{"product_id":"the-speed-game-9781496233127","title":"The Speed Game","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a coach at Loyola Marymount in California, Paul Westhead designed his highly unusual signature run-and-gun offense that came to be known as “The System.” \u003ci\u003eThe Speed Game\u003c\/i\u003e offers a vibrant account of how he helped develop a style of basketball that not only won at the highest levels but went on to influence basketball as it’s played today. Known for implementing an up-tempo, quick-possession, high-octane offense, Westhead is the only coach to have won championships in both the NBA and WNBA. But his long career can be defined by one simple question he’s heard from journalists, fellow coaches, his wife, and, well, himself: Why? Why did he insist on playing such a controversial style of basketball that could vary from brilliant to busted?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Westhead speaks candidly here about the feathers he ruffled and about his own shortcomings as he takes readers from Philadelphia’s West Catholic High, where he couldn’t make varsity, to the birth of \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“When the madness of Coach Westhead’s speed game combines with willing talent, magic happens on the basketball court. It’s not the speed game people couldn’t keep up with; it was his beautiful mind that most couldn’t follow. An intriguing insight into the life of the guru of go.”—Diana Taurasi, winner of an NCAA championship with the University of Connecticut, a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury, and of an Olympic gold medal\u003cbr\u003e“Coach Westhead became head coach of the LA Lakers under unusual and difficult circumstances, yet was always well-prepared, well-composed, and honest about where he was coming from. His journey from ‘stretching,’ to small college coach, to NBA head coach, to WNBA head coach, to international head coach is riveting and fascinating. Like him or not, crazy or genius, one thing can’t be denied: he is a world champion, and more than once.”—Jamaal Wilkes\u003cbr\u003e\"Don't get the idea that \u003ci\u003eThe Speed Game\u003c\/i\u003e is infatuated repetitiously with a scheme for winning basketball games. Mr. Westhead gives us a lot more. It may be a surprise to readers to learn how graceful and interesting a writer he is. . . . In his memoir, he writes especially well about coaching the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA championship in 1980 and the Phoenix Mercury, led by the great Diana Taurasi, to the 2007 women's title. He also describes how, in the late 1980s, he transformed Loyola Marymount into a powerhouse, and he does so without diminishing the role of Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble in the team's success.\"—Fred Barnes, \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Having a former English teacher as my coach in the NBA was an unbelievable dream come true. We never got to exchanging sonnets, but the friendship and world championship we gained were absolutely worth the effort. I’m sure his accounts of his time with the NBA will be rewarding for hoop fans and all of us book worms.”—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar\u003cbr\u003e“Paul Westhead is a fastbreak savant. That has been conclusively proven in numerous coaching situations. More important, he is a highly principled and extremely talented basketball coach, and unfailingly loyal to his players, fellow coaches, and his beloved system. His journey from the City of Brotherly Love to NBA and WNBA championships and NCAA women’s and men’s scoring records is a wonderful, insightful, and entertaining read.”—P. J. Carlesimo, ESPN basketball analyst and former NBA coach of the Portland Trailblazers, the Golden State Warriors, and the Seattle Supersonics\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Speed Game \u003c\/i\u003eis Paul Westhead’s personal account of how he tried to revolutionize basketball through fast breaks on offense and full-court pressure on defense, with the goal of wearing out the opposition while scoring more points. The book is quite engaging, and the reader becomes engrossed in Westhead’s adventures.\"—Karen Guenther, H-Pennsylvania\u003cbr\u003e“‘The great ones all have a screw loose.’ That’s what Stanford’s legendary basketball coach Tara VanDerveer once told me. Paul Westhead has a screw loose. His unique vision for basketball, and his dedication to his beliefs, against all odds, makes him a great one. This book is the diary of a mad scientist. It is a love story with amazing tales and anecdotes. Paul is the kind of whack job that makes basketball the deepest and most theatrical sport of all. His book enriches basketball lore.”—Scott Ostler, columnist for the \u003ci\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"His memoir is both proud and self-effacing, candid and evasive, an artful nod to Shakespearean comedy and tragedy.\"—Steve Marantz, \u003ci\u003eNew York Journal of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The reader will gain great insight into Westhead's coaching philosophy and why he believes the fast break system is the best basketball system despite the skepticism of many and also his occasional lack of success with it, as evidenced by his poor record with the Nuggets.  If one was or is a fan of his style, then this book is one to read.\"—\u003ci\u003eGuy Who Reviews Sports Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A fun—and fast—read.\"—J. Kemper Campbell, \u003ci\u003eLincoln Journal Star\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction\u003cbr\u003e 1. West Philly\u003cbr\u003e 2. Stretching\u003cbr\u003e 3. Jersey Girl\u003cbr\u003e 4. Simplicity, Simplicity, Simplicity!\u003cbr\u003e 5. Enjoy the Ride\u003cbr\u003e 6. Go West, Young Man\u003cbr\u003e 7. Substitute Teacher\u003cbr\u003e 8. He Knows That We Know\u003cbr\u003e 9. No Thanks\u003cbr\u003e 10. Looney Tunes\u003cbr\u003e 11. The Glitter Is Gone\u003cbr\u003e 12. The Wrong Star\u003cbr\u003e 13. Twenty-Five Million Reasons\u003cbr\u003e 14. Lakers Doth Protest Too Much\u003cbr\u003e 15. No One’s Getting Fired\u003cbr\u003e 16. The Long Run\u003cbr\u003e 17. I Told You So\u003cbr\u003e 18. No Plan B\u003cbr\u003e 19. No Sound\u003cbr\u003e 20. I Know\u003cbr\u003e 21. The Tipping Point\u003cbr\u003e 22. A Crazy Genius","brand":"University of Nebraska Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49409242497367,"sku":"9781496233127","price":15.19,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781496233127.jpg?v=1730506110","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-speed-game-9781496233127","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}