The Breaks of the Game

A seminal work of sports journalism that chronicles the 1979–1980 season of the Portland Trail Blazers while tracing the broader evolution of the NBA. Halberstam explores the collision of race, money, and media power during the league's transition into a global commercial spectacle. The narrative provides deep character studies of figures like Bill Walton and Jack Ramsay, highlighting the physical and psychological toll of professional competition.