When The Game Was Ours

Quick review version:Good:+ Well written and engaging story from Jackie MacMullan+ Great insights from Bird and Magic into the world of professional basketball+ Identifies two approaches/styles to a championship mentality+ Great insights into Bird and Magic as human beings.Bad:- One-sided perspectives from Bird and Magic (granted, this is "their" story so this should be expected)- Could have used more color on how Bird and Magic interfaced with their respective teammates, coaches, GM's, and owners.- Too short (I am a big fan so this bullet point should be taken with a grain of salt)Long review version:This is an excellent book providing "behind-the-scenes" insights into two highly influential characters in the history basketball. This book is a quick read and provides an interesting contrast between the personalities and development of Bird and Magic during their professional years. Jackie MacMullan does a great job weaving this story together and keeping the book moving. I read Seth Davis's book "When March Went Mad" that told the story of Bird and Magic from their high school and collegiate exploits until their historic game in the 1979 NCAA championship and this a great follow-on book (I would go so far to say that Davis's book is a good "prequel" for this book.) The book provides a window into the emotions both men went through during memorable Celtics and Lakers championship runs in the 80's and I was surprised to read about the intensity of their dislike towards one another before they actually spent any appreciable time together. I enjoyed the inside stories of how Bird and Magic related to their teammates - McHale, Byron Scott and Kareem. I especially enjoyed their recollections from the Olympic "Dream Team" (further insight into the competitive drive of Jordan). I am a big fan of Magic's and remember when it was announced that he was retiring from basketball after his contraction of HIV - very shocking and sad. This book goes into how that situation was handled by Magic and my admiration for the man continues. However, he is certainly no saint and the novel somewhat glosses over the type of lifestyle that led him to contract the disease in the first place (I have a new admiration for his wife, Cookie). Magic's final thoughts on Isiah Thomas was a bit of shocker as well (I am a longtime Piston fan). Strongly recommend this for any basketball fan who still has fond memories of that era or a young person who interested in the history of these two basketball titans.

What a great accounting of possibly the best era of basketball since Naismith hung that peach basket up and tossed a ball at it! Any aspiring player should read this book and learn from the Masters. Thank you Larry, Thank you Magic.

Great historical view of an intensely competitive period in the NBA.

Our family followed Larry Bird throughout his career. It was the best of times for watching basketball being played the way it should be played. Watching highlights that incorporated passing, cuts to the basket, picks, rebounds, as well as baskets instead of one man ESPN highlights was the best.I wish there were more stories about individual games ( like the night Larry Bird played the entire game left handed against the Hawks, I believe) and less about Magic's HIV situation.Thanks for the entertaining walk around the time when basketball was basketball.

Before I began to write this review, I looked at a couple of three star reviews. One of the reviewers didn't care for the book because it seemed to him/her that Jackie MacMullan was the true writer, rather than Magic and Bird. The "melding" of the voices that the other reviewer DIDN'T like was exactly what I DID like about it! So often with books by two authors, they alternate chapters. I find that a little choppy in the story line. With this book, it seems as if MacMullan did detailed interviews with both former players and then melded the story into a single, cohesive story line.I ASSUME that everything Bird and Magic told MacMullan was true; I have no reason to doubt the veracity of the men. The players seem to be open about their lives and rivalries, both on and off the court. I enjoyed reading how Magic and Bird became close friends off the court. MacMullan also doesn't sensationalise Magic's HIV diagnosis. It is a very good read, something rare in a book about sports figures.

Plowed brought this book in a weekend. So many memories, passages to highlight, instances where I could remember exactly where I was. The book essentially covers 1979-2009. My life 1976-current day. So pretty fascinating to relive, and unique to me, the Pacers years w Bird the coach and executive. While the players rivalry in the 80s will highlight any Celtics or Laker fan experience, for this Pacer fan 1997-2005 were some of the best years of my life.Chapter 9 is incredibly moving covering Magic’s HIV announcement in 1991. As a 15 year old that didn’t like the Lakers, I really didn’t get the magnitude. The author captures this period vividly,in amazing detail, with remarkable behind the scenes accounts. Golly, I read that Chapter while walking on a treadmill at the gym, and had the damnedest time fighting back the tears.

When The Game Was Ours is a great book. Jackie Mac really did her research to give you a very detailed in-depth look at the rivalry between Bird and Magic. The book is mostly chronological. It is incredible to see how in college once they were aware of one another they wanted to work harder and do whatever to beat each other. Just as Magic said on Larry Bird night at the Boston Garden, something along the lines of Larry I took 800 jump shots a day because I knew you were somewhere shooting just as many. Macmullan covers how the two men once hated each other and how that evolved into a beautiful friendship. Whether you are a casual basketball fan or hard core fanatic historian of the game like myself, this book makes for a great read.

I'm a huge basketball fan that didn't grow up in the Magic and Bird era. This was a very interesting read as I wanted to learn more about their greatness. I bought this book along with the Jordan Rules so I could get the chance to learn more about the old school basketball era. This book was written really well as it gave me an understanding at how great and influential both, Magic and Bird, were to the league. Their rivalry was one for the ages. I loved the photos shown in the book. Makes you really appreciate the NBA and it's history.

Es un libro usado, pero salvo algún pequeño defecto en el papel de la cubierta, está perfecto, tal como se indicaba en la descripción. Aunque hubo algún problema en la entrega, finalmente recibí el pedido, y la predisposición del vendedor para resolver los problemas ha sido total.

Excelente libro.Llegó muy rápido.

Beautifully written book.

I came to this book via the HBO documentary; A Courtship of Rivals, which I absolutely loved and as a result turned me into a NBA fan (I am from the UK so football was my 1st love). The book is a wonderful accompaniment to that documentary, but offers so much more insight and detail. A particular delight, was the backstory behind the Converse commercial and how their friendship developed from there. This book is a must for any sport historian fan and it is highly recommended