Who was better: Chamberlain or Russell, or Magic or Bird? Cohen, a fan and sports historian, rates the best centers, power forwards, small forwards, shooting guards, and point guards across five eras of professional basketball (“Set Shot,” 1946–60; “Superstar,” 1961–75; “Bird/Magic,” 1976–90; “Slam Dunk,” 1991–2005; and “Free Agent,” 2006–12). The five best—plus honorable mentions—are ranked with justifications. For example, Cohen uses statistics, championships, honors, and reputation to show why he selected Hakeem Olajuwon ahead of Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and Alonzo Mourning. Recommended for all libraries with a sports collection, suitable for circulation.

Booklist

Say it isn’t so—the Big O on the second team and the incomparable Dr J on the fifth team? That may be hard to swallow but that is where we’ll find Oscar Robertson and Julius Erving in Cohen’s all time all-star basketball volume. Spanning six pro eras from the set shot age to the advent of free agents, Cohen selects an all-star team from each period—first and second teams. Cohen, author of numerous sports books, uses statistics (offensive and defensive), sustained excellence, and input from writers, coaches, and players to compare players at each of five positions from each era. A daunting task indeed but Cohen pulls it off and the result is a highly entertaining reference volume. He includes a preface and introduction to explain his objective and criteria. . . .[H]is all star teams are the book’s features.

American Reference Books Annual