Red Holzman: A Humpty-Dumpty Situation, 1968

Holzman knows the game of basketball. And he probably knows it better now than back in 1957, when St. Louis fired him after a losing record.

Red Auerbach: Hothead on the Boston Bench, 1956

As provincial as the next town, Boston likes winning teams, and although the Celtics have been close many times, they’ve never taken the big prize. Some critics say it is Auerbach’s fault.

Forever on Tryout, 1980

Every time a man is waived, the odds of finding a job in the NBA decrease. Deserved or not, he gets a book, a rep that he can’t shake.

Charlie Criss: Guts and Elbows Basketball, 1977

Criss became known as “The Mosquito,” and it was not a phony alliterative or geographical title invented by a P.R. man. It was a high sign to Criss that even though there were guys on the playground nobody ever heard of, many of them could hold their own with the best in the NBA.