When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball

"AMust-ReadForAnybodyWhoConsidersThemselvesABasketballFan."-MichaelWilbon,"TheWashingtonPost"OnMarch26,1979,BasketballAsWeKnowItWasBorn.TheNcaaChampionshipGamePlayedThatDayLaunchedAnEpicRivalryBetweenTwoExceptionalPlayers:Earvin"Magic"JohnsonAndLarryBird.ThoughTheyPlayedEachOtherOnlyOnceAsCollegeAthletes,ThatGameTransformedTheNcaaTournamentIntoAMultibillion-DollarEnterpriseAndLaidTheFoundationForTheResurgenceOfTheNba.ToThisDayItRemainsTheHighest-RatedBasketballGame,CollegeOrPro,InTheHistoryOfTelevision.InTheNationalBestseller"WhenMarchWentMad,"SethDavisRecountsTheDramaticStoryOfTheSeasonLeadingUpToThatGame,AsJohnson'SMichiganStateSpartansAndBird'SIndianaStateSycamoresOvercameLongOddsAndGreatDoubtsToReachTheGame'SGrandestStage.DavisAlsoTellsTheStoriesOfTheirRemarkableCoaches,JudHeathcoteAndBillHodges,AndHeShowsHowTensionsOverRaceAndClassHeightenedTheDramaOfTheCompetition.DavisCombedThroughSeveralYears'WorthOfNewspaperAndMagazineCoverage,InterviewedNearlyOneHundredPeople,AndWatchedDozensOfGamesToReconstructTheColorful,Historic,AndImprobableNarrativeOfHowLarryBirdAndMagicJohnsonBurstOnTheScene-AComing-Of-AgeStoryThatContinuesToResonate.TheFinalFour,TheNba,AndTheGameOfBasketballHaveNeverBeenTheSame.