Hall of Fame member Mike Hickey has announced the release of his new basketball book titled “When Basketball Was a Game”.
Recently retired from the coaching ranks, Hickey has published his second book, which documents the remarkable 60-year teaching and coaching career of Don Ryan, the longtime leader of the Hempstead Salvation Army/Dons Biddy Basketball program in New York. Under Ryan’s guidance, the program recorded more than 3,000 victories and captured three U.S. World Biddy Championships.
While the on-court success is notable, the book’s primary focus is on the values that defined Ryan’s program. Sportsmanship, loyalty, commitment, discipline, and hard work are presented as the true legacy of a coach who consistently placed character and education ahead of wins and trophies.
When Basketball Was a Game also explores the personal journeys of the young athletes who passed through the program, many of whom used basketball as a pathway out of poverty and difficult childhood circumstances. For these players, the gym was more than a court; it was a refuge. The book’s foreword is written by Julius Erving, one of Ryan’s former players, who reflects on both the successes and failures that shaped lives far beyond the game.
The book has received strong early feedback, earning five-star reviews on Amazon, and Hickey is hopeful that sharing the story with the Manitoba basketball community will help extend its reach.
Mike Hickey is a long-time contributor to the game and a proud member of the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the coaching staff of the 1996 and 1997 Manitoba Bison women’s basketball teams. He continues to stay connected to Winnipeg and Manitoba basketball through the Hall of Fame and its ongoing work to preserve and celebrate the sport’s history.
