Table of Contents
Introduction vii
Chapter 1 24 Seconds to Save the NBA 1
The Game: October 30, 1954, Rochester Royals vs. Boston Celtics
Chapter 2 Bill Russell's Lament 21
The Game: May 5, 1969, Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Game 7, NBA Finals
Chapter 3 Kareem Wants Out 41
The Game: March 14, 1975, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Chapter 4 The 1984 Draft: Tanking to the Top 59
The Game: April 14, 1984, Kansas City Kings vs. Houston Rockets
Chapter 5 When Larry Met Magic 75
The Game: May 27, 1984, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics, Game I, NBA Finals
Chapter 6 Making Michael Jordan 95
The Game: April 3, 1988, Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons
Chapter 7 Pat Riley's Basket-Brawl 113
The Game: May 14, 1997, Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks, Game 5, Eastern Conference Semifinals
Chapter 8 "Bring It On": Kobe Bryant's Close-Up 131
The Game: February 8, 1998, Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference, NBA All-Star Game
Chapter 9 Becoming Dirk 149
The Game: March 29, 1998, World Select vs. Us Select, Nike Hoops Summit
Chapter 10 The Big Rip-Off 167
The Game: May 31, 2002, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings, Game 6, Western Conference Finals
Chapter 11 Lebron James's Demons 187
The Game: June 7, 2012, Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics, Game 6, Eastern Conference Finals
Chapter 12 World, Meet Steph 205
The Game: February 27, 2013, New York Knicks vs. Golden State Warriors
Notes 221
Sources 249
Index 251
About the Author 262