Tall Men, Short Shorts

Tall Men, Short Shorts

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Author:

By Leigh Montville

 

There’s a scene in one-of-the-best-movies-of-all-time, Moneyball, in which Brad Pitt (Billy Beane) ponders, “How could you not be romantic about baseball?” (Or something like that. Maybe I should’ve read the book…) For whatever reason, that scene was conjured up in my brain as I read Leigh Montville’s wonderful book, Tall Men, Short Shorts.

Tall Men, Short Shorts chronicles the history of the memorable 1969 NBA finals between the Lakers and the Celtics from the perspective of The Bright Young Man (TBYM), or Leigh Montville’s younger self, as he covered the finals as a reporter for The Boston Globe.

It’s not meant to be a romance novel, but it takes on that feel-especially if you’re in love with the game of basketball. Leigh takes you back to another time-before the bane of cell phones were unleashed on planet earth-and lives through the moments of one of the best 7 game series in history.

And that time was complicated. Tensions of all kinds were ubiquitous throughout American society in 1969.

 

 

My favorite part of Tall Men, Short Shorts, is getting to know some of the players better.  Specifically, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. Their rivalry was nothing short of epic in the pantheon of sports. And, speaking of sports movies, how their isn’t one on Chamberlain vs Russell escapes me. But, besides that point, Leigh Montville takes you into their world-even giving you insights to Russell’s own personal column that he wrote for the Globe during the finals. That’s yet another thing that will get you shaking your head in awe: player, coach, and sports writer! 

Tall Men Short Shorts made me realize how desensitized I’ve become by today’s game. We are so used to the mega-star culture of the present day. Our favorite players are SUPER rich and SUPER famous. They sell sneakers, movies, video games, and…dreams. There is a reason why they are lavished in riches-it’s the market they play in.

And the players of 1969 had a good deal of fame in their own right-but the energy was a whole ‘nother vibe (this is what kids say today). Maybe that’s where the romance comes in, for me. I miss the “lunch box” type of feeling to the blue collar era of sports. I’m at the age (43 at the time of this writing) to be able understand the scope of change society has gone through since the turn of the 2000’s. When I was a kid, I can remember the whole family participating in your phone conversations due to the land line in the kitchen. Compare that to today, where I make sure to pick up a hard copy book once in a while so that my kids don’t think I’m just scrolling on a screen like a mind numb robot (don’t worry-that’s not what you are doing right now-you’re smarter than that).

Tall Men, Short Shorts: part memoir, part sports history, part sports romance (Did I just invent a new genre?? Or maybe Leigh did). This book is a true treat. Do yourself a favor and download it on your kindle today-or impress your kids with a hard copy.

 

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Chris at True Baller Books