Pete Croatto’s writing has appeared in many outlets, including The New York Times, Columbia Journalism Review, Rolling Stone, and more. He lives just outside Ithaca, New York, with his wife, daughter, and a basketball hoop in the driveway. From Hang Time to Prime Time is his first book. Follow him on Twitter: @PeteCroatto.
PRAISE FOR From Hang Time to Prime Time…
“In these days of LeBron and Zion and shoe deals and
gazillion-dollar arenas, it's easy to forget that, not so long ago,
the NBA was a podunk operation just fighting for a crumb. But
thanks to Pete Croatto's brilliant work, the rise of the league
(or, these days, The League) is brought forth in full color, with
zest and passion and oomph. It’s outstanding.” – Jeff Pearlman,
author of Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles
Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.
“From Hang Time to Prime Time is deeply reported, smart, fun—and
important. All the great players are here—Dr. J, Bird, Magic,
Jordan—and so are the shoe deals, the songs, and the TV broadcasts
that shaped the modern game. If you want to understand how
and why the NBA changed the world, this is a great place to
start.”–Jonathan Eig, author of Ali: A Life
“Meticulously researched and deeply reported, From Hang Time
to Prime Time takes basketball fans on a rollicking journey
through the sport they love. Chronicling all the secret backroom
deals, Hall of Fame talents, twists of fate, and everything else
that paved the way for the modern NBA, Croatto has written a
definitive and vital history that will stand the test of
time.” —Erik Malinowski, author of Betaball: How Silicon
Valley and Science Built One of the Greatest Basketball Teams in
History
“It’s difficult imagining the NBA as anything but the cultural and
financial juggernaut that it is. Of course, the league didn’t start
out the way. In From Hang Time to Prime Time, Pete Croatto
deftly documents, explores and details the twists and turns, the
coincidences and circumstances, and the many, many personalities
that contributed to the NBA ‘s evolution into today’s
behemoth”—Jonathan Abrams, author of Boys Among Men: How the
Pro-to-Prep Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball
Revolution
“A marvel of intention, focus, and reporting, Pete
Croatto's FROM HANG TIME TO PRIME TIME tells the
story of the rise and professionalization of basketball culture and
business with intimacy, humanity and even comedy. In a sports
universe of superstars and sycophants, Croatto's book
stands apart as a testimonial of how such worlds truly get
built--on successes and failures, shrewd innovation and sheer luck,
a host of scrappy and surprising characters from all
walks of life hustling to get the deals done. The NBA we know and
love hardly emerged fully formed. Croatto generously treats us all
to courtside seats for its remarkable
evolution.”—Howie Kahn, co-author of Sneakers
“I love basketball. You might say it's a lifelong obsession. And I
love reading the work of other basketball obsessives. Particularly
when they write with as much heart and fire as Pete Croatto does.
This book is a Meadowlark Lemon half court hook, sweet on the
release, sweeter as it travels in the air, and even sweeter as it
swishes cleanly through the hoop.”—Brian Koppelman, co-creator
of Billions
"The growth of the NBA over the past 45 years is interesting not
just because of its remarkable rate of expansion but also for how
many segments of U.S. culture the sport intermingled with along the
way. As Croatto shows repeatedly in From Hang Time to Prime
Time, basketball's growth was fueled by factors such as sneaker
sales, the political landscape of the U.S. and the burgeoning
hip-hop culture. The book has plently of hoop anecdotes, but what
makes it shine is the stuff adjacent to the game. Erstwhile
All-Star forward Curtis Rowe doesn't appear; Kurtis Blow does, more
than once." — Sports Illustrated
"Any fan of the game would do well to pick this up—it's a slam
dunk." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“You don’t even have to know a dunk from a dribble to be fascinated
by this insightful history of how the NBA not only went
mainstream—but became pop culture itself. How did Michael, LeBron,
and Kobe become not just rock stars, but modern gods? Pete Croatto
tells that tale, through exhaustive research and riveting
storytelling.” — Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, New York
Times bestselling author of Seinfeldia
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