Young, Black, Rich, and Famous: The Rise of the NBA, the Hip Hop Invasion, and the Transformation of American Culture

The best way to describe this book would be a thoroughly well-articulated extended dissertation on the role of race in the sport of professional basketball. With the exception of a few typos and some timing reference errors, Boyd consistently hits the mark with his parallels of hip hop culture and the NBA. It certainly may not appeal to those unwilling to hear harsh truths about how many white people love Black culture but not the people, or how player perceptions are significantly shaped by implicit biases and internalized racism.

A very good story and a great read for the young girls and boys that only wish to pursue a career in the pro's. It is a great career but all that glits is not gold. Have a back up plan.

I highly recommend this book for any fan of basketball. Todd does a wonderful job mixing thoughtful intelligent observations with real talk.

In his intro, the author mentions his PhD and street-cred hybrid, saying he's "Einstein plus Shaft." His name -- Todd Boyd. No "Dr." or middle names or initials. Todd Boyd -- Tight.The writing isn't professor-foggy nor professor-take-10-pages-to-make-a-one sentence-point. The words are sharp and clear. There are no big words in quotations, no use of "so-called" and only one "indeed" in the whole book. Nice. And while the writing style doesn't convey the speed and aggression of b-ball or the inside game (Pat Riley and Phil Jackson's books have more sweat and sneaker squeaks), Boyd has the objective distance and big picture theories of a cultural historian.Boyd covers basketball since the 1970's. I'll just kick it freestyle with some of his points:- Kareem exemplified the 70's stars' stoicism. He played basketball -- he was not there to entertain the white man. Boyd compares these types of players to jazz greats who were not looking for popular approval. (Like Miles Davis, who would turn his back to the audience while he played).- The ABA allowed "street ball" play, while the NBA of the 70's was more conservative. When the ABA folded/merged with the NBA, street style was injected into the NBA. And today street style is the style.- In the late 70's, the image of the NBA was of lazy cocaine users. Boyd notes that the NBA was no more coked up than other sectors of the entertainment industry. Boyd does not mention that ballers are athletes worshiped by kids. (And Boyd doesn't mention that Magic, Bird, and Commissioner David Stern all came into the league in the same year and upgraded the league's image).- Magic redefined "position" by playing all five spots to win the championship his rookie year. This helped break the limitations of position -- players could roam all over -- and furthered the street style.- Magic smiled a lot, which was a break from the Jabbar stoic style. Magic made it okay to entertain without seeming minstrel. Boyd claims that it was demeaning that Magic was always mentioned in the same breath as Bird. I say Bird was the second-best all-around player and they elevated each other. I think Magic would agree.- The Celtics and Duke University teams were whiter by design. It's no accident. (I'd add the Utah Jazz).- The Detroit Pistons were viewed as Bad Boys because they - and Detroit - were so black. (Plus Lambeer :-). Boyd claims they were hated for the same physical play of the whiter Celts. I say the Pistons played nastier.- Iverson is Boyd's poster boy for hip-hop style in basketball. He does what he wants and f*%& 'em. Boyd doesn't seem to have a problem with Iverson showing up late or missing practices. Hey, f#*^ 'em. Uh, those are his teammates he's f&$%ing!- Boyd likes that high schoolers can and do jump straight to the pros. And he doesn't think high schoolers should have to pass a test to play college ball. He claims that it's NCAA affirmative action for whites. (Chris Rock voice here....) Too many black players? Give the ghetto kids a test! If you have $200, how many pairs of duck shoes can you buy at Land's End, and still have enough to buy a jar of mayonnaise?- The NBA is increasingly non-white, and the whites are increasingly foreigners. The college game is whiter, as it's more controlled, and the best players - who are also black - go from high school to the pros... or stay in college for a year or two before going pro.- And Boyd weaves Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, and of course hip-hop into the mix.- Plus a lot more. For example, Boyd highlights David "Skywalker" Thompson, the most electrifying player of his era. He literally took the air game to a whole new level. His career was cut short (you could say his was the promise that Jordan later delivered on) and I'm glad Boyd told his story.- A couple things Boyd does not mention that my creative license allows: 1) In the 1920's, Dr. Funkenstein was the first "black" player in the league. A white man who wore blackface, Funkenstein dazzled the crowd by dribbling between his legs, passing behind his back, and doing a "jump shot". (I find the whole concept offensive: Could you imagine Allen Iverson in white face, high striped socks and short shorts while shooting set-shots and being lauded because "He doesn't have much natural talent, but he plays with a lot of HEART!"). 2) If you look closely at Kevin McHale, you can see the scars on his neck from where they took the bolts out. Was he created in a lab as part of a honky Boston conspiracy? 3) In the early 1970's, Twinkle Toes Jackson elevated the game and electrified crowds as "Master of The Lay-up." Twinkle was the first to take off from the free throw line for a lay-up. While he was in flight, the crowd went c-raaazy! Flash bulbs popped everywhere! Then Dr. J started "slam dunking," and Twinkle saw his glory fade. Twinkle compensated for his increasingly anti-climactic layups by improving his trash talking skills, and became one of the best trash talkers ever.

Slapdash, seemingly un-researched, rambling, unfocused, repetitive. Contains basic factual errors - the year NC State won the NCAA championship for instance. He tells a completely unremarkable anecdote about Michael Jordan that serves no purpose other than to demonstrate that he met Michael Jordan - and, to boot, it undercuts his supposed disdain for sycophancy. It has no coherent structure to speak of. It’s about hip-hop only insofar as Dr. Boyd quotes rap lyrics at the end of paragraphs. Lingers far too much on college basketball - a great subject, but not the one advertised. A tremendous waste of a great concept.

Todd Boyd takes the notion of the hip-hop industry and basketball being synonymous to an entirely new level. With fluid and memorable references to the similarities of how hip-hop came from the streets, to the formation of how basketball is now the newest form of hip-hop, Boyd captures the essence of the sport like no other.Using references of how both dominate the streets and how the world of basketball has been changed thereafter, Boyd highlights the game and its glitches, from racism down to the money-making formula that has taken hold today. With no stone unturned, readers are carried through moments of fame, glory and the challenges that former and current NBA players face, including dealings within the drug game and how money-making opportunities being offered today are very similar in nature.Although basketball used to be a quiet and unnoticed, it has now emerged as a dominant and lucrative force in the professional sports arena. With unparalleled style, YOUNG BLACK RICH & FAMOUS details the life that almost every young black man dreams of. The NBA, its lucrative deals and opportunities have transformed the way everyone looks at young black males and the actual sport today. Actually, it's quite obvious that basketball has emerged as the new "American" sport. They said it couldn't be done and couldn't happen - next question: Who's Ballin' Now?Reviewed by T. Belinda Williamsof The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers