Unguarded

January 1, 2001
One of only two men to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and as a coach, Wilkens describes his life on and off the court in this introspective memoir. Wilkens, who has won more games than any other coach in NBA history, begins by recounting his childhood in Brooklyn and follows his career through his acceptance of his current job as head coach of the Toronto Raptors. Along the way, he endured many hardships, including the loss of his father at a young age, poverty and racism, but here Wilkens always remains upbeat, focusing on how he overcame his problems rather than on how they might have held him back. Wilkens also shares his philosophies on basketball, society, family life and religion, in addition to offering opinions on specific players and on what factors make a great coach. Wilkens, whose father was African-American and whose mother is Irish, also conveys his opinions on race relations, both within the NBA and in America. Because his career has lasted so long, Wilkens is in a unique position to comment on the changes that have taken place in the league over the last 40 years. Coauthor Pluto's conversational style buoys the reader along, despite a few repetitions. Wilkens comes across as modest while still letting the reader know that he is proud of his accomplishments as a player, a coach and a family man. The book should do well among NBA fans, who will appreciate this intelligent, inside look at the NBA from one of the legends of the game.