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Madness: The Man Who Changed Basketball
Who’s the greatest basketball player ever?
It's not Michael Jordan.
Madness is the intriguing story of Hank Luisetti, the predawn of March Madness, and how modern basketball was born.
The majority of searches say Michael Jordan is the best basketball player of all time, but many others oppose this. While Jordan’s rank is debatable, a respectable dream team would include Kevin Durant, Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dr. J, Tim Duncan, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, and Hank Luisetti.
Chances are, you've never heard of Hank Luisetti. But this wouldn’t be a legitimate discussion without the Hall of Fame legend whose celebrity caused a basketball revolution.
James Naismith invented basketball in 1891; Hank Luisetti reinvented it in 1936. Hank changed basketball’s genetic footprint when he popularized the one-handed shot. He could jump so high and stay up so long he seemed to defy gravity.
Was Luisetti better than Jordan? That’s impossible to say because they played in different eras. But Hank Luisetti was basketball’s first superstar and what he did for the game is unprecedented.
This historical fiction novel is based on the basketball achievements of Hank Luisetti. Some actual events, aspects, and characters have been fictionalized.
Get your copy!
It's not Michael Jordan.
Madness is the intriguing story of Hank Luisetti, the predawn of March Madness, and how modern basketball was born.
The majority of searches say Michael Jordan is the best basketball player of all time, but many others oppose this. While Jordan’s rank is debatable, a respectable dream team would include Kevin Durant, Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dr. J, Tim Duncan, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, and Hank Luisetti.
Chances are, you've never heard of Hank Luisetti. But this wouldn’t be a legitimate discussion without the Hall of Fame legend whose celebrity caused a basketball revolution.
James Naismith invented basketball in 1891; Hank Luisetti reinvented it in 1936. Hank changed basketball’s genetic footprint when he popularized the one-handed shot. He could jump so high and stay up so long he seemed to defy gravity.
Was Luisetti better than Jordan? That’s impossible to say because they played in different eras. But Hank Luisetti was basketball’s first superstar and what he did for the game is unprecedented.
This historical fiction novel is based on the basketball achievements of Hank Luisetti. Some actual events, aspects, and characters have been fictionalized.
Get your copy!
219 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 21, 2018
28 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Mike DeLucia
8 books13 followersMike De Lucia, grew up in the Throgs Neck/Pelham Bay section of the Bronx and has spent most of his life as an entrepreneur, actor, teacher, director, and writer.
He is the author of the multi-award-winning historical fiction novel, Madness, The Man Who Changed Basketball.
Mike, a green tea enthusiast, travels the world with his wife Lillian, has two children, two grandchildren, and loves receiving emails from readers. If you enjoy his books, have questions, or are interested in a book talk, please reach out: greentbooks@gmail.com.
Website: www.booksbymikedelucia.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mdeluciabooks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greentbooks
He is the author of the multi-award-winning historical fiction novel, Madness, The Man Who Changed Basketball.
Mike, a green tea enthusiast, travels the world with his wife Lillian, has two children, two grandchildren, and loves receiving emails from readers. If you enjoy his books, have questions, or are interested in a book talk, please reach out: greentbooks@gmail.com.
Website: www.booksbymikedelucia.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mdeluciabooks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greentbooks
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 2, 2019
Every sport has its superstars. Baseball has its Babe Ruth. Hockey has its Wayne Gretzky. Football has its Joe Montana. And basketball has its.... Hank Luisetti? Wait, what? You've never heard of Hank Luisetti? Well, neither had I, until I read Madness: The Man Who Changed Basketball by author Mike DeLucia. Rest assured, Hank Luisetti was a real person, and he has most definitely earned his place on the list. He was not only a superstar in his day, but he was the kind of superstar who actually changed the way his sport was played. Almost single-handedly, Luisetti took basketball from a static, defensive bore-fest with final scores reminiscent of a little league game, to the crazy powerhouse that is today's March Madness. Hank Luisetti was a genuine superstar in 1930's America, and by 2019, he's been entirely forgotten. Well, almost entirely.
