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Black Planet: Facing Race During an NBA Season is a book written by David Shields and published by Crown Publishers in 1999. The book delves into the topics of race and basketball in the United States during the 1994-1995 National Basketball Association (NBA) season.

Summary
Black Planet follows the Seattle SuperSonics, a professional basketball team, throughout the 1994-1995 NBA season. The book reflects on the racial dynamics of the league and how it intersects with American society. Shields explores the tension between black and white players, the representation of black athletes in the media, and the commercialization of the sport. He also incorporates his own experiences with race and basketball, providing a personal touch to the narrative.

Throughout the book, Shields notes the different ways that race plays a role in basketball. For example, he discusses the ways in which basketball is marketed to different communities, and how that affects the players and their performance. He also notes how the sport serves as a platform for discussions about race, and how different groups within society view the players differently.

In addition to examining the racial dynamics of the NBA, Black Planet also delves into broader societal issues surrounding race. Shields provides historical context for the struggles and achievements of African Americans in the United States, and how these struggles continue to impact present-day experiences of black athletes in the NBA. He also analyzes the ways in which white audiences consume and interpret black culture, including basketball.

Overall, Black Planet is a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of race in the NBA and its impact on American society. It offers a nuanced and complex understanding of the intersections of race, sports, and culture, and is an important contribution to ongoing conversations about race and representation.

Reception
Black Planet has been highly praised for its nuanced analysis of race and sports. The book received the 1999 PEN/USA Literary Award for Nonfiction and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. It has also been featured on reading lists for courses on race and sports at universities such as Harvard and the University of Michigan.

Critics have lauded the book for its frankness and depth. Michiko Kakutani of The New York Times wrote that the book was "deeply intelligent" and praised Shields' "refreshingly frank voice." Alton Bussey of The Christian Science Monitor called it "a bold book that tackles one of the most difficult issues facing America." J. Hoberman of The Village Voice hailed Black Planet as "one of the most engrossing books on race and sports I've ever read". In a review of "Black Planet: Facing Race in the NBA" by David Shields in Salon, Sallie Tisdale commented on the layers of identity, representation, and literary value in the book, writing, "There is doubling here, tripling and more—layers of identity not only defined by race, gender, class and physical skill but between the lines of the book. These are the layers between all the lines writers write and readers read. They are the layers, disguises and ghosts that form the territory of literature itself."

Awards
1999 PEN/USA Literary Award for Nonfiction

Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award

Author
David Shields is an American author and professor of English at the University of Washington. He has written numerous books, including Remote: Reflections on Life in the Shadow of Celebrity and Reality Hunger: A Manifesto. Shields has received a Guggenheim Fellowship and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In popular culture
Black Planet has been referenced in several works of popular culture. The book is mentioned in the 2018 Netflix series All About the Washingtons, in which it is described as a "must-read" for basketball fans.

References & External links

 * Shields, David. "David Shields." Retrieved 17 March 2023.
 * "David Shields." John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
 * "National Book Critics Circle Awards." National Book Critics Circle. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
 * "David Shields." University of Washington Department of English. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
 * "Shields, David (1956–)." Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
 * Black Planet: Facing Race During an NBA Season by David Shields. Bison Books, 2000.
 * "All About the Washingtons." Netflix. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
 * Shields, David. Black Planet: Facing Race During an NBA Season. Amazon. Retrieved 17 March 2023.

https://www.davidshields.com/

https://www.gf.org/fellows/david-shields/

National Book Critics Circle Award

https://english.washington.edu/people/david-shields

https://www.csmonitor.com/

https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/shields-david-1956

https://www.netflix.com/title/80211884

[https://www.amazon.com/Black-Planet-Facing-During-Season/dp/0803293542#:~:text=Insightful%2C%20observant%20and%20brave%2C%20David,confronted%20upon%2D%20in%20the%20NBA. https://www.amazon.com/Black-Planet-Facing-During-Season/dp/0803293542#:~:text=Insightful%2C%20observant%20and%20brave%2C%20David,confronted%20upon%2D%20in%20the%20NBA.]