My big sister from Seattle who got her doctorate from Harvard sent me this book titled Boom Town by a writer named Sam Anderson from the NY Times magazine. She loved the book, but of course we stole Seattle’s team and she loves the Warriors. But never once has she touted me towards a bad book. Not once.
Only twenty pages into the book…I will admit she is right again.
Twenty pages in and I’m crying, laughing, and realizing this person named Sam Anderson who is basically an essayist for the NY Times Magazine can write his ass off as he has put together this mosaic history of Oklahoma City and the Thunder woven into one.
It’s the book I should have rightfully written and still might if Russell Westbrook can ever harness his inner Maurice Cheeks and win an NBA championship without Kevin Durant.
If you live in Oklahoma or even if you don’t this is a must read.
It explains this place which at times completely frustrates me, yet in some ways still holds me captive by what a completely odd place it is right in the heartland of America and currently ranked as the 29th largest city in the country.
It’s not really a basketball book, but more a history piece on OKC told through the eyes of the Thunder highlighted by the odd occurrences which somehow put Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden all here for that 2012 run to the NBA Finals and a bit beyond.
Steven Adams has also written a book which I’m going to read before the season starts and for me that means I’ll read Sam Anderson’s book this week and start getting myself in a frame of mind for the upcoming Thunder season.
Anderson combines in one book two of my greatest loves… history and basketball.
He had me in the opening paragraph.
It’s nice to read something not about Donald Trump and the Russian mafia.
I’ll get back to that douchebag after I finish this book.