Wilt Chamberlain Greatest Sports Legends DVD

Wilt Chamberlain Greatest Sports Legends DVD

Basketball was forever changed when Wilt Chamberlain came on the scene. The combination of his size and agility made him a menace to opposing defenders and catapulted him into the record books. With single game performances like scoring 100 points against the Knicks in 1962. Wilt ‘The Stilt’ battled Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics his entire career, and on this tape he comments on their epic battles. This video contains rare video footage of Chamberlain from Overbrook High School to his college days at Kansas through his All-Star years in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Also watch an exclusive, in-depth interview where he discusses the games, players, coaches and moments that shaped his brilliant career.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars A must DVD for any Chamberlain fan
This is a must for anyone who is a Wilt Chamberlain fan or interested in learning about one of the most dominant figures in NBA history. Great quality, highly suggest this to anyone.

5 Stars One of the Greatest Sports Atheletes Ever
Wilt Chamberlin was to the NBA what Babe Ruth was to Baseball to me. He Dominated&set a High standard. truly a One of a Kind. to me he hardly gets his full due. He was a All Around Great Athlete. He did it all on the Basketball court period. His 100 point game will always loom large. the Man was a Winner&Left a Lasting impression. this DVD Covers alot of territory&yet with a Larger than Life figure as WIlt Chamberlin you still want more.

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NBA Street Series Ankle Breakers

NBA Street Series Ankle Breakers

Stephon Marbury hosts this jammin’, nearly one-hour celebration of the players, old school and new school, who broke the mold to create their own unique brand of razzle-dazzle basketball. The hip-hop soundtrack and stylistic manipulations are not necessary to create excitement. The thrilling NBA footage of stop-and-go’s, crossovers, and ball fakes speaks for itself. DVD’s freeze-frame and reverse capabilities only enhance the see-it-to-believe-it fancy footwork and breathtaking ball handling of basketball’s true entertainers. Bob Cousy, “Pistol” Pete Maravich, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Allen Iverson, Steve Francis, Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Jason Williams, and Tracy McGrady are just a few of the represented players who have turned the basketball court into their own personal stage. Colleagues, peers, and broadcasters offer testament to their play-making prowess, but these flamboyant, wild, and reckless players who found new ways to get the hoop demonstrate why they are human highlights films. –Donald Liebenson

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Nicccccee
I dont know how many people play basketball. Maybe a lot of the one who purchase these dvds cant even do a simple hesitation between the legs followed by a heads up. If you have handles and can play the game this one is a keeper. Although they could have added some of the other players who display the killa crossover..like my man killa kobe. But they do have A.I. and everbody in the league knows about his crossover. This dvds has a variety of nice moves along with some stuff that they could have edited out..for those of you that have seen this dvd then you know what i mean..So the next time you make a movie called ankile breakers..please only show moves that are breaking people ankles..I have seen plently of Iverson moves that has made some other NBA players fall..and dont forget about Stevie ….and the others who also have displayed some nice crossover as well…

3 Stars Defining “ankle breakers”
I have not seen this video but to define the term “ankle breakers” is when the offensive player does an assortment of amazing moves that throws the defensive player out of sync that causes him to break his own ankles with out ever being touched by the offensive player. So, this video should be about offensive players who can throw the defence out of their way with grace and style and finish the play.

Again, I state that I have not seen this video. I put in a 3 star rating to be neutral as possible in the product rating system for it would not post this review otherwise.

