iBookstore Top 50 Basketball Ebooks

The top 50 best selling basketball ebooks at the Apple iBookstore. The chart of the most popular basketball iBook best sellers is updated daily.

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Sports Ebook Best Sellers

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1

The Mamba Mentality - Kobe Bryant Cover Art

The Mamba Mentality

The Mamba Mentality How I Play by Kobe Bryant

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play is Kobe Bryant’s personal perspective of his life and career on the basketball court and his exceptional, insightful style of playing the game—a fitting legacy from the late Los Angeles Laker superstar. In the wake of his retirement from professional basketball, Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant decided to share his vast knowledge and understanding of the game to take readers on an unprecedented journey to the core of the legendary “Mamba mentality.” Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it “the right way,” The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most intelligent, analytical, and creative basketball players ever. In his own words, Bryant reveals his famously detailed approach and the steps he took to prepare mentally and physically to not just succeed at the game, but to excel. Readers will learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries. They’ll also get fascinating granular detail as he breaks down specific plays and match-ups from throughout his career. Bryant’s detailed accounts are paired with stunning photographs by the Hall of Fame photographer Andrew D. Bernstein. Bernstein, long the Lakers and NBA official photographer, captured Bryant’s very first NBA photo in 1996 and his last in 2016—and hundreds of thousands in between, the record of a unique, twenty-year relationship between one athlete and one photographer. The combination of Bryant’s narrative and Bernstein’s photos make The Mamba Mentality an unprecedented look behind the curtain at the career of one of the world’s most celebrated and fascinating athletes.

2

The Miracle of St. Anthony - Adrian Wojnarowski Cover Art

The Miracle of St. Anthony

The Miracle of St. Anthony A Season with Coach Bob Hurley and Basketball's Most Improbable Dynasty by Adrian Wojnarowski

In a city mired in endless decay, where the youth suffer through all the horrors of urban blight, hope comes in a most unassuming form: a tiny brick schoolhouse run by two Felician nuns where a singular basketball genius takes teenagers from the mean streets of Jersey City and turns them into champions on the hardcourt. Coach Bob Hurley had been working miracles at St. Anthony High School for over thirty years, winning state and national championships and offering his players rescue from their surroundings through college scholarships, when he met his most dysfunctional team yet. In The Miracle of St. Anthony Adrian Wojnarowski follows Hurley through a gripping and heartrending season as he struggles to lead a troubled team to glory through his unparalleled understanding of the game and his ceaseless determination to see no more children lost to these streets. In The Miracle of St. Anthony , acclaimed sports journalist Adrian Wojnarowski follows Hurley through a gripping and heartrending season, as he struggles to lead a troubled team to glory through his unparalleled understanding of the game and his ceaseless determination to see no more children lost to the city streets.

3

The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Basketball (Enhanced Edition) - Robert G. Price Cover Art

The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Basketball (Enhanced Edition)

The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Basketball (Enhanced Edition)
by Robert G. Price

This enhanced eBook includes 3D animations of over 75 basketball-specific stretches and exercises. With this enhanced eBook you will be able to see exactly how the exercises are performed. The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Basketball is the most comprehensive and up-to-date basketball-specific training guide in the world today. It contains descriptions and photographs of nearly 100 of the most effective weight training, flexibility, and abdominal exercises used by athletes worldwide. This book features year-round basketball-specific weight-training programs guaranteed to improve your performance and get you results. No other basketball book to date has been so well designed, so easy to use, and so committed to weight training. This book will have players increasing strength, power, agility, and overall quickness on the court, leading to an increase in rebounds, steals, blocked shots, and overall defensive efficiency. You will build the strength and power needed to dominate the post and under the basket and you will build the stamina and endurance needed to go strong until the final whistle. Both beginners and advanced athletes and weight trainers can follow this book and utilize its programs. From recreational to professional, thousands of athletes all over the world are already benefiting from this book and its techniques, and now you can too! About the Author Rob Price is a first class certified personal trainer and a former fitness consultant at the University of Wisconsin. He is a national weight lifting champion and state bench press record holder who has been featured in newspapers and magazines all over the world, including the USA Today, for his sports-training expertise.  Rob is a contributing author to Golf Fitness Magazine, Swimmer's World Magazine, US Bowler Magazine, and OnFitness magazine and is the founder and head trainer of SportsWorkout.com's e-Training service.  In addition to being an internationally recognized fitness expert, Rob also holds a Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University where he was honored as one of ten Moritz Scholars.

4

Sit to Rise - Patric Young Cover Art

Sit to Rise

Sit to Rise Turning Your Darkest Pain into Your Brightest Victory by Patric Young

In "Sit to Rise," former Florida Gators basketball star Patric Young takes readers on an extraordinary journey of resilience, determination, and triumph in the face of unimaginable adversity. This poignant and inspiring memoir chronicles Patric's life-altering experience following a tragic car accident in the summer of 2022, which left him paralyzed from the waist down. Once a towering force on the court, Patric now finds himself confronting a different kind of challenge. The devastation of the accident initially tested his faith, resolve, and the very core of his identity. However, in the darkest moments, he discovered the transformative power of sitting in humility before rising with renewed strength and purpose. Through "Sit to Rise," Patric Young opens up about the emotional and physical pain of his journey, sharing the highs and lows, the struggles and triumphs. He candidly reveals the frustrations and self-doubts he faced while coming to terms with his paralysis and how he found the courage to transcend these limitations. With his unwavering optimism and a desire to inspire others, Patric uses his platform to encourage readers to see past their own dark moments. He imparts invaluable lessons on finding inner strength, building resilience, and embracing a life filled with purpose and positivity. Drawing from his experiences as an elite athlete and now as an individual overcoming physical challenges, Patric shares practical strategies for facing adversity head-on and unlocking the power of the human spirit. In "Sit to Rise," Patric Young teaches us that while life's unexpected trials can knock us down, they also present opportunities for growth and transformation. His story serves as a beacon of hope, proving that in moments of vulnerability, we can discover newfound strength and unleash the potential within ourselves. This remarkable book is not just about basketball or the tragedy of an accident; it's a testament to the indomitable human spirit, the importance of perseverance, and the boundless possibilities that exist when we embrace humility and rise with purpose. Patric Young's incredible journey from athlete to advocate is an uplifting reminder that even in life's darkest moments, hope and triumph can prevail.

5

The Art of a Beautiful Game - Chris Ballard Cover Art

The Art of a Beautiful Game

The Art of a Beautiful Game The Thinking Fan's Tour of the NBA by Chris Ballard

In The Art of a Beautiful Game , Chris Ballard, the award-winning Sports Illustrated writer who has covered the NBA for the past decade, goes behind the scenes to examine basketball in ways that will surprise even die-hard fans. An inveterate hoops junkie who played some college ball, Ballard sits down with the NBA's most passionate, cerebral players to find out their tricks of the trade and to learn what drives them, taking readers away from the usual sports talk radio fodder and deep into the heart of the game. Ballard talks to Dwight Howard, a prolific shot-blocker, about the enervating feeling of meeting another man at the height of his leap; challenges Steve Kerr to a game of H-O-R-S-E to understand the mentality of a pure shooter; reveals the roots of Kobe Bryant's unmatched killer instinct; and spends time with LeBron James to better understand both his mental game and his seemingly unlimited physical skills. He tracks down renowned dunkers from Dominique to Shaq to explore the impact of the dunk on the modern game, shadows Shane Battier during his preparations to defend LeBron, takes lessons from a freethrow shooting guru who once hit 2,750 in a row, and attends an elite NBA training camp to feel the pain that turns a prospect into a pro. Packed with lively characters and basketball history, and grounded in superb writing and the reportage that is the hallmark of Sports Illustrated , The Art of a Beautiful Game is an often witty, always insightful look at the men like Steve Nash, Yao Ming, and Alonzo Mourning who devote themselves to this elegant and complicated sport. It ultimately provides basketball fans what they all want: an inside read on the game they love.

6

Relentless - Tim S Grover Cover Art

Relentless

Relentless
From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim S Grover

For more than two decades, legendary trainer Tim Grover has taken the greats—Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and hundreds of relentless competitors in sports, business, and every walk of life—and made them greater. Now, for the first time ever, he reveals what it takes to achieve total mental and physical dominance, showing you how to be relentless and achieve whatever you desire. Direct, blunt, and brutally honest, Grover breaks down what it takes to be unstoppable: you keep going when everyone else is giving up, you thrive under pressure, you never let your emotions make you weak. In “The Relentless 13,” he details the essential traits shared by the most intense competitors and achievers in sports, business, and all walks of life. Relentless shows you how to trust your instincts and get in the Zone; how to control and adapt to any situation; how to find your opponent’s weakness and attack. Grover gives you the same advice he gives his world-class clients—“don’t think”—and shows you that anything is possible. Packed with previously untold stories and unparalleled insight into the psyches of the most successful and accomplished athletes of our time, Relentless shows you how even the best get better . . . and how you can too.

