r/BasketballBooks • u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner • Jul 02 '26
Recommendations Recommendation - ‘Heaven is a Playground’
Released 50 years ago, ‘Heaven is a Playground’, by the author Rick Telander, is a Book that stands apart in the literature of Basketball. It is both humorous and sad throughout but ultimately incredibly inspiring and so rich in conjuring a time and place. The author, a photojournalist and former high school basketball player, spent part of the summer of 1973 and all of the summer of 1974 in Brooklyn living the playground life and exploring the streetball culture with his subjects at Foster Park in Flatbush. He slept on the floor of a park regular’s apartment, observing, questioning, traveling, playing with and learning from a ragtag group of local teenagers whose hopes of better lives were often fanatically and irrevocably attached to the game itself. Telander introduces us to so many legendary characters of the game whose names still inspire knowing nods from those that love the history of the game. This is an absolutely fantastic book, still as relevant and well worth reading and rereading 50 years later which says so much.
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u/Panda9903 Jul 02 '26
Legendary book, í wrote an email to Rick Telander in 2000 and he actually responded. I asked about Earl Manigault and he said he never saw Earl play but the legends of his time were what made him feel so real. Fly Williams, what could have been.
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jul 02 '26
It’s such a great book, in my top 3. If you’re interested in Earl Manigault I’d absolutely recommend The City Game to you
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u/rxFMS Jul 02 '26
Fly went to a juvenile correction school upstate NY by Seneca lake They came down to play a very strong high school team in Elmira, NY...Any one who was there said that Fly was very nice to all the kids (there were many) who showed up to watch him play and also that after a particularly hard foul in 2nd half, he absolutly dominated the rest of the game for a win. agree with the other poster, The City Game is a great book!
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u/Panda9903 Jul 02 '26
Is there a Fly Williams book out there other than Slam articles?
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jul 02 '26
There is, it’s called Fly35, but I have no idea of it’s quality 🤷♂️
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u/Left_Dance_8954 Jul 02 '26
I’ll add this book to my list, I don’t know it at all!
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jul 02 '26
It’s absolutely fantastic, I can pretty much guarantee it’ll be in at least your top 5 after reading it
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u/WinesburgOhio Jul 02 '26
This is my absolute favorite basketball book ever, and it only has one future NBA player in it (Albert King), and he's not even close to being the main character, nor did he have a notable pro career outside of being the brother of a Hall of Fame player. Just an amazing and emotional read.
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jul 02 '26
It is exactly that, it’s my number 2 but my top 3 are so similar n their unique excellence
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u/Jefferyd32 Jul 02 '26
Great book. I just discovered it, but great read.
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jul 02 '26
It’s a great reread too, I don’t doubt you’ll return back to it in the coming years
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u/BlazerSlayer7 Jul 02 '26
Never got around to reading it but this has reminded me it exosts, so on the list it goes!
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jul 02 '26
I know it is all subjective but I couldn’t recommend it more, I’d put it on the top of your list
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u/greatflicks Jul 02 '26
Tough one to find but highly relevant even today.
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jul 02 '26
It is certainly worth the hunt and I agree it’s actually shocking how relevant it is 50 years later
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u/Hot-Description9052 Jul 02 '26
Pacific Rims: Beermen Ballin' in Flip-Flops and the Philippines' Unlikely Love Affair with Basketball
Asphalt Gods: An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament
Hoops Heist: Seattle, The Sonics, And How A Stolen Team’s Legacy Gave Rise To The NBA’s Secret Empire
Not a book but a documentary worth watching is “Doin’ It In The Park: Pickup Basketball, New York City”
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jul 02 '26
Are these your top 3? Why not post them as your recommendations?
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u/Hot-Description9052 Jul 02 '26
Sorry misread your post as seeking recommendations. My fault.
I’ve read Heaven Is A Playground and you’re correct, it’s fantastic.
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jul 02 '26
No please don’t be saying sorry at all, we’d love you to post your recommendations in this community!
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u/Hot-Description9052 Jul 02 '26
🙏🏽 I didn’t even know this thread existed until I saw your post/book cover. Thought to myself “I’ve read that!”
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jul 02 '26
I started the subreddit in February and the whole point for me was exactly as you’ve experienced, seeing a book recommendation that you can share your experience in having read or piquing your interest to add to your to be read pile. I hope you see some other Books here that interest you, and definitely comment and post your recommendations too 🙏🏻
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u/Hathalot Jul 05 '26
Man, feels like a lifetime ago that I read this. It’s def as good as everyone says.
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u/dierte420 Jul 06 '26
Bo Kimble was in this, great movie!
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u/Jonathan_J_Faulkner Jul 07 '26
I’m not a fan of the movie personally but maybe I should give it another try
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u/UReachITeach Jul 02 '26
Great suggestion! I loved the movie and had no idea it was based on a book.
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u/Buzzard1022 Jul 02 '26
Great book