Basketball fans are obsessive. We argue about legacies, "what-ifs," and who belongs on the Mount Rushmore of the NBA until we’re blue in the face. Back in 2009, Bill Simmons decided to take all that bar-room energy and dump it into a 700-page manifesto. The Book of Basketball wasn't just another sports book; it was an attempt to organize the chaos of NBA history into a coherent, albeit highly subjective, "Pyramid."
You’ve probably seen it on a shelf. It’s huge. It’s heavy. It’s got a bright green cover (in the paperback version) and enough footnotes to make a PhD student weep. But here is the thing: even though the league has changed almost entirely since it was published, people still treat this book like the sport’s unofficial bible.
The Pyramid and the Great NBA Hierarchy
Simmons didn't just list players. He built a literal hierarchy. The "Pyramid" was his way of solving the GOAT debate before the GOAT debate became a daily 24-hour cycle on ESPN. He broke it down into levels, starting with the guys who were just "very good" and moving up to the Pantheon.
The Pantheon is where the air gets thin. We are talking about the top 12 or so players of all time. At the time of writing, Simmons had Michael Jordan at number one. No surprises there. But his placement of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell sparked wars. Simmons, a notorious Boston Celtics homer, famously ranked Russell over Wilt. His argument wasn't about the stats—because Wilt’s stats are like something out of a video game—it was about "The Secret."
What’s The Secret? Basically, it’s the idea that basketball isn't about basketball. It’s about players sacrificing their own egos for the sake of the team. Simmons uses Isiah Thomas as his primary source for this, recounting a story from a Vegas club where Thomas explained that the best teams weren't always the most talented, but the ones that liked each other the most. It sounds cheesy. It probably is. But in the context of The Book of Basketball, it’s the skeleton key that unlocks why some legends have five rings and others have none.
Why the Book Feels Different Now
Reading it in 2026 is a trippy experience. You have to remember that when this book came out, LeBron James hadn't won a title yet. The "LeBron vs. Jordan" debate was still in its infancy. In the original text, Simmons was actually somewhat critical of LeBron’s "Clutch" factor, a take that aged like milk after 2012 and 2016.
✨ Don't miss: Mizzou 2024 Football Schedule: What Most People Get Wrong
The book is a time capsule. It captures the NBA right before the "Three-Point Revolution" and the "Player Empowerment Era" took over. Stephen Curry isn't a protagonist in this book. Neither is Kevin Durant. The version of the NBA Simmons describes is one of post-ups, mid-range jumpers, and centers who actually stayed in the paint.
It’s also incredibly long. Like, "don't bring this on a plane unless you have a rolling suitcase" long. But the length is the point. Simmons writes like he’s talking to you at 2:00 AM after a playoff game. He uses pop culture references constantly. One minute he's talking about Jerry West’s Finals record, and the next he’s comparing a draft bust to a character from Teen Wolf or The Godfather. It’s a style that birthed a thousand sports bloggers, for better or worse.
The Problem with "The Wine Cellar"
One of the most famous (and most debated) sections of The Book of Basketball is the "Wine Cellar" game. Simmons tries to pick a 12-man roster to play against aliens for the fate of the Earth. If we lose, the planet gets blown up.
It’s a fun exercise, but it highlights the book’s biggest flaw: the bias.
Simmons is a Celtics fan through and through. If you aren't a fan of the green and white, some chapters might make your blood boil. He loves Bill Russell. He worships Larry Bird. He has a complicated, often prickly relationship with Lakers legends like Kareem. But honestly? That’s why it works. Neutrality is boring. If you want a dry encyclopedia of stats, go to Basketball-Reference. If you want a passionate, flawed, hilarious argument, you read Simmons.
🔗 Read more: Current Score of the Steelers Game: Why the 30-6 Texans Blowout Changed Everything
Breaking Down the "What-If" Chapters
The book features a massive section on the biggest "What-Ifs" in league history. This is where Simmons is at his best. He dives into the 1984 Draft (Portland passing on MJ), the Walton injury years, and the many ways the 70s nearly destroyed the NBA.
He treats history like a series of sliding doors. If the coin flip goes the other way in 1969, Kareem goes to the Suns instead of the Bucks. Does the NBA even survive the 70s without the Lakers-Celtics rivalry fueled by Kareem and Magic? Probably not. Simmons understands that sports aren't just about what happened on the court; they're about the weird, random luck that shapes legacies.
The Footnote Obsession
You can't talk about this book without talking about the footnotes. Sometimes a footnote will take up half the page. They are filled with snarky comments, random trivia, and "half-baked" theories.
- He explains why the "Mendoza Line" applies to NBA shooting percentages.
- He tangents into why certain actors shouldn't play basketball in movies.
- He tracks the "Value Over Replacement Player" before it was a common stat.
It’s chaotic. It’s disorganized. It’s great.
Is It Still Accurate?
Technically? No. The rankings are hopelessly out of date. Since the book’s last major update, we’ve seen:
💡 You might also like: Last Match Man City: Why Newcastle Couldn't Stop the Semenyo Surge
- LeBron James become the all-time leading scorer and win four rings with three teams.
- Stephen Curry change the geometry of the court forever.
- The Golden State Warriors’ 73-win season.
- The rise of international dominance (Giannis, Jokic, Luka).
Simmons has tried to remedy this through The Book of Basketball 2.0 podcast, where he re-ranks players in "Pyramid Pods." But the physical book remains a masterpiece of a specific era. It’s the definitive look at the "Pre-Space-and-Pace" NBA.
How to Read The Book of Basketball Today
If you’re picking it up for the first time, don't try to read it cover to cover. You’ll burn out. It’s a reference book disguised as a narrative.
The Pro Move: Flip to the "Pyramid" section first. Look at where your favorite players from the 80s and 90s rank. Then, read the chapter on the 1960s—Simmons does a surprisingly good job of making that era feel alive, even if he’s obsessed with proving why Russell was better than Wilt.
Don't take his word as law. He’s an entertainer first and a historian second. When he says a player "didn't want it enough," that’s not a factual stat—it’s a narrative. But narratives are what make sports fun. Without them, we’re just looking at a spreadsheet.
Actionable Steps for the NBA History Buff
If you want to truly master the history of the game after finishing Simmons' work, here is how you should proceed:
- Watch the "Hardwood Classics": Simmons talks a lot about "The Game 5 of the 1984 Finals." Go find the footage on YouTube. See if his descriptions match the reality. Often, the grainy footage tells a slightly different story than the legend.
- Check the "Basketball-Reference" Hall of Fame Monitor: Compare Simmons’ Pyramid rankings with the purely statistical Hall of Fame probability scores. It’s fascinating to see where the "eye test" (Simmons) clashes with the "algorithms" (the data).
- Listen to the "Book of Basketball 2.0" Podcast: This is essential for anyone who wants to see how Simmons has updated his views on guys like Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Kawhi Leonard. He has moved LeBron up to #2, but the debate for #1 remains a MJ-fortified stronghold.
- Read "The Breaks of the Game" by David Halberstam: Simmons cites this as the greatest basketball book ever written. If you want a more serious, journalistic look at the NBA (specifically the 1979-80 Blazers), this is the natural next step.
- Ignore the Bias: When you hit the Celtics chapters, just accept that you are reading a partisan text. Take the information, but discard the "Larry Bird is a God" filter if you need to.
The NBA is a living, breathing thing. The Book of Basketball captured its soul for a moment in time, and while the players have changed, the arguments remain the same. We just want to know who was the best, why they won, and what happens next.