Episode 31: A Conversation with Intellectually-Curious Writer and Author of From Hang Time to Prime Time, Pete Croatto

 

Show Notes and Links to Pete Croatto’s Work

On Episode 31, Pete is honored to talk with Pete Croatto about freelance writing, chill-inducing texts and lines, the importance of the David Stern and Larry O’Brien years in the growth of the modern NBA, athletes and activism, and much more. The bulk of the discussion is centered around Pete Croatto’s recently-published From Hang Time to Prime Time, Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA, an impeccably-researched and engrossing read.

Pete Croatto is a freelance writer in Ithaca, New York. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Grantland, SI.com, VICE Sports, and Publishers Weekly. His first book, From Hang Time to Prime Time, Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA, about the revolutionary change in the NBA between the years 1975-1989, is published by Atria Books and is out now. 

 

Buy From Hang Time to Prime Time, Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA!

Pete Croatto’s Twitter Account

Marvin Gaye’s 1983 National Anthem at the NBA All-Star Game-video

Pete Croatto’s 2013 Grantland Article about the Marvin Gaye National Performance

Authors/Books Mentioned and Allusions Referenced During the Episode:

*unless otherwise noted, "Pete" refers to Pete Croatto

 

*Pete shouts out Linkedin and talks about the incredible writing connections he has taken of advantage through the website-at around 3:30

 

Pete talks about the evolving and open definition of “journalist” and how there is so much room at the writing table for committed and persistent writers-at around 7:30

 

Pete talks about his word-rich household and his childhood surrounded by books and voracious readers-at around 12:00

 

Pete talks about his early days of writing, prompted by the groundbreaking work of Roger Ebert, Phillip Roth, James Thurber, sports biographies, and the great annual Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball written by Zander Holland and Fred Kerber, and talks about how he loved the basketball handbook so much that the book became two halves-at around 13:30

 

Pete talks about being nominated as a “Noble Selection” for Best American Sportswriting 2020, featured with heroes of his like Howard Bryant-at around 20:40

 

Pete talks about the love of writing and the subjectivity of accolades and the need to be persistent in the writing business, and shouts our fabulous writer from Slam Magazine, Russ Bengston-at around 23:00

 

Pete talks about being let down as a kid by Pete Rose, yet the “Never meet your heroes” cliche, he says, doesn’t apply to the writing world; he talks about writing heroes like Susan Orlean and Jancee Dunn and how they were overwhelmingly nice and accommodating-at around 27:30

 

Pete talks about chill-inducing writers and texts in his life, particularly lines from Jonathan Lethem’s The Fortress of Solitude and Curtis Sittenfield’s Prep -at around 28:30

 

Pete and Pete Riehl talk about great writing trumping the supposed genre (i.e. the best sports books can always “stand on their own”) and Pete reads from writing hero’s Roger Ebert’s writing advice-its chill-inducing nature stands out for him-at around 31:25

 

Pete Riehl talks about a memorable anecdote from The Jordan Rules-at around 36:40

 

Pete notes which interesting and unique stories he remembers from the impeccably-researched Showtime by favorite Jeff Pearlman-at around 37:00

 

Pete talks about wanting to write a substantive story that will be of interest to sports fan and non-sports fans alike-at around 38:00

 

Pete talks about his book, which is available in autographed form from Odyssey Books in Syracuse-at around 40:40

 

Pete “pitches” his book-at about 42:50

 

Pete talks about the choices in starting the book off as he does, with a scene from 2017’s Dancing with the Stars juxtaposed with Marvin Gaye’s famous (infamous?) singing of the national anthem at 1983’s national anthem-at about 46:15

 

Shout out to rap legend Kurtis Blow and his reaction to the 2017 Derek Fisher routine-at about 49:30

 

Pete talks about the chronological beginning of his book, with the “heroic” Larry O’Brien, transitioning into a discussion of David Stern as “the best commissioner in the history of professional sports”-at about 51:00

 

Pete and Pete talk about David Stern’s fastidiousness as part of his greatness, leading to a comparison to the famous “blueberry” scene from DeNiro’s Casino -at about 57:00

 

Pete talks about his persistence in trying to talk with David Stern for the book, and shouts out helpful writer friend, Shawn Fury-at about 1:01:45

 

Pete talks about the connections between Marvin Gaye’s 1983 performance and the recent activism in the sports world around Black Lives Matter, “I Can’t Breathe,” etc., as shown through the -at about 1:11:00

 

LeBron James, activist, as seen through the eyes of the brilliant sociologist Harry Edwards-at about 1:13:40

 

Pete and Pete talk about the connections between being open to listening and being a voracious reader-at about 1:23:40

 

Pete and Pete gush about Beautiful Ruins by author/baller Jess Walter-at about 1:27:30

 

Pete reads the Introduction from Hang Time to Prime Time-at about 1:29:40

 

Pete talks about his book as literary fiction and subtly irreverent and humorous, showing influences from James Thurber to Mad Magazine to his father-1:35:40

 

Pete talks about how tenuous writing for humor can be-at about 1:37:00

 

Pete talks about future projects and the recent article he wrote (Pete Riehl truly enjoyed it!) about Tom Chambers and Jeff Wells’ YouTube channel devoted to Chambers and crusade to get him into the Basketball Hall of Fame-at about 1:44:00

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