The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) has long symbolized the idealism of amateur athletic competition. For basketball especially, the AAU provided an opportunity for athletes to showcase their skills for the benefit of the team and the sport, not the bottom line. In The Golden Age of Amateur Basketball, Adolph H. Grundman recounts the history of the AAU National Tournament during its golden age, 1921 through 1968.

 

Grundman analyzes the early tournaments, examining rule changes, key players, and dominant teams. He explores the rivalries between corporations for amateur dominance after 1935, the competition between the AAU and the National Collegiate Athletic Association for representation in Olympic basketball, the question of just how amateur “amateur” basketball really was, and the reasons for the demise of postcollegiate amateur basketball. The Golden Age of Amateur Basketball provides the first history of AAU basketball and identifies players and teams that made major contributions to basketball history.

Adolph H. Grundman is a professor of history at Metropolitan State College of Denver. He is the editor of The Embattled Constitution: Convenient Symbol or Necessary Framework.

"This book is a great read for historians and fans of old-time basketball, and its index is a who's who of early cagers, players, and coaches who went on to great careers in college and professional sports."—Choice

“Grundman’s book is much more than a history of amateur basketball; it reflects the soul growth of the game by those who truly loved basketball and did not trade that love for money.”—Terry Rand, AAU All-American, Marquette University Basketball Hall of Fame

“Dolph Grundman captures the excitement and nostalgia of the ‘greatest basketball tournament’ of its era. I participated in nine tournaments as both a player and coach, but boy, did I learn a lot about the history of this tournament.”—Gary Thompson, Iowa State and Phillips 66er AAU All-American and television analyst for college basketball