When the Game Was War
The NBA's Greatest Season
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When the Game Was War
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Narrated by:
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Cary Hite
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By:
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Rich Cohen
About this listen
The gritty, no-holds-barred account of the 1987 NBA season, a thrilling year of fierce battles and off-the-court drama between Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, and Michael Jordan—from New York Times bestselling author Rich Cohen.
“Plug in to a world where rivalries really mattered.”—Bob Ryan, sports columnist emeritus, The Boston Globe
AN ESQUIRE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Four historic teams. Four legendary players. One unforgettable season.
The 1980s were a transformative decade for the NBA. Since its founding in 1946, the league had evolved from a bruising, earthbound game of mostly nameless, underpaid players to one in which athletes became household names for their thrilling, physics-defying play. The 1987–88 season was the peak of that golden era, a year of incredible drama that featured a pantheon of superstars in their prime—the most future Hall of Famers competing at one time in any given season—battling for the title, and for their respective legacies.
In When the Game Was War, bestselling author Rich Cohen tells the story of this incredible season through the four teams, and the four players, who dominated it: Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics, Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers, Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons, and a young Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls. From rural Indiana to the South Side of Chicago, suburban North Carolina to rust-belt Michigan, Cohen explores the diverse journeys each of these iconic players took before arriving on the big stage. Drawing from dozens of interviews with NBA insiders, Cohen brings to vivid life some of the most colorful characters of the era—like Bill Laimbeer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Danny Ainge, and Charles Oakley—who fought like hell to help these stars succeed.
For anyone who longs to understand how the NBA came to be the cultural juggernaut it is today—and to relive the magic and turmoil of those pivotal years—When the Game Was War brilliantly recasts one unforgettable season and the four transcendent players who were at the center of it all.
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 41
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 41
They don’t set up any better than this. The greatest basketball player of all time–Bill Russell–and his juggernaut Boston Celtics, winners of ten (ten!) of the previous twelve NBA championships, squeak through one more playoff run and land in the Finals again. Russell’s opponent? The fearsome 7’1” next-generation superstar, Wilt Chamberlain, recently traded to the LA Lakers to form the league’s first dream team. Bill Russell and John Havlicek versus Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Very good book with a caveat
- By Hebern on 12-06-21
By: Leigh Montville
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NFL Century
- The One-Hundred-Year Rise of America's Greatest Sports League
- By: Joe Horrigan
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 119
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 99
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 99
The NFL has come a long way from its founding in Canton, Ohio, in 1920. In the 100 years since that fateful day, football has become America’s most popular and lucrative professional sport. The former scrappy upstart league that struggled to stay afloat has survived a host of challenges to produce American icons like Vince Lombardi, Joe Montana, and Tom Brady. It is an extraordinary and entertaining history that could be told only by Joe Horrigan, former executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and perhaps the greatest living historian of the NFL.
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3 out of 5 stars
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C+
- By Eryn S. McGary on 09-02-23
By: Joe Horrigan
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Pounding the Rock
- Basketball Dreams and Real Life in a Bronx High School
- By: Marc Skelton
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 6
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 4
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Story4 out of 5 stars 4
Welcome to Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School, in a working-class corner of the Bronx, where a driven coach inspires his teams to win games and championships - and learn Russian history and graduate and go on to college.
By: Marc Skelton
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The Back Roads to March
- The Unsung, Unheralded, and Unknown Heroes of a College Basketball Season
- By: John Feinstein
- Narrated by: John Feinstein
- Length: 14 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 126
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 107
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 107
John Feinstein has already taken listeners into the inner circles of top college basketball programs in The Legends Club. This time, Feinstein pulls back the curtain on college basketball's lesser-known Cinderella stories - the smaller programs who no one expects to win, who have no chance of attracting the most coveted high school recruits, who rarely send their players on to the NBA. Feinstein follows a handful of players, coaches, and schools who dream, not of winning the NCAA tournament but of making it past their first or second round games.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A love letter to college basketball
- By Hebern on 01-27-22
By: John Feinstein
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Talk of Champions
- Stories of the People Who Made Me: A Memoir
- By: Kenny Smith
- Narrated by: Kenny Smith
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 124
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 110
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 110
Kenny Smith was a star at the University of North Carolina before his storied NBA run, in which he won two championships with the Houston Rockets. His popularity skyrocketed when he joined TNT’s new show, Inside the NBA, which has thrived for twenty-four years and won multiple Emmys, receiving enormous acclaim for the insight, humor, social commentary, and unrivaled basketball coverage from Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Ernie Johnson, Jr. Kenny is known to fans for his laser-sharp analysis and eloquent observations of the basketball scene and culture.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great book. Is heavy on racial topics, but appropriate
- By Mathias Noriega on 07-09-23
By: Kenny Smith
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They Said It Couldn't Be Done
- The '69 Mets, New York City, and the Most Astounding Season in Baseball History
- By: Wayne Coffey
- Narrated by: Gary Cohen
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 115
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 105
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 105
The story of the 1969 New York Mets’ season has long since entered sports lore as one of the most remarkable of all time. But beyond the “miracle” is a compelling narrative of an unlikely collection of players and the hallowed manager who inspired them to greatness.
