Pete Croatto

I never thought I’d say this, but stick to sports.

How to win in November

I’d have bumped you up half a grade.

It’s egregious. And the delayed payment to retired ABAers.

It could very well have been my introduction to Doctor J, too.

That's a really good point.

This is something @vincegoodwill.bsky.social has long said about the current player -- there's no understand/desire/need/want to look out for the league as a whole, where it's going, what it's doing. And that trickles down to what we see on the court at times.

And, I nearly forgot, thank you.

Moses and the Doctor The rousing story of two trailblazing superstars—Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Moses Malone—whose improbable alliance and unsung legacies shaped the wild...

Thank you, Michele! I'm sure you'll enjoy @lukeepplin.bsky.social's book as well. www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/luke-...

Yeah, do this. Odyssey Books in Ithaca is my go-to bookstore.

That's lovely to hear. He might be the last easily accessible superstar athlete. And him being from L.I. and playing for the Nets was just an amazing alignment.

Also, if your library doesn't have my book—or any book that you want to read—ask a librarian to procure a copy. They do that on the regular!

a man and a woman are sitting in a car and the woman is making a funny face while the man is covering his mouth Alt: a man and a woman are sitting in a car and the woman is making a funny face while the man is covering his mouth

I'm including the Amazon link because it's cheap there. If you can afford to get the book at an indie bookstore, please do! Or you can rate the book on Amazon and check it out of the library.

It'll be our secret!

From Hang Time to Prime Time: Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA Amazon.com: From Hang Time to Prime Time: Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA: 9781982103958: Croatto, Pete: Books

In the late 1970s and the early 1980s, man oh man, did the NBA need someone like that. If you want to understand why, start here! www.amazon.com/Hang-Time-Pr...

One reason why NBA officials loved Erving was he would do *anything* to help the league. He was the ultimate ambassador, and I don't think he gets nearly enough credit for that.

I’ll make a pizza for $30–and cut it into pieces for you. And it’ll be eight slices!

And I can't believe I'm saying this, but don't take anything from a kid—even if they offer it!

If an adult and a child are within two time zones of a foul ball, the kid gets the foul ball. Always. The end.

Sorry, ladies, I'm married.

Pretty fitting given the people in charge of things that basically every attempted official justification for what the US was going for in Iran and why they hadn't foreseen any of the extremely foreseeable consequences is basically at the level of something you'd hear during a field sobriety stop.

Don't let desperation be your navigator, kiddos.

Thanks for reminding me to read that—and to start filling out applications around town.

If I had a one-day gig at The New Yorker, I'm not scooching next to Justin Chang or David Grann and asking them a billion questions. I'm doing my job so I can return.

In my experience, if you're there every day and do the work, veteran reporters can be downright wonderful to a youngblood. But if you're dropping in, the last thing they want is a babysitting gig. They have work to do.

Right, because if they're not out covering a fire or a board meeting or whatever, they're trying to hit a deadline.

This is the obnoxious cousin of "can I pick your brain?" and "can we meet for coffee?"

If you want an idea of the kind of freelancing advice available on YouTube, a freelancer said that if you're in a newsroom sit next to a veteran and pepper with them with questions.

Yes, because every busy, overworked editor clinging to a staff job loves a nuisance.

If a career double-digit scorer and starter on two consecutive NBA Finals teams is the most obscure player you can name I’m not sure what words mean anymore.

Also, if you'd like to have me on your podcast, drop me a line. I'll take all my tranquilizers well before you hit record.

Those are spectacular.