Charley Rosen, author of New York Times Notable Books of the Year Barney Polan's Game and The House of Moses All-Stars, gives us an engaging look into the rise and fall of a brilliant but corrupt basketball legend. Jack Molinas had everything: good looks, charm, brains, and a talent for basketball that made him an NBA All-Star. He was also a swindler and gambler deeply involved with the Mafia, and he had been fixing games since high school. After he was arrested in 1954 and banned from the NBA, Molinas created a gambling empire that had dozens of college teams rigging games for him. Drawn from numerous firsthand accounts, The Wizard of Odds examines Jack Molinas's life, from a sparkling beginning to his gruesome murder in 1975.
Customer Review: Fact or fiction?
Charley Rosen provides readers with an entertaining book about one of basketball's most talented players, Jack Molinas. Unfortunately, it seems that some of Rosen's information might not be accurate - especially the statements about one of Jack's long-time friends, Shirley Marcus, which are based on innuendoes; and some of Rosen's statements about one of the greatest sportswriters of all times, Milton Gross.
What is particularly disappointing about this otherwise interesting book is how Rosen protects the basketball establishment by putting all the blame on Jack Molinas. The fact is, a real exploration of gambling in sports could lead to a public outcry - followed by reduced advertiser support and cancelled television contracts.
Molinas was no angel, to be sure - and Rosen does a pretty good job of characterizing this complex and talented athlete. But as the title of the book implies, it is the betting odds - the point spreads that appear in most major newspapers - that is more key to the problem than the actions of a single "Wizard" like Jack Molinas, or a lone referee (as David Stern would like us to believe).
Sadly, the current Commissioner, team owners, as well as sportswriters and commentators, would rather sidestep the problem posed by gambling than risk the millions of dollars that are at stake from advertising, television contracts, and sports fans. (Jerry Marcus is the author of the just-published novel, Broken Trust - The Murder Of Basketball Star Jack Molinas)
Customer Review: Excellent story about a guy who just refused to live an honest life, despite his amazing gifts
Born to a great family and blessed with amazing athletic prowess, Jack Molinas just couldn't go straight. Brilliant by all standards of measurement, he seemed to have absolutely no way to determine right from wrong, and would always lie, cheat, or steal if he could get away with it. He developed a love of gambling early in his life, and would do anything to win in his lifetime obession with sports betting. If he couldn't bribe or convince a player to throw a game, he would spike their food to make them too sick to play. He would stop at nothing to get his way. Even an unpleasant prison term didn't stop him, and he died in a hail of bullets at his Hollywood Hills home at the hands of other criminals and sociopaths.
An awesome book full of detail for the sports fan and lover of true crime stories.