Books

Boxed Out of the NBA: Remembering the
Eastern Professional Basketball League 

During the early years of pro basketball, the “Eastern League” was the next-best professional basketball league in the world after the NBA. It was home to players who couldn’t make the NBA because of tight numbers, involvement in gambling scandals, or race. Boxed Out of the NBA is a book about great athletes who performed on weekend nights for $50 to $100 a game and drove through snow and ice to get back to their homes and their regular jobs. This book tells the stories of some of the best, little-known players ever — including some who did make it to the NBA — and the colorful, close-knit world of small-town pro basketball.

Authors Syl Sobel and Jay Rosenstein interviewed nearly 40 former Eastern League players, officials, and fans, including Syracuse University coach Jim Boeheim (featured on the book cover), former Temple University coach John Chaney, former Detroit Pistons player and coach Ray Scott, former NBA coach and ESPN analyst Hubie Brown, and former NBA player and coach Bob Weiss, all of whom played in the Eastern League. Former Boston Globe sportswriter and current ESPN commentator Bob Ryan wrote the foreword for the book.

While a few books mention the Eastern League in passing, this is the first and only book devoted to the league. It’s perfect for basketball fans, sports historians, and people interested in the history of race and professional sports.

“A must read for any basketball junkie!”
Tommie Sheppard, GM, Washington Wizards

“An outstanding story on an unheralded era.”
John Chaney, Hall of Fame former coach at Temple University

To learn more, please visit our Boxed Out of the NBA website

Coming Soon!

Danny Meets the Night Shift

Children in the 4-7 age group are fascinated with firefighters, police officers, construction workers, airplane pilots and other professionals, but they know little about the essential jobs these and other workers perform during the night shift. Danny Meets the Night Shift is a picture book written by Jay Rosenstein and featuring colorful, lifelike drawings by illustrator Jim Starr.  

The book features seven-year-old Danny as he goes on a magical tour of workplaces late at night. Why is it magical? Because when all the other kids in town are home sleeping, Danny and his grandparents are exploring the world of night workers.

The book is a fast-paced, surprise-filled story with unforgettable characters and twists and turns that make the journey compelling and memorable. You won’t want to miss who and what ends up on the front page of the morning newspaper at the end of the story!

In addition, the back of the book includes a collection of more things for kids to know about night workers. Danny Meets the Night Shift can make for great fun and learning at home, in school, at bedtime or any time.