In Mike DeLucia's own words, Madness: The Man Who Changed Basketball, was a long time coming. After hearing the story of Hank Luisetti from his father, he spent years digging through the forgotten man's life, and his dedication to that research shows. But this is no dry listing of accomplishments on the court. We drop in on Luisetti as a young boy with a dream, and we get to follow him over every bump in the road on his way to realizing that dream. It is intimate, it is compelling, and in Mike DeLucia's capable hands, it reads like something that the bigwigs in Hollywood should be all over. Humble beginnings. Immigrant family. Good man, but flawed. True love, so close yet just out of reach. It even has a climactic scene of the championship game, which DeLucia describes to perfection. It is the quintessential American story, but it's more than that, too. It is an everyman story. It tells us that it's okay to dream, it's okay to go against prevailing wisdom, and it's okay to aspire to things you couldn't possibly hope to accomplish. And most importantly, it tells us that if we work hard enough and believe in ourselves, our dreams really can come true.
5 huge stars for Madness, and my thanks to Mike DeLucia for introducing me to such a remarkable man.
In Mike DeLucia's own words, Madness: The Man Who Changed Basketball, was a long time coming. After hearing the story of Hank Luisetti from his father, he spent years digging through the forgotten man's life, and his dedication to that research shows. But this is no dry listing of accomplishments on the court. We drop in on Luisetti as a young boy with a dream, and we get to follow him over every bump in the road on his way to realizing that dream. It is intimate, it is compelling, and in Mike DeLucia's capable hands, it reads like something that the bigwigs in Hollywood should be all over. Humble beginnings. Immigrant family. Good man, but flawed. True love, so close yet just out of reach. It even has a climactic scene of the championship game, which DeLucia describes to perfection. It is the quintessential American story, but it's more than that, too. It is an everyman story. It tells us that it's okay to dream, it's okay to go against prevailing wisdom, and it's okay to aspire to things you couldn't possibly hope to accomplish. And most importantly, it tells us that if we work hard enough and believe in ourselves, our dreams really can come true.
5 huge stars for Madness, and my thanks to Mike DeLucia for introducing me to such a remarkable man.
March 18, 2022
Get hooked on the "Madness!"
I absolutely loved this novel! Unless you're a basketball fanatic or historian, then you're likely not familiar with the student athlete named Angelo "Hank" Luisetti, and how the game of basketball was forever changed by his presence in it. I certainly wasn't. This exciting true story is action packed, and takes from real life events to weave a tale for the ages. Hank's groundbreaking style of basketball was unheard of in his time, in a sport that quite frankly was a mere afterthought when compared to the powerhouses of football and baseball. The author Mike DeLucia carefully lays out an intriguing series of real world events that when married with a player who broke ground in his sport, changes and evolves the game of basketball into what we know it as today. I really admired the personal character development in this novel, and was literally on the edge of my seat when reading about the legendary games that Hank Luisetti played in. I also learned a bit of basketball history along the way, including some fascinating rule changes—that are still used today! This book has it all, and I would invite everyone to give it a read. I will now make it a point to seek out Mike DeLucia's other sports-themed works!
I absolutely loved this novel! Unless you're a basketball fanatic or historian, then you're likely not familiar with the student athlete named Angelo "Hank" Luisetti, and how the game of basketball was forever changed by his presence in it. I certainly wasn't. This exciting true story is action packed, and takes from real life events to weave a tale for the ages. Hank's groundbreaking style of basketball was unheard of in his time, in a sport that quite frankly was a mere afterthought when compared to the powerhouses of football and baseball. The author Mike DeLucia carefully lays out an intriguing series of real world events that when married with a player who broke ground in his sport, changes and evolves the game of basketball into what we know it as today. I really admired the personal character development in this novel, and was literally on the edge of my seat when reading about the legendary games that Hank Luisetti played in. I also learned a bit of basketball history along the way, including some fascinating rule changes—that are still used today! This book has it all, and I would invite everyone to give it a read. I will now make it a point to seek out Mike DeLucia's other sports-themed works!
May 14, 2020
A must-read for any basketball fan!
Growing up in the 90s, our people were Miller, Mutombo, Drexler, Malone and the like; and especially as Florida residents we had to represent the Miami Heat when Lebron and Wade were rockin "the big three" in 2012 and '13. But even with all the big names in history - Jordan, Shaq, Lebron, Curry, Bird, Barkley, Kobe - I had never once, in all the news and reports, heard of Hank Luisetti - seriously, who the heck is that? And if he's sooo great why don't we know about him? Madness taught me we have Luisetti to thank for the game, fans, and March Madness season we have today; and Mike DeLucia tells his burried story so fluidly, I couldn't help but keep reading. It's also a generally fun read because it's stationed in Italy, and something about that was refreshing; I guess to see that basketball isn't as "American" as we thought. That's to say, whether you're a sports fan or just an avid reader, this is a great story about an unheard of great man, and I'm glad someone was able to uncover this once hidden story and tell it to the world.
