Hoops: A Cultural History of Basketball in America

From its 19^th-century roots to its position today as a global symbol of American culture, basketball has been a force in American society. This book presents the first cultural history of the sport from the street to the highest levels of professional mens and womens competition, chronicling the relationship between the sport and American society.

Thomas Aiello is an associate professor of history and African American studies at Valdosta State University in Georgia. He is the author of several books including Dixieball: Race and Professional Basketball in the Deep South, 1947-1979 (Tennessee) Jim Crow’s Last Stand: Nonunanimous Criminal Jury Verdicts in Louisiana, and The Kings of Casino Park: Black Baseball in the Lost Season of 1932.