Trial by Basketball: The Life and Times of Tex Winter

Rating:
Summary: A Winner!
Review: Bender's succinct, edgy style carries the reader through Winter's life while racing down the court with Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, and other NBA giants. Bender tells it like it was--no holds barred. Winter's coaching philosophy of discipline, hard work, fairness and individual intergrity comes alive as we watch him lead individual players to become not only the best players they can be, but also the best men that they can be. Bender brings basketball personalities to life as we watch them struggle to learn Winter's famous "triangle offence" and to balance their individual desires for achievement and glory with Winter's emphasis on the ultimate good of the whole team.

The pace is fast, and the anecdotes and behind-the-scenes tidbits entertain as we go with the teams through Winter's unprecedented 53 year professional career as a coach. From Kansas State, Washington, and the Houston Rockets to fourteen years with the Chicago Bulls, and the current LA Lakers, we travel the backroads of behind the scene basketball. Bender gives us the inside story on the conflicts, the joys, and the frustrations of coaching mega-stars with mega-egos while trying to teach them values of character and integrity.

This book would be a perfct gift for any high school athlete. Bender gives the reader deep insights into not only the sports psychology that Winter uses, but into the secrets of what it really takes to be able to uphold personal values in the rip-roaring jungle of professional sports.

I loved every minute of this great ride, and if you love basketball, you will too!

Rating:
Summary: A Winner!
Review: Bender's succinct, edgy style carries the reader through Winter's life while racing down the court with Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, and other NBA giants. Bender tells it like it was--no holds barred. Winter's coaching philosophy of discipline, hard work, fairness and individual intergrity comes alive as we watch him lead individual players to become not only the best players they can be, but also the best men that they can be. Bender brings basketball personalities to life as we watch them struggle to learn Winter's famous "triangle offence" and to balance their individual desires for achievement and glory with Winter's emphasis on the ultimate good of the whole team.

The pace is fast, and the anecdotes and behind-the-scenes tidbits entertain as we go with the teams through Winter's unprecedented 53 year professional career as a coach. From Kansas State, Washington, and the Houston Rockets to fourteen years with the Chicago Bulls, and the current LA Lakers, we travel the backroads of behind the scene basketball. Bender gives us the inside story on the conflicts, the joys, and the frustrations of coaching mega-stars with mega-egos while trying to teach them values of character and integrity.

This book would be a perfct gift for any high school athlete. Bender gives the reader deep insights into not only the sports psychology that Winter uses, but into the secrets of what it really takes to be able to uphold personal values in the rip-roaring jungle of professional sports.

I loved every minute of this great ride, and if you love basketball, you will too!

Rating:
Summary: Author's Comments on Trial By Basketball
Review: Greetings from Mark Bender, author of Trial By Basketball. I grew up in Toledo, Ohio, attended the The Stony Brook School (NY), Wheaton College (IL), and recently completed a 24-year Army career. I live in the Kansas City suburb of Weatherby Lake, Missouri.

Initially, I thought Trial By Basketball would run about 60,000 words--it grew to 90,000 as I discovered more and more pieces of Tex's life.

I love the title, Trial By Basketball. It came late in the process, but it just seemed right, and still does. The book is all about the intensity of the basketball experience, the winning and losing, and the judgments that are made. Basketball at Tex's level is a trial--often a painful one.

The subtitle--The Life and Times of Tex Winter--gave me the latitude I wanted to explore both Tex's life and the incredible times through which he's lived. The Depression, WWII, the crazy 60's, and The Jordan Era are all important backdrops to his life.

Just as important are the legendary sports figures with whom Tex locks horns--Jackie Robinson, Phog Allen, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Elvin Hayes, John Wooden, Kareem, Doug Collins, Jordan, Rodman, Shaq, and Kobe--not to mention his best friend, Phil Jackson, and his other best friend, Jerry Krause.

Enjoy the book. Enjoy the life of a great personality as he weaves his way through the vagaries of life, choosing the high road whenever one is present. Tex is a great man--who's also a lot of fun. I hope this offering reflects that. Look for American Biography to continue to feature the lives of Americans of character.

Rating:
Summary: Must Read for Triangle Offense and Tex Winter Fans
Review: I started the book on Friday and finished it on a Saturday. Bender does an outstanding job covering Tex Winter's Life up to and including his joining the LA Lakers in 99. The book covers the life of a 78 year old basketball guru (the Master of the Triangle Offense) and spans his 50+ coaching years at the college and professional level.

Bender's writing style is well balanced...and is completely honest. Tex Winter's coaching philosophy is covered with frequent quotes from Tex Winter's 1962 Coaching Book, the Triple Post Offense.

