As a Canadian basketball fan I was excited to receive this book from Simon&Schuster Canada for an honest review. I was very interested to learn about the state of Canadian basketball throughout the author’s playing days and later through his coaching jobs. It was wonderful to hear a bit about Terry Fox, a Canadian hero, and Jay’s connection to him. I also enjoyed learning more about Jack Donohue who had such an impact on Canadian basketball. There has been such an evolution in Canadian basketball over the years. It was great to read Jay’s perspective on the game and to see where we are now in Canada in terms of now having our own superstars in the NBA. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Open Look is a must-read for all sports fans. Jay Triano’s latest book is an inspiring and interesting look at his life as a basketball player and coach.

The book follows Triano’s career from the beginning. He started focusing on basketball while he attended A.N. Meyer Secondary School in Niagara Falls (the city, and people and places within it, was referenced several times throughout the book). He attended Simon Fraser University where he befriended Terry Fox and played varsity basketball. It was during his time at SFU that he played for the Canadian men's national team, eventually attending the Olympic Games twice in his career. When his playing days were behind him, Triano coached for SFU, the Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns and, coming full circle, Team Canada.

A book like this – full of games, stats, and names from many years ago – has the potential to be dry and boring but Triano brings something special to his book, namely how much he loves the game of basketball. That love and commitment to a game that, at times, could lift you up or break your heart makes for a read that is both motivating and entertaining.