7

976-1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground - Scott Orgera & Howie Karpin Cover Art

976-1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground

976-1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground by Scott Orgera & Howie Karpin

Sports Phone set out to change the way scores and breaking news were consumed, and in turn ended up setting the tone for the up-to-the-second updates we take for granted today. Found among those who called the service home are some of the most well-known broadcasters, reporters, public address announcers, and other prominent media figures — as well as several who've been successful in Hollywood and the music industry. A veritable breeding ground for these now-polished professionals, the dial-up platform that once handled 50 million calls in a year churned out talent at a level likely not seen before or since. Brought to you by media veterans Scott Orgera and Sports Phone alum Howie Karpin,  976-1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground  features never-before-told tales of triumph and tragedy, a mix of hilarity, inspiration, and regret from the broadcasting hopefuls and sports junkies that comprised the brains and voices behind the pioneering operation. If you were assembling an All-Star team of media personnel, you'd only have to look as far as Sports Phone's ranks. As colorful as that cast of characters was, those who dialed 976-1313 regularly had their own yarns to spin. They form a tapestry of hardcore fans, award-winning actors, well-known comedians, impulsive gamblers, Broadway singers, and infamous mobsters, each with captivating stories told within these pages. With 75 years of collective experience between them, Karpin and Orgera interviewed more than a hundred people en route to creating what is a must-read. The esteemed list of interviewees includes Rich Ackerman, Joe Benigno, Steve Cangialosi, Chris Carrino, Ricky Cobb (Super 70s Sports), Gary Cohen, Linda Cohn, Ed Coleman, Chuck Cooperstein, Mark Cuban, Jack Curry, Gordon Damer, Frank "The Tank" Fleming, Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm), John Giannone, Don La Greca, Bill James, Brian Kilmeade, Denis McNamara, Sweeny Murti, Daniel Okrent (the founder of fantasy sports), Eddie Olczyk, Pat O'Keefe, Bob Papa, Howie Rose, Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo, Peter Schwartz, Dave Sims, Charlie Slowes, Leigh Steinberg (the real-life Jerry Maguire), Jeffrey Townes (DJ Jazzy Jeff), Mike "King Wally" Walczewski, Suzyn Waldman, and many more. Much of what we see and hear today was started by Sports Phone, and this tome covers untapped historical territory from every angle, kicked off with a compelling foreword written by revered broadcaster Kenny Albert. Featured between its covers are anecdotes involving Muhammad Ali, The Beatles, David Bowie, Joe Carter, Howard Cosell, Roger Daltrey, Joey Diaz, Roberto Duran, Julius Erving, Joe Frazier, Wayne Gretzky, Marvin Hagler, Hulk Hogan, Keith Hernandez, Brett Hull, Reggie Jackson, Mick Jagger, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tommy Lasorda, Ronnie Lott, Billy Martin, Bob McAdoo, Burgess Meredith, Thurman Munson, Phil Rizzuto, Pete Rose, Bruno Sammartino, Bo Schembechler, Iron Sheik, Will Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Vanna White, and several others. Also included is a chapter on the 1978-79 Boston College point-shaving scandal and the record-setting Lufthansa heist, the latter of which was immortalized in Martin Scorsese's blockbuster film,  Goodfellas . At the center of the scheme to fix games were infamous mobsters Henry Hill (portrayed by Ray Liotta in the movie) and Jimmy "The Gent" Burke (Robert De Niro), as were a slew of calls to Sports Phone placed by multiple defendants. Behind-the-scenes insight from former federal prosecutor Ed McDonald (who played himself in one of the film's most iconic scenes) and ex-FBI Special Agent Ed Guevara (who arrested Hill) is provided, as are the actual phone records from the BC trial.

8

Advanced Basketball Defense: - Ernie Woods Cover Art

Advanced Basketball Defense:

Advanced Basketball Defense: The World's Most Complete Illustrated Guide For Coaches, Players & Die-Hard Fans by Ernie Woods

Skills & Techniques by Coach Ernie Woods. The world's most complete guide to disruptive basketball defense fundamentals. For coaches, players and die-hard fans. Includes chapters on Defensive Stops, Disruptive Pressure, On Ball Defense, Off Ball Defense, Helpside Defense, Post Defense, Defensive Rebounding, On Ball Screens, Off Ball Screens, Season Preparation, A Coaches Guide: 5 Days to Sound Defense, and much more. Graphically illustrated with hundreds of diagrams in full color. From HoopTactics.

9

Pipeline to the Pros - Ben Kaplan & Danny Parkins Cover Art

Pipeline to the Pros

Pipeline to the Pros by Ben Kaplan & Danny Parkins

Jeff Van Gundy. Brad Stevens. Frank Vogel. Mike Budenholzer. Tom Thibodeau. Sam Presti. Leon Rose. Before you knew his name, before he drafted your favorite player, before he guided your team to a championship, he had a playing career of his own at an NCAA Division III college. He didn't play for fortune – the NBA was out of reach, and his school didn't even give athletic scholarships. He didn't play for fame – his games weren't televised, and the stands were rarely full. Whatever the motivation, he simply couldn't give up the game of basketball. And that didn't change after graduation, when it was time to pick a career path. For the first time in league history, NBA coaches and general managers are just as likely to have played Division III basketball as they are to have played in the NBA. While the number of former D3 players working in the NBA is higher than ever, small college alums have served in leadership positions since the league's founding. They shaped the NBA into what it is today, playing integral roles in the Lakers' initial success in Los Angeles, the inception of several expansion franchises, the creation of the popular All-Star Weekend dunk contest, the globalization of the league, and more. Their improbable and inspiring journeys tell a bigger story – the history of small college athletics, the evolution of coaching and management in the NBA, and the hiring practices in the most competitive fields. Their alma maters were small, but their impact on the game, and the implications of their success, loom large.

10

When the Game Was War - Rich Cohen Cover Art

When the Game Was War

When the Game Was War
The NBA's Greatest Season by Rich Cohen

The gritty, no-holds-barred account of the 1987 NBA season, a thrilling year of fierce battles and off-the-court drama between Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, and Michael Jordan—from New York Times bestselling author Rich Cohen. “Cohen brings new life to these athletes and their legendary rivalries.”—Bob Ryan, sports columnist emeritus, The Boston Globe AN ESQUIRE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR Four historic teams. Four legendary players. One unforgettable season. The 1980s were a transformative decade for the NBA. Since its founding in 1946, the league had evolved from a bruising, earthbound game of mostly nameless, underpaid players to one in which athletes became household names for their thrilling, physics-defying play. The 1987–88 season was the peak of that golden era, a year of incredible drama that featured a pantheon of superstars in their prime—the most future Hall of Famers competing at one time in any given season—battling for the title, and for their respective legacies. In When the Game Was War, bestselling author Rich Cohen tells the story of this incredible season through the four teams, and the four players, who dominated it: Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics, Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers, Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons, and a young Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls. From rural Indiana to the South Side of Chicago, suburban North Carolina to rust-belt Michigan, Cohen explores the diverse journeys each of these iconic players took before arriving on the big stage. Drawing from dozens of interviews with NBA insiders, Cohen brings to vivid life some of the most colorful characters of the era—like Bill Laimbeer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Danny Ainge, and Charles Oakley—who fought like hell to help these stars succeed.  For anyone who longs to understand how the NBA came to be the cultural juggernaut it is today—and to relive the magic and turmoil of those pivotal years— When the Game Was War brilliantly recasts one unforgettable season and the four transcendent players who were at the center of it all.

