Pro basketball player Rasheed Wallace often exclaimed the pragmatic truth Ball don t lie during a game. It is a protest against a referee s bad calls. But the slogan, which originated in pickup games, brings the reality of a racialized urban playground into mainstream American popular culture.

In Ball Don t Lie , Yago Colas traces the various forms of power at work in the intersections between basketball and language from the game s invention to the present day. He critiques existing popular myths concerning the history of basketball, contextualizes them, and presents an...

Pro basketball player Rasheed Wallace often exclaimed the pragmatic truth "Ball "don t lie during a game. It is a protest against a referee s bad calls. But the slogan, which originated in pickup games, brings the reality of a racialized urban playground into mainstream American popular culture.In "Ball Don t Lie , "Yago Colas traces the various forms of power at work in the intersections between basketball and language from the game s invention to the present day. He critiques existing popular myths concerning the history of basketball, contextualizes them, and presents an alternative...