[Adolph H. Grundman]The Golden Age of Amateur Basketball : The AAU Tournament, 1921-1968(pdf){Zzzzz}

The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) has long symbolized the idealism of amateur athletic competition. For basketball especially, the AAU provided an opportunity for athletes to showcase their skills for the benefit of the team and the sport, not the bottom line. In The Golden Age of Amateur Basketball, Adolph H. Grundman recounts the history of the AAU National Tournament during its golden age, 1921 through 1968.

Grundman analyzes the early tournaments, examining rule changes, key players, and dominant teams. He explores the rivalries between corporations for amateur dominance after 1935, the competition between the AAU and the National Collegiate Athletic Association for representation in Olympic basketball, the question of just how amateur “amateur” basketball really was, and the reasons for the demise of postcollegiate amateur basketball. The Golden Age of Amateur Basketball provides the first history of AAU basketball and identifies players and teams that made major contributions to basketball history.

Publisher: Bison Books; First Edition edition (October 1, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0803271174
ISBN-13: 978-0803271173

Editorial Reviews
Review
"This book is a great read for historians and fans of old-time basketball, and its index is a who's who of early cagers, players, and coaches who went on to great careers in college and professional sports."—Choice
(Choice)

“Grundman’s book is much more than a history of amateur basketball; it reflects the soul growth of the game by those who truly loved basketball and did not trade that love for money.”—Terry Rand, AAU All-American, Marquette University Basketball Hall of Fame
(Terry Rand)

“Dolph Grundman captures the excitement and nostalgia of the ‘greatest basketball tournament’ of its era. I participated in nine tournaments as both a player and coach, but boy, did I learn a lot about the history of this tournament.”—Gary Thompson, Iowa State and Phillips 66er AAU All-American and television analyst for college basketball
(Gary Thompson)

From the Inside Flap
"Grundman’s book is much more than a history of amateur basketball; it reflects the soul growth of the game by those who truly loved basketball and did not trade that love for money."—Terry Rand, AAU All-American, Marquette University Basketball Hall of Fame.

"Dolph Grundman captures the excitement and nostalgia of the ‘greatest basketball tournament’ of its era. I participated in nine tournaments as both a player and coach, but boy, did I learn a lot about the history of this tournament."—Gary Thompson, Iowa State and Phillips 66er AAU All-American and television analyst for college basketball.

The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) has long symbolized the idealism of amateur athletic competition. For basketball especially, the AAU provided an opportunity for athletes to showcase their skills for the benefit of the team and the sport, not the bottom line. In The Golden Age of Amateur Basketball, Adolph H. Grundman recounts the history of the AAU National Tournament during its golden age, 1921 through 1968.

Grundman analyzes the early tournaments, examining rule changes, key players, and dominant teams. He explores the rivalries between corporations for amateur dominance after 1935, the competition between the AAU and the National Collegiate Athletic Association for representation in Olympic basketball, the question of just how amateur "amateur" basketball really was, and the reasons for the demise of postcollegiate amateur basketball. The Golden Age of Amateur Basketball provides the first history of AAU basketball and identifies players and teams that made major contributions to basketball history.

Adolph H. Grundman is a professor of history at Metropolitan State College of Denver. He is the editor of The Embattled Constitution: Convenient Symbol or Necessary Framework.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

A sports era preserved in print
By R. Hilker on July 13, 2008
The author does an excellent job detailing 40-plus years of amateur basketball history in a long-ago era that preceded today's "all-about-money" NBA. It is interesting to note that many of the great players of that time wound up with successful careers working for the companies for which they played basketball--Denver Central Bankers, Akron Goodyears, Peoria Caterpillars, Bartlesville Phillips 66,etc. As one who grew up watching those teams, I have to think that sports today would better off today with the old National Industrial Basketball League than the $100 million contracts we now have.