11

Blood in the Garden - Chris Herring Cover Art

Blood in the Garden

Blood in the Garden The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks by Chris Herring

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A SELECTION ON BARACK OBAMA’S SUMMER READING LIST The definitive history of the 1990s New York Knicks, illustrating how Pat Riley, Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Charles Oakley, and Anthony Mason resurrected the iconic franchise through oppressive physicality and unmatched grit. For nearly an entire generation, the New York Knicks have been a laughingstock franchise. Since 2001, they’ve spent more money, lost more games, and won fewer playoff series than any other NBA team. But during the preceding era, the Big Apple had a club it was madly in love with—one that earned respect not only by winning, but through brute force. The Knicks were always looking for fights, often at the encouragement of Pat Riley. They fought opposing players. They fought each other. Hell, they even occasionally fought their own coaches. The NBA didn’t take kindly to their fighting spirit. Within two years, league officials moved to alter several rules to stop New York from turning its basketball games into bloody mudwrestling matches. Nevertheless, as the 1990s progressed, the Knicks endeared themselves to millions of fans; not for how much they won, but for their colorful cast of characters and their hardworking mentality. Now, through his original reporting and interviews with more than two hundred people, author Chris Herring delves into the origin, evolution, and eventual demise of the iconic club. He takes us inside the locker room, executive boardrooms, and onto the court for the key moments that lifted the club to new heights, and the ones that threatened to send everything crashing down in spectacular fashion. Blood in the Garden is a portrait filled with eye-opening details that have never been shared before, revealing the full story of the franchise in the midst of the NBA’s golden era. And rest assured, no punches will be pulled. Which is just how those rough-and-tumble Knicks would like it.

12

Loose Balls - Terry Pluto Cover Art

Loose Balls

Loose Balls by Terry Pluto

What do Julius Erving, Larry Brown, Moses Malone, Bob Costas, the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs and the Slam Dunk Contest have in common? They all got their professional starts in the American Basketball Association. What do Julius Erving, Larry Brown, Moses Malone, Bob Costas, the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs and the Slam Dunk Contest have in common? They all got their professional starts in the American Basketball Association. The NBA may have won the financial battle, but the ABA won the artistic war. With its stress on wide-open individual play, the adoption of the 3-point shot and pressing defense, and the encouragement of flashy moves and flying dunks, today's NBA is still—decades later —just the ABA without the red, white and blue ball. Loose Balls is, after all these years, the definitive and most widely respected history of the ABA. It's a wild ride through some of the wackiest, funniest, strangest times ever to hit pro sports—told entirely through the (often incredible) words of those who played, wrote and connived their way through the league's nine seasons.

13

Press Box Revolution - Rich Coutinho Cover Art

Press Box Revolution

Press Box Revolution How Sports Reporting Has Changed Over the Past Thirty Years by Rich Coutinho

Press Box Revolution is a journey through the evolution of reporting in New York and around the nation by a reporter who has witnessed every second of it in the past three decades. Rich Coutinho, a New York-based reporter who has covered numerous major sporting events, will escort readers into corners of the press box and locker room they have never seen and discusses what the business will look like down the road. Coutinho gives an insider’s view of the evolving technology in the business, the growth of women in sports creating much needed diversity in the reporting landscape, the emergence of sports talk radio and the Internet, as well as the personalities on the New York sports scene that make it so challenging to cover. Press Box Revolution lifts the curtain on all the myths about how sports is reported and it will help fans realistically evaluate the information they read and hear that is labeled “Breaking News” or “Insider Report.” It is a must-read for all well-informed fans and aspiring sports journalists.

14

Underdawgs - David Woods Cover Art

Underdawgs

Underdawgs How Brad Stevens and Butler University Built the Bulldogs for March Madness by David Woods

Butler University in Indianapolis became the smallest school in 40 years to reach the NCAA championship game. Prior to the tournament, a statistician calculated the Bulldogs as a 200-to-1 shot to win. But as fascinating as what Butler accomplished was how they did it. Underdawgs tells the incredible and uplifting story. Butler’s coach, 33-year-old Brad Stevens, looked so young he was often mistaken for one of the players, but he had quickly become one of the best coaches in the nation by employing the “Butler Way.” This philosophy of basketball and life, adopted by former coach Barry Collier, is based on five principles: humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and thankfulness. Even the most casual observer could see this in every player, on the court and off, from NBA first-round draft pick Gordon Hayward to the last guy on the bench. Butler was coming off a great 2009–10 regular season, but its longtime existence on the periphery of major college basketball fostered doubt as March Madness set in. But after two historic upsets, one of top-seeded Syracuse and another of second-seeded Kansas State, and making it to the Final Four, the Bulldogs came within the diameter of a shoelace of beating the perennial leaders of college basketball: the Duke Blue Devils. Much more than a sports story, Underdawgs is the consummate David versus Goliath tale. Despite Duke’s winning the championship, the Bulldogs proved they belonged in the game and, in the process, won the respect of people who were not even sports fans.

15

Kingdom on Fire - Scott Howard-Cooper Cover Art

Kingdom on Fire

Kingdom on Fire Kareem, Wooden, Walton, and the Turbulent Days of the UCLA Basketball Dynasty by Scott Howard-Cooper

In the tradition of Blood in the Garden and Three-Ring Circus comes a bold narrative history of the iconic UCLA Bruins championship teams led by legendary coach John Wooden—an incredible true story about the messy, never-easy pursuit of perfection set against the turmoil of American culture in the 1960s and 70s. Few basketball dynasties have reigned supreme like the UCLA Bruins did over college basketball from 1965–1975 (seven consecutive titles, three perfect records, an eighty-eight-game winning streak that remains unmatched). At the center of this legendary franchise were the now-iconic players Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton, naturally reserved personalities who became outspoken giants when it came to race and the Vietnam War. These generational talents were led by John Wooden, a conservative counterweight to his star players whose leadership skills would transcend the game after his retirement. But before the three of them became history, they would have to make it—together. Los Angeles native and longtime sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times , Scott Howard Cooper draws on more than a hundred interviews and extensive access to many of the principal figures, including Wooden’s family to deliver a rich narrative that reveals the turmoil at the heart of this storied college basketball program. Making the eye-opening connections between UCLA and the Nixon administration, Ronald Reagan, Muhammad Ali, and others, Kingdom on Fire puts the UCLA basketball team’s political involvement and influence in full relief for the first time. The story of UCLA basketball is an incredible slice of American history that reveals what it truly takes to achieve and sustain greatness while standing up for what you believe in.

16

Wish It Lasted Forever - Dan Shaughnessy Cover Art

Wish It Lasted Forever

Wish It Lasted Forever Life with the Larry Bird Celtics by Dan Shaughnessy

From award-winning Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy, an “entertaining” ( The Wall Street Journal ) and nostalgia-filled retelling of the 1980s Boston Celtics’ glory years, which featured the sublime play of NBA legend Larry Bird. Today the NBA is a vast global franchise—a billion-dollar industry seen by millions of fans in the United States and abroad. But it wasn’t always this successful. Before primetime ESPN coverage, lucrative branding deals like Air Jordans, and $40 million annual player salaries, there was the NBA of the 1970s and 1980s—when basketball was still an up-and-coming sport featuring old school beat reporters and players who wore Converse All-Stars. Enter Dan Shaughnessy, then the beat reporter for The Boston Globe who covered the Boston Celtics every day from 1982 to 1986. It was a time when reporters travelled with professional teams—flying the same commercial airlines, riding the same buses, and staying in the same hotels. Shaughnessy knew the athletes as real people, losing free throw bets to Larry Bird, being gifted cheap cigars by the iconic coach Red Auerbach, and having his one-year-old daughter Sarah passed from player to player on a flight from Logan to Detroit Metro. Drawing on unprecedented access and personal experiences that would not be possible for any reporter today, Shaughnessy takes us inside the legendary Larry Bird-led Celtics teams, capturing the camaraderie as they dominated the NBA. Fans can witness the cockiness of Larry Bird (who once walked into an All-Star Weekend locker room, announced that he was going to win the three-point contest, and did ); the ageless athleticism of Robert Parish; the shooting skills of Kevin McHale; the fierce, self-sacrificing play of Bill Walton; and the playful humor of players like Danny Ainge, Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell, and M.L. Carr. For any fan who longs to return—for just a few hours—to those magical years when the Boston Garden rocked and the winner’s circle was mostly colored Boston Green, Wish It Lasted Forever is a masterful tribute to “the Celtics from 1982–1986 [that] is so good even fervent Celtics haters will have trouble putting it down” ( New York Post ).

17

The Real Hoosiers - Jack McCallum Cover Art

The Real Hoosiers

The Real Hoosiers Crispus Attucks High School, Oscar Robertson, and the Hidden History of Hoops by Jack McCallum

The true story behind Crispus Attucks High School and the all-Black basketball team loosely depicted as the championship opponent in the beloved classic sports movie Hoosiers .   For far too long the mythology of Indiana basketball has been dominated by Hoosiers . Framed as the ultimate underdog, feel-good story, there has also long been a cultural debate surrounding the film. The Real Hoosiers sets out to illuminate the narrative that the film omits, the story of the unheralded Crispus Attucks Tigers, playing the game at the highest level in the 1950s in a racially divided Indiana. After a crushing loss to Milan High School in the 1954 semifinal, which was the game that the final scenes in Hoosiers are based on, Attucks went on to win back-to-back Indiana state championships. That team was led by a young Oscar Robertson and coached by Ray Crowe, who fully recognized the seemingly insurmountable challenges of playing basketball in a state that was a bastion for not only the game but also the Ku Klux Klan. Veteran sportswriter and the bestselling author of Dream Team , Jack McCallum, pulls back the curtain on that history, which is rich, far beyond the basketball court. The Real Hoosiers replaces a lacuna in the history of Indiana while dissecting the myths and lore of Hoosier hoops; placing the game in the context of migration, segregation, and integration; and enhancing our understanding of this country’s struggle for civil rights.

