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The Last Pass : Cousy, Russell, the Celtics, and What Matters in the End by Gary M. Pomerantz (2018, Hardcover)

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Product Information

The New York Times Bestseller Out of the greatest dynasty in American professional sports history, an intimate story of race, mortality, and regret About to turn ninety, Bob Cousy, the Hall of Fame Boston Celtics captain who led the team to its first six championships on an unparalleled run, has much to look back on in contentment. But he has one last piece of unfinished business. The last pass he hopes to throw is to close the circle with his great partner on those Celtic teams, fellow Hall of Famer Bill Russell, now 84. These teammates were basketball's Ruth and Gehrig, and Cooz, as everyone calls him, was famously ahead of his time as an NBA player in terms of race and civil rights. But as the decades passed, Cousy blamed himself for not having done enough, for not having understood the depth of prejudice Russell faced as an African-American star in a city with a fraught history regarding race. Cousy wishes he had defended Russell publicly, and that he had told him privately that he had his back. At this late hour, he confided to acclaimed historian Gary Pomerantz over the course of many interviews, he would like to make amends. At the heart of the story THE LAST PASS tells is the relationship between these two iconic athletes. The book is also in a way Bob Cousy's last testament on his complex and fascinating life. As a sports story alone it has few parallels: An poor kid whose immigrant French parents suffered a dysfunctional marriage, the young Cousy escaped to the New York City playgrounds, where he became an urban legend known as the Houdini of the Hardwood. The legend exploded nationally in 1950, his first year as a Celtic: he would be an all-star all 13 of his NBA seasons. But even as Cousy's on-court imagination and daring brought new attention to the pro game, the Celtics struggled until Coach Red Auerbach landed Russell in 1956. Cooz and Russ fit beautifully together on the court, and the Celtics dynasty was born. To Boston's white sportswriters it was Cousy's team, not Russell's, and as the civil rights movement took flight, and Russell became more publicly involved in it, there were some ugly repercussions in the community, more hurtful to Russell than Cousy feels he understood at the time. THE LAST PASS situates the Celtics dynasty against the full dramatic canvas of American life in the 50s and 60s. It is an enthralling portrait of the heart of this legendary team that throws open a window onto the wider world at a time of wrenching social change. Ultimately it is a book about the legacy of a life: what matters to us in the end, long after the arena lights have been turned off and we are alone with our memories. On August 22, 2019, Bob Cousy was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Penguin Publishing Group
ISBN-10
0735223610
ISBN-13
9780735223615
eBay Product ID (ePID)
248380072

Product Key Features

Book Title
Last Pass : Cousy, Russell, the Celtics, and What Matters in the End
Author
Gary M. Pomerantz
Format
Hardcover
Language
English
Topic
United States / 20th Century, Sociology of Sports, Basketball, Sports
Publication Year
2018
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
Biography & Autobiography, Sports & Recreation, History
Number of Pages
384 Pages

