Feinstein - The Punch

Copyright 2002 by John Feinstein

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Hachette Book Group

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First eBook Edition: March 2010

ISBN: 978-0-7595-2738-6

The Punch

ONE NIGHT, TWO LIVES,
AND THE FIGHT THAT
CHANGED BASKETBALL FOREVER

Every NBA player, if not every pro athlete, should be required to read The Punch, John Feinsteins chilling book about how a 1977 fight in a Lakers-Rockets game changed the lives of Kermit Washington and Rudy Tomjanovich. If current NBA players read this book, maybe theyll realize the potential physical and psychological consequences of the fights that occur in NBA games every so often between these huge, powerful athletes. Maybe theyll realize that they could be haunted for the rest of their lives by one punch, as Washington and Tomjanovich have been. Maybe if enough NBA players read The Punch, there wont be another punch like it.

Dave Anderson, New York Times

Just when you think John Feinstein couldnt possibly top himself, he goes and does just that. In The Punch, Feinstein offers a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the most infamous fights in modern professional sports annals affected the lives of the combatants, onlookers, teammates, and ultimately the National Basketball Association.

Steve Goode, Hartford Courant

The Punch delivers an incisive look at a critical moment in sports history.

Rodney Price, Rocky Mountain News

Feinstein has carefully documented one of the key events that helped civilize professional basketball. He spends the first chapter setting the stage and then delivering a literary punch of his own with a captivating account of the incident. The story, already compelling on its own, sinks its hooks deep into the reader with the authors wonderful fast-paced narrative. The tale is rich with quotes and impressions from many who were present at the fight. Expertly telling the story of two men, Feinstein is also chewing up a good bite of NBA history that offers insights into how the league handles on-court conflict to this day. The Punch will probably race up sales charts and find a wide audience among those who love sports, but those who dont share that passion will find the book equally engrossing. Feinstein hasnt delivered a sports book but rather has used sports as a way to examine the human experience in what is truly a fascinating read.

Larry Curtis, Salt Lake Deseret News

Feinstein is a fluent, facile writer. For the most part the pages go by quickly. Feinstein is one of the countrys most respected sports journalists.

Fritz Lanham, Houston Chronicle

Exhaustively researched and straightforwardly written.

John Powers, Boston Globe

Instructive and likeable. Feinstein, who intuitively understands the bonds of teammates, skillfully draws the repercussions of the Punch.

Kirkus Reviews

It remains the touchstone for any discussion of violence in professional sports. Feinstein captures not just the immediate aftermath of Washingtons thundering punch but also the years of pain, anger, and sideways glances that each man endured because of the episode.In an odd way, it may be Feinsteins thoughtful, detailed examination of each mans lifebefore and after the punchthat finally gives Washington and Tomjanovich the peace they both deserve.

Mark Luce, San Francisco Chronicle

The Punch is a story of how men build and rebuild their lives in the spotlights glare. Its about how bad things happen to good people. Feinstein tells a television-age fable of how, in a split second, two strangers became linked in a way thats possible only when that moment is captured on videotape.

Allen St. John, Washington Post

The Punch has all the hallmarks of a John Feinstein specialthe candid interviews, the touching nuances that personalize public people, the friendships and feuds that fuel the inner workings of a team.

Katherine Pushkar, Newsday

Feinsteins approach is utterly thorough regarding the event and painstakingly fair to both parties involved.He convincingly proves his point that one punch in 1977 changed things for the men and the NBA.

Susan Ellis, Memphis Flyer

A compelling, detailed account of a terrifying incident. Feinstein is a reporter at heart and this, his 13th book, is a fine display of his curiosity and tenacity.

John Wilkens, San Diego Union-Tribune

If you like sports, youll love this book. If you like psychological studies, or great character development and strong subplots, youll love this book.

John Burr, Florida Times-Union

With his superb reportorial skills and layered insight, Feinstein has reigned as one of our nations top sports storytellers for nearly two decades.

David Davis, Jewish Daily Forward

The Punch is a wonderful piece of reporting that is required reading for anyone who loves sports, or sports history.

Mike Lupica, New York Daily News

Feinstein does a respectable job of reporting the details of the punch and presents competing evidence conscientiously The biographies of Washington and Tomjanovich are the most interesting sections of the book.Washingtons story is particularly engrossing.

Hugo Lindgren, New York Times Book Review

An excellent and engaging book. Feinsteins latest tears the scab off one of the deepest wounds in the history of professional sports. He tells a moving story. His research is sharp, and his time line jumps around effortlessly, like a good Quentin Tarantino film. His portrait of each man is compelling.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The Punch chronicles how this single, horrifying event forever changed the lives of the two men most directly involved. It also sheds light on how the NBAand, indeed, all professional sports has been affected as a result. The Punch is more than a sports book; it raises questions about race, violence, and, ultimately, redemption. Gruesome at times, but always engaging, Feinsteins latest book is a knockout.

Todd Tobias, IMM

Open

The Last Amateurs

The Majors

A March to Madness

A Civil War

A Good Walk Spoiled

Play Ball

Hard Courts

Forevers Team

A Season Inside

A Season on the Brink

Running Mates
(A Mystery)

Winter Games
(A Mystery)

This is for Dick Hall and David Sattler

Neither is a relative by blood

Both are brothers in my heart

I t was a comfortable June afternoon and I was in my car en route to a meeting in downtown Washington, D.C. I was listening to my friend Jim Romes syndicated radio show when I heard him introducing Kermit Washington.