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BOOKS

Life in the G: Minor League Basketball and the Relentless Pursuit of the NBA by Alex Squadron

The NBA All-Star game is this Sunday night. Growing up it was easily my favorite all-star game. You’d get Jordan guarding Magic or Larry Bird shooting over Hakeem or Barkley battling David Robinson… It was awesome.

This week’s book rec and author interview is about the other end of the hoops spectrum: the dudes just trying to make it to the Association in the NBA’s version of Triple A baseball, the G League.

Life in the G is about hoops, but it’s also about struggle. And long shots. And even longer shots. And dreams. And what guys are willing to do to cling to those dreams for as long as they can through endless road trips and injuries and trades and signings and uncertainties.

At its heart, this book is an inside look at how underdogs battle their way from the lowest rungs of professional ball to not only make it to the NBA, but to become all-stars and win titles. The research is deep, the details and stories are great, and I thought what better way to celebrate all-star weekend with all of you than to get an interview with the author, Alex Squadron, for us.

Please enjoy this exclusive Books & Biceps behind-the-book Q&A with Alex:

FINKEL: You open the book giving a history of the D-League (now G League) through the eyes of Renaldo Major, a player who defied odds at every level to finally suit up for the NBA (albeit briefly). Most readers have never heard of him, but it’s a great narrative device. How did you find him and what drew you to his story?

SQUADRON: Since he's the all-time leading scorer, Renaldo's name came up early in my research about the G League. The more I dove into his story, the more I knew it had to be included in the book somehow. I love it because it really captures what the G League is all about: that arduous, never-ending, relentless pursuit of the NBA dream (as he told me, “I wanted nothing but the NBA."). I was also drawn to it because, like you said, most readers have never heard of Renaldo Major. It was a great opportunity to shed light on a lesser-known player with an extraordinary career.

Luckily, Renaldo was still involved with the G League, chasing the NBA from the sidelines as an assistant coach for the Sioux Falls Skyforce (the affiliate of the Miami Heat). I connected with him at the G League Winter Showcase in December and we kept in touch for the rest of the season. Huge shout out to him for giving me so much time and trusting me to tell his story. Such a great guy.

2. Can we talk about how awesome the original D-League team names were? Some still remain, but the Columbus Riverdragons, the Charleston Lowgators, the Roanoke Dazzle. So goofy and great. Did you have a favorite and who was in charge of this at the NBA? Do any of the fan bases still exist?

So awesome. The goofier, the better with minor league team names. I'm sure the whole public relations staff at the NBA worked together on it. I stumbled on this quote from Brian Flinn, the NBDL's former PR manager, during my research: "It's part of the league's branding strategy to separate us from other sports leagues. When they see the identities, it's crystal clear." If the goal was to be distinct... mission accomplished. I think my favorite is the Greenville Groove, in part because their team colors (lime green, blue, black) were so wild. Look up pictures of their jerseys (I need one badly). None of the original eight D-League teams remain (all of which were based out of the Southeast), but I've come across a few fans from cities like Charleston and Huntsville who remember those early years fondly. 

3. At one point in the middle of the book you reveal an interesting stat by Perry Huang, namely that very few of the top scorers in the G League make it to the NBA. This would seem counterintuitive, with every team looking for a “walking bucket” as dudes say now. Instead, teams wanted consummate pros, with no egos. Team first guys, not me-first guys. Did that surprise you in your research? And who is the best example of this that you found?

That definitely surprised me. I think fans tend to view the G League as one big showcase (like AAU), where the guys who put up the best stats, score the most points and dominate the ball are the ones who get called up. In reality, it's the guys who buy into very specific roles, do the little things, compete extremely hard (especially on defense), bring positive energy to the locker room and limit their mistakes. As former G Leaguer/two-way player Duncan Robinson told me, “One thing I realized is that so many guys get in their own way and can’t get out of the way of whatever it is, whether it be their egos or a lack of willingness to accept a role. I think the examples of guys who have played in the G League and gone on to have success in the NBA, more often than not, it’s people who are level-headed around, This is where I fit in and this is how I’m going to have an impact at the NBA level." The shining example that everyone seems to point to (including Robinson and the Squadron staff) is Alex Caruso.

4. Your interview with Clint Capela about his time in the G League on assignment was interesting. Like an MLB star roughing it in the minors. What was the mindset of G League guys when players who spent significant time in the NBA joined their roster for a bit? Were the NBA guys expected to act as mentors?

