{"product_id":"wartime-basketball-the-emergence-of-a-national-sport-during-world-war-ii-hardcover","title":"Wartime Basketball: The Emergence of a National Sport During World War II - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eDouglas Stark\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWartime Basketball\u003c\/i\u003e tells the story of basketball's survival and development during World War II and how those years profoundly affected the game's growth after the war. Prior to World War II, basketball--professional and collegiate--was largely a regional game, with different styles played throughout the country. Among its many impacts on home-front life, the war forced pro and amateur leagues to contract and combine rosters to stay competitive. At the same time, the U.S. military created base teams made up of top players who found themselves in uniform. The war created the opportunity for players from different parts of the country to play with and against each other. As a result, a more consistent form of basketball began to take shape. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The rising popularity of the professional game led to the formation of the World Professional Basketball Tournament (WPBT) in 1939. The original March Madness, the WPBT was played in Chicago for ten years and allowed professional, amateur, barnstorming, and independent teams to compete in a round-robin tournament. The WPBT included all-black and integrated teams in the first instance where all-black teams could compete for a \"world series of basketball\" against white teams. \u003ci\u003eWartime Basketball\u003c\/i\u003e describes how the WPBT paved the way for the National Basketball League to integrate in December 1942, five years before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Weaving stories from the court into wartime and home-front culture like a finely threaded bounce pass, \u003ci\u003eWartime Basketball \u003c\/i\u003esheds light on important developments in the sport's history that have been largely overlooked. \u003cbr\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDouglas Stark\u003c\/b\u003e is the museum director at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe SPHAS: The Life and Times of Basketball's Greatest Jewish Team\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 384\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.24 x 9.29 x 6.23 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 01, 2016\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51757599719712,"sku":"9780803245280","price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/242d6d3df3d13f90f7400b58cc2e91a8.webp?v=1780106260","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/wartime-basketball-the-emergence-of-a-national-sport-during-world-war-ii-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}