What readers first notice about Bill Bradley’s exceptional book about his life as a pro-athlete, key basketball player for the New York Knicks, is his incredible candor. Bradley holds nothing back--giving us the straight story, describing in full detail the physical and emotional position on the court, to what was said and how it was said, to the somewhat surreal experience of seeing and experiencing the fans in their seats as they applaud or throw things.
Bradley’s on-court writing is as fast and direct and full of vigor as the game of basketball. The book conveys to us what it was really all about: how it felt to be him in the moment. And he succeeds. What is more striking perhaps is that Bradley balances this with his off-court writing: scenes of driving on the bus with the team through a grey downtown Cleveland as they make their way to the airport--industrial cities that have long ago burnt out, he tell us, the car wheels sucking on the wet pavement. Bradley brings life on the road as a pro-athlete to life. He writes with a directness that is fresh and unexpected. Reader’s will enjoy this key-hole view into the life of a pro-athlete: they may laugh at some of what they see, be fascinated, and by turns, be horrified.
Life on the Run was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the top 100 Sports Books.
Bill Bradley, a New York Knick pro-basketball player in the ‘60s and ‘70s and a United States Senator from New Jersey from 1982 until 2000 (among his many other accomplishments) writes here about his love of basketball from the root on up--from a simple game in an empty court where there is nothing but you and the sound of your Converse on the shiny, wooden floor to the euphoric high that is possible and that any athlete knows when a team moves together as a cohesive whole. Bradley’s writing here is wholly accessible and for those not interested in basketball, there are lessons to be gleaned here about life, teamwork and leadership. Bradley’s style is simple and stays on track, creating a slim philosophical treatise that all of us can benefit from and relate to. Here is a book about life, memory, experience, and the filtering of our experience and what it means to us. An enjoyable and unforgettable read for all readers.
