Foul Lines: A Pro Basketball Novel
Select Format
Select Condition 
Book Overview
From two senior Sports Illustrated writers comes an explosive, fast-paced satire that will do for today's NBA what North Dallas Forty did for the NFL a generation ago. Just months from his Yale graduation, street-smart whiz kid Jamal Kelly leaves school to take a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the front office of the Los Angeles Lasers. Once on the West Coast, Jamal gets a quick introduction to a subculture awash in big egos and fast cars, as well as an introduction to the charms of the team's new hard-charging beat writer, Jilly Forrester. In the spirit of Primary Colors and The Devil Wears Prada, Foul Lines peels back the curtain on the trappings of big-time professional basketball. No other sport encapsulates so many cultural hot-button topics, and Foul Lines at once exposes and lampoons this parallel universe.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0743286502
ISBN13:9780743286503
Release Date:February 2006
Publisher:Touchstone Books
Length:336 Pages
Weight:0.65 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 5.5" x 8.5"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
Slam dunk!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
Being an ex-sportswriter, I typically stay away from sports novels. But in this case, I'm glad I didn't. Wertheim and McCallum detail the NBA lifestyle with aplomb, a true insider's look. And everything from the plot to the character development keeps you entertained. Highly recommended.
A great book for anybody.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
Foul Lines is not just a book for NBA fans. This book was smart and funny. The characters were entertaining. The book gives a cynical look into the guts of the NBA and the stroy is so strong you can't stop reading even if you know nothing about basketball. I'd reccomend Foul Lines to anybody who enjoys a clever and intellagent novel.
Witty & Bitter Truth about the N.B.A. (No Blemishes Allowed) league
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
As a former NBA agent, I know first-hand about the dark, sad, funny, and human--underbelly of professional sports and the NBA. "Foul Lines" made me laugh so hard, the flight attendant had to ask if I was o.k. In current events, James Fey is suffering the wrath of an angry flip-flopping Harpo and an army of literary purists for presenting fiction as fact while shattering the hopes of feel-good readers into a million little pieces. McCallum & Wertheim have accomplished the opposite; presenting this entertaining and hilarious book (Foul Lines) as a fictional glimpse into the NBA--when in truth, it's a transparent veil thinly disguising the truth and reality of today's NBA. Oprah should invite Jack McCallum and L. Jon Wertheim on her show to balance the universe, and to expose this wonderful book to an audience equal in size to its literary merit. Steve Woods
Well Written, Funny and (Ultimately) Far Too True
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
Jon Wertheim (SI's finest talent) and Jack McCallum really nail the drama that is modern day sports. This book is both laugh-out-loud funny, and thought provoking. I kept thinking of Robert Altman's "Nashville" while reading it, as it takes a large arena (professional sports), a varied cast, and a compelling story, and manages to weave something very special. Definitely a must read for any NBA fans, but also highly recomended to anyone who enjoys a good tale of well defined characters making their way through extreme (though all-too-true) situations.
just what the NBA needed!!!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
this is a great BOOK! I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. I was a fan of Jacks "unfinished business" thus I bought this book and i was blown away. This book does for the basketball world what "get shorty" did for hollywood, a satire wth heart and soul.
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
