Heaven Is a Playground—The Book, the Movie, and the Memories episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 17, 2025 · 1H 29M

Heaven Is a Playground—The Book, the Movie, and the Memories

from The Chicago Smokehouse

John Howell and Rick Telander along with John Dempsey take a deep dive into Telander's iconic book Heaven Is a Playground—from its origins in a 1973 Sports Illustrated article to its 1991 film adaptation. They explore the lives of Brooklyn streetball legends, the challenges of writing with heart and honesty, and the poetic power of basketball. Plus, a few sharp jabs, a couple of cigars, and a cameo from President Obama’s bookshelf. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 17, 2025

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Heaven Is a Playground—The Book, the Movie, and the Memories

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