Those Who Love the Game

Glenn "Doc" Rivers plays ball the way an artist writes: he practices endlessly to perfect his technique, he constantly thinks of the whole, the game, ahead of himself; and in those moments of inspiration when "the ball starts to move," that's when the real fun starts. Talking with award-winning author Bruce Brooks, Rivers tells us about the game he loves.

Beginning with schoolyard contests in Chicago against Isiah Thomas and clashes with an older brother who was his toughest one-on-one challenge, he shows us the determination, the competitive fire, and the brains he needed to succeed. We find out about mentors like Johnny Davis and Moses Malone, infuriating opponents like Michael Jordan and Kevin McHale--and coaches like Hank Raymond and Pat Riley, whose techniques Doc will use someday when he gets to lead a team.

Doc has a good life in the NBA, but he looks directly at the racial problens sports hides, at the distortion that comes when a game turns into a highlight film, at the pressure on himself and his family that comes from being a too-often-absent dad, and at the day every athlete dreads: retirement. Looking back to last year's play-offs and ahead to his future, Doc Rivers guides us on a thought-provoking, readable journey into the mind of one special ballplayer--one of Those Who Love the Game.