Growing up in the 90s, our people were Miller, Mutombo, Drexler, Malone and the like; and especially as Florida residents we had to represent the Miami Heat when Lebron and Wade were rockin "the big three" in 2012 and '13. But even with all the big names in history - Jordan, Shaq, Lebron, Curry, Bird, Barkley, Kobe - I had never once, in all the news and reports, heard of Hank Luisetti - seriously, who the heck is that? And if he's sooo great why don't we know about him? Madness taught me we have Luisetti to thank for the game, fans, and March Madness season we have today; and Mike DeLucia tells his burried story so fluidly, I couldn't help but keep reading. It's also a generally fun read because it's stationed in Italy, and something about that was refreshing; I guess to see that basketball isn't as "American" as we thought. That's to say, whether you're a sports fan or just an avid reader, this is a great story about an unheard of great man, and I'm glad someone was able to uncover this once hidden story and tell it to the world.
March 25, 2019
I've never seen a live basketball game...that's about to change...MADNESS by Mike DeLucia is nothing short of inspirational. The true life hero is Hank Luisetti, unbelievably gifted who transforms the game into what we know it today. Back in the mid-1930's what he performed was unheard of. The story is emotional with parental and romantic tensions...but oh gosh, I could't put it down... It had me cheering for him! If you are not moved by this you must be as wooden as a gatepost! 5 star and more for Madness and the author.
May 4, 2019
Inspirational!!
I am so happy Mr. DeLucia’s father recommended Hank as a good character to write about, and even happier, that although it took many years to complete, Mike DeLucia completed, and published this literary sports masterpiece!
I was hooked from the beginning and found myself cheering this unknown titan of baseball throughout the story...with a few tears along the way. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes sports or inspirational story’s. Wow, what a great book!
I am so happy Mr. DeLucia’s father recommended Hank as a good character to write about, and even happier, that although it took many years to complete, Mike DeLucia completed, and published this literary sports masterpiece!
I was hooked from the beginning and found myself cheering this unknown titan of baseball throughout the story...with a few tears along the way. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes sports or inspirational story’s. Wow, what a great book!
December 22, 2019
In the book Madness by Mike Delucia, it is about Hank Luisetti who played basketball for Stanford University. Hank reached many great accomplishments and feats on the court and was also a great person in that he respected others and was a team player, playing unselfishly and sharing the ball. Hank changed the game of basketball forever for the better and created the new era in basketball in creating the one-hand shot. Without Hank, the game wouldn't have been the same because of his contributions. Hank went through struggles when he was younger but in the end, he pushed through them and followed his dreams in basketball.
My favorite person in the book is the main character, Hank Luisetti because learning about him was fascinating. Hank was a great basketball player in the 1930s who changed the game that I play now play today. The book was interesting because I'm learning about my favorite sport and the history of the sport before I was born. This reaction was more personal because if you don't like the sport basketball then this book could be boring for you. What surprised me about the book was that he invented the one-hand shot. before him, people only took two hand shots and in today's day, one hand shots are very common. What also surprised me was that Hank never played professionally because of World War II. He still had such an impact on the game and he only played in college which makes it even more impressive.
Overall, I liked this book and it has been a more enjoyable book than the other books I have read recently. I would recommend this book to any athlete because learning about sports history is very interesting and fun. Even if you don't play basketball it will still be cool to learn bout Hank Luisetti and how he changed basketball. I think the book could have done a better job describing his personal life but other than that I enjoyed this book and recommend it.
My favorite person in the book is the main character, Hank Luisetti because learning about him was fascinating. Hank was a great basketball player in the 1930s who changed the game that I play now play today. The book was interesting because I'm learning about my favorite sport and the history of the sport before I was born. This reaction was more personal because if you don't like the sport basketball then this book could be boring for you. What surprised me about the book was that he invented the one-hand shot. before him, people only took two hand shots and in today's day, one hand shots are very common. What also surprised me was that Hank never played professionally because of World War II. He still had such an impact on the game and he only played in college which makes it even more impressive.
Overall, I liked this book and it has been a more enjoyable book than the other books I have read recently. I would recommend this book to any athlete because learning about sports history is very interesting and fun. Even if you don't play basketball it will still be cool to learn bout Hank Luisetti and how he changed basketball. I think the book could have done a better job describing his personal life but other than that I enjoyed this book and recommend it.
