Havin’ a Ball

Though not a household name with casual fans, Adubato (b. 1937) is familiar to basketball diehards as a renowned coach whose career spanned five decades including stints in college, the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its sister league, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Adubato’s memoir, cowritten with journalist Kerasotis, starts with his years as a high school coach in New Jersey during the early 1960s. From there, he earned his way to college and professional games, front-row eyewitness to an era of innovative play amidst cultural turmoil. His range of experiences, along with his personal recollections of pivotal moments in the game’s history, make this a unique and significant account of basketball’s evolution from the 1960s to the mid-2000s. Hall of Fame players, legendary coaches, triumph, and tragedy are all part of his life story, told here with a seasoned storyteller’s voice and an unabashed twinkle in his eye. Basketball fans and sports historians will find this memoir an endearing, highly entertaining chapter of hoops history.