Inside Game: Race, Power, and Politics In the NBA (Ohio History and Culture)

by Wayne Embry

In the fall of 1999, Wayne Embry was so highly thought of by his peers that he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor to the game. In the summer of 1999, the Cleveland Cavaliers thought so little of him that they replaced him as general manager. Now in his new autobiography, The Inside Game, Embry, who was once sent home from a game in the old Richfield Coliseum when a bullet was found on his seat, tells the inside story of his fall from grace and the part he believes racism played in it. He deals with the unsavory dealings that led to his departure from the Cavs and introduces startling information about one of the most highly regarded coaches in the league. He discusses the social and economic changes affecting the league and other problems threatening to destroy it. What Embry most wants is to provide inspiration not only to those in the sports world, but to those in the worlds of business and education, where he has demonstrated leadership time and time again. His book is part historical perspective, part inside look behind the scenes, part business strategy and part social commentary, all told in a straightforward style sprinkled with humorous anecdotes. It is a virtual guide for how to develop and maintain successful intra-personal relationships.

Genres: Basketball, Sports, Nonfiction, Biography

448 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2004

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of my knowledge of Wayne Embry pertains to his role as the Cleveland Cavaliers general manager during the 1980s and 1990s. These teams were consistently good, but never quite great enough to make the NBA Finals. This later portion of this book covers all these events, with the reasoning behind some of the controversial trades during his tenure and how we was forced out of his position. The reasoning behind the Ron Harper and Shawn Kemp trades was very complicated and must have been frustrating times for Embry.

The part that was most interesting for me was his early life in Springfield, Ohio and at Miami University. I was unaware of his Ohio roots. He also covers his championship season as a player with the Boston Celtics and as a general manager with Kareem Abdul Jabbar and the Milwaukee Bucks. It is an engaging read filled with a lot of anecdotes of a pioneering NBA career and many of the ordeals faced by a person of color in 20th Century America.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's historical perspective on social culture in the united states in the 20th century, focusing 1950s-1980s. through an athletes perspective as a cultural and business trailblazer, becoming the first black GM in the NBA. the book was excellent, combining sports with social policy - two of my favorite topics.
word.

[The University of Akron Press]

Inside Game: Race, Power, and Politics in the NBA (Ohio History and Culture) by Wayne Embry (2004)

[John Andrews]

A chronological order of Wayne Embry's journey through the NBA. Was not the most engaging book, but the man has lived through lots of challenges at met amazing people.