Let’s be honest. If you’ve spent more than five minutes arguing about whether Kobe Bryant belongs in the top ten or why Bill Russell was better than Wilt Chamberlain, you’ve probably held this 700-page brick in your hands. The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons isn't just a book. It’s a manifesto. It’s a time capsule.
And, for many of us, it was the first time a sports book felt like it was written by someone who actually liked sports.
Most sports writing back in 2009 was... stiff. It was "The venerable institution of the Boston Garden." Bill Simmons didn't do that. He talked about "The Secret" while hanging out at a topless pool in Las Vegas with Isiah Thomas. He compared NBA stars to characters from Teen Wolf or random 80s porn stars. It was chaotic. It was brilliant. It was also, in many ways, totally ridiculous.
The Hall of Fame Pyramid: Genius or Just Homerism?
The meat of the book—the part everyone goes back to—is the Hall of Fame Pyramid. Simmons got sick of the actual Basketball Hall of Fame because it basically lets everyone in. His solution? A five-level pyramid that ranks the 96 greatest players ever.
He didn't just look at stats. He looked at "The Secret." Basically, did you make your teammates better? Did you care about winning more than your PPG? This is why Bill Russell is at number two and Wilt is at number six.
If you're a Wilt fan, this book will make your blood boil. Simmons basically spends 50 pages calling him a "stats-obsessed loser" (paraphrasing, but barely). He uses every anecdotal piece of evidence to prove that Russell’s 11 rings matter more than Wilt’s 50-points-per-game season. Is he right? Maybe. But his bias for the Celtics is so thick you can practically smell the clam chowder coming off the pages.
💡 You might also like: Nebraska Basketball Women's Schedule: What Actually Matters This Season
The Original Top 10 (2010 Edition)
- Michael Jordan (The GOAT, no surprise here).
- Bill Russell (The winner).
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (The most unappreciated).
- Magic Johnson (The engine).
- Larry Bird (The legend).
- Wilt Chamberlain (The enigma).
- Tim Duncan (The fundamental).
- Kobe Bryant (The mamba).
- Jerry West (The logo).
- Oscar Robertson (The triple-double king).
Reading this list in 2026 feels weird, doesn't it?
What the Book Totally Missed (Because, Well, Time)
You can't blame a guy for not having a crystal ball. But man, the 2010 paperback version of The Book of Basketball feels like it's from a different dimension when you look at the modern NBA.
LeBron James was just a "Level 3" guy back then. He hadn't won a ring yet. He hadn't gone to Miami. He hadn't become the all-time leading scorer. Simmons actually spends a lot of time wondering if LeBron has "the gene." Fast forward to now, and LeBron is locked into the top two on almost everyone's list.
And then there's Steph Curry.
Steph isn't even a footnote in the original book. He was just a skinny kid from Davidson with bad ankles. The three-point revolution? Simmons didn't see it coming. Nobody did. The book treats the mid-range game and "Big Men" as the eternal pillars of the sport. It doesn't account for a world where a 6'3" guard can break the game from 30 feet out.
📖 Related: Missouri vs Alabama Football: What Really Happened at Faurot Field
The "Book of Basketball 2.0" Pivot
Recognizing that the book was becoming a relic, Simmons launched the Book of Basketball 2.0 podcast. It was his way of "updating" the rankings without actually writing another 700 pages. Honestly? It was a smart move. He brought in guys like Steve Kerr and Jackie MacMullan to talk about how the game changed.
He moved Curry up. He moved Durant up. He wrestled with the Giannis ascension. It’s basically a living, breathing version of the book.
The Problem with "HBO Simmons"
If you pick up the book today, some parts are... rough. Simmons famously said there was "Network Simmons" (ESPN) and "HBO Simmons" (the book).
The book is filled with jokes that haven't aged well. There are weird references to "Asian strippers" and constant comparisons between players and women he found attractive. It’s very much a product of 2000s "frat-guy" culture. If you can look past the cringey pop-culture asides, the basketball scholarship is actually deep. He watched thousands of hours of old film. He dug up box scores from the 50s that nobody else cared about.
The research is real. The tone is just, well, a lot.
👉 See also: Miami Heat New York Knicks Game: Why This Rivalry Still Hits Different
Why You Should Still Read It
Even with the outdated takes and the questionable jokes, The Book of Basketball is still the best history of the NBA ever written. Why? Because it’s a narrative. It doesn't treat the league like a spreadsheet.
It treats the NBA like a soap opera.
It explains why the 1970s nearly killed the league (drugs, lack of stars). It breaks down why the 1980s saved it (Magic vs. Bird). It deep-dives into "The What-Ifs"—like what if the Blazers had drafted MJ instead of Sam Bowie? Or what if the 1986 Celtics hadn't lost Len Bias?
Actionable Takeaways for the Modern Fan
If you want to actually "get" the NBA, don't just look at the rankings. Look at the frameworks Simmons uses. Here is how you can use the book's logic today:
- The Wine Cellar Test: If you were playing a game for your life against aliens, who are the 12 players you'd want in their prime? This is a better way to rank players than just "who had the best stats."
- The Trade Value Chart: Understand that a player's worth isn't just their talent; it’s their contract, their age, and how much their city loves them.
- The Ewing Theory: Watch for teams that actually get better after their "best" player leaves or gets injured. It happens more than you think (looking at you, 2020s Grizzlies or the old-school Knicks).
The Book of Basketball changed how we talk about hoops. It turned us all into amateur historians and amateur GMs. You might disagree with 40% of what he says—I know I do—but you’ll be smarter for having the argument.
To truly appreciate the depth of the NBA, grab a copy of the 2010 paperback, then supplement it by listening to the Book of Basketball 2.0 podcast episodes on LeBron, Steph, and the 2017 Warriors. Compare how the "Pyramid" logic holds up against the modern "positionless" era. You'll quickly see that while the names change, "The Secret" usually remains the same.