http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933060085/104-1979567-5052763


http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1933060085.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_V53794167_.jpg


just heard a little bit on Cold Pizza.


In this astonishingly intimate portrait of the 2004–2005 NBA season, ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Palmer steps inside the closely guarded inner circles of five NBA stars to reveal the soul of the modern athlete. Like a teammate without a jersey, he sets off on the ultimate road trip, exploring the spoils of wealth and fame with flashy champion Rip Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons, uncrowned superstar Tracy McGrady of the Houston Rockets, starryeyed rookie Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls, charismatic utility man Damon Jones of the Miami Heat, and straight-laced veteran Elton Brand of the Los Angeles Clippers. By examining their lives on and off the court, Palmer reveals not only the private sides of the gods of the game -- Shaq, LeBron, Kobe -- but also the joys and fears, triumphs and failures inherent to anyone with the talent to play in "The League." Filled with uncommon insight and light-hearted humor, The Sixth Man is a groundbreaking work of sports journalism, heralding the arrival of a sharp new writing talent.

this will be the next book i read. behind the scenes of NBA stars is cool enough, but Rip's featured in it, so that's gonna be neat.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=palmer/060511

Has anyone read it?

http://www.amazon.com/Sixth-Man-Season-Inside/dp/1933060085

Here's an excerpt:

http://www.hoopshype.com/articles/sixth_palmer.htm

FWIW, it's a breezy censored-but-still-interesting look at the 2005 season as Chris Palmer from ESPN follows 5 players (including Rip Hamilton) around. It's not hard hitting journalism by any stretch... pro athletes would never trust him again otherwise. Still, it gives you a peek into their world, and his efforts to hurry up and wait with all of them. If you use your public library, it's worth checking out.

i made a thread (http://wtfdetroit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5771)about it a while back, when i saw the author on Cold Pizza. i do use my public library and i occasionally check to see if they carry it.

Doh! I thought I'd posted that excerpt on RGM. I didn't get around to actually -reading- the full book until last week. This should probably be merged with the old thread or something...

FWIW, the vast majority of my books don't come from my local library. The nearest one to me is for the senior citizens to pick up large-print Harlequin romances, AFAICT. Most Michigan libraries are part of various consortia that allow you to go online, search for junk you want from all participating libraries, and have it delivered to your local library for free. Check out:

http://ibistro.tln.lib.mi.us
http://elibrary.mel.org/search
http://catalog.libcoop.net/

Don't assume it's limited to traditional books, either. You can check out comics, music, DVDs, etc. if you know how to ask and don't have a burning need for it right away. If it's not available with point and click, it's usually as simple as emailing a librarian saying "I'd like such-and-such" and poof.

Doh! I thought I'd posted that excerpt on RGM. I didn't get around to actually -reading- the full book until last week. This should probably be merged with the old thread or something...

FWIW, the vast majority of my books don't come from my local library. The nearest one to me is for the senior citizens to pick up large-print Harlequin romances, AFAICT. Most Michigan libraries are part of various consortia that allow you to go online, search for junk you want from all participating libraries, and have it delivered to your local library for free. Check out:

http://ibistro.tln.lib.mi.us
http://elibrary.mel.org/search
http://catalog.libcoop.net/

Don't assume it's limited to traditional books, either. You can check out comics, music, DVDs, etc. if you know how to ask and don't have a burning need for it right away. If it's not available with point and click, it's usually as simple as emailing a librarian saying "I'd like such-and-such" and poof.
Thanks, Uncle Mxy!! AWESOME TIP! i've checked out a poker book that the nearby library didn't have and i put in a request for another book. nice.[smilie=running.gif]

the Sixth Man is checked out until 10/6 from the Saginaw library. i'll be sure to check it out then :D