1 Star ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz BORING
This DVD is terrible.

Has anyone even heard the term ankle breakers before? I’m still not too sure what it is. I remember now why I stopped watching the NBA about ten years ago. This feature is presented by Steffon Marberry who has got to be the most boring, un-carismatic, yet, most egosticle S.O.B they could find. He is so boring talking for ages about how good he is and how he is the best player ever… yeah right, get over yourself STARberry pfft

The rest of the thing is filled with egotisticle players aswell. And a lot of boring interveiws. and stuff. It shows highlets of players who do have ball skill, but, tho I dont have that kind of talent, and I would have my butt kicked in a one on one match with any of them, it’s still remains that it is so boring to watch 100 replys in a row of a crossover dribble into a boring little lay-up. ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

It’s not entertaining, it put me off the NBA once again. Even the bonus features are dull and boring. The star plays or whatever it is started off ok, but then got boring… i couldnt finish watching this boring DVD filled with snore plays and a bunch of guys hogging the ball, showing how they have no skills when it comes to TEAM work and prove once and for all that they are about showing off and trying to make a name for themselves only…. yet, they never stop to think, “Why dont we ever win a game?” ITS BECAUSE YOU HOG THE BALL and this video just shows the highlights of it.

This DVD should be called Egos and Ball Hogs.

1 Star no KOBE BRYANT
one reason why this dvd sucks no KOBE BRYANT. KOBE is one of the nba’s greatest players. he’s got one of the meanest crossover and dunks.

4 Stars Crossover historians will appreciate this
This is a great documentation of the greatest crossover artists in NBA history. crossover historians will appreciate an entire section in the special features section dedicated to no other than Mr. U.T.E.P. 2-step himself “Timbug” Tim Hardaway, which shows nothing but consecutive game clips of him performing the killer crossover on unsuspecting yokels. in the main movie, AI has his bit as well as steve francis, and thankfully they didn’t forget jdub and his amazing ball handling skills. marbury has some footage but unfortunately no knicks clips. nevertheless, i was surprised how extensive this dvd is. not only does it include today’s top crossover artists, it also has some footage of big men with handles, such as kg, duncan, and the unforgettable showcase in footwork
of hakeem olajuwon against david robinson in the western conf finals of 94. but that’s not all! for some reason they decided to add extra clips in the special features section of nba high fliers
clyde drexler and ron harper during the 80s. they also have special sections on cousy, pete maravich, magic johnson, isiah thomas, and michael jordan, even though some of these players have nothing to do with the crossover. anyway, this dvd perhaps has too much footage, but it’s good to see the nba didn’t skimp on this dvd. i was very pleasantly surpised. a great capsule of yesterday’s and today’s greatest ankle shakers.

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Shaq TV The Reality Series

Shaq TV The Reality Series

Shaquille Gets Real. This unique 6-episode DVD takes an exclusive inside look at the day-to-day of the NBA’s big man with a big heart and even a bigger sense of humor, Shaquille O’Neal. Follow him both on and off the basketball court during his first season with the Miami Heat. Go behind the scenes and hang with Shaq, his teammates, his friends, and his family.

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Web-savvy Cynical Chinas Youth Since Tiananmen

Mr Basketball George Mikan the Minneapolis Lakers and the Birth of the NBA

Mr Basketball George Mikan the Minneapolis Lakers and the Birth of the NBA

Schumacher (Family Business) explores the on-court life and legacy of George Mikan, the big man who revolutionized both college and professional basketball as a dominant center in the ’40s and ’50s and as the American Basketball Association’s first commissioner in the 1960s. Several rules in the modern game were enacted to offset 6′10 Mikan’s uncommon height advantage at the time: his shot-blocking ability for DePaul University led to the goaltending rule in college basketball in 1943, and his rebounding and scoring for the Minneapolis Lakers prompted the nascent NBA to widen the free-throw lane from six feet to 12 feet in 1951. Wilt Chamberlain described Mikan as the first true superstar of the league, and Shaquille O’Neal, who paid for Mikan’s funeral when he died in 2005 in dire financial straits due to the expenses of his health problems, said, Without George Mikan, there is no me. A native of Joliet, Ill., Mikan was from a Croatian family and remained a true Midwesterner to the end, Schumacher writes. Schumacher’s narrative sometimes gets bogged down with tedious, almost box score–like itemizing of the numerous games from Mikan’s college and pro careers. Recounting these games in such specifics will be of interest to hardcore fans of the early pro game, but it does little to shed light on the man off the basketball court. (Nov.)
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Web-savvy cynical: China’s youth since Tiananmen - The Associated Press

