Don't let the title fool you - Black Men Can't Shoot is not a book debating whether black or white players are the best shooters.  Rather, it is a very entertaining, in depth look at the high school basketball scene in the Philadelphia area.  While overshadowed by New York City's basketball legacy, Philly has produced more than their share of top notch ballers - perhaps you've heard of Wilt Chamberlain, Earl Monroe or Rasheed Wallace?

The premise of the book isn't overly original - the author (Scott Brooks), at the time a sociology grad student, goes and coaches inner city basketball players and documents their trials and tribulations.  But just because the topic has been covered before doesn't stop this book from shedding more light on the role that basketball plays in the inner city.  The story centers around Brooks' dealings with two players - Jermaine and Ray (not their real names, but if you're a good detective like me you will be able to figure out who they really are) that he coaches for numerous years in a Philly rec league.  Growing up in housing projects that don't offer much hope for the future, Jermaine and Ray use basketball to help themselves escape the ghetto.  Once again, not an unique idea, but the book does a tremendous job documenting how these boys not only improve their game on the court, but, perhaps more importantly, how they learn to navigate the system to get themselves known and in a position to get a college scholarship.  Perhaps the most important message the book conveys is that it isn't a situation of "NBA or bust" in regards to hoops in the inner city.  It isn't even "college scholarship or bust".  Rather, basketball allows these kids to dream - it allows them to consider that they might have a future other than hanging out on the street corner.  Consider it documentation of the transformative effects of hoops.

Grab the book here:

For many hoops fans the real basketball season starts tonight, as the NCAA's collegiate cagers tip things off. While I love watching the NBA (or any basketball for that matter), I'm particularly partial to the college version, due to many factors - the pageantry of it, the rabid crowds, the discovery of new, exciting NBA prospects. But, of course, the biggest reason to like NCAA basketball is March Madness and the Final Four. I was lucky enough to cover it live in Detroit last April for SLAM, and there is no other basketball experience that can top it in terms of excitement.

This year's Final Four takes place in Big Ten country again, in the hoops heartland of Indiana (Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to be exact). And, because you were wondering, here is the Hoops Manifesto's preseason picks of the four participants that will lace them up in Indianapolis next April.

Kansas

The Jayhawks have the most experience, talent and depth of any other college team on the planet. Most importantly, they have two of the nation's best players at the two most important positions on the court - point guard Sherron Collins and center Cole Aldrich.  Add in a big, athletic supporting cast and a proven winner for a coach and the Jayhawks are the team to beat. (Please note: this pick is contingent on them not getting into any future brawls with their football team and/or driving drunk (which, as the past offseason shows, is not a given).

Kentucky

The only team that can challenge Kansas for the title, at least in terms of talent, is the Kentucky Wildcats. New coach John Calipari has the country's best recruiting haul, led by next June's no. 1 pick in the NBA draft, John Wall. But, more important than all of the newcomers is one of the team's few holdovers - junior big man Patrick Patterson. Patterson is a legit NBA prospect in his own right, and he provides the youngsters with a stable leader and a dominant presence in the paint. (Please note: this pick expires in two years, at which point Kentucky should be on probation and their Final Four appearance stricken from the records).

Texas

Kansas might be the early favourite to win the national championship, but they'll still be in a battle just to win the Big 12 conference. That's because Rick Barnes has a stacked crew down in Austin ready to go to battle. Like Kansas and Kentucky, the Longhorns, led by dynamic forward Damion James,have a solid mix of veterans and newcomers that make them a legitimate Final Four threat. (Please note: this pick is null and void if 300lb Texas center Dexter Pittman decides to haze top recruit Avery Bradley by eating him).

Purdue

My wildcard pick. Michigan State is the trendy choice to make it back to the Final Four, but I prefer Purdue's team in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers' three-headed monster of Robbie Hummel, JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore could be the best trio in the country. Plus, Matt Painter's boys should be motivated to make it to the Final Four in their home state. (Please note: this pick is not valid if the ghost of Glenn Robinson comes back to campus and ruins the team's chemistry by hoisting 30 shots a game).

I knew this was going to happen.  Allen Iverson in Memphis is not a good fit.  Allen Iverson on most teams at this point in his career is not a good fit.  If you haven't heard, Iverson came back from injury and played his first game for the Grizzlies last night.  The problem is, the team had the audacity to bring him off the bench and only play him 18 minutes.  Can you believe that?!?  Don't think know who they are dealing with here?!?

Of course, this didn't sit well with AI.  So he came out and complained about coming off the bench and about the amount of minutes he played.  After only one game.  After missing all of the preseason due to injury.  But this should come as no surprise to any of us, especially not the Grizzlies.  Iverson pulled the same stunt last season in Detroit, complaining so much about minutes and coming off the bench that the team finally sent him away, under the guise of a bad back.

