Description
Book Synopsis While the starting lineup of an NBA team consists of five players, there are at least 12 on each roster. Allocating time on court to keep each of them satisfied is challenging. Theoretically the worst position on the roster is the sixth man--so close to being the starter yet seeming to be the odd man out. This book aims at dispelling that notion, presenting many important players who through the years came off the bench for NBA teams, proving that despite not starting, they were worthy of playing in the best basketball league in the world.
Trade ReviewLukasz Muniowski covers a lot of ground in his look at the history of sixth men in the NBA, a book worthy of a starting role." —Kerry Eggers, author,
Jail Blazers: How the Portland Trail Blazers Became the Bad Boys of Basketball"Lukasz Muniowski broadens the perspective of basketball with
The Sixth Man: A History of the NBA's Best Off the Bench. All of the legends and their roundabout paths to stardom are here: From Kobe Bryant and Kevin McHale, to James Harden and Bob McAdoo, to Boris Diaw, Robert (Big Shot) Horry and Frank Ramsey, who established the necessity of the sixth man as the Boston Celtics formed their original dynasty in the 1950s.
The Sixth Man, like the players it depicts, is a game changer." —Ian Thomsen, author,
The Soul of BasketballTable of ContentsPreface
Introduction
1. The First of the Sixth Men
2. From the Bench to the Hall of Fame
3. From the Bench to a Starting Role (on a Different Team)
4. Champions Off the Bench
5. Playoff Heroes Off the Bench
6. Hall of Fame Careers Saved by the Bench
7. The Uneasy Transition from the Starting Lineup to the Bench
8. High-Volume Scorers
9. Big Men Off the Bench
10. Rotation Players
11. Stats
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index