lana · Rating 3 out of 5]

In cleaning through my apartment I have found an old treasure-trove of book related papers, including my “books read” list from 1999-2000. In addition to listing the books, I wrote about 2-3 sentences to myself – sometimes they were plot reminders, sometimes commentary on the books. They were not intended to be read by anyone other than myself. I don’t imagine these will be very helpful to anyone else, but I’m posting them here for two reasons: first, to keep my reviews/comments in one place now and, second, because they’re kind of a fascinating look at my younger brain.

About the '78 Duke Final Four team. Great story about team unity and what it alone can accomplish, and what happens when it falls apart. Very interesting read.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been out for over 15 years, but I found an old used copy and gave it a shot. I am sad it took me 15 years to find this gem. Feinstein wrote a fantastic book about the '78 Final Four Duke Basketball team. More than just a sports or basketball book, this is a wonderful study of team success and individual failure. The '79 team was destined by fans and sports writers to repeat the success of the year before primarily because the team only lost one senior, but it didn't happen that way. Understanding why it didn't happen is almost as interesting a recounting the glory of '78. An extremely good read...even 15 years later.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forever’s Team by John Feinstein. (Random House Publishing 1989). A look inside Duke’s 1978 team that lost the NCAA finals to Kentucky and an update as to where the players are now. My rating: 7/10, finished 2006.

[John Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still one of the best, most passionately written sports books i've ever read and no, I didn't go to Duke.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feinstein wrote this book about the Duke basketball team that played when it was a student. He does not hide his passion for this team and it works. I hate Duke, but still liked this book.

[Will Knechtle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read about team unity, the power of attitudes, and Duke basketball before Coach K.

[Josh Ingraham]

Good read for sports fans. The birth and death of a cinderella team.