Play the Game Right : The Biography of Butch Van Breda Kolff

Butch van Breda Kolff was a natural at coaching. When he played for the New York Knicks, he spent his spare time lecturing the New York City school kids on the fundamentals of basketball. At his first college coaching job, Lafayette College, he combined a quality of "hands on" management with physical discipline to produce winning records. At Princeton, he developed a fluid offense to capitalize on the talents of Bill Bradley. Even in the professional ranks, he insisted on team-work and hustle in lieu of show-casing individual talents. At all levels of play, Butch van Breda Kolff sought to see the game "played right". In his quest for this artistry, the intensity of Coach VBK frequently found expression in his court-side animation and confrontations with referees and management types. His quotes in the press were direct and uncompromising. Wilt "The Stilt" notwithstanding, his players mostly enjoyed his coaching style, his unwaivering principles, and his total commitment to the game. "Play the Game Right" is the story of Butch van Breda Kolff's life, dedicated to the game of basketball. On the eve of Lafayette's stunning 1988 upset of NCAA bound Notre Dame, Butch said to his team, "If you guys rebound with Notre Dame, you will win." Butch's players believed in him and delivered the victory.Luscombe, Paul A. is the author of 'Play the Game Right : The Biography of Butch Van Breda Kolff', published 2001 under ISBN 9780970437204 and ISBN 097043720X.