Obviously The Answer just doesn't get it, so we'll help clarify things for him.  During his latest tirade he mentioned that he has always been a starter and talked about his past exploits.  Well, AI, the past doesn't matter anymore - only NOW matters.  You are not the superstar player you were back in your Philadelphia days.  And the truth of the matter is, the Grizzlies are better served starting a true point guard in Mike Conley alongside O.J. Mayo in the backcourt and bring Iverson off the bench.  At some point in their careers all athletes have to look in the mirror and realize that they aren't capable of doing the things they used to do.  The ones willing to admit that they aren't superstars anymore and are willing to take a lesser role with a team will always be in demand, especially from title contending teams.  The ones that aren't willing to do this find themselves out of work real quick.  And Iverson is getting to that point.  After almost 900 games in the NBA, playing with reckless abandon, Iverson's brittle body has taken a beating.  He is a liability, due to his size, on defense.  He can be a black hole on offense, causing a team's offensive flow to halt abruptly when the ball is swung to him (Memphis already has the ultimate black hole on their team, Zach Randolph - they don't need a second one).  Coming off the bench would be perfect for Iverson, as he would give the team a big boost of energy with his scoring and speed.  A Ben Gordon/Microwave Johnson type of player.  But in Iverson's world it is starter or bust.  Superstar or bust.  With visions of grandeur dancing in his head. 

If A.I. played his cards right in Memphis by being a good team player and role model he would set himself up for future employment with a title contender, alowing him one last chance at that coveted championship ring.  But that is not going to happen now.  Because A.I. is A.G. - aging gracelessly.

The basketball world lost a great one today.  Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic, since Bill Walton didn't die, but Broadcast Bill Walton did die today.  The Big Redhead announced his retirement from broadcasting, after a life-threatening back injury kept his voice off the air for the past couple of years.  He now plans to "dedicate the rest of his life to service".  A classic Walton pronouncement if there ever was one. 

He was the most unlikliest "media member" as there ever was.  A counterculture figure in the 1960s and 70s, with a long ponytail, a disdain for the media and a bad stutter, the thought of Bill Walton as a broadcaster back in those days would have been unfathomable.  But he proved to be more than adequate at it, showing off a love and understanding of the sport rivalling anyone's.  Walton was at his best while working with sparring partner Steve "Snapper" Jones, where the two would have a verbal tête-à-tête over the course of the telecast.

I'm probably in the minority stating that I am going to miss Walton.  The reason I loved Bill Walton so much as an announcer was his uniqueness.  This shouldn't be surprising, considering he was (is?) a vegetarian, wrote a book on cycling, is a devout Deadhead and used to rock a poner.  The guy was cut from a different cloth than most of his peers.  This led to him not being afraid to voice his opinion, as ridiculous as it could be at times.  And the disdain and anger (especially from Snapper) that he stirred up in his broadcast partners was great entertainment.  Sure he was prone to hyperbole, but I always got the sense that most of it was done tongue in cheek (if not then I guess I was laughing at him, not with him).  But what was most enjoyable about listening to Walton commentate a game, other than the obscure language he used to describe the proceedings, was that his immense love for the sport (and for Elgin Baylor) was always apparent.  Even though injuries cut his playing career (and now broadcasting career) short, Walton never stopped loving the game and wanted to share his love and knowledge of the sport to the rest of us.  Your voice will be missed (at least by me), William Theodore Walton III. 

There are a couple of sure-fire ways to get a crowd to explode during a basketball game - a monster dunk or a big-time block. Nice assists and buzzer-beating threes are nice and all, but dunks and blocks are for basketball what gratuitous violence and sex are for TV and movies. It's crack cocaine for the hoophead. So here's your fix, from last night's NBA action courtesy of Shannon Brown and Dwight Howard.

The NBA season begins anew tonight, but North America's basketball playing comrades in Europe have already begun. And one of The Hoops Manifesto's favourite players, Regal Barcelona's Ricky Rubio, is up to his old tricks once again. Here are some jaw-dropping highlights from Barcelona's game versus Ricky's old club, DKV Juventut.

It's almost over. The boring, meaningless preseason NBA schedule concludes tonight, and then I can start paying attention to the NBA again. However, just because the preseason is meaningless doesn't mean it is bereft of exciting plays. Here are the top 10 from this year's preseason sked.

How can a simple pair of shoes cause so many problems?  Air Jordans might be the epitome of style on the court, but they've caused tons of turmoil throughout their quarter century of existence.  The first pair of Air Jordans were banned by the NBA due to their colour scheme, so Michael Jordan got fined each game that he wore them.  Then in the 1990s kids started murdering each other over pairs of the shoes.  Now Jordan's youngest son, Marcus, has been roped into the latest controversy.

