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Pete Croatto

@petecroatto

Sports and media writer, mostly. Not an ABA historian. Articles in NYT, Andscape, GQ, Poynter, Philly Mag, etc. Author of FROM HANG TIME TO PRIME TIME. He/him. Tips or inquiries: pscroatto@gmail.com.

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Latest posts by Pete Croatto @petecroatto

Has this call out ever worked on here? Of course not! But, remember: I'm a large idiot.

06.03.2026 15:34 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

This month is packed. But I have openings in April and May. Let's get to work!

06.03.2026 15:32 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Once again, I remind you all that I'm available for assignments big and small.

06.03.2026 13:27 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
Preview
50 Years of Fresh Air: An Oral History Fifty years later, Terry Gross, her colleagues, and her competitors look back on how one show became a cultural touchstone.

If you want to know why summer 2025 was a load, the Unrivaled piece came right after I had filed this colossus.

Would I do it again? Hell, yes.

06.03.2026 13:25 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Unrivaled Forgive Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart for not gushing over the success of Unrivaled, the three on three women’s basketball league they cofounded.

Another Unrivaled season is in the books. If you want to learn about how Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart created a popular, innovative league from the ground up, I wrote about it last year for UConn Magazine. magazine.uconn.edu/2025/10/07/u...

06.03.2026 13:23 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

why did i instantly think of

06.03.2026 03:46 πŸ‘ 78 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 5 πŸ“Œ 1

You could also watch OUT OF SIGHT, which might be a perfect movie.

06.03.2026 01:23 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Watch 'Andy. Really... who gives a shit?' | Out of Sight Clip Watch the clip 'Andy. Really... who gives a shit?' from the movie Out of Sight on Clip.Cafe. [interrupting a man who is rambling about his life, trying to pick her up in a bar] Karen Sisco: Andy. Rea...

Me, every time I see this "story" on my feed.

06.03.2026 01:20 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Good reminder that we all need to log off and read a book.

06.03.2026 00:36 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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On @pablo.show I talked about the limits of generative AI, and why the brainstorming processβ€”which LLMs mostly eliminate, imoβ€”is fundamental to doing *good* work.

05.03.2026 15:59 πŸ‘ 1032 πŸ” 162 πŸ’¬ 43 πŸ“Œ 32

And this is reflected at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. When I visited in September 2022, there was barely any mention of the ABA or the ABL or any of the predecessors to the NBA's (and WNBA's) flight.

05.03.2026 12:47 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I never thought I’d say this, but stick to sports.

05.03.2026 04:08 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

How to win in November

04.03.2026 19:53 πŸ‘ 10908 πŸ” 3028 πŸ’¬ 37 πŸ“Œ 39

I’d have bumped you up half a grade.

05.03.2026 00:38 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

It’s egregious. And the delayed payment to retired ABAers.

05.03.2026 00:36 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

It could very well have been my introduction to Doctor J, too.

04.03.2026 19:42 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

That's a really good point.

04.03.2026 19:00 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

This is something @vincegoodwill.bsky.social has long said about the current player -- there's no understand/desire/need/want to look out for the league as a whole, where it's going, what it's doing. And that trickles down to what we see on the court at times.

04.03.2026 18:49 πŸ‘ 19 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

And, I nearly forgot, thank you.

04.03.2026 18:45 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Moses and the Doctor The rousing story of two trailblazing superstarsβ€”Julius β€œDr. J” Erving and Moses Maloneβ€”whose improbable alliance and unsung legacies shaped the wild...

Thank you, Michele! I'm sure you'll enjoy @lukeepplin.bsky.social's book as well. www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/luke-...

04.03.2026 16:29 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Yeah, do this. Odyssey Books in Ithaca is my go-to bookstore.

04.03.2026 16:25 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

That's lovely to hear. He might be the last easily accessible superstar athlete. And him being from L.I. and playing for the Nets was just an amazing alignment.

04.03.2026 16:24 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Also, if your library doesn't have my bookβ€”or any book that you want to readβ€”ask a librarian to procure a copy. They do that on the regular!

04.03.2026 16:20 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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a man and a woman are sitting in a car and the woman is making a funny face while the man is covering his mouth Alt: a man and a woman are sitting in a car and the woman is making a funny face while the man is covering his mouth

I'm including the Amazon link because it's cheap there. If you can afford to get the book at an indie bookstore, please do! Or you can rate the book on Amazon and check it out of the library.

It'll be our secret!

04.03.2026 16:13 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
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From Hang Time to Prime Time: Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA Amazon.com: From Hang Time to Prime Time: Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA: 9781982103958: Croatto, Pete: Books

In the late 1970s and the early 1980s, man oh man, did the NBA need someone like that. If you want to understand why, start here! www.amazon.com/Hang-Time-Pr...

04.03.2026 16:06 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

One reason why NBA officials loved Erving was he would do *anything* to help the league. He was the ultimate ambassador, and I don't think he gets nearly enough credit for that.

04.03.2026 15:24 πŸ‘ 28 πŸ” 13 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 1

I’ll make a pizza for $30–and cut it into pieces for you. And it’ll be eight slices!

04.03.2026 15:11 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

And I can't believe I'm saying this, but don't take anything from a kidβ€”even if they offer it!

04.03.2026 13:52 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

If an adult and a child are within two time zones of a foul ball, the kid gets the foul ball. Always. The end.

04.03.2026 13:47 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Sorry, ladies, I'm married.

04.03.2026 13:33 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0