Rockin' Steady: Then And Now

Jason Johnson is, by his own admission, not particularly stylish or athletic. He does however hold the distinction of being the world's tallest sports/style blogger. He can most often be found at Style Points, or on Twitter @frazierapproves.

When Shoals asked me to write a style piece related to the re-release of Walt Frazier’s seminal Rockin' Steady: A Guide to Basketball and Cool, I jumped at the opportunity. Rockin’ Steady is, simply put, one of the oddest books I’ve ever read. Equal parts memoir, style guide, hoops tutorial and 70s PG scouting report, it is profoundly weird. Like "Keep Portland Weird", or that cow-camouflage-blazer-he-wore-a-few-weeks-ago weird.



Clyde’s basketball tips still ring true, because fundamentally, the game hasn’t changed that much since his day. Instead of focusing on the basketball portion of the book, I thought I’d see how much of Clyde’s 1974 closet would stand up in today’s league.

SUITS:

Clyde’s closet boasted 49. With the not-so-new dress code in effect, it would be surprising if most ballers didn’t have a similar number. While Rockin Steady doesn’t detail each and every suit (I’m sure most were conservative charcoal or navy worsteds), it does highlight some of the more, ahem Clyde-ish items. I was unable to locate any modern lamb or cowskin suits, but Andrew Bogut seems to be keeping Clyde’s white twill suit alive.



PANTS:

Clyde saw no problem with wearing his suits as separates. Wearing suit pants without the cost is a bad move because, ideally you’d like them to wear and age equally. It’s an especially bad move if, like Clyde, your pants have no pockets. After scouring the web for days, I came up short in my search for NBA players in verifiably pocketless trousers. Were I a betting man, I’d venture that one or more of the fits from Kobe’s infamous “white hot” spread would fit the bill.

KNOTS:

Circa 74, it seems that ties had fallen out of fashion. Ever a man of the times, Frazier purported to own no ties. This is incongruous with the photographic evidence presented in the book. From what I’ve seen, Frazier favored white silk ties with black suit/shirt combos. Gangster. Paul Pierce can be seen employing this particular look to questionable effect.



KICKS:

Shoes are dangerous. They’re a sartorial gateway drug. Every true clothes-horse has an even bigger shoe habit. Clyde was no exception. At the time of publication, he estimated that he had fifty pairs of shoes; 20 lace up and 30 loafers, mostly suede and leather, nach. One would expect that his shoe game would be relatively easy to export to into the new millennium; unfortunately, I was unable to find any pics of current players in 2.5 inch Cuban heels. I do, however, believe some college players wear them for on-campus pre-draft measurement.

COATS:

Endangered species laws and changing attitudes make it virtually impossible for a modern player to walk around in an elephant or seal skin coat like Clyde, but that didn’t stop Nate Robinson from stepping out in this full size Yeti-fur coat.



LIDS:

Walt wouldn’t have become Clyde without the hats. Frazier had a penchant for wearing wide brimmed hats before they became popular. After being ridiculed by veteran teammates, Frazier nearly abandoned the hats that gave him his now-iconic nickname. They called him Clyde because his hats were similar to those worn by Warren Beatty in Bonnie and Clyde.

Today, hats remain a sartorial power-move. They’re high degree of difficulty items that should only be attempted by the most accomplished Clydes of our day.



There will never be another Walt “Clyde” Frazier. So much of what made him has been lost. That time, that New York is long gone. The city isn’t edgy anymore. MSG doesn’t mean as much as it used to, and the days of weirdo fashion plates leading entertaining Knicks teams are long past.

In the Shadow of Baking

Anyone who owns FD Book #2 knows how much we love Walt Frazier's Rockin' Steady, which as it just so happens, was reissued by Triumph Books this fall. COP THAT. There is so much to say about Clyde's opus that I can't possible do it justice at the moment ... so how about watching the Knicks legend be interviewed by Don Imus yesterday about a truly indescribable cultural artifact that he and Ira Berkow created way back in 1974. Huh?

I think this segment comes first but it starts with an ad and I wasn't having that.

Floppin' Around

When Pro Basketball Prospectus 2010-11 came out, I told you all to buy it, and wrote a painfully eloquent, and personal, review of it for the Works. It discusses the ongoing question of math vs. experience, and how FD fits into. You might be surprised.