18

Don't Put Me In, Coach - Mark Titus Cover Art

Don't Put Me In, Coach

Don't Put Me In, Coach My Incredible NCAA Journey from the End of the Bench to the End of the Bench by Mark Titus

An irreverent, hilarious insider's look at big-time NCAA basketball, through the eyes of the nation's most famous benchwarmer and author of the popular blog ClubTrillion.com (3.6m visits!). Mark Titus holds the Ohio State record for career wins, and made it to the 2007 national championship game. You would think Titus would be all over the highlight reels. You'd be wrong.   In 2006, Mark Titus arrived on Ohio State's campus as a former high school basketball player who aspired to be an orthopedic surgeon. Somehow, he was added to the elite Buckeye basketball team, given a scholarship, and played alongside seven future NBA players on his way to setting the record for most individual career wins in Ohio State history. Think that's impressive? In four years, he scored a grand total of nine—yes, nine —points. This book will give readers an uncensored and uproarious look inside an elite NCAA basketball program from Titus's unique perspective. In his four years at the end of the bench, Mark founded his wildly popular blog Club Trillion, became a hero to all guys picked last, and even got scouted by the Harlem Globetrotters. Mark Titus is not your average basketball star. This is a wild and completely true story of the most unlikely career in college basketball. A must-read for all fans of March Madness and college sports!

19

When March Went Mad - Seth Davis Cover Art

When March Went Mad

When March Went Mad The Game That Transformed Basketball by Seth Davis

When March Went Mad tells the dramatic story of how two legendary players--Magic Johnson and Larry Bird--burst on the scene in an NCAA championship that gave birth to modern basketball. "A must-read for anybody who considers themselves a basketball fan."—Michael Wilbon Thirty years ago, college basketball was not the sport we know today. Few games were televised nationally and the NCAA tournament had just expanded from thirty-two to forty teams. Into this world came two exceptional players: Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird. Though they played each other only once, in the 1979 NCAA finals, that meeting launched an epic rivalry, transformed the NCAA tournament into the multibillion-dollar event it is today, and laid the groundwork for the resurgence of the NBA. In When March Went Mad , Seth Davis recounts the dramatic story of the season leading up to that game, as Johnson's Michigan State Spartans and Bird's Indiana State Sycamores overcame long odds and great doubts that their unheralded teams could compete at the highest level. Davis also tells the stories of their remarkable coaches, Jud Heathcote and Bill Hodges—who were new to their schools but who set their own paths to build great teams—and he shows how tensions over race and class heightened the drama of the competition. When Magic and Bird squared off in Salt Lake City on March 26, 1979, the world took notice—to this day it remains the most watched basketball game in the history of television—and the sport we now know was born.

20

Tales from the Detroit Pistons Locker Room - Perry A. Farrell, Rick Mahorn & Joe Dumars Cover Art

Tales from the Detroit Pistons Locker Room

Tales from the Detroit Pistons Locker Room A Collection of the Greatest Pistons Stories Ever Told by Perry A. Farrell, Rick Mahorn & Joe Dumars

Some call them the Bad Boys, others just call them bad news—either way, few teams carry the passion, power, and determination exuded by the Detroit Pistons. A collection of incredible basketball talent revered in Detroit and despised throughout the rest of the NBA, the Pistons are anything and everything but boring. Now Perry A. Farrell will take fans into the locker room and onto the Pistons court in this newly revised edition of Tales from the Detroit Pistons Locker Room . With help from Pistons legends Rick Mahorn and Joe Dumars, Farrell shares stories that cover all the key characters, including Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, John Salley, Vinny Johnson, Dennis Rodman, and coach Chuck Daly. Mahorn discusses the wars with the Bulls, Celtics, and Knicks, and championship battles with the Lakers and Blazers. The book also examines the sorry state of the franchise before the two titles, their attempts to recapture their NBA magic with Grant Hill and Jerry Stackhouse, and the recent run of success that Dumars is having as the team’s general manager. Mahorn’s role as color analyst for Pistons radio broadcasts has kept him in the loop as Dumars has added players like Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Darko Milicic, along with coach Larry Brown, over the past few seasons. Sharing stories from his playing and announcing days is a part of what makes Tales from the Detroit Pistons Locker Room a must-have for any Pistons fan.

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Personal Foul - Tim Donaghy Cover Art

Personal Foul

Personal Foul A First-Person Account of the Scandal that Rocked the NBA by Tim Donaghy

Uncover the true story behind the Netflix documentary  Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul . “The book the NBA doesn’t want you to read.” —Deadspin.com Tim Donaghy loved basketball. In many ways, his zest for the game came from his father, who officiated high school and college games for over 30 years. After graduating from Villanova, Donaghy was unsatisfied with his career until he followed his heart and became a basketball referee, first in the CBA and then the NBA, where he officiated for 13 seasons: 772 regular-season games and 20 playoff games. He loved his job, his family, his life. He felt like he had everything. And then, suddenly, he had nothing. He succumbed to a gambling addiction and to intimidation from well-connected criminals—and began using inside information to win bets for them. Following an FBI investigation, Donaghy pled guilty to two federal charges, and on August 15, 2007, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison. He was released on November 4, 2009, after serving his sentence. This is his story, which provides a stunningly candid admission of his mistakes, as well as his insider’s account of the world of professional basketball. With a foreword by Phil Scala, the FBI special agent who worked the Gambino case, Personal Foul reveals how the fast life of professional sports can tempt and trap the unwary and unwise. Donaghy has written an unforgettable page-turner, one of the most controversial sports books ever published. It will confirm your suspicions about the influence of the front offices of major league sports, while examining the corrosive power of money and fame. From the Introduction: I’m guilty. For 13 years I was a referee in the National Basketball Association, living a glamorous life on and off the court, rubbing elbows with superstar players and celebrity A-listers. I suppose many would say that I had it all—a great job, money, a wonderful family—but it was all an illusion. You see, during my last four years in the NBA, I led a secret life that would ultimately cost me everything: my integrity, my reputation, my career, my livelihood, my marriage, my family, and my freedom.

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The Sons of Westwood - John Matthew Smith Cover Art

The Sons of Westwood

The Sons of Westwood John Wooden, UCLA, and the Dynasty That Changed College Basketball by John Matthew Smith

For more than a decade, the UCLA dynasty defined college basketball. In twelve seasons from 1964 to 1975, John Wooden’s teams won ten national titles, including seven consecutive championships. The Bruins made history by breaking numerous records, but they also rose to prominence during a turbulent age of political unrest and youthful liberation. When Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton--the most famous college basketball players of their generation--spoke out against racism, poverty, and the Vietnam War, they carved out a new role for athletes, casting their actions on and off the court in a political light. The Sons of Westwood tells the story of the most significant college basketball program at a pivotal period in American cultural history. It weaves together a story of sports and politics in an era of social and cultural upheaval, a time when college students and college athletes joined the civil rights movement, demonstrated against the Vietnam War, and rejected the dominant Cold War culture. This is the story of America’s culture wars played out on the basketball court by some of college basketball’s most famous players and its most memorable coach.

