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Rating: 
Summary: Something to celebrate!
Review: ... it's a book about a championship season in Philadelphia, and that's certainly something to celebrate ... and there's also some very interesting commentary thrown in from Bill Cunningham ...
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but flawed
Review: A chronicle of the 1967 season where the 76ers finally dethroned the mighty Celtics. Lynch is very passionate about the 76ers (a decided plus), but frequently resorts to tired cliches in his writing and this detracts from the story. He must have used the word 'whines' about eight times in writing about post-game comments. Still, this was an interesting read. As far as his contention that the '67 76ers are the greatest team of all time...the post-season success of the 1960's era Celtics speaks more eloquently than I can.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but flawed
Review: I was moved to pick up this book after seeing the author on TV speaking about his life long love of the 76's. So, I thought the book would be a great gift for the men in my life (for birthdays, Father's Day, and the like.) Well, I thumbed through a copy in the bookstore, and, after reading the introduction, I was hooked--and I'm a girl...way too young to remember anything about 1967. Still, Mr. Lynch's writing is as engaging as his TV appearance was, and, he really loves Wilt Chamberlain and his team...If I could be interested in this book because of it's great story and prose, ANYBODY would love it...and, if that person happens to be a guy between the ages of oh, say, 43 and up (old enough to recall the 1967 season of the 76's...) he will be especially happy to have this book around. It's a great sports story told exceptionally well.
Rating:
Summary: Great topic... but lacks soul and credibility
Review: The author, Wally Lynch, picked an excellent topic, the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers championship season, for his debut book. I commend him for following his passion for a team that meant so much to him as a child. Unfortunately, Mr. Lynch's account lacks soul, credibility and suffers from poor writing. When I say the book lacks soul, I am referring to the book not aspiring to be something more than a sloppily pieced together story of the 76ers 1966-67 season. Sure, Mr. Lynch chronicles some of the key games with play-by-play minutia. What Mr. Lynch is unable to do is supply some context behind his historical account. Playing up the childhood rivalry with his Celtic supporting buddies at school could have provided some context to make this story more meaningful. The lack of credibility comes from Mr. Lynch being unable to secure interviews with key people from this era. Most of the big-time players/coaches from the 76ers and Celtics did not grant Mr. Lynch an interview. To compensate, Mr. Lynch spent a lot of time in the library digging up loads of quotes from historical newspaper and magazine articles. He even uses a thesis paper from the son of a former 76er owner. I hate to criticize someone's writing, but Mr. Lynch could have used a better editor. His writing is amateurish and his word choice is sometimes awkward. Carom? Just use the word rebound. Carom is an odd choice for words. Finally, for those Wilt Chamberlain fans out there, you will not learn much new about him from this book.
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Summary: THE TELLING OF A SEASON OF GREATNESS
Review: THIS IS THE STORY OF ONE OF THE MOST DOMINATING TEAMS IN ANY SPORT. THE SIXERS WERE PRACTICALLY UNBEATABLE DURING THEIR INCREDIBLE SEASON OF 66-67. THIS IS A MONTH BY MONTH SUMMARY OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AND EVENTS WHICH BROUGHT THE SIXERS TO THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. THE FIRST PART OF THE BOOK LEADS UP TO THE EVENTS WHICH BROUGHT THE TEAM TOGETHER. IT PROVIDES AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT INDIVIDUAL GAMES, ESPECIALLY THE PLAYOFFS. ALSO AN AFTER SEASON SUMMARY OF HOW THE TEAM LOST TO THE CELTICS IN 67-68 AND THE EVENTUAL BREAKUP OF THIS GREAT DYNAMO. ALSO SOME GREAT STATS AND SOME NOSTALGIC PHOTOS PROVIDE US WITH A GOOD BOOK. RECOMMENDED.
Rating:
Summary: Accurately remembering the greatest team in NBA History!
Review: To secure NBA Hall of Famer Billy Cunningham to write the Foreword for this remarkable story says something about Wayne Lynch's maiden voyage into the literary world. Cunningham starts the book off right, stating that the 76ers weren't going to have to win one championship, but TWO. First, they would have to overcome (physically AND mentally) their long-time arch enemy - the 8 time defending champion Boston Celtics. And how the teenage Lynch despised those Bill Russell-led Celtics! It is the innocent flashbacks to his youth that provide real fabric to this wonderful tale. Lynch not only accurately takes us through many key games and emotions of that magical 1966-67 season, but he also delivers multiple compelling story lines - with the "Big Dipper", Wilt Chamberlain, at the forefront. Wilt's willingness to transform his game - to literally forego the HUGE scoring totals that gained him such fame and fortune and become the consumate team player - is reason enough to purchase this fine book. The big man once again led the league in rebounding, but also finished third in assists - all while still averaging more than 24 points per game! Learn how this dominant team depended so much on their bench, with super talent like rookie Matty Guokas and the Kangaroo Kid, Billy C. How Hal Greer was old reliable, constantly carrying the team through thick and thin. How much two great - but vastly different - forwards complemented each other. Luke Jackson, the NBA's first true power forward, and Chet "The Jet" Walker, a reliable sharpshooter, were unbeatable. And who could forget the one and only Wally Jones, with the Jackknife jumper and tight defense. Of course, a great ship needs a great captain. Learn how the stern, but fair, Alex Hannum convinced Wilt to change and led this group of men into immortality. And even though the Championship series against Rick Barry's San Francisco Warriors could become anticlimactic, even I - an NBA historian and research specialist - learned many wonderful things and enjoyed Lynch's recap greatly. In the end, "Season of the 76ers" will take you back to a time when love of the game - and love between teammates and coach - was how championships were won. Consider that there were no hometown parades celebrating the most regular-season wins in NBA history (68). Only joyous teammates celebrating forever in a distant visitors locker room, and then long into the night. It will make you yearn for yesteryear like a Dipper Dunk.
Rating:
Summary: A walk down memory lane for pro basketball fans
Review: Wayne Lynch chronicles the Philadelphia 76ers' 1966-67 championship team with the enthusiasm of a fan and the skill of an accomplished writer. I was a spectator at many of the events he describes, and reading this book brought back a flood of memories. I learned things I never knew about Wilt Chamberlain and his teammates; Bill Russell, Red Auerbach, and other NBA notables; and the history of the league. The book includes playoff box scores and other interesting stats pages, and many terrific photos. This is a book for people who remember the NBA the way it used to be, and for people who wish they did.
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