Heaven Is a Playground
Encyclopedia
Heaven Is a Playground is a 1976 book by Rick Telander
. It describes Telander's observations of the streetball
culture in Brooklyn
during the summer of 1974. Among the players featured in the book are Fly Williams
and Albert King
. The book was ranked #15 in a 2002 Sports Illustrated
list of the Top 100 Sports Books of All Time.
The 1991 film Heaven Is a Playground is loosely based on the book.
Rick Telander
Rick Telander is the senior sports columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Hired in 1995 from Sports Illustrated where he was a Senior Writer, Telander's presence at the newspaper was expected to counter the stable of sports columnists the rival Chicago Tribune had.Telander is a native of Peoria,...
. It describes Telander's observations of the streetball
Streetball
Streetball or street basketball is a variation of the sport of basketball, typically played on outdoor courts and featuring significantly less by way of formal structure and enforcement of the game's rules...
culture in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
during the summer of 1974. Among the players featured in the book are Fly Williams
Fly Williams
James "Fly" Williams is a retired American professional basketball player. He once scored 100 points in an IS8 League a game in 1978.-Early life:...
and Albert King
Albert King (basketball)
Albert King is a retired American professional basketball player. King played at Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn and is regarded as one of the nation's greatest high school players of all time. He was rated the top prep player in the nation over Magic Johnson and Gene Banks during his senior...
. The book was ranked #15 in a 2002 Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
list of the Top 100 Sports Books of All Time.
The 1991 film Heaven Is a Playground is loosely based on the book.