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5 out of 5 stars
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You don’t have to be a fan
- By paul on 04-17-19
By: Wayne Coffey
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Cheated
- The Inside Story of the Astros Scandal and a Colorful History of Sign Stealing
- By: Andy Martino
- Narrated by: Andy Martino
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 194
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 170
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 169
The ensuing scandal rivaled that of the 1919 "Black Sox" and the more recent steroid era, and became one of the most significant that the game had ever seen. The fallout ensnared many other teams, either as victims, alleged cheaters or both. The Los Angeles Dodgers felt robbed of a World Series title, and fended off accusations about their organization. Same for the New York Yankees. The Boston Red Sox were soon under investigation themselves. The New York Mets lost a promising manager before he ever managed a game.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Take away the 2017 WS Trophy!!
- By Sonny on 07-10-21
By: Andy Martino
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Game
- An Autobiography
- By: Grant Hill
- Narrated by: Grant Hill
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 349
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 311
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 312
Grant Hill always had game. His choice of college was a subject of national interest, and his arrival at Duke University cemented the program’s arrival at the top. In his freshman year, he led the team to its first NCAA championship, and three championship appearances in four years. His Duke career produced some of the most iconic moments in college basketball history, and Coach K proved to be a lifelong mentor.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Ok
- By Dani Brown on 07-16-22
By: Grant Hill
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The Church of Baseball
- The Making of Bull Durham: Home Runs, Bad Calls, Crazy Fights, Big Swings, and a Hit
- By: Ron Shelton
- Narrated by: Ron Shelton
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 238
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 207
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Story5 out of 5 stars 206
Bull Durham, the breakthrough 1988 film about a minor league baseball team, is widely revered as the best sports movie of all time. But back in 1987, Ron Shelton was a first-time director and no one was willing to finance a movie about baseball—especially a story set in the minors. The jury was still out on Kevin Costner’s leading-man potential, while Susan Sarandon was already a has-been. There were doubts. But something miraculous happened, and The Church of Baseball attempts to capture why.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great movie, great story
- By Kathy Morris on 07-11-22
By: Ron Shelton
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Play Hungry
- The Making of a Baseball Player
- By: Pete Rose
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 151
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 131
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 132
Pete Rose was a legend on the field. As baseball’s hit king, he shattered records that were thought to be unbreakable. And during the 1970s, he was the leader of the Big Red Machine, the Cincinnati Reds team that dominated the game. But he’s also the greatest player who may never enter the Hall of Fame because of his lifetime ban from the sport. Perhaps no other ballplayer’s story is so representative of the triumphs and tragedies of our national pastime.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great Book
- By Joel on 12-11-21
By: Pete Rose
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Finish Strong
- A Father's Code and a Son's Path
- By: Nate Ebner, Paul Daugherty, Urban Meyer - foreword
- Narrated by: Stephen Graybill
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 41
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 37
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Story5 out of 5 stars 37
Nate Ebner and his father were inseparable. From an early age, they worked side-by-side in the family junkyard. Even though Nate was a great peewee football player in football-mad Ohio, he followed his father's passion for rugby and started playing for the same club as his father when he was only 13 years old. But Nate had to face the fact that there was no way to make a living as a professional rugby player in this country. So Nate gave his dad the news that he planned to quit rugby and go out for the football team at Ohio State University, with an eye toward making the NFL.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Inspiring Story
- By Dawn Ebner on 11-12-24
By: Nate Ebner, and others
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Paradise Found
- A High School Football Team's Rise from the Ashes
- By: Bill Plaschke
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 22
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 23
From LA Times columnist and ESPN Around the Horn panelist Bill Plaschke, a story of tragedy, triumph, and the remarkable power of high school football in one small California town.
