Hard Labor

The Battle That Birthed the Billion-Dollar NBA
By Samuel Smith

SPORTS & RECREATION

368 Pages, 6 x 9

Formats: Cloth, PDF, EPUB, Mobipocket

Cloth, $24.95 (US $24.95) (CA $33.95)

ISBN 9781629372785

Rights: WOR

Triumph Books (Nov 2017)

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9781629372785

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Overview

Oscar Robertson is known as one of the best players in NBA history, a triple-double machine who set the stage for the versatility of today's NBA superstars like LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Draymond Green. But The Big O's larger legacy may lie in spearheading the fight for his fellow players' financial equity and free agency, joined by fellow stars John Havlicek, Bill Bradley, Wes Unseld, and more. In Hard Labor, Sam Smith, best-selling basketball scribe emeritus and author of The Jordan Rules, unearths this incredible and untold fight for players' rights and examines the massive repercussions for the NBA and sports in the United States in the 40 years since. Diving into how "The 14" paved the way for the record-setting paydays for today's NBA players - stars and role players alike - as well as the harsh consequences faced by those involved in the lawsuit against the NBA, Hard Labor is an essential read for both NBA and sports fans alike.

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Fan Sided - Over and Back Podcast

WGN Radio

Press Releases

Hard Labor

The Battle that Birthed the Billion-Dollar NBA

By Sam Smith

Contact: Sam Ofman, Triumph Books, 312.568.5450, s.ofman@triumphbooks.com

The highest NBA player salaries in recent years have eclipsed 30 million dollars. Franchise valuations measure in the billions. The league enjoys an enormous international fan base, lucrative television contracts and a strong brand image. Star players are more than athletes, appearing in advertisements, gossip columns and blockbuster films. It’s a golden age for the NBA players, but it hasn’t always been this way.

In Hard Labor: The Battle that Birthed the Billion-Dollar NBA (Triumph Books, November 2017), Sam Smith, bestselling author of The Jordan Rules, explores the complex and underappreciated history of players’ struggles and the advent of modern free agency. Smith’s passion for the game, when combined with his unmatched talent for covering it, makes for a thoroughly researched and accessible account of the challenges and sacrifices made by the Oscar Robertson 14 that paved the way for the modern NBA. Highlights include:

Anecdotes surrounding the player/owner relationships of the 1950s and ’60s
Details of the Robertson vs. the NBA suit and the personal consequences suffered by Oscar Robertson and other key players involved
How the battle for players’ rights paralleled the civil rights movement of the time, and how race played a role
A heartfelt appeal to modern players to recognize and honor the bravery and sacrifices of the generation of players who provided them the opportunities they take for granted

Hard Labor offers a penetrating look at how the efforts of an overlooked generation laid the groundwork for altering the social and professional landscape of American sports. With a provocative, humorous, educational and entertaining voice, Smith delivers a must-read for sports historians, lifelong diehards and the new generation of fans.

About the Author:

Sam Smith is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Jordan Rules, Second Coming, and There is No Next. Sam received the Naismith Hall of Fame 2012 Curt Gowdy Media Award and he writes for Bulls.com. You can follow him at @SamSmithHoops.

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