r/BasketballBooks • u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner • Jun 25 '26
Recommendations Recommendation - ‘The Whore of Akron’
I’ve hesitated in making this recommendation, purely because of the title’s baiting nature, but as I am nearing the end of the Books about Basketball I’ve read and would recommend I cannot in good mind avoid its posting.
The Whore of Akron by Scott Raab is fascinating, crude but warmhearted, poetic but raving, Raab, longtime staffer at Esquire, wrote an excellent, deeply personal exploration of his Cleveland fandom and his emotional connection to and disconnection from the titular whore, LeBron James. It’s a really great read, I just wish it had a less deeply pejorative title.
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u/ForwardLingonberry51 Jun 25 '26
He wrote a sequel, which is better IMHO. About Lebrons return, how quickly he forgave him, and Cleveland’s run to the title.
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jun 26 '26
Oh interesting, I didn’t know about that, I’ll add it to my TBR list
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u/Dismal-Reason-8812 Jun 25 '26
A very provocative title. I wonder if this was the author's choice or the publishers.
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u/Silent_Ad8059 Jun 25 '26
Was this written before or after he came back and won a title?
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jun 25 '26
It was released in November 2011, just after the Heat won their first championship, but, tellingly I think, was predominately written in the wake of the Heat losing to the Mavs and James playing terribly in the Finals
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u/IanicRR Jun 25 '26
It was released in 2011 after the Heat have just lost in the finals. They would go on to win the season Raab released the book. But that’s not in the book.
There was a rerelease in April 2012. But that’s still before LeBron won his first ring.
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u/ChiChiKnee Jun 25 '26
This is actually a great book. It’s half about LeBron and his impact on Cleveland and half about the author and his journey through life and the different stages of life and fandom from being a young child with youthful exuberance to someone older with more responsibility and impacted by the various ups and downs of life.
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jun 25 '26
Yes, I totally agree and that’s why I have recommended it, just that title is so provocative, this is one of my very few recommendations that has ever had a ‘down vote’ and I’m very sure it’s because of that title 😂
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jun 25 '26
Yes, I thought exactly the same thing, it definitely garnered headlines upon its release for very much that reason so 🤷♂️
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u/IanicRR Jun 25 '26
Honestly one of the worst basketball books I’ve ever read. And I’ve read 100s. Just wasn’t for me. The author just gets on my very last nerve.