John Starks: My Life [With DVD]

Outside of Patrick Ewing, former CBA veteran John Starks is probably one of the most recognizable figures in New York sports during the 90's. In his book, Starks talks about his humble beginnings--moving from four different college academic programs to making it to the New York Knicks on a technicality (as injured players can't be cut from their teams, John attempted to dunk of Patrick Ewing during the pre-season in 88' and got hurt in the process). Through his words, Starks shares the will, desire, and tenacity which made him one of the most exciting and controversial players to ever play in the NBA. Starks shares stories that made him the most decorated guard to ever come out of the CBA with accolades such as the winning a spot on the NBA All-Star team and the 6th Man of the year award. He also talks about his horrible game 7 performance in the 1994 NBA finals as well as the trials and tribulations which he and a number of his family members had to go through. If your a fan of the NBA, this is certainly one ride you wouldn't want to miss! Get your copy today! If you found this review helpful, kindly vote for it. Thanks!

john starks was my idol growing up. Before he came to the knicks they were very mediocre. As he says in the book his rise coincided with the knicks title contension throughout the 90's. The book was very good and gave great insight into the man before his career. I was shocked when i read that he used to sell drugs and had been in jail. i followed everything about him back in the day and i remember never hearing about his father so it surprised me to hear that he met his father a couple times. anyway i lived and died with starks the dunk was this city's highest high and 2-18 well u do the math. i recommend this book to anyone who loved a good underdog story about a man with a heart as big as the big apple

I raced through reading this autobiography of John Starks, mainly for personal reasons. The rise of John Starks as a New York Knick corresponded with a lot of overcoming personal struggles in my own life, and I've always felt a deep connection with his story, his explosiveness as a player and as a person, his perpetual teetering on the edge of self-wreckage, and with his continuing maturity and enormous heart that he always brought to the table. This book is hardly a sophisticated read, so if you're looking for that, go elsewhere. But if you look at John Starks as I do, as a true phenomenon of character and class, as someone who broke through barrier after barrier, tripped over his own bad habits along the way and still always remained deeply resolute in his belief in himself, then you'll love hearing how his voice comes through the writing of Dan Markowitz. Learning about the chaotic and reckless background of John's life reminded me of how gritty and passionate he was as a player, how his unstoppable desire shook the NBA world. But even in a moment like "The Dunk," John always remained a humble, down to earth man, someone undisturbed by the glow of fame, even more human because of the doubt that always followed his brilliant success. I wish he could have won a championship and have his number retired at the Garden, but in a way, even though his "2 for 18" night left fans like me forever hungry, the dramatic ironies that occupy his life story and the peace that he discovers within himself allow me to savor the tales he tells in this book, as I will forever be inspired by one of the most unique and lovable characters in the history of New York sports.

Even if you're a die-hard Pacers or Miami fan, this book will convince you of what we Knicks fans knew all along, what drew us to the former grocery-bagger and CBAer from Tulsa, that Starks is the human being we all like to see in ourselves, his shocking rise to stardom another example of 'the American Dream.' Starks was the best of human nature--tenacious, passionate, ever-the-underdog, and pure; all the while you knew that even when he flipped off fans or head-butted Miller (I'm not saying anyone deserves to be head-butted, but...) he had a heart of gold. As for the book itself, it's written very simply, but this just lays the sharpness betweens the lines of ethical conduct in Starks' world into starker relief. Furor about this being a book the 'author' didn't even read are really unnecessary. Starks would never claim to being a writer, and it's pretty clear that Markowitz put the book together from extensive interviews with Starks. If that bothers you, fine; for myself, I consider oral testimony a perfectly valuable form of storytelling, and it just so happens that a second party came in to organize and write it down. I haven't read many of these kinda of books (autobiographies by popular public figures, I mean), but this one is truly fantastic. I just finished Infinite Jest, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Murakami before this, and I treasure this book more than those combined. If you're a basketball fan you will enjoy this book. Six thumbs up.

"John Starks: My Life" is an amazing read. Most sports autobiographies I've read do not dig down deep below that athlete's personal, mythic persona. This book shows exactly where Starks came from and how his ascension to playing in the NBA was a miracle. The book is much more than a sports tome. It explores the domestic abuse that Starks, as a small child, saw his mother undergo, the drug abuse of his brothers and their imprisonment and the violence around Starks that almost on a few occasions threatened to end Starks's life prematurely. The Dunk, The Headbutt, the 2-for-18 7th game of the 1994 Finals are all thoroughly handled, but it is the relationships that Starks has with his complex mother, brother and wife that makes this book a compelling read. I recommend it to anyone who is confronting obstacles in his or her own life and doesn't see a way to surmount them.