The Capital of Basketball: A History of DC Area High School Hoops

The Capital of Basketball is a fascinating book for any fan of not only Washington-area high school hoops but the sport of basketball anywhere at any level of play. Washington, D.C., along with its suburbs, has indeed been the capital of basketball over many generations and this book recounts the inspiring stories of the players, the coaches, the schools and the rivalries from the turn of the 20th century to the turn of the 21st. Readers will learn about the early years of such future NBA Hall of Famers as Adrian Dantley of DeMatha High School and Dave Bing and Elgin Baylor, both of Springarn High. In telling the story of local basketball, author John McNamara (along with this wife Andrea Chamblee and sports writer David Elfin, both of whom finished the book after McNamara’s tragic death in 2017) also recounts a great deal of area social history as the sport changed along with racial attitudes and practices. In the early 1900’s, for example, E.B. Henderson graduated from Howard University’s Teachers College, went to Harvard, where he learned the nascent sport of basketball, and returned to Washington to teach the sport to local African-American youths. He went on to found a civil rights organization that would become the NAACP. All in all, The Capital of Basketball is a great read for basketball fans everywhere.

Great book, wonderful author, the process of this book is heart wrenching and inspiring at the same time

Loved this book...John did a awesome job and Kudos to his wife for seeing it through to completion!

Congrats to John on an insightful encyclopedic history of DMV high school hoops. As one who dedicated his life to covering DC area sports, John captures decades of stories of an unparalleled hotbed of basketball talent, unique to the dynamics of a changing metro during the Civil Rights Era. RIP John - God Bless and Godspeed!

This gift is perfect for any DC Basketball & history lover. I honestly purchased this on a whim and my father absolutely loved it. So my suggestion is if you are on the fence, go for it and buy it!

A great book about dc high school basketball

This is a great read especially for sports enthusiasts from the Washington, D.C. area. I bought this as a gift to my sons and my ex-husband , who played basketball for Eastern High School.. I definitely recommend this book.

This book really covers well the social, racial, economic and political aspects of basketball in DC over many decades, which in turn mirrors those same aspects in our nation during the same time period