| I want to dedicate this book to Skip Wise, for everything that he could have been, and to Corky Meinecke, for everything that he was. |
| I want to thank the following people for granting me the interviews, most of them before and after NBA games, necessary to complete this book. They include Red Auerbach, Del Harris, Larry Drew, Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Bob Weiss, Shaquille O'Neal, Eddie Jones, Nick Van Exel, Kobe Bryant, Mitch Chortkoff, Jon McGlocklin, Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson, Chris Ford, Mark Pfeil, Allen Iverson, Jerry Stackhouse, Johnny Davis, Maurice Cheeks, Rod Thorn, Kevin Loughery, Bill Blair, Sidney Green, Shawr Kemp, George Karl, Kevin Garnett, Stephon Marbury, Mike Schuler, Flip Saunders, Terry Porter, Sam Mitchell, Cherokee Parks, Tom Gugliotta, Charles Barkley, Matt Maloney, Clyde Drexler, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Greg Anthony, Anthony Peeler, George Lynch, Grant Hill, Joe Dumars, Scotty Robertson, Brendan Malone, Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby, John Long, Earl Cureton, Doug Christ e, Tim Bourret, and Dan Majerle. |
| I have a number of people to thank for making this project possible. First, Bob Snodgrass, the publisher at Addax, believed in it, then turned it over to Susan Storey to edit it. And the gang at Addax, Brad Breon, Darcie Kidson, Sharon Snodgrass, and Michelle Washington, all helped guide it through the publishing process. Jerry Hirt contributed a great cover design and Randy Breeden did a fine job designing the pages. I also want to thank Scott Finberg and Mike Shank for research help. Especially important were Lindy Davis and Kay Kuhn at Lindy's Sports Annuals, Steve Almasy at nando.net and Larry Canale at Tuff Stuff magazine, all of whom have offered support. |
| Also of tremendous help were the various public relations directors and associates around the NBA, including Tim Hallam, Lori Flores, Tom Smithburg, Debbie Butt, Marc Moquin, Brian McIntyre, Harold Kaufman, Keith Kroehler, Bob Zink, Tim Frank, Maureen Lewis and Jim Delaney. |
| Then, of course, there's my wife Karen and children Jenna, Henry and Morgan, who somehow manage to cope with the crazy nature of my work. |
| I want to acknowledge the work of the dozens of writers who have covered the NBA, including Mitch Albom, Terry Armour, Lacy J. Banks, Jesse Barkin, Terry Boers, Clifton Brown, Kelly Carter, Mitch Chortkoff, Robert Falkoff, Bill Gleason, Bill Halls, Scott Howard-Cooper, Mike Imrem, Melissa Isaacson, John Jackson, Paul Ladewski, Bernie Lincicome, Bob Logan, Jay Mariotti, Kent McDill, Corky Meinecke, Mike Mulligan, Skip Myslenski, Glenn Rogers, Steve Rosenbloom, Eddie Sefko, Gene Seymour, Sam Smith, Ray Sons, Paul Sullivan, Mike Tulumello, Mark Vancil, Bob Verdi, Scoop Jackson, Kerry Eggers, Michael Bradley, Terry Pluto, Tourre, Mike Kahn, Steve Kornacki, Michael Hunt, Martin Frank and many, many others. Their work has been invaluable. |
| Extensive use was made of a variety of publications, including the ESPN Pro Basketball Yearbook, Sports Illustrated Pro Basketball Yearbook, Slam magazine, Toronto Globe and Mail, Waterbury Republican, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Inside Stuff, Lindy's Pro Basketball Annual, the Akron Beacon Journal, Baltimore Sun, Basketball Times, Boston Globe, Chicago Defender, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Daily Southtown, The Detroit News, The Detroit Free Press, The Daily Herald, Hoop Magazine, Houston Post, Houston Chronicle, Inside Sports, Los Angeles Times, The National, New York Daily News, The New York Times, New York Post, The Charlotte Observer, USA Today, The Oregonian, Philadelphia Inquirer, San Antonio Express-News, Sport, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Street & Smith's Pro Basketball Yearbook, and The Washington Post. |
| Also vital were several books, including: The Last Shot by Darcy Frey, 24 Seconds to Shoot by Leonard Koppett, Bull Session by Johnny Kerr and Terry Pluto, Cages to Jump Shots by Robert Peterson, Loose Balls by Terry Pluto, Michael Jordan by Mitchell Krugel, Official Spalding Basketball Guide, various editions, 1898-1930, Pro Basketball Encyclopedia by David S. Neft and Richard M. Cohen, Rare Air by Michael Jordan with Mark Vancil, Sportswit by Lee Green, Tall Tales by Terry Pluto, The Bob Verdi Collection by Bob Verdi, The Glory and the Dream by William Manchester, The Jordan Rules by Sam Smith, The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia, edited by Zander Hollander and Alex Sachare, |
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