Some readers may see this authorized biography as kind of a "Forest Gump of Basketball" due to it's basic story telling of Tex's as a folksy, nice guy with a willingness to tell the "unvarnished truth".

More importantly, the book serves as a useful reference tool on how a person should face conflict and live life in a stressful world. Bender writes a biography that illustrates the importance of good character, hard work, integrety, having a sense of humor, and not taking yourself too seriously.

Basketball coaches will find the book instructional with the many lessons learned from a coaching career spanning 7 decades...specifically it descibes how a coach deals in a competitive must win environment.

I especially liked how the book started off and closed.

Foreward is by Phi Jackson. MJ, Pippen and Rodman fans will enjoy the second half of the book which deals largely with the Chicago Bull years (some new stuff too). As Mickey would say, "Try it, your Like It" or better yet, just read it!

Rating:
Summary: Must Read for Triangle Offense and Tex Winter Fans
Review: I started the book on Friday and finished it on a Saturday. Bender does an outstanding job covering Tex Winter's Life up to and including his joining the LA Lakers in 99. The book covers the life of a 78 year old basketball guru (the Master of the Triangle Offense) and spans his 50+ coaching years at the college and professional level.

Bender's writing style is well balanced...and is completely honest. Tex Winter's coaching philosophy is covered with frequent quotes from Tex Winter's 1962 Coaching Book, the Triple Post Offense.

Some readers may see this authorized biography as kind of a "Forest Gump of Basketball" due to it's basic story telling of Tex's as a folksy, nice guy with a willingness to tell the "unvarnished truth".

More importantly, the book serves as a useful reference tool on how a person should face conflict and live life in a stressful world. Bender writes a biography that illustrates the importance of good character, hard work, integrety, having a sense of humor, and not taking yourself too seriously.

Basketball coaches will find the book instructional with the many lessons learned from a coaching career spanning 7 decades...specifically it descibes how a coach deals in a competitive must win environment.

I especially liked how the book started off and closed.

Foreward is by Phi Jackson. MJ, Pippen and Rodman fans will enjoy the second half of the book which deals largely with the Chicago Bull years (some new stuff too). As Mickey would say, "Try it, your Like It" or better yet, just read it!

Rating:
Summary: Tex Winter & Phil Jackson have done it AGAIN! NBA CHAMPS!
Review: In this book Mark Bender takes you down a complicated road and explores the life of one of basketball's all-time great coaches and great gentleman. Tex Winter is a true man of character. He has once again teamed with his pal Phil Jackson to bring the NBA Championship trophy to The Lakers. This is the story of what determination and hard work can do. Even Shaq and Kobe must agree. Congratulations Tex. Great job Mark.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book for NBA junkies - One major factual error
Review: This book is a 300-page testimonial to why Tex Winter should be fast-tracked into the basketball Hall of Fame. NBA fans need this book right now. Tex Winter is the antithesis to the Glamour Coaches of today. His Depression-era frugality, gratitude, and humility provide some balance for the Superstar mentality, and he clearly demonstrates that even professionals like Jordan and Pippen still need a true basketball educator like himself.

Mark Bender, excellent job. I will insist that my fellow NBA-junkie friends and family read your book.

But, please correct a major factual error for the paperback. On page 285, you said, "The Raptors beat the Bulls for the first time ever" during the abbreviated 1999 season. That's not true.

The Raptors beat the Bulls twice during the Jordan-era. Once on 3-24-96, and a second time on 12-8-96.

In fact, you make mention on page 242 about Dennis Rodman getting suspended for "two games for excessive profanity during a live postgame interview - a game in which he had been ejected." That was a game in Toronto in which the Bulls had lost.

Otherwise, thank you for writing this wonderful biography about a basketball genius who deserves due credit for his lifetime achievements and also his significant contributions to the Bulls' dynasty of the 90's.

Rating:
Summary: MY LATE NIGHT REVIEW, AFTER EXPERIENCING TRIANGLE FEVER!
Review: Trial by Basketball is the Slaughterhouse Five sports book. It's a fascinating history into Laker coach Tex Winters rise from garage band gymnasium roots, college sucess, the amazing Bull Run to current Los Angeles Laker status. As a Long Beach State 49er booster and renewed Laker backer, I recommend TRIAL strongly to fans from N.Y. to L.A. The authors unique style is a keenly accurate flashback account of Tex Winters classic career with insights into the world of sports and life as it is! A humorously intriguing One of A Kind Biography. The book equally satisfies the golden age Wilt Chamberlain transition era as well as the Rodman, Kobe X'er generation. ONCE YOUR IN TO IT, YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF IT--- MARK BENDER CLEANLY RUNS THE TABLE!------------------------ Linda Fallico-Coto De Caza, Ca.