For everyday G Leaguers, there's obviously some frustration when NBA guys come down, take a bunch of minutes and potentially disrupt the chemistry that a team is building. Imagine fighting to earn a bigger role for your team only to see it vanish when a hotshot rookie gets assigned for a week or two. That being said, it's also an opportunity for those G Leaguers to show that they can thrive alongside players that their NBA parent club clearly values. And because of the one-to-one affiliation model and the synergy between NBA teams and their affiliates now, assignment players integrate more smoothly into G League systems than they used to in the early D-League days.

It's not necessarily an expectation that assignment guys act as mentors (Important to note: some of them may have significantly less NBA experience than their teammates in the G. For example, Lance Stephenson currently plays for the Iowa Wolves.), but many of them do share insights about the NBA. Clint Capela told me that he used to treat guys to dinner and answer questions about playing for the Rockets/with James Harden. Coming from Switzerland, Capela also added this about life in the D-League: "It kind of helped me discover about the not fancy side of the U.S. We used to eat at Denny's, Applebee's, Chili's. I would have never known those places if I would've never gotten assigned to the D-League."

5. Since we’re heading into All-Star weekend, I have to ask you for your all-time G League to NBA all-star team? Who’s your starting five?

Love it. Not going to count guys who were only assigned/transferred to the G from the NBA (such as Rudy Gobert, Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, Khris Middleton, Derrick White and Duncan Robinson) or who came from the newly-established G League Ignite (Scoot Henderson, Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Dyson Daniels). Also factoring in success in the G League prior to reaching the NBA. 

I definitely have to throw Andre Ingram in there, even though his NBA career only lasted a few games (If you don't know his story, please watch this video. He also wrote the foreword of my book.). So I'll say Ingram, Alex Caruso, Seth Curry, Christian Wood and Hassan Whiteside. Sixth man: Gary Payton II. 

Thanks for your time, Alex! You can buy the book here.

BICEPS

Everyone reading this knows that Sylvester Stallone’s Over the Top is a first ballot Books & Biceps Hall of Fame movie. But what if I told you that I recently came across a video of what is essentially the Over the Top finale but in real life? Yeah, it’s that good.

We’ve got an arm wrestler with his hat backwards (Devon Larratt) versus an absolute monster. In fact, his WWE nickname IS the “Monster of All Monsters”. Of course, for our fellow Smackdown fans, I’m talking about Braun Strowman.

Now, Larratt is not a small guy. He stands 6’5” and weighs 225. In most company, he’s a beast. His right arm looks like a jackhammer…

But Strowman is a true blue GIANT. He’s an ex-power lifter who goes about 6’8” and weighs well over 300 pounds.

The beauty of this match is how the smaller (relatively) arm wrestler psyches out Braun. Jump to the 1:50 mark and watch how he owns the match with his eyes and attitude and grit. Even taunts Braun:

The Flex Factory Exercise of the Week: The Searing Shoulder Superset

Try this shoulder ladder superset on your next push day:

Standing Shoulder Barbell Press x Upright Barbell Rows

Start with just the bar and do 15 reps of the press followed immediately by 10 reps of the rows

Rest 30-60 seconds, then add 10 pounds (5 on each side) and do it again.

Add another 10 and do it again….

Keep adding 5s to each side until you can’t get the 15 presses & 10 upright rows.

Then remove 10 pounds and work your way back down, dropping 10 pounds each set.

Takes about 20 minutes and you won’t be able to touch the top of your head after haha. Enjoy!

QUICK FLEXES

This week Chris Farley would have turned 60. In his honor, you’ll want to read my behind-the-scenes column on how his masterpiece, Tommy Boy, came to be:

CAUGHT A NICE ‘W’ THIS WEEK:

Last Saturday morning I set a 5K PR with a 24:53 - my 1st time under 25 minutes…

My goal this year was to enter one race each month and I’m 2 for 2…

Also, I won the whole damn thing for my age group💪

DON’T JUST READ BOOKS & BICEPS, WEAR IT:

Get this phenomenal Books & Biceps Faded Gray Tee (our #1 seller) for 20% off this week using the promo code: BICEPS

Fact: wearing shirts sucks - but if you have to wear one, you should wear one with the word ‘biceps’ on it.

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How to Honor Our Meathead Agreement

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STRONG LINKS:

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Thank you all for reading.

Have a great weekend! - Jon

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PPS: Hey Gus and Mallory! Thanks for reading the whole thing! No skimming!