The Origins of the Jump Shot: Eight Men Who Shook the World of Basketball

Rating:
Summary: My Uncle Smawley
Review: I will readily admit I am somewhat biased. Yes, my Uncle Belus Smawley is "one of the eight" and is on the cover of the book. I think what makes this book a little different is that it explores the beginnings of the sport, at a time when things were truly "simpler." When now even the youngest of players have all the equipment and fancy uniforms, regardless of talent and level of play, in the olden days kids played the sport for its own sake and used whatever happened to be available. As I best remember, I think my uncle and his friends used a bushel basket nailed up against a barn wall instead of a hoop and net.
I remember visiting Uncle Smawley when he was playing for the Baltimore Bullets. Yes, that was some time ago, about 1951 or so. I noticed he had a shelf in his refrigerator filled with bottles of prune juice. When asked about it, he said a local company that sold prune juice advertised in the program, and he was given juice. Nope, no multimillion dollar endorsement contract, just a few bottles of prune juice.
This is obviously a work and labor of love for Mr. Christgau as he knew this book wasn't going to be a runaway best seller; however, Mr. Christgau actually traveled and interviewed the gentlemen in person. I know in Uncle Smawley's case he also interviewed all of his relatives who lived in the area.
If you are interested in basketball, especially its early days, when players actually played because they enjoyed the game, you need to take a look at this book. If you are a basketball aficionado, this book will provide the information about the origins and the early development of the jump shot.
Sadly, Uncle Smawley died about a year ago. Thank you Mr. Christgau for writing this book. Thank you Mr. Christgau for providing an ongoing legacy to a true gentleman, a man who brought himself up out of abject poverty to have a career in professional basketball, and subsequently for 30 years provided guidance for his students as a junior high principal. Uncle Smawley was the type of person who said little, was extremely modest, but left an impression on all who met him.