Crashing the Borders: How Basketball Won the World and Lost Its Soul at

by Harvey Araton

Unflinching, timely, and authoritative, Crashing the Borders is the beginning of a much-needed conversation about sport and American culture. For those who care about both, this book will be the must-read work of the season.

The game of basketball has gone global and is now the world’s fastest-growing sport. Talented players from Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa are literally crashing the borders as the level of their game now often equals that of the American pros, who no longer are sure winners in international competition and who must compete with foreign players for coveted spots on NBA rosters. Yet that refreshing world outlook stands in stark contrast to the game’s troubled image here at home. The concept of team play in the NBA has declined as the league’s marketers and television promoters have placed a premium on hyping individual stars instead of teams, and the players have come to see that big-buck contracts and endorsements come to those who selfishly demand the spotlight for themselves.

In this taut, simmering book, Harvey Araton points his finger at the greed and exploitation that has weakened the American game and opens a discussion on the volatile, undiscussed subject that lies at the heart of basketball’s race. It begins, he argues, at the college level, where, too often, undereducated, inner-city talents are expected to perform for the benefit of affluent white crowds and to fill the coffers of their respective schools in what Araton calls a kind of “modern-day minstrel show.” Harvey Araton knows the players well enough to see beyond the stereotypes, and by combining passion and knowledge he calls on the NBA to heal itself and, with a hopeful sense of the possible, he points the way to a better future.

Genres: Basketball, Sports

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

Harvey Araton joined the New York Times as a sports reporter and national basketball columnist in 1991 and became a "Sports of the Times" columnist in 1994. He is the author of numerous books, including most recently, When the Garden Was Eden: Clyde, the Captain, Dollar Bill, and the Glory Days of the Old Knicks. His work has also appeared in the New York Times Magazine, GQ, ESPN The Magazine, Sport, Tennis, and Basketball Weekly. Born in New York City in 1952, he is a 1975 graduate of the City University of New York. Araton lives in Montclair, New Jersey.

Reviews

[David Barney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author makes some really good points regarding international players playing in the NBA. The point about AA players and having a sense of entitlement is correct.

[Mattmiller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is one sportswriter's take on why the culture of the NBA changed from the 80s and early 90s to what it became in the later 90s and the first half of the 00s. Araton is pretty even handed. He spreads blame around (not just players) for how the sport seemed to become more individual focused than team focused, more rebellious, and more immature. I appreciated the content and the time period (Dream Team in 1992 through the Pistons-Pacers brawl) but thought the analysis could have been a little more penetrating. However, the fact that the NCAA, the NBA and corporate marketing are named among the guilty was of interest. I just wanted more detail.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

A familiar story told well. Interesting perspective but few surprises.