Covert My Years Infiltrating the Mob

Covert My Years Infiltrating the Mob

Starred Review. NBA referee Delaney’s fascinating account of his prior life as a New Jersey state trooper who infiltrated organized crime will be a must-read for those drawn to Joe Pistone’s similar account in Donnie Brasco (or the movie adaptation starring Johnny Depp). In 1975, Delaney was a relative novice in law enforcement when he was tapped by a superior to help build cases against major Mafia families by creating and running a fake business, Alamo Trucking. With the aid of St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times sportswriter Scheiber, Delaney captures perfectly the daily routine and perils of undercover work, and describes the psychological challenges he faced during the three years of Project Alpha: The granite foundation of my self-image… had given way to shifting sands of doubt and worry. While less heralded than Pistone’s work, Delaney’s achievements—which yielded multiple convictions of members of the Bruno and Genovese families—were significant precursors to the Feds’ massive 1980s assault on La Cosa Nostra. Becoming a basketball referee after these proceedings was a return to an early passion of the high school all-state forward and captain of his college team—but the fear, he says, still comes back sometimes. 8 pages of b&w photos. (Feb. 5)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Fascinating Page-turner; Bob Delaney is a true role model
Although I haven’t seen Bob Delaney in 40 years, I have known him since 1965 when we started high school together. As the star athlete in the school, he was a source of pride for us due to his skills on the basketball court, taking our new, obscure little school to the state championships. This book brought back many fond memories of those days, and his subsequent years in law enforcement makes me even prouder to know him. The word “hero” tends to get bandied about all too often these days, but Bob is the classical, textbook definition of a hero. He put is life on the line to protect the rest of us from some really bad people, and I for one am grateful. It is truly an amazing story and it’s difficult to put this book down. I am gratified that Bob now has his dream job (he has certainly earned it through his extraordinary determination and superb skills.) This story is a “must read.”

5 Stars Great story!
Great story and well written. Very happy for him in his transition from crime fighter to NBA referee. Fast and enjoyable read.

4 Stars Enjoyable Book
The book offers a mix of human interest, police how-to, mafia and sports and will entertain readers of various backgrounds. The storyline is excellent and very well written. Mr. Delaney is first class citizen. I don’t care at all for basketball but liked learning about officiating a game and how he got into the field after his law enforcement career. “Covert” gets an ‘A’ from me.

4 Stars Goob
Entertaining read. His story is quite remarkable. You don’t come across someone who has his life experiences very often. I would recommend this book very highly.

5 Stars A book you can’t put down
From the first pages, I just could not put this book down. The suspense in dealing with people who could turn on you any moment was thrilling. It is obvious that Bob Delaney is one of our true heroes in the fight against crime.

I highly recommend this book to those who like true real life thrillers.

Tim Berg.

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Young Black Rich and Famous The Rise of the NBA the Hip Hop Invasion and the Transformation of American Culture

Young Black Rich and Famous The Rise of the NBA the Hip Hop Invasion and the Transformation of American Culture

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars young, black, rich, famous: the rise of the nba, the hip hop invasion, and the transformation of american culture
The book was very informing concerning the hip hop culture. A good “snap shot” of young males dreams and aspirations.

4 Stars Critical Theory meets the NBA
Using the tools of a critical theorist, Todd Boyd sets out to analyze the quest for freedom of expression and existence, as it is played out on the basketball court and within the Black cultural renaissance of Hip-Hop music. American basketball, as it is played and lived by young African American men and Hip-Hop culture both resist being co-opted by mainstream America. They have both moved from the purlieus of the larger American popular cultural purview to occupy a unique space at the vortex of the American global marketing machine. Within this framework, America and the world, are live witnesses of the creative expression of black culture as it is lived and informed by black rather than white norms and of the global representation of American popular culture, in the face of black rather than white men. Such an analysis requires that one is able to navigate seamlessly between the theoretical constructs of critical theory, the lyrical genius of the Notorious B.I.G. and the choreographic grace of his Airness, Michael Jordan, all the while “keeping it real” as only a Black man can do. Boyd is successful in his methodological approach as he delivers with stunning detail the nuances of what it means to be young, black, rich and famous in America.

