Portland Trail Blazers 1st Ed. Autographed Book (Multiple Players) & Bobblehead

Description

This listing consists of two (2) items: an excellently written
first
edition
NBA
hardback book entitled
The
Breaks
of
the
Game
,
autog
raphed by then
head coach Jack
Ramsay
and six
Portland Trail
Blazer
Players & Trainer, and a
Trail Blazer bobblehead nodder.
There are times where a Seller regretfully offers items that he just does not wish to part with; this is one of those times for this Seller.  Although I have no particular love for the Portland Trail Blazers, this listing brings up some fond old memories of mine that I will hate to see end when this listing is shipped off to a Buyer.  (I worked Security for the Dallas Mavericks for six years, and all these people I not only met, but some joked with, and visited with them all.)  But as I approach 80 and experience some health concerns, there does come a time where one reluctantly knows it's time to pass things to others in order to see they are saved and treasured, in lieu of simply being discarded.
First about the book:  it is one of the very
best
basketball books I have ever read, written by the talented author David Halberstam and published in 1981.  It carries the reader through the entire
19
7
9-
1980 Trail Blazer
season
, which only three years prior had been NBA champions led by Bill Walton.  It is
360 pages
, each filled with anecdotes and unforgettable stories about all the NBA players, from superstars like Kareem, Walton, the A-Train (Gilmore), George McGinnis, McAdoo, Moses Malone, etc., to just solid NBA players, like T. R. Dunn, Calvin Natt, Dave Twardzik, Lionel Hollins, Mychal Thompson, Bobby Gross, and many others.  Literally there are hundreds of players, coaches, and even trainers that fill the pages in this exceptional book.  (And extremely interesting to me, as most of all these NBA stars came in and out of Dallas during my tenure with the Mavericks.)  And I could have added a few stories to Halberstam's well-written book.
Other than
Coach Ramsay
signing
the
title
page
(please see photo # 6 above), the book is also signed by
Jim Paxson
,
Myc
hal
Thompson
,
Calvin Natt
,
Dave Twardzik
, former Trail Blazer and Broadcaster
Steve
Jones
, and super trainer & former NBA Trainer of the Year,
Ron
Culp
.  The book is in excellent condition, and some of the signatures show lots of humor; for instance, Jim Paxson signed his name "The Handsome Jim Paxson", and Dave Twardzik signed the book, "Pound for pound the toughest player, Dave Twardzik".  Their personalities  really came to life with these signatures.
The one person whom I think the reader will come away with a much greater appreciation for is Maurice Lucas.  At least I know I did.  I only wish I had spent a little more time with him to have heard some of his stories.
Moving on to the
Trail
Blazer
bobblehead
, it is in
perfect
condition, and is approximately 7 inches tall and approximately 3 inches wide.  A Trail Blazer fan will not be disappointed in this bobblehead!
Thank you for reading my rather lengthy description for this particular listing.  Possibly one can tell this listing is very, very special to me.  And if I live in Texas and this means a lot to me, I can only imagine the feelings of an Oregon native who is a Trail Blazer fan.  I simply don't see how a Trail Blazer fan could turn this listing down.  But, to each his own.  My thanks to each of the signers who are still living for all the entertainment and fun times you brought to me and my colleagues; and for those who are now deceased, may you rest in peace.
(Please note:  I do
not
ship internationally.)  God bless.