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When The Game Was Ours - Larry Bird, Earvin "Magic" Johnson & Jackie MacMullan Cover Art

When The Game Was Ours

When The Game Was Ours by Larry Bird, Earvin "Magic" Johnson & Jackie MacMullan

The New York Times bestseller from Hall of Fame basketball legends Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson. From the moment these two players took the court on opposing sides, they engaged in a fierce physical and psychological battle. Their uncommonly competitive relationship came to symbolize the most compelling rivalry in the NBA. In Celtic green was Larry Bird, the hick from French Lick, with laser-beam focus, relentless determination, and a deadly jump shot, a player who demanded excellence from everyone and whose caustic wit left opponents quaking in their high-tops. Magic Johnson was Mr. Showtime, a magnetic personality with all the right moves. Young, indomitable, he was a pied piper in purple and gold. And he burned with an inextinguishable desire to win. These were the basketball epics of the 1980s — Celtics vs Lakers, East vs West, physical vs finesse, Old School vs Showtime, even white vs black. Each pushed the other to greatness — together Bird and Johnson collected eight NBA Championships, six MVP awards and helped save the floundering NBA at its most critical time. When it started they were bitter rivals, but along the way they became lifelong friends. With intimate, fly-on-the-wall detail, When the Game Was Ours transports readers to this electric era of basketball and reveals for the first time the inner workings of two players dead set on besting one another. From the heady days of trading championships to the darker days of injury and illness, we come to understand Larry’s obsessive devotion to winning and how his demons drove him on the court. We hear him talk with candor about playing through chronic pain and its truly exacting toll. In Magic we see a young, invincible star struggle with the sting of defeat, not just as a player but as a team leader. We are there the moment he learns he’s contracted HIV and hear in his own words how that devastating news impacted his relationships in basketball and beyond. But always, in both cases, we see them prevail. A compelling, up-close-and-personal portrait of basketball’s most inimitable duo, When the Game Was Ours is a reevaluation of three decades in counterpoint. It is also a rollicking ride through professional basketball’s best times.

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The Book of Basketball - Bill Simmons & Malcolm Gladwell Cover Art

The Book of Basketball

The Book of Basketball The NBA According to The Sports Guy by Bill Simmons & Malcolm Gladwell

Foreword by Malcolm Gladwell   Newly updated with fresh takes on LeBron, Kobe, the Celtics & more* *Including even more footnotes! Bill Simmons, the wildly opinionated and thoroughly entertaining hoops addict known to millions as ESPN.com’s Sports Guy, has written the definitive book on the past, present, and future of the NBA. From the age-old question of who actually won the rivalry between Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain to the one about which team was truly the best of all time, Simmons opens—and then closes, once and for all—every major pro basketball debate. Then he takes it further by completely reevaluating not only how NBA Hall of Fame inductees should be chosen but how the institution must be reshaped from the ground up, the result being the Pyramid: Simmons’s one-of-a-kind five-level shrine to the ninety-six greatest players in the history of pro basketball. And ultimately he takes fans to the heart of it all, as he uses a conversation with one NBA great to uncover that coveted thing: The Secret of Basketball. Comprehensive, authoritative, controversial, hilarious, and impossible to put down (even for Celtic-haters), The Book of Basketball offers every hardwood fan a courtside seat beside the game’s finest, funniest, and fiercest chronicler.

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Dream Team - Jack McCallum Cover Art

Dream Team

Dream Team How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever by Jack McCallum

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER   Acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team. As a writer for Sports Illustrated, McCallum enjoyed a courtside seat for the most exciting basketball spectacle on earth, covering the Dream Team from its inception to the gold medal ceremony in Barcelona. Drawing on fresh interviews with the players, McCallum provides the definitive account of the Dream Team phenomenon. He offers a behind-the-scenes look at the controversial selection process. He takes us inside the team’s Olympic suites for late-night card games and bull sessions where superstars like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird debated the finer points of basketball. And he narrates a riveting account of the legendary intrasquad scrimmage that pitted the Dream Teamers against one another in what may have been the greatest pickup game in history. In the twenty years since the Dream Team first captivated the world, its mystique has only grown. Dream Team vividly re-creates the moment when a once-in-a-millennium group of athletes came together and changed the future of sports—one perfectly executed fast break at a time.   With a new Afterword by the author .   “The absolute definitive work on the subject, a perfectly wonderful once-you-pick-it-up-you-won’t-be-able-to-put-it-down book.”— The Boston Globe   “An Olympic hoops dream.”— Newsday   “What makes this volume a must-read for nostalgic hoopsters are the robust portraits of the outsize personalities of the participants, all of whom were remarkably open with McCallum, both then and now.”— Booklist (starred review)

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Toughness - Jay Bilas Cover Art

Toughness

Toughness Developing True Strength On and Off the Court by Jay Bilas

ESPN basketball analyst and former Duke player Jay Bilas looks at the true meaning of toughness in this New York Times bestselling book that features stories from basketball legends. If anyone knows tough, it’s Jay Bilas. A four-year starter at Duke, he learned a strong work ethic under Coach Mike Krzyzewski. After playing professionally overseas, he returned to Duke, where he served as Krzyzewski’s assistant coach for three seasons, helping to guide the Blue Devils to two national championships. He has since become one of basketball’s most recognizable faces through his insightful analysis on ESPN’s SportsCenter and College GameDay . Through his ups and downs on and off the court, Bilas learned the true meaning of toughness from coaches, teammates, and colleagues. Now, in Toughness , he examines this misunderstood—yet vital—attribute and how it contributes to winning in sports and in life. Featuring never-before-heard stories and personal philosophies on toughness from top players and coaches, including Coach K, Bob Knight, Grant Hill, Mia Hamm, Jon Gruden, Tom Izzo, Roy Williams, Bill Self, Curtis Strange, and many others—Bilas redefines what it takes to succeed.

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The Jordan Rules - Sam Smith Cover Art

The Jordan Rules

The Jordan Rules The Inside Story of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls by Sam Smith

The New York Times Bestseller Updated With a New Introduction. In The Jordan Rules: The Inside Story of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, former Chicago Tribune sports writer and current Bulls.com contributor Sam Smith chronicles the excitement and tension of the Chicago Bulls' first championship season, and presents a fascinating eyewitness account of Michael Jordan on and off the court.   Updated with a new introduction by Smith describing his experiences covering the Bulls to capture the stories for the original book in 1992, and how the book came to be, The Jordan Rules will let readers in on Jordan’s power struggles with management, the players who competed with His Airness for Air Time, in their own words (Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright), how Phil Jackson coached “Michael and the Jordanaires" to their first title, behind-the-scenes feuds, including Jordan punching a teammate in practice, and more. Relive the thrills of the first championship season of the Chicago Bulls, and get an inside look the incomparable Michael Jordan in The Jordan Rules.

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Showtime - Jeff Pearlman Cover Art

Showtime

Showtime Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s by Jeff Pearlman

The New York Times bestselling author of Sweetness delivers the first all-encompassing account of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of professional sports’ most-revered — and dominant — dynasties.   The Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s personified the flamboyance and excess of the decade over which they reigned. Beginning with the arrival of Earvin “Magic” Johnson as the number-one overall pick of the 1979 draft, the Lakers played basketball with gusto and pizzazz, unleashing their famed “Showtime” run-and-gun style on a league unprepared for their speed and ferocity—and became the most captivating show in sports and, arguably, in all-around American entertainment. The Lakers’ roster overflowed with exciting all-star-caliber players, including center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and they were led by the incomparable Pat Riley, known for his slicked-back hair, his Armani suits, and his arrogant strut. Hollywood’s biggest celebrities lined the court and gorgeous women flocked to the arena. Best of all, the team was a winner. Between 1980 and 1991, the Lakers played in an unmatched nine NBA championship series, capturing five of them. Bestselling sportswriter Jeff Pearlman draws from almost three hundred interviews to take the first full measure of the Lakers’ epic Showtime era. A dazzling account of one of America’s greatest sports sagas, Showtime is packed with indelible characters, vicious rivalries, and jaw-dropping, behind-the-scenes stories of the players’ decadent Hollywood lifestyles.  From the Showtime era’s remarkable rise to its tragic end—marked by Magic Johnson’s 1991 announcement that he had contracted HIV— Showtime is a gripping narrative of sports, celebrity, and 1980s-style excess.

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The Legends Club - John Feinstein Cover Art

The Legends Club

The Legends Club Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano, and an Epic College Basketball Rivalry by John Feinstein

The riveting inside story of college basketball's fiercest rivalry among three coaching legends—University of North Carolina's Dean Smith, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, and North Carolina State's Jim Valvano—by the king of college basketball writers, #1 New York Times bestseller John Feinstein On March 18, 1980, the immensely powerful Duke basketball program announced the hiring of its new coach—the man who would resurrect the team, restore glory to Duke, and defeat the legendary Dean Smith, who coached down the road at UNC Chapel Hill and had turned UNC into a powerhouse. Duke's new man was Mike Krzyzewski. The only problem was, no one knew who Krzyzewski was, he had a so-so record in his short time as head coach of Army, and worst of all, no one could even pronounce his name. The announcement caused head scratches . . . if not immediate calls for his head . . . and on this note his career at Duke began.      The table was set nine days later, when on March 27, 1980, Jim Valvano was hired by North Carolina State to be their new head coach. The hiring didn't raise as many eyebrows, but with the exuberant Valvano on board, two new coaches were now in place to challenge Dean Smith—and the most sensational competitive decade in history was about to unfold.      In the skillful hands of John Feinstein, this extraordinary rivalry—and the men behind it—come to life in a unique, intimate way. The Legends Club is a sports book that captures an era in American sport and culture, documenting the inside view of a decade of absolutely incredible competition. Feinstein pulls back the curtain on the recruiting wars, the intensely personal competition that wasn't always friendly, the enormous pressure and national stakes, and the battle for the very soul of college basketball allegiance in a hot-bed area. Getting to the roots of the NCAA goliath that is followed religiously by millions of fans today, Feinstein uses his unprecedented access to all three coaches to paint a portrait only he could conjure. The Legends Club is destined to be one of Feinstein's biggest bestsellers.