Boyd’s expertise as a critical theorist is evident as he lays out the theoretical framework for the book and adeptly situates his theory within the venue of the National Basketball Association where Hip-Hop music has become the new national anthem. In addition, his background as a journalist and sports enthusiast gives him a solid foundation from which he recounts more than thirty years of basketball history. As an African American man and scholar, Boyd brings lived as well as critical experience to the understanding of the emergence of Hip-Hop culture as a counter hegemonic movement on the American landscape.

Boyd identifies the creative genius of the African American style of basketball at the center of a transformation that has taken place in the NBA. It is basketball, with its low equipment cost, ability to be played in small places, and its capacity to be played alone, that is uniquely suited for the African American urban reality. Basketball provides African American “ballers” the creative canvass on which portraits of individualized representations of freedom may be painted.

Reminiscent of the aesthetic rhythm of a Magic Johnson assist to James Worthy, Boyd show how the lyrics, the style of dress and the overall attitude of Hip-Hop has informed a new generation “Hip-Hop ballers” in the NBA. Boyd connects the freestyle of play in this new generation of ballers to the freedom of style and expression that is epitomized in Hip-Hop culture.

The connection between Hip-Hop and how it influences the rise of freestyle play in the NBA, and the uncompromising and unassimilated attitude of the young, black, rich and famous NBA stars is critical to Boyd’s central theme. Boyd does an outstanding job in developing his thesis along the lines of the transformation of the NBA through these new school players. However, he fails to do justice to the emergence and the development of Hip-Hop as a cultural phenomenon. The book focuses on the transformation of the NBA and Hip-Hop is used primarily as the background music throughout the process. Boyd also neglects the significance of the WNBA as a creative context for African American woman, or perhaps as a restrictive platform for a black female cultural contribution. Finally, Boyd leaves important questions unanswered: Does the power to maintain one’s personal freedom and individual creativity only lend itself to the “rich and famous”? If so, how should we address the simply “young and black”?

Overall, the work makes a significant contribution to the growing body of literature that concerns itself with the radical reconstruction of race and representation in a global society. Students and academicians of critical theory, critical race theory, and cultural anthropology will find the examination of the NBA and Hip-Hop as fascinating contexts in which to study race representations and the indigenous creation of cultural norms. In addition, the book provides for the sports enthusiast, a tremendous insight into the evolution of the game of basketball as it distinguishes itself from baseball and football, as the only major professional sport in which individual creativity has transformed the sport, and in doing so transformed the culture.

In the end Boyd makes a shocking revelation that shows that as the NBA gains global popularity as an American cultural commodity, the global spokesperson for American culture is increasingly a black man.

4 Stars Gave it to ‘em raw
Dr. Boyd hits it on the head with this piece about basketball and hip-hop. The only way a book like this can be written the way it was is if you are a part of the culture yourself, because if not, it will not be easy to understand. I, for one, love it because he uses teams from the 80’s, such as the Georgetown Hoyas, the early 90’s with the Fab Five of the Michigan Wolverines, and other teams, players, and events in the game which took me back in time. When he speaks about these things, you can see the connection with hip-hop, such as Allen Iverson’s influence, and others lack thereof. He uses lyrics from some of the hip-hop’s greats, but like I mentioned before, you must be a part of the culture or at least familiar with it to see what he is trying to say. He keeps it real throughout the book and gives credit where it is due while being critical at the same time. ‘Ball and hip-hop have a unique bond, and the significance of it cannot be ignored.

5 Stars Who