The Book of Basketball (IRB #6)

Most championship-caliber teams are rightful victors, the teams you can predict for the crown months or even years before the season finale. However, not all teams have statistics to compliment their trophy, leaving a burning question in minds of sports analysts and fans: how do teams win championships without the numbers? Bill Simmons answers this question for his audience of basketball fans by explaining "The Secret", the formula he claims can win championships consistently for multiple consecutive seasons. The trick? Simmons says that teams that recognize and utilize the Secret are those that are willing to discard all regard for personal statistics and focus completely on the success of the team as a whole. As Simmons asserts, a team ready to win a championship is one ready to give 110% effort to getting his teammates a win. Simmons substantiates this claim mainly through his unique, one-of-a-kind tone and evidence from NBA history. The former is established primarily by Simmons's use of conversational language supported by insightful footnotes, both tendencies from which Simmons has received great appraise. These footnotes highlight various stories from the earliest NBA stories to those that were being recorded just three years ago. These peeks into the past champions exposed to the Secret create solid grounds for Simmons to base his argument off while writing his book. Because of the notable impression these techniques have had on me from reading this portion of the book, I would agree with the statement that Simmons's writing style is able to convey his purpose consistently throughout his revised version of The Book of Basketball.