Sportswriter Mike Jensen would argue that Philadelphia has earned a unique place in basketball history. In Philly Hoops, he makes an incontrovertible case that the city contributed to the sport on and off the court. Jensen, who spent decades covering the game for The Philadelphia Inquirer, charts the strategies, players, coaches, and even some referees from the pre-Wilt Chamberlain days to the post-Kobe Bryant era to show the region’s impact and influence on the sport worldwide.
Philadelphia didn’t merely play the game. It shaped it through ahead-of-their-time approaches, such as the value of pushing the pace. Jensen chronicles Hall-of-Fame game changers, including Earl Monroe and Paul Arizin, and coaches John Chaney, Jack Ramsay, Jay Wright, and Geno Auriemma. He recounts how the powerhouse teams at Immaculata and Cheyney University, along with Dawn Staley’s landmark playing and coaching achievements, helped make Philadelphia ground zero for women’s basketball. Philly Hoops also celebrates the influence of the Big 5 glory days, Jewish teams like The SPHAS, and icons Kyle Lowry, Tom Gola, and Rasheed Wallace.
Jensen knows how and why Philly loves basketball. His Philly Hoops is all about that love of and for the game.