Training camp begins next week, with the first preseason game the following week.

In the meantime, there’s a good book out now that should give a true hoops fan an insight into the basketball life on the fringes. It’s called, “Can I Keep My Jersey,” and the author is Paul Shirley, a journeyman player in the truest sense of the word. The book, written in journal form, covers Shirley’s attempts to make basketball his career.

And did I mention that it’s funny, laugh-out-loud funny at times. Shirley, an Iowa State grad with a degree in engineering, takes an irreverent look at the game, the players and the places he travels.

Oh, and a few players who had a cup of coffee with the Sixers manage to get some ink, not all of it flattering.

So if you like basketball, or edgy, sometimes biting commentary, or both, this is a book you should seek out.