Boys in Black: Basketball's Greatest David and Goliath Story

Most Tennesseans will have a problem finding the town of Linden on a map, yet it can be called the state's basketball capital. This basketball tradition began in the 1950's when Little Linden, the ultimate giant killer, won three consecutive state championships. According to the NFSHSA, this feat is unparalleled in high school sports history. Author Gene Pearce writes about more than basketball. The book is about down-home values and discipline by a coach who had the trust of parents. A dollar was hard to come by in the Fifties, but it would buy all the gas a family would need for a week, if it had a car. Today's youth will learn that Friday night was the most important night of the week. The gym was the place to be and be seen by young and old. The modern high schooler will learn how it was to live without cars, computers, cell phones, Tivos, and iPods. "Linden is probably the most dramatic high school basketball story in our country's history," said Fred Thompson, former U.S. Senator from Tennessee.