November 9, 2019
Inspirational! Whether you’re into sports or not, this book you won’t want to put down. Not knowing too much about basketball and certainly not knowing the name Hank Luisetti, I learned very quickly that there was much more than the sport between the pages !
With a few tear drops along the way, I passed this book onto my mother and brother each stating so many lessons learned, so many compelling reasons to keep passing this book of Mike DeLucia’s around and to encourage others to purchase, read and discuss!
Again so much more than a basketball and a hoop, so not just another Michael Jordan super star story, but a heartwarming, page turning true story of a man who few knew of but, surely won’t forget !
With a few tear drops along the way, I passed this book onto my mother and brother each stating so many lessons learned, so many compelling reasons to keep passing this book of Mike DeLucia’s around and to encourage others to purchase, read and discuss!
Again so much more than a basketball and a hoop, so not just another Michael Jordan super star story, but a heartwarming, page turning true story of a man who few knew of but, surely won’t forget !
December 10, 2019
Madness is an engaging sports novel that brings to life basketball superstar, Hank Luisetti. He's the guy who invented the one-handed shot that transformed the game.
The characters are rich and engaging, and the action moves along. Author, Mike DeLucia obviously did his homework, because the reader gets to know so much about Hank – his Italian upbringing, his passions, and his personal struggles. This riveting book not only is an excellent biography, but it's also a story of hope and following a dream. Highly recommended.
The characters are rich and engaging, and the action moves along. Author, Mike DeLucia obviously did his homework, because the reader gets to know so much about Hank – his Italian upbringing, his passions, and his personal struggles. This riveting book not only is an excellent biography, but it's also a story of hope and following a dream. Highly recommended.
July 1, 2020
A Great Book!!
Madness: The Man Who Changed Basketball is a great book. Once I started the book, I could not put it down until I finished it. If you get the opportunity to read this book, seize it and read it. You will not be disappointed.
Madness: The Man Who Changed Basketball is a great book. Once I started the book, I could not put it down until I finished it. If you get the opportunity to read this book, seize it and read it. You will not be disappointed.
April 16, 2022
Fantastic...the book should be made into a film?
December 1, 2021
Madness, by Mike DeLucia, was an immensely satisfying surprise. I haven't enjoyed baskedball this much since before I was kicked off the team in Junior High for popping off at the mouth. At any rate, Madness shines a well-deserved spotlight on the man who single-handedly changed the shape and speed of basketball as we know it. Now virtually unknown, Hank Liusetti overcame obstacles and heartbreak on his journey to revolutionize the sport which gave rise to greats like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, LeBron James, and Magic Johnson. This self-published, creative non-fiction novel had me racing up and down the court alongside Hank and his teammates from page one. With basketball season currently in full swing, I highly recommend picking this one up. Better yet, grab a second copy and gift it to the budding basketball fanatic in your life. They'll thank you for it and you'll have something to talk about when March Madness is over.
May 6, 2020
I don’t usually read sports’ books but this book intrigued me. Even though I never heard of Hank Luisetti the author has shown what an incredible athlete Hank was. In the short time Hank played he reached great heights and feats on the court. He was a remarkable person also in that he respected others and was a team player, playing unselfishly and sharing the ball. This, you do not see as much today. Hank was an admirable human being who changed the sport of basketball forever and laid the foundation for others to follow in his footsteps.
The author has written an enjoyable story around Hank’s life as he combined emotion, love interest, and family controversy. Mike De Lucia demonstrated through this story that with perseverance and determination how much one person can do to be a success at what he loves in life. Also, what an individual does and how he interacts with others can only make those around him better too.
I highly recommend this book.
The author has written an enjoyable story around Hank’s life as he combined emotion, love interest, and family controversy. Mike De Lucia demonstrated through this story that with perseverance and determination how much one person can do to be a success at what he loves in life. Also, what an individual does and how he interacts with others can only make those around him better too.
I highly recommend this book.
December 21, 2020
The title is very misleading. I was expecting a non-fiction book about Hank Luisetti, his influence on modernizing basketball, and the beginning of college basketball tournaments. (The NCAA tournament was born in 1939). Instead, this is a young adult, coming of age novel that includes the story of Hank Luisetti from his childhood until his college years. I would estimate only 25% of the book actually is about basketball with the rest focusing on Hank's relationships with his father, his girlfriend, and his early mentors. If you are expecting non-fiction basketball history, this book barely counts. If you are looking for a sports-related novel for a young adult, then this is an excellent book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews