Lou Carnesecca – From Way Downtown

Ode to Sonny Dove, 1983

The pro game never was his thing. His career was adequate, but he never fooled himself. He knew what he wanted to do with his life, and he was determined to develop those skills in the same fashion that he developed his skills on the court during teenaged summers

The Rise and Fall of Mark Jackson, 1991

Jackson, a firebrand of emotion, delights the Garden crowd with his dazzling plays. He is praised for exuberance. He is later cursed for hot-dogging.

Lou Carnesecca: Now Playing at the Island Garden, 1971

The car pulls into the driveway, and the inner tension reaches a peak. Defeat is too fresh in Carnesecca’s mind for it not to show on his face.

Lou Carnesecca: Are the Pros Ready for Looie? 1971

“Wait a minute,” he whispered after losing his voice during a practice session, “who am I that the pros should be ready for me? Am I ready for them? That’s the question.”

Charlie Scott: The Next Big O, 1972

“He makes all the big plays,” said Lou Carnesecca, the fiery coach-general manager of the Nets. “He reminds me so much of Oscar Robertson that I hate to think what he’s going to do as he gains pro experience.”

Half Dollar Bill Melchionni, 1971

There is nothing fancy about Melchionni’s game. He leaves showtime ballhandling to those who must resort to it in order to build up their game, and Billy’s game is as pure as Dionne Warwick’s vocal range.