Joe Lapchick Biography

Biographical Sketch of Joe Lapchick

Joe Lapchick is a legendary figure in the history of basketball: a member of the "Original Celtics" barnstorming team and a Hall of Fame inductee, as a player; as a coach of four national championship teams at St. John's University; and the first coach of the New York Knicks. But this book - the first dedicated to Lapchick’s life and career - transcends mere biography. Gus Alfieri, who played point guard under Lapchick for St. John's 1959 Championship team, chronicles key moments in the history of basketball: early rule changes and the era of barnstorming teams, dramatic NIT Championship games(when the NIT was the tournament in the nation), the point shaving scandals in college basketball, the formation of the NBA, and the integration of professional black players(including Sweetwater Clifton, the first black member of the Knicks, who played for Lapchick). This book is a must for any basketball fan with a passion for the game and its history.

 

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