THE PUNCH
THE PUNCH by John Feinstein review
I’ve never been in or at a fight before but John Feinstein made me feel like I was actually their at THE PUNCH in Houston, Texas December 3, 1977 when Kermit Washington brutally punched Rudy Tomjonovich. This story is told from many different sides; because this is a biography it isn’t narrated but is told by many different people. This story is vibrantly remembered by many people and some remember it more than others.
The reason I loved this book was not just because it’s about basketball or my favorite author wrote it; it’s the story. The way this story is explained just pulls you into it and will make it so that you will never want to put the book down. The way John Feinstein wrote this book and designed the story THE PUNCH is mind boggling. THE PUNCH is a true story that took place on December 3, 1977 when the Houston Rockets played the Los Angeles Lakers.


When Kevin Kunnert and Kermit Washington started a skirmish Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tried to pull Kunnert away which resulted in making Kunnert an easy target for Kermit and made it so Kunnert couldn’t fight back. While Kermit was punching Kunnert he saw Rudy Tomjonovich running up from behind trying to help his teammate (Kunnert), Kermit was alarmed, turned around and nailed him right in the middle of his face. That PUNCH almost killed Rudy Tomjonovich. Rudy Tomjonovich had to go through a series of surgeries until he could physically and mentally go back to the NBA.
This story explains what Kermit Washington and Rudy Tomjonovich’ lives were like before and after THE PUNCH. If I was you and I hadn’t read this book yet I would definitely give this book a chance. The way John Feinstein wrote this book makes you feel like you have lived through the whole event.
A couple of quotes in this book that I enjoyed or thought were interesting are these, “Seeing what I saw, knowing how strong Kermit was I knew it wasn’t good”, “Life isn’t about going along with what people tell you or call you. Life’s about showing people up and showing people that they don’t know what they’re talking about”.


If you’re a person who likes basketball I recommend reading this book. Not only will you enjoy the story but you will enjoy the author’s style of writing. The Boston Globe calls John Feinstein “The best writer of sports books in America today.” The Los Angeles times calls this book “ENGROSSING.” New York daily news calls this book “A wonderful piece of reporting that is required reading for anyone who loves sports or sports history.”
As you can see I’m not the only person to give this book a compliment so hopefully after you read this review you can pick up a copy yourself and you can give your opinion.