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Pioneers of the Hardwood: Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball
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Pioneers of the Hardwood: Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball Paperback - 1998

by Todd Gould

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Reader reviews for Pioneers of the Hardwood: Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball

From the publisher

As fire is to prairie or water to fish, so is basketball part of the natural environment in Indiana. Round ball, or Hoosier Hysteria is so much a part of the state's heritage that many people believe basketball was invented in Indiana. Naismith's game is a virtual religion in the state.
While everyone knows about the growth of basketball in high schools and in college, the story of Indiana's role in the development of professional basketball has not been told before. It is a fascinating, passionate, lively story of men who loved the game and were willing to play for nickels, of raucous fans, local heroes, and love of the game.
Growing out of an award-winning documentary, Pioneers of the Hardwood tells the story of the growth of professional basketball in Indiana in the good old barnstorming days. Gould covers the Indianapolis Em-Roes, the Fort Wayne Pistons (later the Detroit Pistons), the Indianapolis Kautskys, and the Indianapolis Olympians. He sets his story within the context of the times and also discusses some of the teams that the local heroes competed against, including the famous New York Celtics (the original Celtics) and the gifted Harlem Rens, the first all black professional team.
The book is based on extensive research as well as revealing interviews with former players John Wooden, collegiate all-American Ralph Beard, Pat Malaska, Frank Baird, and others. Indiana teams were frequently "world champions." The Fort Wayne Pistons dominated professional basketball for a number of years.

Pioneers of the Hardwood is an essential part of the story of the growth of professional basketball in the first half of this century. As Gould puts it, "Before stars such as Larry Bird or Oscar Robertson, before the high-priced basketball shoe advertisements, and before the success of the NBA, before the Indiana Pacers, the forefathers of professional basketball forged a remarkable legacy as unlikely and as magical as a last-second shot spells a champions

Details

  • Title Pioneers of the Hardwood: Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball
  • Author Todd Gould
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 264
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana, U.S.A.
  • Publication date 1998-03-22
  • Features Bibliography, Index
  • ISBN 9780253211996 / 0253211999
  • Weight 0.99 lbs (0.45 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.21 x 6.1 x 0.68 in (23.39 x 15.49 x 1.73 cm)
  • Themes
    • Cultural Region: Heartland
    • Cultural Region: Midwest
    • Geographic Orientation: Indiana
  • Category Sports & Recreation
  • Library of Congress subjects Basketball - Indiana - History
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 97038268
  • Dewey Decimal Code 796.323

About the author

Todd Gould is the Senior Producer for public television station WFYI in Indianapolis, Indiana. His production of "Pioneers of the Hardwood" served as a 30-minute special for the state-wide public television, "Across Indiana." The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has recognized his work with five Emmy Awards.

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Pioneers of the Hardwood: Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball
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Pioneers of the Hardwood: Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball

by Gould, Todd

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Pioneers of the Hardwood : Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball

by Todd Gould

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Pioneers of the Hardwood : Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball
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Pioneers of the Hardwood : Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball

by Gould, Todd

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Pioneers of the Hardwood: Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball

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PIONEERS OF THE HARDWOOD Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball
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PIONEERS OF THE HARDWOOD Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball

by GOULD, TODD

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Pioneers of the Hardwood: Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball
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Pioneers of the Hardwood: Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball

by Gould, Todd

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Indiana University Press, 1998-03-22. First Edition. paperback. Used: Good. 6.10x0.68x9.21. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
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by Gould, Todd

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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