Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Graeme Willingham, Wilkinson Publishing, $29.99.
It is easy to see why this book became the ‘medium for a seamless transition into retirement’ more than three years ago for travel industry public relations professional Graeme Willingham.
The delight of community sport shines as we read about a ‘life journey through a basketball club’. It’s an imaginative blend of fact and fiction.
‘From London seed grows an extraordinary Australian grass-roots basketball club.’ While not reticent about incorporating hearty, realistically demanding sorrowful instances and disputes, Not Bad Thanks is a sincere, witty and regaling narrative.
Willingham revels in the “offbeat and endearing odyssey of a dedicated, but wacky group of sporting mates”. The storytelling technique is convincing. The author is one of the many colourful characters whose true identities are protected by their creative nicknames such as Instigator, Flash, The Expatriot and Czar.
In the foreword, the father of Australian basketball, Lindsay Gaze, gives it a huge compliment by saying he’d “like to play on the team!”
“Not Bad Thanks is worthy reading for anyone who has an interest in sport, especially the thousands who play for fun, yet compete for their version of glory … I expect readers, like me, will feel I would like to play on this team.”
Gaze explains the story of Not Bad Thanks (NBT), established in April 1980, is about one of the teams in the Metropolitan Business Houses competition in Victoria. It’s more than a bunch of guys getting together for a social connection and exercise.
“Although this is a fascinating example of camaraderie, humour and perseverance, this is also a fine description of Australian culture, of mateship, history and lifestyle.”
“… The personalities are easily imagined via their nicknames and the wit associated with their behaviour.”
Willingham, having played basketball continuously for just over 50 years, writes not about one player, but about everyone in the team. The 28 chapters delve into the long history of a Melbourne grass-roots basketball club, and its progress – be it dramatic, inquiring, argumentative and inspired.
Justly said: “this is not a travel book, but travel and hospitality are vital elements of this extraordinary Australian sports culture story”.