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5 out of 5 stars
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amazing strength
- By Patricia M. Copeland on 10-20-23
By: Bill Plaschke
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The Barcelona Complex
- Lionel Messi and the Making—and Unmaking—of the World's Greatest Soccer Club
- By: Simon Kuper
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 124
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 110
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Story5 out of 5 stars 111
FC Barcelona is not just the world’s highest grossing sports club, it is simply one of the most influential organizations on the planet. At last count, it had approximately 214 million social media followers, more than any other sports club except Real Madrid CF—and by one earlier measure, more than all 32 NFL teams combined. It has more in common with multinational megacompanies like Netflix or small nation-states than it does with most soccer teams. Journalist Simon Kuper tells the story of how FC Barcelona became the most successful club in the world.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic book for the serious soccer fan
- By Steve Adams on 04-01-23
By: Simon Kuper
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Blood in the Garden
- The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks
- By: Chris Herring
- Narrated by: Brian Hutchison
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 649
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 561
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Story5 out of 5 stars 561
The definitive history of the 1990s New York Knicks, illustrating how Pat Riley, Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Charles Oakley, and Anthony Mason resurrected the iconic franchise through oppressive physicality and unmatched grit. Blood in the Garden is a portrait filled with eye-opening details that have never been shared before, revealing the full story of the franchise in the midst of the NBA’s golden era. And rest assured, no punches will be pulled. Which is just how those rough-and-tumble Knicks would like it.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great book, horrible performance.
- By Sean Conway on 07-21-22
By: Chris Herring
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The Comedians
- Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels and the History of American Comedy
- By: Kliph Nesteroff
- Narrated by: Kliph Nesteroff
- Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 573
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 514
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 514
In The Comedians, comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff brings to life a century of American comedy with real-life characters, forgotten stars, mainstream heroes and counterculture iconoclasts. Based on over 200 original interviews and extensive archival research, Nesteroff's groundbreaking work is a narrative exploration of the way comedians have reflected, shaped, and changed American culture over the past 100 years.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Performance issues
- By E. A. Smith on 09-02-19
By: Kliph Nesteroff
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The Franchise
- Building a Winner with the World Champion Detroit Pistons, Basketball's Bad Boys
- By: Cameron Stauth
- Narrated by: Matt Martucci, Jeff Martin
- Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 27
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 25
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Story5 out of 5 stars 24
In January of 1989, Cameron Stauth became a fly on the office wall of Pistons General Manager Jack McCloskey. He watched day by day, crisis by crisis, as McCloskey, Coach Chuck Daly, and a handful of immensely talented and ambitious basketball players—the Bad Boys of Detroit—won the NBA championship.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Bad Boys Risen
- By Jarvis Kolen on 09-04-22
By: Cameron Stauth
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Wish It Lasted Forever
- Life with the Larry Bird Celtics
- By: Dan Shaughnessy
- Narrated by: Dan Shaughnessy
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 255
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 229
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 231
Before primetime ESPN coverage, lucrative branding deals like Air Jordans, and $40 million annual player salaries, there was the NBA of the 1970s and 1980s. Enter Dan Shaughnessy, then the beat reporter for The Boston Globe who covered the Boston Celtics every day from 1982 to1986. It was a time when reporters travelled with professional teams—flying the same commercial airlines, riding the same buses, and staying in the same hotels. Drawing on unprecedented access and personal experiences, Shaughnessy takes us inside the legendary Larry Bird-led Celtics teams.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyable Read
- By Donna Daily on 12-03-21
By: Dan Shaughnessy
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The Captain
- A Memoir
- By: David Wright, Anthony DiComo
- Narrated by: Joe Knezevich
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 112
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 103
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Story5 out of 5 stars 103
David Wright played his entire Major League Baseball career for one team, the team he dreamed of playing for as a kid: the New York Mets. A quick fan favorite from Virginia who then earned his stripes in New York, Wright came back time and again from injury and demonstrated the power of hard work, total commitment, and an infinite love of the game.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Literal Chills
- By Billy Schutt on 11-15-20
By: David Wright, and others
Outstanding basketball book
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The greatest NBA season told in fascinating detail
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A fun look back at a classic period
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The back stories.
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Phil Jackson accuses Red Auerbach of cheap tactics
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Superfluous Play-by-Play
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NBA's Greatest
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Magic, Larry, Isiah & Mike
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nostalgic.
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Awesome!
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