Let Me Tell You a Story: A Lifetime in the Game » (Reprint)

America's favorite sportswriter teams up with Red Auerbach, the most successful and admired coach in basketball history, to tell the best stories of a legendary life.

Living legend Arnold "Red" Auerbach led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA championships--eight of them consecutive-- during his 17-year tenure in Boston from 1950 to 1966. The fiery coach is a unique personality--brash, opinionated, and unfailingly accurate. As a coach he never stood still along the sidelines, and in retirement he remains a lively part of the game, still consulted by coaches, players, and general managers at age 86.

For years, John Feinstein has met regularly with Red Auerbach and his friends, drawing out Reds life story in a raucous series of unforgettable sessions. From those smoke- and laughter-filled rooms come these colorful reports about all the players and coaches Red has worked with and played against over the years. Bob Cousy, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Sam Jones, Bill Russell, and Michael Jordan--you name them, the basketball greats are all here. Red Auerbachs incredible experiences in sports and John Feinsteins unparalleled skill as a sports storyteller make this one of the greatest books to come out of the game of basketball.

Library Journal

Hall of Fame Celtics coach Auerbach leads a diverse weekly lunch group that includes journalists, secret service agents, former basketball coaches, and lifelong friends. For several years, prominent sportswriter Feinstein (Caddy for Life) has been part of this select group, for whom Auerbach relates court stories, professing opinions and needling his companions. The author weaves many of Auerbach's tales into an entertaining and insightful narrative that stands as a memoir not only of Auerbach's life but also of the history of the and the NBA. The best material concerns the glory years of the Celtics under Auerbach as coach and general manager, but the past two decades of decline are reflected as well. Particularly poignant and humanizing are the latter chapters dealing with the deaths of Auerbach's wife and brother. An exceptionally enjoyable read; highly recommended.-John Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ. Lib., Camden, NJ Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.