Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Busting Out the Goggles, 1974

Kareem got off the bench, and the boos began. He was booed every time he put an elbow near Gianelli’s throat in the pivot, did anything the fans didn’t like, and when he entered and left the game

Willis Reed: The Art & Agony of a Gentle Giant, 1973

Willis Reed was past 30 now, and in the compressed lifespan of athletics that is to be past middle-age. It is a time when the body begins to betray its promises of youth, a time when the infinite resilience and boundless energy start to become less dependable certainties.

Billy McGill: Over the Hill, In the Valley, and Rising Up Again, 1977

McGill was back on the street. He called Walter Kennedy, then the NBA commissioner, asking whether he had any pension funds due him. He did not; he had not played long enough. “I called collect,” he said, “and I had to look around for a dime.

What’s Wrong with Big-Time Basketball, 1955

Undoubtedly, this is progress. But is it enough? We don’t think so. The NBA could do much to improve its league.