Additional information
by Phil Berger (Author)
The timeless classic updated for a new generation of sports fans
When it was first published in 1970, "Miracle on 33rd Street pushed the envelope of sports journalism and created a story that had never been told in any previous book about basketball. In his enthralling account of the Knicks' first NBA championship, from preseason to play-offs, Phil Berger doesn't just cover the baseline jumpers and backdoor passes; he takes readers out of bounds to capture the whole story in all its gritty details-from the anguished cries of legendary coach Red Holzman shouting at his team to "See the ball," to the beer-swilling fans shouting at the players and spitting on the court, to life on the road, in and out of hotels.
This Contemporary Sports Classic includes an introduction by Marv Albert, longtime voice of the Knicks.
""A brilliant, moody, tricky book that shifts from quick description to fascinating chunks of self-revealing monologues . . . to clear and nontechnical explanations of how Bill Bradley and Walt Frazier executed the backdoor play, and how the Knicks won the world championship." --Robert Lipsyte, "New York Times
Back Jacket
. . . a book that does for basketball what Jim Bouton's Ball Four did for baseball."
--"Sport Magazine
When it was first published in 1970, "Miracle on 33rd Street pushed the envelope of sports journalism and created a story that had never been told in any previous book about basketball. In this timeless book, veteran sportswriter Phil Berger revealed the world of the remarkable 1969-70 New York Knicks as they lived it, from preseason workouts to the victorious finish of their first championship. The life they shared beyond the lights at Madison Square Garden. The camaraderie. The laughs. The conflicts.
The result was such an intimate and revealing portrait of the team that the Knicks' brass banned Berger from the locker room after the book's publication. But his honest account enthralled fans and sportswriters alike. He took readers out-of-bounds to capture the whole story in all its gritty details--from up-close portrayals of key personalities such as Bill Bradley, Willis Reed, and Dave DeBusschere to the frenzied Garden fans shouting at the players and spitting on the court to life on the road, in and out of hotels. Including an insightful introduction by Marv Albert, "Miracle on 33rd Street relives the magical, sometimes turbulent Knicks' season, with Berger and the reader along for the exciting ride.
