COACH WOODEN AND ME Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court

The author narrates his work, not an overarching look at his life but a focus on an important part of it: his relationship with his college basketball coach. The two--one of the greatest players and possibly the sport's greatest coach--could not have been more different. But mutual respect and their willingness to learn from each other formed the basis of a lifelong friendship. While Abdul-Jabbar is an accomplished writer, his narration skills yield a staccato delivery. It's not as smooth as it could have been. He doesn't imitate Wooden, which keeps with his genuine storytelling style. But what Abdul-Jabbar lacks in narrating ability doesn't take away from the moments and messages. The story is a player-coach relationship that might never be duplicated, and his perspective is appreciated. M.B. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2018]