The more I talked to Kevin Pelton about the book, though, the more I realized that in many cases, PBP's conclusions (or hypotheses) are FD catnip. In other words, guys, we might be right! Sometimes. Here's his list of the book's Ten Most FD Moments, with some commentary from yours truly. I don't think they are in any particular order.

1. Josh Smith worth 13.5 WARP last season

Should have been an All-Star, kept out only by silly positional categories and a bad reputation he never really deserved. And yet anyone who watched him closely last year would tell you that Smith was absolutely indispensable. Not just because of the kind of team Atlanta had, but for the kind of game he has developed.

2. Rajon Rondo is the Celtics' "best player."

Exhibit A: This season. Maybe the Celtics are healthier, happier, and closer than ever. But when a system gains new clarity from top to bottom, there's no way interpersonal love and joy are responsible. You look to the guy with the rock, the man who sets it all into motion.

3. Rodrigue Beaubois' top comparable is Leandro Barbosa

Bittersweet, since Barbosa's career didn't quite turn out as expected. Still, I'll take a remake of that film any day over just another combo guard whose scoring gives us chills.

4. Monta Ellis used to be efficient way back in 2007-08

Suggesting, thusly, that when the Warriors have some rhythm to then, Monta can put up numbers while being a perfectly reasonable teammate. We're seeing that this year, and it's one of the early bright spots. The man has the tools of a sound, solid player, albeit one prone to fanciness around the hoop and 18-point quarters. Don't judge a book by its style!

5. Lamar Odom: "The unsung hero of the Lakers' back-to-back championships."

This is fast turning into: "Pelton sees the future, and it is very, very good to FD". Odom this season is the best he's been since Miami, and his ability to still step up and contribute shows that, in fact, he's been better integrated into the team's plan than we may have previously thought. His first few seasons in LA stunk, but now, he's settled into a near-ideal role. When "Lamar Odom" is a role, things are right in the world.

6. Brandon Jennings: "You can craft a good argument that he should have been Rookie of the Year."

I like Tyreke Evans a lot, but Jennings is the people's champ -- and sneaky good by the numbers, too. Strange for a player who is seemingly up and down as a pure point, and prone to poor shooting.

7. Anthony Randolph comparables: Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, Joe Smith, Josh Smith

Given the season Randolph is having, this inconclusive, boom-or-bust mess -- like something you would understand only while about to slip into a black hole -- makes a certain amount of sense? Will he or won't he? What is that question even about? The best part about Randolph, which we're seeing with the Knicks, is that no one doubts his abilities. It's just totally unclear what the hell anyone's supposed to do with them. He might be the greatest useless player ever.

8. Kevin Durant: fourth-best WARP total of any player younger than 22

As we mention in the book, there's something historic about KD. It's just hard to nail it down. Apparently, the PBP people have.

9. DeMarcus Cousins: "statistical darling of the rookie class."

He is also probably the FD darling of the rookie class, with all the forgiveness, and ambivalence, implies by that phrase.

10. JaVale McGee led the league in block percentage

JaVale McGee is block percentage. What he does with that knowledge is up to him.

The Pinoy Invasion

Most of you remember Rafe Bartholomew, who back in February wrote a ferociously awesome post on style in Philippine hoops. Anyway, tomorrow Rafe's honest-to-god book on the subject, Pacific Rims: Beermen Ballin' in Flip-Flops and the Philippines' Unlikely Love Affair with Basketballarrives at stores, or sites, near you. I have lent my good name and most effusive words to the back jacket of Pacific Rims, and I meant every word of it; this is a phenomenal piece of basketball writing that belongs on your nightstand whether or not you even knew the PBA existed, or could care less about the island nation it calls home. Brilliant stuff, and you're remiss as a reader of FD (however occasional) if you don't cop that.

Rafe will be stopping by later in the week with a guest lecture, but until then, be checking his site for updates on his every move, or photos from his time there. I know he's doing something for SLAM Online tomorrow. His previous blog, Manila Vanilla, is chock full of good stuff if you simply can't wait. The above archival was jacked, in a hurry, from MV—here's the story behind it. And really, you need to support this book if you want sports writing with a brain to continue on this planet.

