Canada's Other Game: Basketball from Naismith to Nash

This first book from Montreal journalist Daly tells the story of Canadian basketball, full of players who "would have been household names had they reached similar status in the United States" but who have remained almost anonymous in their own hockey-crazed country. Surveying the Canadian game from its creation by James Naismith at a YMCA in Springfield, Mass., using peach baskets, all the way to its future stars such as Andrew Wiggins, the book aims to remedy the general lack of knowledge of Canadian hoops. Daly hits the right shots, from the 1936 silver medal team at the Olympics, to the nearly unbeatable touring women's squad, the Edmonton Grads (502 wins against 20 losses from 1915-1940), and up to Steve Nash of today's Los Angeles Lakers. Aiming to educate and entertain, Daly keeps the narrative moving and doesn't get bogged down in statistics or game summaries. If anything, the book cries out for a companion work of biographies and career summaries to fully illuminate the successes (and failures) of Canadian players and teams. With Toronto's Anthony Bennett chosen #1 overall in the 2013 NBA draft, the status of Canadian hoopsters is on the rise, and this is necessary background reading. (Oct.)