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The Last Great Game - Gene Wojciechowski Cover Art

The Last Great Game

The Last Great Game Duke vs. Kentucky and the 2.1 Seconds That Changed Basketball by Gene Wojciechowski

The definitive book on the greatest game in the history of college basketball, and the dramatic road both teams took to get there. March 28, 1992. The final of the NCAA East Regional, Duke vs. Kentucky. The 17,848 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia and the millions watching on TV could say they saw the greatest game and the greatest shot in the history of college basketball. But it wasn't just the final play of the game-an 80-foot inbounds bass from Grant Hill to Christian Laettner with 2.1 seconds left in overtime- that made Duke's 104-103 victory so memorable. The Kentucky and Duke players and coaches arrived at that point from very different places, each with a unique story to tell. In The Last Great Game , acclaimed ESPN columnist Gene Wojciechowski tells their stories in vivid detail, turning the game we think we remember into a drama filled with suspense, humor, revelations and reverberations. The cast alone is worth meeting again: Mike Krzyzewski, Rick Pitino, Bobby Hurley, Jamal Mashburn, Christian Laettner, Sean Woods, Grant Hill, and Bobby Knight. Timed for the game's 20th anniversary, The Last Great Game isn't a book just for Duke or Kentucky or even basketball fans. It's a book for any reader who can appreciate that great moments in sports are the result of hard work, careful preparation, group psychology, and a little luck.

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Return of the King - Brian Windhorst & Dave McMenamin Cover Art

Return of the King

Return of the King LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Greatest Comeback in NBA History by Brian Windhorst & Dave McMenamin

In this New York Times bestseller, get the inside scoop into LeBron James's return -- and ultimate triumph -- in Cleveland. What really happened when LeBron James stunned the NBA by leaving a potential dynasty in Miami to come home to play with the Cleveland Cavaliers? How did the Cavs use secret meetings to put together the deal to add star Kevin Love? Who really made the controversial decision to fire coach David Blatt when the team was in first place? Where did the greatest comeback in NBA history truly begin-and end? Return of the King takes you onto the private planes, inside the locker-room conversations, and into the middle of the intense huddles where one of the greatest stories in basketball history took place, resulting in the Cavs winning the 2016 NBA title after trailing the Golden State Warriors three games to one. You'll hear from all the characters involved: the players, the executives, the agents, and the owners as they reveal stories never before told. Get the background on all the controversies, the rivalries, and the bad blood from two reporters who were there for every day, plot twist, and social media snafu as they take you through the fascinating ride that culminated in a heart-stopping Game Seven.

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The Breaks of the Game - David Halberstam Cover Art

The Breaks of the Game

The Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam

A New York Times bestseller, David Halberstam's The Breaks of the Game focuses on one grim season (1979-80) in the life of the Bill Walton-led Portland Trail Blazers, a team that only three years before had been NBA champions. More than six years after his death David Halberstam remains one of this country's most respected journalists and revered authorities on American life and history in the years since WWII. A Pulitzer Prize-winner for his groundbreaking reporting on the Vietnam War, Halberstam wrote more than 20 books, almost all of them bestsellers. His work has stood the test of time and has become the standard by which all journalists measure themselves. The tactile authenticity of Halberstam's knowledge of the basketball world is unrivaled. Yet he is writing here about far more than just basketball. This is a story about a place in our society where power, money, and talent collide and sometimes corrupt, a place where both national obsessions and naked greed are exposed. It's about the influence of big media, the fans and the hype they subsist on, the clash of ethics, the terrible physical demands of modern sports (from drugs to body size), the unreal salaries, the conflicts of race and class, and the consequences of sport converted into mass entertainment and athletes transformed into superstars -- all presented in a way that puts the reader in the room and on the court, and The Breaks of the Game in a league of its own.

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Play Their Hearts Out - George Dohrmann Cover Art

Play Their Hearts Out

Play Their Hearts Out A Coach, His Star Recruit, and the Youth Basketball Machine by George Dohrmann

“A tour de force of reporting” ( The Washington Post ) from a Pulitzer–prize winning journalist that examines the often-corrupt machine producing America’s basketball stars “Indispensable.”— The Wall Street Journal “Often heart-breaking, always riveting.”— The New York Times Book Review “Tremendous.”— The Plain Dealer Winner of the PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sportswriting • Winner of the Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Youth Sports Using eight years of unfettered access and a keen sense of a story’s deepest truths, journalist George Dohrmann reveals a cutthroat world where boys as young as eight or nine are subjected to a dizzying torrent of scrutiny and exploitation. At the book’s heart are the personal stories of two compelling figures: Joe Keller, an ambitious coach with a master plan to find and promote “the next LeBron,” and Demetrius Walker, a fatherless latchkey kid who falls under Keller’s sway and struggles to live up to unrealistic expectations.    Complete with a new “where-are-they-now” epilogue by the author, Play Their Hearts Out is a thoroughly compelling narrative exposing the gritty reality that lies beneath so many dreams of fame and glory.   One of GQ ’S 50 Best Books of Literary Journalism of the 21st Century • One of the Best Books of the Year: Los Angeles Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Kirkus Reviews This edition includes an exclusive conversation between George Dohrmann and bestselling author Seth Davis.

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Heart of a Champion - Carl Deuker Cover Art

Heart of a Champion

Heart of a Champion by Carl Deuker

Jimmy Winter is a born star on the baseball field, and Seth Barnam can only dream of being as talented. Still, the two baseball fanatics have the kind of friendship that should last forever. But when Seth experiences an unthinkable loss, he's forced to find his own personal strength--on and off the field. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults An ALA Best Book for Reluctant Readers A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Book of the Year

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Breaking Cardinal Rules - Katina Powell & Dick Cady Cover Art

Breaking Cardinal Rules

Breaking Cardinal Rules Basketball and the Escort Queen by Katina Powell & Dick Cady

An expose of sexual recruiting tactics from the journal pages of an escort queen. Breaking Cardinal Rules is an exposé by escort Katina Powell based on her experiences providing sexual services for the basketball program at the University of Louisville. It is written with Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Dick Cady. Powell has filled five journals with details of her escort escapades, sexual encounters and her activities at the University of Louisville. Most of the U of L services she provided took place in the men's dormitory where most of the basket players reside. Her main contact and the man with the money–the school's former director of basketball operations and former graduate assistant, Andre McGee–kept Powell and her girls busy from 2010 to 2014. Powell does not present a sympathetic character. Her life is full of contradictions. She has no remorse over the choices she has made. Her story is true in all its graphic detail. "If you think you've heard seamy tales about recruiting before, wait till you get a load of this. The Louisville high command has vowed to take the matter very seriously. It should." -Mike Lopresti, retired USA Today sports columnist ABOUT DICK CADY Dick Cady worked for the Dearborn (Michigan) Guide, Ypsilanti Daily Press, Detroit News, Indianapolis Star and Newsday and also wrote for The Nation, NUVO Newsweekly, Indianapolis Monthly Magazine, the Johnson County Journal and Bloomington Herald-Times. He won 51 local, state and national journalism awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for special local reporting, the Associated Press Freedom of Information Award, the Drew Pearson Award, George Polk Memorial Award, Sigma Delta Chi national journalism society Gold Medal, an American Bar Association special certificate of merit, and two National Headliners awards. In 1976-77 he was assistant director of "The Arizona Project" sponsored by Investigative Reporters and Editors, which examined organized crime, political corruption and land fraud after the assassination of Phoenix reporter Don Bolles. The project won a special gold medal from Sigma Delta Chi as "the outstanding investigative reporting effort of the year." Cady is the author of six books. Keywords: University Of Louisville, Cardinals, Recruitment, Basketball, College, Sports, Recruitment Violations, Sex, Striptease Andre Mcgee, Escorting Services

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Coach Wooden and Me - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Cover Art

