FROM HANG TIME TO PRIME TIME

In the vein of Michael Lewis's bestsellers, From Hang Time to Prime Time approaches basketball from a cultural and business standpoint. It illuminates how the NBA executives transformed it into the "Disney of sports," allowing basketball to intersect with music, television, and other ventures.

Attend any NBA game today and you'll see zealous fans decked out in team colors, feel the music pulsing throughout a packed arena, and hear cheerleaders hyping up the crowd. Off-court, it's not unusual to spot NBA players like Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and LeBron James in reality television shows, films, fashion lines, and more. Yet, four decades ago, this inseparable blend of sports and entertainment was unthinkable.

From Hang Time to Prime Time is an enthralling exploration of how NBA surged in popularity from the 1970s to the 1980s to become the cultural institution it is today. With writing that brims with energy and wit, journalist and basketball fan Pete Croatto takes readers into the meetings that revolutionized NBA's image. He examines how two polar-opposite rookies, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, playing for Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively, led game attendance to skyrocket and racial lines to dissolve. Croatto also dives into CBS's personality-driven coverage of key players, as well as other cable-television efforts, which launched NBA players into celebrity status.

From Hang Time to Prime Time is essential reading for any basketball fan and a vivid, entertaining behind-the-scenes look at how basketball has become more than just a game.

Pete Croatto's writing has appeared in many outlets, including the New York Times, Columbia Journalism Review, Rolling Stone, Grantland, SLAM, and HOOP. 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.