Sam Smith Talks Phil Jackson NBA Book 'Masters of the Game'

"I had written a book about five or six years ago, kind of with Oscar Robertson, on the ABA, the Robertson suit that led to free agency, the mergers of the leagues, it was kind of an NBA history book of the '60s and '70s. It was great fun to do, because I'm interviewing all those guys who were playing as the best players on their team. No connection, but guys are dying. I'd done the last interviews with Havlicek and Wes Unseld."

"Masters of the Game uses the framework of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team to spark a series of winding riffs pertaining to Smith and Jackson's years spent around each player mentioned in that 2022 list - and several others. But the book takes an unorthodox approach to the topic. It's essentially a series of dialogues inspired by everyone from Michael Jordan to Damian Lillard, designed to feel like the kinds of chats people have over a long dinner with friend."

Sam Smith, a renowned Bulls beat reporter, and Phil Jackson, a six-time NBA championship coach, have created 'Masters of the Game: A Conversational History of the NBA in 75 Legendary Players.' The book uses the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team as a framework for dialogues between Smith and Jackson, drawing from their decades of experience around elite basketball players. Rather than a traditional narrative, the work presents conversations styled like intimate dinner discussions between two basketball experts. Smith's motivation stemmed from earlier work on NBA history and concern that valuable player interviews were disappearing. The collaboration emerged from their renewed connection during pandemic-era lunches in Los Angeles.

Read at Bleacher Nation