Coach Wooden and Me

Coach Wooden and Me Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Former NBA star and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explores his 50-year friendship with Coach John Wooden, one of the most enduring and meaningful relationships in sports history. When future NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still an 18-year-old high school basketball prospect from New York City named Lew Alcindor, he accepted a scholarship from UCLA largely on the strength of Coach John Wooden's reputation as a winner. It turned out to be the right choice, as Alcindor and his teammates won an unprecedented three NCAA championship titles. But it also marked the beginning of one of the most extraordinary and enduring friendships in the history of sports. In Coach Wooden and Me , Abdul-Jabbar reveals the inspirational story of how his bond with John Wooden evolved from a history-making coach-player mentorship into a deep and genuine friendship that transcended sports, shaped the course of both men's lives, and lasted for half a century. Coach Wooden and Me is a stirring tribute to the subtle but profound influence that Wooden had on Kareem as a player, and then as a person, as they began to share their cultural, religious, and family values while facing some of life's biggest obstacles. From his first day of practice, when the players were taught the importance of putting on their athletic socks properly; to gradually absorbing the sublime wisdom of Coach Wooden's now famous "Pyramid of Success"; to learning to cope with the ugly racism that confronted black athletes during the turbulent Civil Rights era as well as losing loved ones, Abdul-Jabbar fondly recalls how Coach Wooden's fatherly guidance not only paved the way for his unmatched professional success but also made possible a lifetime of personal fulfillment. Full of intimate, never-before-published details and delivered with the warmth and erudition of a grateful student who has learned his lessons well, Coach Wooden and Me is at once a celebration of the unique philosophical outlook of college basketball's most storied coach and a moving testament to the all-conquering power of friendship. Instant New York Times and USA Today Bestseller President Barack Obama's Favorite Book of 2017 A Boston Globe and Huffington Post Best Book of 2017 Pick

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Got to Give the People What They Want - Jalen Rose Cover Art

Got to Give the People What They Want

Got to Give the People What They Want True Stories and Flagrant Opinions from Center Court by Jalen Rose

“I want to start conversations, and even better, arguments.” – From the Introduction   One of the most outspoken and original voices in sports sounds off while revealing his incredible life story.   Jalen Rose has never been quiet.  Not as a kid growing up in Detroit in the 70’s and 80’s.  Not as the brash, trash-talking leader of the legendary “Fab Five” at the University of Michigan.  Not as the player under the stewardship of Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas and others throughout his 13-year NBA career.  And certainly not as a commentator and analyst on ABC/ESPN and Grantland.     In Got to Give the People What They Want , no topic is off limits.   Honest, unfiltered, unbiased.  Raw, refreshing, real.  This colorful collection of stories and opinions about basketball and life gives people the kind of insight and understanding they don’t get anywhere else in the sports world. 

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Season on the Brink - John Feinstein Cover Art

Season on the Brink

Season on the Brink by John Feinstein

Decades after it spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, A Season on the Brink remains the most celebrated basketball book ever written—an unforgettable chronicle of his year spent following the Indiana Hoosiers and their fiery coach Bob Knight. Granted unprecedented access to legendary coach Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers during the 1985–86 season, John Feinstein saw and heard it all—practices, team meetings, strategy sessions, and midgame huddles—as the team worked to return to championship form. The result is an unforgettable chronicle that not only captures the drama and pressure of big-time college basketball but also paints a vivid portrait of a complex, brilliant coach as he walks the fine line between genius and madness. This anniversary edition features an updated Introduction by Feinstein.

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Kevin Durant - Belmont & Belcourt Biographies Cover Art

Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant An Unauthorized Biography by Belmont & Belcourt Biographies

Kevin Durant is a star on the rise. A six-foot, nine-inch small forward, Durant has worked his way into an elite class of NBA all-stars. The 2008 Rookie of the Year led the league in scoring in the 2009-10 season and was the youngest player ever to win the NBA scoring title. This biography explores Durant’s upbringing, his high school and college basketball careers, and details his breakthrough into the NBA, all the way through the conclusion of the 2014-2015 season. From family to basketball to the future, all you need to know about Kevin Durant is right here, right now, in the most up to date coverage of Kevin Durant’s life. This book also includes all of Kevin Durant’s college and professional statistics.

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Boys Among Men - Jonathan Abrams Cover Art

Boys Among Men

Boys Among Men How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution by Jonathan Abrams

The definitive, never-before-told story of the prep-to-pro generation, those basketball prodigies who from 1995 to 2005 made the jump directly from high school to the NBA .   When Kevin Garnett shocked the world by announcing that he would not be attending college—as young basketball prodigies were expected to do—but instead enter the 1995 NBA draft directly from high school, he blazed a trail for a generation of teenage basketball players to head straight for the pros. That trend would continue until the NBA instituted an age limit in 2005, requiring all players to attend college or another developmental program for at least one year.   Over that decade-plus period, the list of players who made that difficult leap includes some of the most celebrated players of the modern era—Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady, and numerous other stars. It also includes notable “busts” who either physically or mentally proved unable to handle the transition. But for better or for worse, the face of the NBA was forever changed by the prep-to-pro generation. In compelling, masterfully crafted prose,  Boys Among Men  goes behind the scenes and draws on hundreds of firsthand interviews to paint insightful and engaging portraits of the most pivotal figures and events during this time. Award-winning basketball writer Jonathan Abrams has obtained remarkable access to the key players, coaches, and other movers and shakers from that time, and the result is a book packed with rare insights and never-before-published details about this chapter in NBA history.  Boys Among Men  is a thrilling, informative, must-read for any basketball fan.

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LeBron James - Belmont & Belcourt Biographies Cover Art

LeBron James

LeBron James An Unauthorized Biography by Belmont & Belcourt Biographies

LeBron James, The Chosen One, is one of the greatest and most controversial basketball players in the history of the NBA. He is an eight-time NBA All-Star, a three-time league MVP, and now - a champion. Most fans are aware of his amazing accomplishments on the court and of his controversial "Decision" to leave Cleveland for South Beach, but in order to truly understand LeBron James, you must first understand where he came from. LeBron James: An Unauthorized Biography explores James' upbringing, his high school career, and details his breakthrough into the NBA, all the way through the end of the 2014-2015 regular season.   James' exceptional talents and off-court antics have fans and critics alike wondering where his career will take him next. Inside, you will discover where it all started and learn why fans both love and hate James so much. From family to basketball to the future, all you need to know about LeBron James is right here, right now, in the most up to date coverage of LeBron James's life.  This book also includes all of LeBron James' NBA statistics. 

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Basketball (and Other Things) - Shea Serrano, Arturo Torres & Reggie Miller Cover Art

Basketball (and Other Things)

Basketball (and Other Things) A Collection of Questions Asked, Answered, Illustrated by Shea Serrano, Arturo Torres & Reggie Miller

#1 New York Times  bestseller Who is the greatest dunker of all time? Which version of the Michael Jordan was the best Michael Jordan? What is allowed and absolutely not allowed in a game of pickup basketball? Basketball (and Other Things) presents readers with a whole new set of pivotal and ridiculous fan disputes from basketball history, providing arguments and answers, explained with the wit and wisdom that is unique to Shea Serrano. Serrano breaks down debates that NBA fans didn’t even know they needed, from the classic (How many years during his career was Kobe Bryant actually the best player in the league?) to the fantastical (If you could assign different values to different shots throughout basketball history, what would they be and why?). With incredible art from Arturo Torres, this book is a must-have for anyone who has ever stayed up late into the night debating basketball’s greatest moments, what-ifs, stories, and legends, or for those who are discovering the mythology of basketball for the first time.

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Unguarded - Scottie Pippen Cover Art

Unguarded

Unguarded by Scottie Pippen

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER This unflinching “master class” ( The New York Times ) of a memoir from two-time Olympic gold medalist and NBA Hall of Famer reveals how Scottie Pippen, the youngest of twelve, overcame two family tragedies and universal disregard by college scouts to become an essential component of the greatest basketball dynasty of the last fifty years. Scottie Pippen has been called one of the greatest NBA players for good reason. Simply put, without Pippen, there are no championship banners—let alone six—hanging from the United Center rafters. There’s no Last Dance documentary. There’s no “Michael Jordan” as we know him. The 1990s Chicago Bulls teams would not exist as we know them. So how did the youngest of twelve go from growing up poor in the small town of Hamburg, Arkansas, enduring two family tragedies along the way, to become a revered NBA legend? How did the scrawny teen, overlooked by every major collegiate basketball program, go on to become the fifth overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft? And, perhaps most compelling, how did Pippen set aside his ego (and his own limitless professional ceiling) in order for the Bulls to become the most dominant basketball dynasty of the last half century? In Unguarded , the six-time champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist finally opens up to offer pointed and transparent takes on Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, and Dennis Rodman, among others. Pippen details how he cringed at being labeled Jordan’s sidekick, and discusses how he could have (and should have) received more respect from the Bulls’ management and the media. Pippen reveals never-before-told stories about some of the most famous games in league history, including the 1994 playoff game against the New York Knicks when he took himself out with 1.8 seconds to go. He discusses what it was like dealing with Jordan on a day-to-day basis, while serving as the facilitator for the offense and the anchor for the defense. Pippen is finally giving millions of adoring basketball fans what they crave; an unvarnished, “closely observed, and uncommonly modest” ( Kirkus Reviews ) look into his life and role within one of the greatest, most popular teams of all time.

