A Season on the Reservation

by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

If there was ever anyone who can be called a living legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the genuine article. Dubbed "history's greatest basketball player" by "Time" magazine, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's place in NBA lore is assured. But even legends sometimes find themselves at the crossroads. Tired of life in Los Angeles, disillusioned with the state of basketball, and devasted by the death of his mother, Abdul-Jabbar accepted an invitation from the White Mountain Apache reservation in Arizona to coach the high school basketball team.

He encountered a complex reality. The kids on the Alchesay Falcons team don't easily embrace what he's trying to teach them on the court. But gradually he teaches them to get out of their comfort zone and try new things, both in sports and in life. They give him something he didn't quite expect: a way to reconnect with his passion for basketball.

This is the story of Abdul-Jabbar's "sojourn" with the Falcons. He connects with the kids, and with their culture and customs. An avid student of history, Abdul-Jabbar discovers new truths about the connections between Native Americans and African-Americans -- and learns some deep lessons about the inter-racial care of America's heritage.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Basketball

Audio Cassette

First published February 1, 2000

About the author

As a center for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1975 to 1989, American basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, originally Lew Alcindor, led the all-time scores in history of national basketball association in 1984.

This former professional player current serves as assistant coach. Typically referred to as Lew Alcindor in his younger days, he changed his name when he converted to Islam.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kareem_...

Reviews

[Cynthia Sillitoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this years ago and it's still one of my favorite memoirs. (I'm very into memoirs these days.) You really don't need to know anything about basketball to enjoy it.

[Julieann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The subtitle of this book is "My Sojourn with the White Mountain Apache". That's what it is. He spent the basketball season in 1998-1999 as an assistant basketball coach at Alchesay High Scholl on the White Mountain Apache Reservation, in Arizona
Kareen Abdul Jabbar played for UCLA in the late '60s, under John Wooden. Those years were a learning experience in so many ways. Having John Wooden as a coach, of course,and for 4 years was huge. As important was going all the way through college to get a degree from UCLA.
He uses all of that in his coaching during the season - or talks about how or why he'd like to use it. Some of it can't be imposed. Some of it, he's shy about imposing since it seems to go against everything these kids grew up with. After all, he says, he was there for one season. Only.
It's a fascinating story and very well written. Okay, I'm a basketball fan and cheered for Kareem Jabbar all the way back to UCLA. That really isn't necessary for enjoying this book. He doesn't boast about championship rings or big victories. Instead he talks about how these high school boys played. It's important to know how the culture they grew up in affects their view of the game to effectively coach them. Then, never forget these are adolescents, just making the transition form boys to men, with all woes and excitements teenagers have.
Two things he comes to appreciate. Coaching - working with adolescents - and that part of the country - the American Southwest. His book deals mostly with the coaching, but he never loses sight of the impact of "place".
If you like working with kids, if you enjoy listening to a good writer talk about his learning experience and it you just like a good story, you'll enjoy this book.

[AGinNoCal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5 to be fair. A very pleasant, easy read about his time trying to help and learn from an interesting group of young b-ball players and their families and community in a remote corner of the Southwest. Nothing revelatory here, just a nice easy read that takes you along for the mind-opening ride.

[David Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the last few months, I have been reading basketball books. I'm not sure why; maybe because I used to be fan and with our move i don't have a team that I follow. At any rate, Kareem's book on his season as an assistant coach with a high school team from the White Mountain Apache Reservation lead me to learn a bit about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, his take on late 20th century American culture, and to feed my Basketball Jones. While not a classic like Halberstam's The Breaks of the Game it was so much better than the badly written biography of Julius Erving I recently read.

[Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read. It read like a diary. Informative but not deep enough. Although the author had a very short time period to write about, it may have been helpful to add a bit more depth. If your interests lie in auto-biographical or history, this might be some too light. I appreciated the author's overall experience and would like to know if he has intentions of returning to the reservation in the future.

[Wes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. It gives some insight into an overlooked part of our population (in the U.S.). It is a great book but if you enjoy studying Native American culture then this is a must-read. Also, Kareem tells how one person can make a real difference. Oh yeah, it also has basketball, a wonderful sport.

[Roy White · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating story, even if there is some 'in my day' crankiness to get through. Here is my review:
http://lippenheimer.wordpress.com/201...

[Sarah Levy]

ok, he's not the best author