Furious George: My Forty Years Surviving NBA Divas, Clueless GMs, and Poor Shot Selection
By George Karl and Curt Sampson
3.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
The most outspoken and combative coach in NBA history—and one of the most successful, amassing more than 1,175 victories, the sixth best winning record ever—reflects on his life, his career, and his battles on and off the basketball court in this no-holds-barred memoir
A man of deep passion and intensity, George Karl earned his bad boy reputation while playing at the University of North Carolina, a rap that continued through the five years he spent with the San Antonio Spurs—and long after he stopped playing.
Karl’s beery nights, fistfights, and barking followed him into a thirty-five-year coaching career. In a game defined by big stakes and bigger egos, rabid fans and an unforgiving media, Karl was hired and fired a dozen times. After leading a team beset by injuries and with no superstar to its best season of all time—an achievement that earned Karl the title NBA Coach of the Year—he was dumped by the Denver Nuggets in 2013. Less than a year and a half later, Karl was at the helm of the Sacramento Kings, snarling and bellowing on the sidelines before being cut loose in May 2016.
Intense, obstinate, and loud, Karl has never backed down from a confrontation, whether with management, officials, or star players, as NBA legends from Allan Iverson to Gary Payton to Carmelo Anthony to Demarcus Cousins can attest. Telling his story, Karl holds nothing back as he speaks out about the game that has defined his life, including the greed, selfishness, and ass-covering he believes are characteristic of the modern NBA player, and the rampant corruption that leads all the way to the office of the NBA commissioner, David Stern. Karl also reveals how he’s learned to deal with the personalities, the pressure, and the setbacks with a resilience he acquired from his three bouts with cancer.
Raw, hard-hitting, and brutally honest, Furious George is as thrilling, unpredictable, and entertaining as the game that has defined Karl’s life.
George Karl
George Karl, an All-American at the University of North Carolina and an original member of the San Antonio Spurs, is the fifth-winningest coach in NBA history. Karl lives in Denver, where his favorite pastime is watching his daughter Kaci play soccer and basketball.
Related to Furious George
Related ebooks
Blood on the Horns: The Long Strange Ride of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Last Enforcer: Outrageous Stories From the Life and Times of One of the NBA's Fiercest Competitors Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShaq Talks Back Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unguarded Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I Feel Like Going On: Life, Game, and Glory Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of a Beautiful Game: The Thinking Fan's Tour of the NBA Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Open Look: Canadian Basketball and Me Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Competitive Leadership: Twelve Principles for Success Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Furious George: My Forty Years Surviving NBA Divas, Clueless GMs, and Poor Shot Selection Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Madmen's Ball: The Continuing Saga of Kobe, Phil, and the Los Angeles Lakers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To the Hoop: The Seasons of a Basketball Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5If These Walls Could Talk: Dallas Cowboys: Stories from the Dallas Cowboys Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeven Seconds or Less: My Season on the Bench with the Runnin' and Gunnin' Phoenix Suns Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jail Blazers: How the Portland Trail Blazers Became the Bad Boys of Basketball Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Not a Game: The Incredible Rise and Unthinkable Fall of Allen Iverson Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Hard Labor: The Battle That Birthed the Billion-Dollar NBA Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPistol: A Biography of Pete Maravich Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Net Work: Training the NBA's Best and Finding the Keys to Greatness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dynasty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unfinished Business: On and Off the Court with the 1990-91 Boston Celtics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5From Hang Time to Prime Time: Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSpaced Out: The Tactical Evolution of the Modern NBA Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKG: A to Z: An Uncensored Encyclopedia of Life, Basketball, and Everything in Between Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Chicago Tribune Book of the Chicago Bulls: A Decade-by-Decade History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBoys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Runnin' Rebel: Shark Tales of "Extra Benefits," Frank Sinatra, and Winning It All Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Red Holzman: The Life and Legacy of a Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Knight: My Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Brooklyn Bounce: The Highs and Lows of Nets Basketball's Historic First Season in the Borough Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBleeding Orange: Fifty Years of Blind Referees, Screaming Fans, Beasts of the East, and Syracuse Basketball Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Basketball For You
Basketball For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Coaching Basketball's Blocker Mover Motion Offense Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fast Break Basketball for Kids Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sit to Rise: Turning Your Darkest Pain into Your Brightest Victory Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRookie to Elite: Basketball Skills & Drills To Improve Your Game Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCoaching Basketball For Dummies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBasketball Fundamentals: A Complete Mental Training Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsImprove Your Game Of Volleyball - For Beginners Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnscripted: The Unpredictable Moments That Make Life Extraordinary Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Only Golf Lesson You'll Ever Need: Easy Solutions to Problem Golf Swings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women's Basketball Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Kobe: Life Lessons from a Legend Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Game of Basketball Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI Came As a Shadow: An Autobiography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5100 Things North Carolina Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Leadership Playbook Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Jordan Rules: The Inside Story of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I Should Be Dead By Now: The Wild Life and Crazy Times of the NBA's Greatest Rebounder of Modern Times Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jail Blazers: How the Portland Trail Blazers Became the Bad Boys of Basketball Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jump Attack: The Formula for Explosive Athletic Performance, Jumping Higher, and Training Like the Pros Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stephen Curry: The incredible story of Stephen Curry - one of basketball's greatest players! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Basketball Junkie: A Memoir Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Midrange Theory Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5When Nothing Else Matters: Michael Jordan's Last Comeback Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Furious George
10 ratings1 review
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Karl is very candid in this book about his coaching, his personal life and the abilities of his players, particularly Carmelo Anthony and Gary Payton. Based on the book, I don't sense that he is an easy coach to play for and I think he acknowledges that. He has gotten to the Conference finals but has not been in the NBA championship finals.
He is a gutty guy. He has survived various illnesses including cancer. He has bounced around coaching in developmental leagues and overseas.
Not the best basketball book that I have read but it is a decent read and some of his comments and criticisms of various NBA stars are spot on.