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There Is No Next - Sam Smith Cover Art

There Is No Next

There Is No Next NBA Legends on the Legacy of Michael Jordan by Sam Smith

Thirty years after Michael Jordan’s first NBA game comes an oral history of his legendary career, told by the men who played with him and against him, coached him, and witnessed first-hand the iconic greatness of the most dominant athlete sports has ever seen. Featuring interviews with: Larry Bird • Magic Johnson • Phil Jackson • Reggie Miller • Isiah Thomas • Reggie Theus • Chris Mullin • Doug Collins • Dominique Wilkins • Steve Kerr • John Paxson • David Stern • Gregg Popovich • Derek Harper • Bill Walton • Karl Malone • Horace Grant • Joe Dumars • Danny Ainge • B.J. Armstrong • Marv Albert • Grant Hill • Jerry Colangelo • Bill Cartwright • Jerry Reinsdorf • Johnny Bach • Rod Thorn • Rick Barry • Kevin Loughery • David Axelrod • President Barack Obama • and many more! Written by Sam Smith—author of the New York Times bestseller THE JORDAN RULES and recent inductee into the NBA Hall of Fame—THERE IS NO NEXT assembles a cast of Hall-of-Famers, teammates, opponents, coaches, and others who experienced the ferocious drive and unparalleled greatness that defined Jordan’s career. Packed with previously untold stories and stunning insight into Jordan and his six championships, THERE IS NO NEXT is the last word on why there has never been, and will never be, another Michael Jordan.

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The Victory Machine - Ethan Sherwood Strauss Cover Art

The Victory Machine

The Victory Machine The Making and Unmaking of the Warriors Dynasty by Ethan Sherwood Strauss

How money, guts, and greed built the Warriors dynasty -- and then took it apart The Golden State Warriors dominated the NBA for the better part of a decade. Since the arrival of owner Joe Lacob, they won more championships and sold more merchandise than any other franchise in the sport. And in 2019, they opened the doors on a lavish new stadium. Yet all this success contained some of the seeds of decline. Ethan Sherwood Strauss's clear-eyed exposé reveals the team's culture, its financial ambitions and struggles, and the price that its players and managers have paid for all their winning. From Lacob's unlikely acquisition of the team to Kevin Durant's controversial departure, Strauss shows how the smallest moments can define success or failure for years. And, looking ahead, Strauss ponders whether this organization can rebuild after its abrupt fall from the top, and how a relentless business wears down its players and executives. The Victory Machine is a defining book on the modern NBA: it not only rewrites the story of the Warriors, but shows how the Darwinian business of pro basketball really works.

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The Kobe Code: Eight Principles For Success -- An Insider's Look into Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant's Warrior Life & the Code He Lives By - Pat Mixon Cover Art

The Kobe Code: Eight Principles For Success -- An Insider's Look into Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant's Warrior Life & the Code He Lives By

The Kobe Code: Eight Principles For Success -- An Insider's Look into Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant's Warrior Life & the Code He Lives By Eight Principles For Success -- An Insider's Look into Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant's Warrior Life & the Code He Lives By by Pat Mixon

Strength & Honor. A code that Kobe Bryant seems to live by. This inspiring & practical guide takes a unique spin on the traditional unauthorized biography by providing insight into how Kobe approaches his life, on & off the court. Also, by highlighting Eight Principles For Success pulled from various stages in his life, this book allows you to potentially apply these practices to your own life.

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Basketball For Dummies - Richard Phelps, Tim Bourret & John Walters Cover Art

Basketball For Dummies

Basketball For Dummies by Richard Phelps, Tim Bourret & John Walters

The easy way to get the ins, outs, and intrigue on this beloved sport The National Basketball Association (NBA), with 30 teams and an average attendance of more than 17,000 spectators per game, is the richest and most popular basketball league — and arguably the most viewed American sport — in the world. This new edition of Basketball For Dummies not only covers the rules and regulations of the NBA, but offers coverage on the WNBA, NCAA, and international basketball leagues. Basketball For Dummies is a valuable resource to the many fans of this beloved sport, covering everything from players and personalities in the game to rules, regulations, and equipment. Completely updated with information and intrigue that's occurred in the sport since publication of the previous edition, Basketball For Dummies gets you up to speed on everything from NCAA Tournament brackets to college players en route to the NBA. Coverage of the rules and regulations of the NBA Interesting topics like LeBron the Phenom, ESPN'S influence on the NBA, and the UCONN women's basketball dynasty Digger's take on John Wooden Whether you're a basketball player or a courtside spectator, Basketball For Dummies is a slam-dunk of information and intrigue for anyone who loves the sport.

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Jeremy Lin - Belmont & Belcourt Biographies Cover Art

Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin An Unauthorized Biography by Belmont & Belcourt Biographies

Where did Jeremy Lin come from? Kobe Bryant said it best: “Players playing that well don't usually come out of nowhere. It seems like they come out of nowhere, but if you can go back and take a look, his skill level was probably there from the beginning. It probably just went unnoticed." After being passed over by top colleges, then spending a year warming benches and getting passed back and forth between teams and only seeing game time in the D-League, Jeremy Lin gave the world of professional basketball an unforgettable breakout performance, rocking Madison Square Garden and leaving everybody asking, “Just where did this guy come from?” The answer is simple – He’s been hiding in plain sight. The 23 year old Harvard graduate has been an outstanding ball-player from an early age. Jeremy Lin’s story is both astounding and uplifting and something that shouldn’t be missed. From obscurity to “Linsanity” – this is the story of Jeremy Lin. This book also includes all of Lin's collegiate, D-League, and NBA statistics.

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The Hoops Whisperer - Idan Ravin Cover Art

The Hoops Whisperer

The Hoops Whisperer On the Court and Inside the Heads of Basketball's Best Players by Idan Ravin

Basketball’s most unlikely—and most sought-after—training guru offers an inside look at his career, his methods, and the all-star players whose games he’s helped transform.   Where do the best basketball players in the world turn when they want to improve their game? Whom does a future NBA Hall of Famer thank at his press conference when he’s named Rookie of the Year? Who is it that Sports Illustrated , The Wall Street Journal , and Men’s Journal all call the "Hoops Whisperer" because of his ability to engage, inspire, and challenge the players he trains? The answer to all of these questions is Idan Ravin. Ravin never played or coached in college or the pros, yet a virtual NBA All-Star team relies on him to better their game and reach their full potential. A soft-spoken former lawyer, Ravin has become professional basketball’s hottest trainer. In The Hoops Whisperer , Ravin shares the fascinating story of how he transformed a passion for the game into working with iconic basketball stars such as Chris Paul, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Dwight Howard, and many more.  He offers a rare unguarded glimpse inside the lives of these great athletes, drawn from his intimate connection with them that is the basis of his success.  Showcasing his unorthodox drills and improvisational techniques in action, Ravin reveals how faith, effort, dedication, and passion can make a player into a superstar—and anyone into a success. Combined with his own inspiring journey, Ravin’s insights make  The Hoops Whisperer a must-read for anyone who loves the game.  

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LeBron, Inc. - Brian Windhorst Cover Art

LeBron, Inc.

LeBron, Inc. The Making of a Billion-Dollar Athlete by Brian Windhorst

From the New York Times bestselling author of Return of the King comes the story of LeBron James's incredible transformation from basketball star to sports and business mogul. With eight straight trips to the NBA Finals, LeBron James has proven himself one of the greatest basketball players of all time. And like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan before him, LeBron has also become a global brand and businessman who has altered the way professional athletes think about their value, maximize their leverage, and use their voice. LEBRON, INC tells the story of James's journey down the path to becoming a billionaire sports icon -- his successes, his failures, and the lessons both have taught him along the way. With plenty of newsmaking tidbits about his rollercoaster last season in Cleveland and high-profile move to the Lakers, LEBRON, INC. shows how James has changed the way most elite athletes manage their careers, and how he launched a movement among his peers that may last decades beyond his playing days.

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