Gabe Lacques
USA Today
Book Recommendations:
Recommended by Gabe Lacques
“The book hits all the boldface names that define hoops in Washington DC at every level―from Red Auerbach to ... Kevin Durant―but its passion is reserved for the hidden figures. The world beyond the district may not know ... how basketball played a crucial role in integrating DC thanks to E.B. Henderson, a trailblazer player and coach who wasn't allowed to coach white students at the turn of the century, yet his activism ultimately proved instrumental in the founding of the NAACP.” (from Amazon)
John McNamara, Andrea Chamblee, Gary Williams(you?)
John McNamara, Andrea Chamblee, Gary Williams(you?)
The celebration of Washington D.C. basketball is long overdue. The D.C. metro area stands second to none in its contributions to the game. Countless figures who have had a significant impact on the sport over the years have roots in the region, including E.B. Henderson, the first African-American certified to teach public school physical education, and Earl Lloyd, the first African-American to take the court in an actual NBA game. The city's Spingarn High School produced two players – Elgin Baylor and Dave Bing – recognized among the NBA's 50 greatest at the League's 50th anniversary celebration. No other high school in the country can make that claim. These figures and many others are chronicled in this book, the first-ever comprehensive look at the great high school players, teams and coaches in the D.C. metropolitan area. Based on more than 150 interviews, The Capital of Basketball is first and foremost a book about basketball. But in discussing the trends and evolution of the game, McNamara also uncovers the turmoil in the lives of the players and area residents as they dealt with prejudice, educational inequities, politics, and the ways the area has changed through the years.