Basketball is Jazz: Stories and Lessons From a Basketball Lifer

by David B. Thorpe

Harvey Penick wrote “The Little Red Book” to teach golf enthusiasts the world over, fans and players, the nuances of the game. He succeeded brilliantly, and in the process he inspired David Thorpe to do the same thing for the sport he has spent a lifetime coaching. Coach Thorpe, an ESPN NBA Analyst for the past ten years, has spent a lifetime coaching thousands of players the game of basketball, while mentoring hundreds of coaches, NBA executives, and even a few owners. He is credited with being the first “basketball skills trainer”, doing for players what golf and tennis pro’s have been doing for years. “BASKETBALL IS Stories and Lessons From a Basketball Lifer” is a glimpse inside how the game is best taught, played, coached, and enjoyed. Thorpe’s stories, about his NBA clients or his high school players from earlier in his career, will help the reader see the game better and appreciate it more. Parents looking for guidance will gain valuable insights into how they can better serve their children, just as coaches and players will learn better methods to improve their performances. And NBA fans will catch a long glimpse behind the curtain separating them from the players they love, seeing firsthand what these men do each day to make this incredibly difficult game look so easy to play.

Genres: Basketball, Sports

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 5, 2019

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorpe's description, "Stories and Lessons," is totally accurate in the sense that there is no larger narrative at work here, just an assortment of anecdotes that explain some of the author's thoughts and feelings about his (and my) favorite sport. Thorpe is an engaging writer and a thoughtful ponderer of life and sport, and his stories breeze by easily without ever overstaying their welcome. The tone of gratitude and measured perspective is genuine; though Thorpe occasionally falls into false modesty or self-aggrandizement in other media, I didn't find any here. There were also a number of practical lessons for anyone who, like me, still plays basketball and seeks to better their fundamentals.

NOTE: This may be the first time I've been so petty as to downgrade a book due to typos, but the noticeable misspellings, missing punctuation marks, and run-on sentences in my Kindle copy have to be noted, as they detracted from the flow of several sections.

[Maxwell Levine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of this book is completely misleading. It should be called: Miscelaneous Coaching Tips from the 1980's that Kind Of Apply Today, But Only For Basketball."

Every time I thought the author might continue a theme in this book-- wrong. There are none. Just random life stories with the random tip of something like: when playing basketball, it is important to rebound. Thank you David Thorpe.

This would have been nice if it was like 50 pages maybe. This was one of those books where I felt like I was reading it just to finish it. Never a good feeling. Also, especially bad when I am in a semi-reading slump with how busy I am rn.

[Doug McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seven word review = great stories of a coach's hoop glories.

[Rachel Thorpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing!!

[Logan Rand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a mess of mini stories and coaching/training tips, but this book has some real gems and really captures the essence of the sport. Basketball is jazz

[Kaleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basketball dorks will really like this book. There’s plenty of recognizable players that you’ve heard of and some that you haven’t. There’s stories for days in here. I like the new perspective on how coaches develop their style and how they get their players to better themselves. I also respect Coach Thorpe with how he’s adapted throughout the years. Starting from a 20 something fresh out of college to the present day being married with children. Basketball players will get tips on how to be better and coaches who read this will get the same thing. Short but filled with plenty of content. Thanks Coach Thorpe!!!

[Josh Url · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with Coach Thorpe's perspective on basketball and the very title of the book - basketball is jazz. There are several smart lessons to glean from this book. I would recommend it to basketball fans and aficionados. my only note is that this is structured more like a diary or collection of vignettes than a cohesive narrative. If you are expecting differently you may be caught off guard.