Pipeline to the Pros

There is no other book like this, perfect for serious basketball fans who are curious about the professional and business sides of the sport. It also serves as a roadmap for kids who think they might want to work in pro ball without having played in D1 or the NBA.

I heard about this book from Nick Wright's recommendation and it did not disappoint! This is very thorough and covers a lot of ground that you would not have been able to discover if the authors had not done the research that they did to put this together. I truthfully never thought about the backgrounds of a lot of the coaches and front office workers who are established or emerging, but this book did a great job of highlighting their path and their journey. it also provided insight into why Division III players have been sought out and have excelled despite a lack of playing experience at the highest level. It's very insightful, it's tough to put down and it puts a fresh perspective on how the NBA came to be and where it may be evolving to in the future. Highly recommend!

Pipeline to the Pros is a SLAM DUNK for those basketball fans who want to hear the inspirational backstory tales of some of the most influential participants in the sport. This well-written book is filled with facts that may have been unknown until Ben Kaplan and Danny Parkins teamed up to unveil their significance on and off the basketball court!

Parkins and Kaplan, first and foremost, have something that many nonfiction sports texts lack: excellent prose. Too often, sports biographies can feel like they were written by high school freshmen. These two have a no-nonsense writing style that doesn’t talk down to the reader. They inform the reader. Prose aside, the book is an excellent look into the world of NBA front offices and coaching staffs, and the common bond that unites so many of them. Parkins and Kaplan have a passion for the subject matter that is matched only by the passion that Vogel, Pop, Thibs, the Van Gundy brothers, and others have for all facets of the game of basketball.

Must read for all sport fans or fans of the underdog story. The authors interviewed a wide array of players, front office executives, and coaches to tell this story that is so often overlooked and worthy of a deep dive. Its refreshing to find a niche topic that was researched so well and presented in a fun and different perspective.

Rare do you find the combination of curiosity and credibility with such a wide range of experts in a field. Kudos to the authors for the research and interviews that were necessary to bring this book together. What a great contribution to the sport - highlighting that, even at the highest levels, it takes contributions from all levels.

As a former D3 player and now youth coach, this resonated with me. It’s a great behind the scenes look at the changes in NBA management.

Pipeline to the Pros delivers so many incredible, eye-opening insights, yet the stories are beautifully woven together; revealing how D3 "nobodies" left their indelible mark on professional basketball. It’s a testament to anyone who may have started small, but dreamed big. I found it nearly impossible to put down.