If you haven't heard about this story yet, here it is in a nutshell - Marcus Jordan is a freshman with the University of Central Florida's basketball team.  Central Florida has a sponsorship deal with adidas worth about $2 million per year that requires all of the school's athletes to wear adidas apparel.  Junior MJ says that during his recruitment with the school he was given permission to wear his family's brand of shoes, Air Jordans, while playing with the team.  Now adidas says that no such deal was made with the school, Marcus still insists he will be wearing Air Jordans on his feet when he hits the court with the team, and Central Florida is stuck in the middle.

There are really only three potential solutions to this snafu - Marcus gives in and wears adidas shoes (he already has stated that he will wear all the rest of the team's adidas gear - just not the shoes), adidas gives in and allows Marcus to be an exception to the sponsorship deal or Central Florida lets Marcus wears the shoes without adidas' blessing.  The problem is, with this story becoming such a newsworthy item, none of the parties involved are going to want to appear weak and give in.  Marcus doesn't want to betray his father and his family's company.  adidas doesn't want to allow him to wear the shoes of his choice because the exception could become the rule and players all over the country could start doing the same.  And the school obviously doesn't want to relent because they would break their contract with adidas and could be kissing $2-3 million a year away.

But this conflict has far greater implications.  This conflict is all about how hypocritical the NCAA is when they state that their participants are "student-athletes".  If this was indeed the case, shouldn't Marcus Jordan be free to wear whatever shoes he felt comfortable wearing?  If he was an employee of the school and was told what type of shoes he had to wear, that would be a different story.  Now, you could argue that the school technically is paying Jordan to play for them via his scholarship.  But are students attending college on academic scholarships told what type of laptop they have to use?  No, this is all about the NCAA and its universities making billions of dollars off of the backs of amateur athletes.  Marcus Jordan and all the other "student-athletes" are nothing more than slaves to their universities, used to shill their sponsors' products and make their schools money.  Television revenue, ticket sales, video game sales, apparel sales - it all adds up to billions upon billions of dollars earned off of amateur athletes that are paid nothing.  There is nothing wrong with Central Florida earning sponsorship money from adidas or anyone else.  However, it is wrong if they lied to Jordan during his recruitment and it is wrong that they have allowed this to become such a public issue, with an 18-year-old kid stuck in the middle looking like the bad guy, all because he doesn't want to be a walking advertisement for a rival company of his family's.

So don't be mad at Marcus Jordan for holding his school to their promise to allow him to wear Air Jordans.  Even if the school hadn't promised Jordan this concession during his recruiting, he still should be allowed the right to wear whatever shoes he wants to on the basketball court, as long as they do not hinder his performance in any way.  No, this isn't about Marcus Jordan not being a team player - this is about the hypocracy of the NCAA.

You've probably heard this already, but NBA 2K10 is as realistic a basketball video game as there's ever been. While that is a positive for most people, it turns out to be a negative for me. My created player gets blown by on defense, gets cut from teams and generally struggles to make positive contributions on the court. Far too similar to my own basketball career.

All kidding aside, all the hype leading up to (and since) the release of this game was well deserved. It truly is a fun, realistic and exciting basketball game. The graphics are stunningly authentic, from the player's facial features to the way they move on the court. This is due to the Signature Play feature, which combines a player's Signature Style, Signature Tendencies and facial expressions to make it like you are watching a real game on TV. The gameplay is easy to get a grasp off, with the controls both on defense and offense feeling very natural. All the gameplay modes you'd expect are in the game (franchise mode, quick games, situations, etc.) with the added bonus of every mode being available to play online also (if you feel the need to get beat down by some 10-year-old from North Dakota).  And the online feature helps keep your game up-to-date, with updated rosters, stats and player ratings streamed into your game to make it even more realistic than before. Another new feature in the game is the Crews one, which allows you to get a bunch of friends, create a team together and go online to duke it out versus other Crews. Unfortunately, due to my social ineptness and subsequent lack of friends, I wasn't able to try this feature out myself. But anyone who isn't a quiet loner like myself should enjoy this aspect of the game.

It is probably a waste of time mentioning all of the different play modes of the game considering once you've tried out the My Player Mode you won't want to play anything else - it's that addictive. The premise is very simple - build a player and try to guide him to the NBA, through the summer league, training camp and D-League. And if you played NBA 2K10: Draft Combine a few months back, you can upload your created player from that game into this one. So my 6'6" power forward from Canada is alive and well in the D-League as we speak (he's just grown a red Afro and beard, in case you're wondering).

The most difficult thing about NBA 2K10 is trying to come up with some negatives about it. I'm not a fan of the various camera angle options for the My Player Mode nor a huge fan of the soundtrack (probably because I'm an old man now and not part of the game's key demographic). And having my favourite player of all-time, Kobe Bryant, on the cover kind of makes me feel ill.  Other than that, no complaints.

Since the game is cheaper at Amazon ($52.99), and I'm always looking out for my beloved readers, here's a link: