Rick Barry's Pro Basketball Bible, 1996-97

This is another in a continuation of books on all the available players between the NBA and the developmental league one-step below. As always, it's excellent.

Rick Barry wrote eight books covering eight NBA seasons, basically for general managers and coaches. They provide scouting reports by one of the games 50 greatest players. Written in B-Ball jargon Barry provides readers with a keen insight into athletic talent and its application or mis-application whichever the case.After perusing all eight books, I looked up the first five players drafted in every year back into the late seventies. Lo, I found that unless your team had one of the first three players taken in the entire draft your team did not win the NBA title. Furthermore I concluded that, after 13 years of holding season tickets for the Bullets, the teams that won most often have 8-9 good players vs those that lose who have only 3-4 good players. But, the pivotal player who carries the team must be present for ultimate success to be realized. To draw a comparison, I learned years ago that there were one million high school football players. These reduced to 70,000 college players and then condensed further to 1200 NFL players. These remaining players averaged 3-4 years in the league, but the top 100-125 played for 10-15 years. The team who had the most of these head-and-shoulders better players won the championship. I believe this model holds true in all sports at all levels. It fits with a basis tenet of chaos theory and also with Mike Hart's book "the 100: A Ranking of the 100 most influential people in history." Thus I maintain that it's a model for how free markets and their unfettered, spontaneous ordering arrange civilizations. This leads into why western civilization has succeeded in raising living standards more for the common man in contrast to command and control economies. Too bad Rick B. and Jordan Cohn stopped after the '97 season. It was great stuff for contemplative fans.

Thorough, witty, lots of insight, etc.

Offers the depth about the players in the NBA no other book does. Every year completely updated ratings on almost every NBA players' game. If you are interested in the NBA this is an annual must-buy.

Barry's book is the standard against which we should judge all annual previews. Unlike many of his ilk, Barry doesn't rely on a rehashing of scoring and rebounding averages to articulate a player's strengths and weaknesses, but rather, Barry provides very intelligent insights into almost every player--including CBA and European wannabes--who will play in the upcoming season. I have purchased several of these--granted, I'm a basketball junkie--and enjoy following the career development and decline of various players. I just wish Rick published the book twice a year.