Dimensions

Item Length
9.5 in
Item Height
1.2 in
Item Width
6.4 in
Item Weight
22.9 Oz

Additional Product Features

Intended Audience
Trade
Lc Classification Number
Gv885.52.B67p66 2018
Reviews
"The first Gary Pomerantz book I read was his biography of Wilt Chamberlain, which I thought was magnificent. Then I read Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn , which I haven't stopped thinking about. Now I've lost myself in The Last Pass . The danger with Gary Pomerantz is that you'll become an addict." - Malcolm Gladwell "Professional sports has been a powerful lens for viewing the complexity and challenges created by our nation's history of racial inequality. This fascinating read and sobering exploration of one of the most dominant teams in sports history reveals much about the hope, frustration and legacy of our continuing struggle with racial injustice." - Bryan Stevenson, author, Just Mercy "I was certain I knew most everything about the great Russell-Cousy Celtics dynasty - until I sat down and read The Last Pass . The gifted Gary Pomerantz masterfully unearths a mesmerizing subplot to the relationship between two complex Hall of Famers who played side-by-side during one of the most tumultuous racial climates in our country's history. Cousy's candor, steeped with regret over his stilted relationship with Russell, leaps off the pages. A beautifully crafted, compelling story that captures the emotions of celebrated teammates who made history together but, in the sunset of their lives, navigate their legacy alone." - Jackie MacMullan, co-author, When The Game Was Ours "The story of these two great athletes, Cousy and Russell, is really a story about America, about friendship, about grace. Beautifully written, prodigiously reported, and touched throughout with powerful emotion, the book is a marvel of nonfiction writing. The Last Pass ranks with the best books ever written about basketball." - Jonathan Eig, author, Ali: A Life "I've known Bob Cousy for almost 50 years. He's not one for showing or telling who he is. But he showed and told Gary Pomerantz, and the result is this touching book." - Tom Callahan, author of Arnie: The Life of Arnold Palmer "I can't say I've ever encountered a book quite like this. It's essentially the biography of one famous man consciously rethinking his relationship with another famous man, and issuing an apology. It's also a detailed portrait of the early NBA, and the writing style is exactly what you want--clear, understated, and as efficient as the players he describes. All historical writing should aspire to this." - Chuck Klosterman, author of But What If We're Wrong? "I've always liked a little moss to grow on the statues of legends. What did these people do? Where did they fit? How did it all come out in the end? Here are Bob Cousy and Bill Russell, basketball's version of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, caught in the twilight of their days, preserved in print by Gary Pomerantz. Wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful." - Leigh Montville, author of Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero "Basketball fans know Bob Cousy as a Hall of Famer. People who know the fight for racial equality know him as one too. In The Last Pass , Gary Pomerantz uncovers Cousy's final testament on race in America. This book goes to the heart of the civil rights struggle. It is as thrilling as any buzzer-beating shot." - Juan Williams, author of Eyes on the Prize - America's Civil Rights Years, "The first Gary Pomerantz book I read was his biography of Wilt Chamberlain, which I thought was magnificent. Then I read Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn , which I haven't stopped thinking about. Now I've lost myself in The Last Pass . The danger with Gary Pomerantz is that you'll become an addict." - Malcolm Gladwell "Professional sports has been a powerful lens for viewing the complexity and challenges created by our nation's history of racial inequality. This fascinating read and sobering exploration of one of the most dominant teams in sports history reveals much about the hope, frustration and legacy of our continuing struggle with racial injustice." - Bryan Stevenson, author, Just Mercy "I was certain I knew most everything about the great Russell-Cousy Celtics dynasty - until I sat down and read The Last Pass . The gifted Gary Pomerantz masterfully unearths a mesmerizing subplot to the relationship between two complex Hall of Famers who played side-by-side during one of the most tumultuous racial climates in our country's history. Cousy's candor, steeped with regret over his stilted relationship with Russell, leaps off the pages. A beautifully crafted, compelling story that captures the emotions of celebrated teammates who made history together but, in the sunset of their lives, navigate their legacy alone." - Jackie MacMullan, co-author, When The Game Was Ours "The story of these two great athletes, Cousy and Russell, is really a story about America, about friendship, about grace. Beautifully written, prodigiously reported, and touched throughout with powerful emotion, the book is a marvel of nonfiction writing. The Last Pass ranks with the best books ever written about basketball." - Jonathan Eig, author, Ali: A Life "I've known Bob Cousy for almost 50 years. He's not one for showing or telling who he is. But he showed and told Gary Pomerantz, and the result is this touching book." - Tom Callahan, author of Arnie: The Life of Arnold Palmer "I can't say I've ever encountered a book quite like this. It's essentially the biography of an already famous man, consciously reframing his entire existence for the benefit of another famous man, almost as an apology for having done (seemingly) nothing wrong. It's also a detailed portrait of the early NBA, and the writing style is exactly what you want - clear, understated, and as efficient as the players he describes. All historical writing should aspire to this." - Chuck Klosterman "I've always liked a little moss to grow on the statues of legends. What did these people do? Where did they fit? How did it all come out in the end? Here are Bob Cousy and Bill Russell, basketball's version of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, caught in the twilight of their days, preserved in print by Gary Pomerantz. Wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful." - Leigh Montville, author of Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero "Basketball fans know Bob Cousy as a Hall of Famer. People who know the fight for racial equality know him as one too. In The Last Pass , Gary Pomerantz uncovers Cousy's final testament on race in America. This book goes to the heart of the civil rights struggle. It is as thrilling as any buzzer-beating shot." - Juan Williams, author of Eyes on the Prize - America's Civil Rights Years
Copyright Date
2018
Lccn
2018-030295