If you miss me at all, check out this thing I wrote yesterday about Kobe, Bron, Wilt, Russell, and man's need to destroy each other.

How Can You Find It?

I'm still in Rome. Behold my long conversation with Rick Telander, on the subject of Heaven Is a Playground and the anniversary photo show.

A Dinner of Onions

You may also know me as Eric Freeman. Check out more of my writing at The Baseline.

Shoals has a new column on the psychology behind the LeBron/Kobe debate. And make sure to check out the latest podcast.

One of Phil Jackson's most notable tactics as Zen Master is his yearly tradition of selecting books for each of his players to read. He considers the player's personality and needs, and makes a decision based on all available factors. It's one of the clearest reminders that he's a coach who respects and values his players as people, not just basketball players.

Most years, we hear a few of the selections through the grapevine. But last night, Phil's girlfriend and Lakers Executive VP of Business Operations Jeanie Buss put all of this year's picks on Twitter. Let us analyze some of the most notable choices and figure out what Phil sees in his team.

Player: Kobe Bryant
Book: Montana 1948 by Larry Watson
Synopsis: A small-town sheriff finds out that his brother has raped and murdered numerous Native-American women. He finds himself torn between his dual loyalties to family and the law.
Meaning: Wow, Phil doesn't screw around, eh? Forget for a minute the connections to Kobe's legal troubles and consider that the reader is meant to identify with the sheriff. The common perception of Kobe is that he's torn between his need to score and his desire to win as part of the larger team. Often, he appears to toggle between each pole, unable to find a happy medium. What Montana 1948 teaches us is that no matter which option you choose, you must live with the consequences and emotions of forgoing the other choice. It's about living in the gray area, something Kobe must embrace to realize his full potential as a teammate and star.



Player: Pau Gasol
Book: 2666 by Roberto Bolaño
Synopsis: A five-part, nearly 900-page novel following a disparate group of characters, with many plot threads, including serial murders and the possible end of the world, connected only by the most tenuous of threads.
Meaning: This choice is more about what it represents than the actual content of the novel. 2666 is notoriously difficult, a full-on experience that rewards patience, creative interpretation, and the reader putting as much as he can into reading. In short, Phil wants Pau to push himself, to put forth so much effort that he'll push his critical abilities to new heights. Just like on the court, he needs to stop being content and get the most out of his considerable natural talent.

Player: Ron Artest
Book: Sacred Hoops by Phil Jackson
Synopsis: A coaching legend details his philosophy of basketball as the ultimate in spiritual communication among teammates.
Meaning: This is one of the few choices Buss explained: apparently Phil likes to give new players an introduction to his approach to basketball. Sorry, but I don't buy it. The more likely explanation is that Phil knows Artest is borderline insane, tried to think of a suitable book, couldn't come up with anything, and just picked up one of the copies of Sacred Hoops he had around the house. The good news is that Ron-Ron is so sincere that he'll undoubtedly take every message in the book to heart. It's just unclear what it'll all mean to him.



Player: Shannon Brown
Book: Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
Synopsis: Our president reflects on growing up as a mixed-race child in America.
Meaning: Yeah, Brown is light-skinned, but this isn't about race. Brown was an athletic dynamo of a star at Michigan State, was drafted by Cleveland in the hope that he could be a sidekick for LeBron, and seemed like a bust before he made it to LA. In other words, he grew up with one identity, found that it didn't entirely suit him, and now must adjust to a new life as a role player. Dreams from My Father can help him realize that his past identity doesn't need to be cast away, that it can constitute his adult self just as much as the new role he must take on.

Player: Luke Walton
Book: The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey
Synopsis: Four ecologically-conscious misfits rage against the machinery of pollution.
Meaning: As the son of Bill, Luke probably likes to get high in nature. But that's a passive activity, and sometimes complacent appreciation isn't enough. You must rise up and take what's needed for Mother Earth. (Note: Phil gave this book to Luc Longley during the Bulls years, with disastrous results.)



Player: Lamar Odom
Book: The Right Mistake by Walter Mosley
Synopsis: An ex-con gets out of prison after 27 years and becomes a fount of wisdom. He shares his story and advises others.
Meaning: The most inspired choice of all. Lamar has been through a lot in his life, and he's come out on the other side better for it. Phil knows this, and wants him to become an agent of change. Lamar has the power -- it's up to him to make the next step and reach out to others.

Player: Derek Fisher
Book: Soul on Ice by Eldridge Cleaver
Synopsis: A collection of political essays by a then-incarcerated leader of the Black Panther Party.
Meaning: Fisher is basically the definition of a veteran, a dependable, serious soul on which the rest of the team can rely. But he's also safe, so maybe it's time to inject a little fire into his system.

Player: Adam Morrison
Book: Che: A Graphic Biography by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon
Synopsis: The life of the revolutionary Che Guevara in comic book form.
Meaning: Look, Phil, we all know AmMo has no future with the Lakers, but that doesn't mean you have to slap him in the face. Morrison is a noted fan of Guevara, so it's clear his coach put little thought into this choice. And if you're going with a Che-related work, why not pick something with a little more heft, like the 800-page Jon Lee Anderson bio, or even the Criterion Collection version of Soderbergh's four-hour biopic? You might as well have given him Con Air for its heartfelt portrayal of a man struggling with diabetes.

Friday Didn't Happen

You know Twitter has #FF, when no one says anything, or responds to anything, and the whole thing turns into an open-air bazaar for absolutely nothing? In honor of that, I'm doing a quick post here that's similarly pointless.

First, up top, an absolutely amazing drawing of Artis Gilmore from an old SI that, were this several years ago, we would be trying to put on a t-shirt. Now, I think the most we can do is put it up here and wave our arms some. Unless The Vault, which rules, wants to partner with us to do a series of old illo tees curated by us. Just a thought.

Last basketball: Very soon, I'm dropping a really long Gilbert Arenas piece over at The Baseline that I swear you will all love. Stay tuned.

Maybe you noticed that the store ads disappeared (for now) and ye olde Amazon widget moved up. I've decided to get back in the swing of that, partly for the added revenue stream, but in large part because I like writing blurbs about non-sports stuff. Up there now: Cooperstown Confidential, a Bloomsbury book that's less about scandal-mongering and more turning it's grotesquely, indiscriminantly mythic—and totally supra-American—past into something more believable. I think it saves history, while creating a bridge between those days and the imperfect present. I hope we manage that in the new book. Steven Johnson's The Ghost Map had me talking about cholera and shit to anyone who would listen in the week before my wedding, but is really worth it for the finale, where he smushes together the last sentence of every magazine feature he's ever written about civilization, evolution, terrorism, health, and the value of cities.

The Damned Don't Cry is one of those rare movies where Joan Crawford is both scary and hot, as well as a genre pic with layers, or maybe two genres at once. This coming from someone who watches at least one forgettable noir joint a week. I still don't get why there's a song on Africa Brass with the same name, and would prefer to not look it up. The Big O is well past my cut-off year for basketball memoirs, but Robertson's an intensely private man who decided to open up here, and as with his game and personality, you can feel the anger simmering just beneath the stately (okay, sometimes staid) prose. They Cleared the Lane is not only the single best book about race in the early NBA, but also, in its eye for detail, gives you some invaluable info and understanding of that era in general. Breaks my heart that this isn't more widely-read.

Finally, Heaven and Earth's I Can't Seem to Forget About You. Buying this import new is expensive, but there are cheaper used copies up there. The kind of sweet soul so haunting, and uneasy, it borders on scary. Oddly, "Let Me Back In" might be the song I most associate with my wedding weekend.

UPDATE: New column on Arenas now up and running.

Word, Sound

In this episode, Ken and Dan are joined by Ken’s college friend Andy Manoff, who spent a year in Ethopia and ended up teaching girls to play basketball. Not a euphemism. Also, Andy has a story about reading a book near an NBA player, which leads to a larger discussion of NBA books/movies (including this fine book by Alexander Wolff).





Also, Dan finds out he has a surprising number of songs with “Africa” in the title:

“Ball of Fire” - Israel Vibration
“African Children” - Aswad
“Africa Center of the World” - Fela Kuti
“African Walk (Zamunda)” - Madlib
“African Woman” - Burning Spear
“Thank You For Talkin’ To Me Africa” - Sly and the Family Stone

For other means of obtaining this program, try iTunes and the XML feed.