Basketball Books

Book SynopsisThe word legend is thrown around all too easily these days, but there can be no doubt that the NBA players featured in this book are the very best to have ever graced a basketball court. They are true legends of the game. Spanning the decades and covering all the league?s most iconic eras, this book uncovers the fascinating stories and incredible accomplishments of the greatest basketball players. From the game?s first superstars, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Jerry West, to the modern-day greats of the late Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Garnett. There are also in-depth features on Lakers legends Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O?Neal, as well as Celtics great Larry Bird, while it also explores 23 reasons why Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time. It?s not just about great players, though. Without great coaches there would be no great players, legendary teams, or memorable matchups. That?s why this book also runs down the 10 most successful and influential coaches from NBA history, looks back at the 10 greatest championship-winning teams, and relives 10 of the best ever games. It also includes a review of the 50 most iconic NBA players of all time.

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Book Synopsis40 years of stunning basketball photographyboth on the court and offfrom one of the sport's greatest chroniclers As one of the NBA's premier photographers, Nathaniel S. Butler has shot it all. From iconic moments like Ray Allen's corner three to intimate portraits of Bill Russell and the NBA50 and NBA75 teams to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and Steph Curry clinching championships, if it was a history-making basketball moment, Butler was there. Courtside: 40 Years of NBA Photography is a spectacular photographic collection spanning the first four decades of Butler's career, including the current draft class's rookie season. With commentary from NBA legends across generations, including Patrick Ewing, Steph Curry, Jeremy Lin, and Victor Wembanyama, this is the insider look at the National Basketball Association and the man whose photographs have helped define its rise. This handsome coffee table book is the perfect gift for the basketball fan in your life.

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Book SynopsisLegends of the NBAfeatures illustrated profiles of 28 retired basketball greats, including pioneers of the game such as Earl Lloyd and Bill Russell, Dream Team players like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, and more recent all-stars, such as Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. Young readers will learn about where each of these stars grew up, how he made it to the top, and what makes his playing style unique. Filled with career highlights, key stats, and action-packed photos, this book will wow both the basketball novice and the passionate fan.Table of ContentsKAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR 6 CHARLES BARKLEY 8 ELGIN BAYLOR 10 LARRY BIRD 12 KOBE BRYANT 14 VINCE CARTER 16 WILT CHAMBERLAIN 18 TIM DUNCAN 20 JULIUS ERVING 22 KEVIN GARNETT 24 JOHN HAVLICEK 26 ALLEN IVERSON 28 MAGIC JOHNSON 30 MICHAEL JORDAN 32 MOSES MALONE 34 STEVE NASH 36 DIRK NOWITZKI 38 HAKEEM OLAJUWON 40 SHAQUILLE O’NEAL 42 SCOTTIE PIPPEN 44 OSCAR ROBERTSON 46 DAVID ROBINSON 48 BILL RUSSELL 50 ISIAH THOMAS 52 DWYANE WADE 54 JERRY WEST 56 DOMINIQUE WILKINS 58 YAO MING 60

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER  The first definitive biography of basketball legend LeBron James, by the acclaimed author of Tiger Woods. LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of the twenty-first century and vying with Michael Jordan as the greatest of all time. The reigning king of the game, LeBron wears the crown like he was born with it. Yet his ascent has been anything but effortless and predetermined.  As a child, he was a scared and lonely little boy living a nomadic existence in Akron, Ohio. Destitute and fatherless, one year he missed almost 100 days of school. Desperate, his mother placed him with a family that gave him stability and put a basketball in his hands.  Bringing home Cleveland's first NBA championship was the culmination of a stellar multi-championship, multi-MVP, gold medal-decorated career -- Le Bron is the NBA'Trade Review'Masterful . . . Propulsive . . . This is a fast break of a book, slicing into the many mini-narratives that James has lived and artfully tying them together to create a portrait of a man who has, by his own design, remained an enigma except to those he decides to trust. Benedict has constructed a sort of sports opera fueled by the drama and emotion surrounding his subject, but never sensationalistic or unfair. . . Benedict’s greatest feat here might be the way he cuts through both the public hysteria surrounding James and the superstar’s own protective field to paint a portrait of a man in full. . . . LeBron isn’t just great sportswriting, it’s also vivid narrative journalism' * Los Angeles Times *'Inspiring . . . An absorbing chronicle of talent, character, pluck, and luck' * Wall Street Journal *'The definitive biography of LeBron James . . . [Readers] will appreciate the perspective Benedict provides when it comes to just how much James changed the perception of what it means to be a modern athlete' * Associated Press *'The definitive biography . . . It’s fantastic. . . . So rich in granular detail' * Sports Illustrated *'LeBron is fantastic. Add it to your list' -- Jon Bon Jovi'An absolutely consumable book. It’s the kind of in-depth reporting and context that you just don’t get. . . . I thought I knew just about everything about LeBron. But the details and the digging here are so fun' -- Colin Cowherd'Jeff Benedict knows how to begin and tell a story. . . . He’s a master of his craft. . . . The vividness and execution of his writing . . . is almost cinematic, like watching an episode of Succession' * Irish Examiner *'A skilfully confected and readable book that does very well with James’s childhood' * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisAn informative and hilarious illustrated look at the thirty-six most important arguments ever made about basketball, from the super serious to the super ridiculousTrade Review“Cleverly written and beautifully illustrated… It's a must for any basketball fan.” Esquire“It’s a book that will actively have readers learning more about basketball and having fun doing so.” -- USA Today Sports

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Book Synopsis #1 New York Times bestseller“Hilarious, informative.” —Slam Magazine“The ultimate book on basketball fandom.” —NPR “Cleverly written . . . A must for any basketball fan.” —Esquire“Full of hilarious hypotheticals, fun footnotes, and magnificent illustration.” —Buzzfeed Every fan of Shea Serrano’s unconventional, hilarious, and insightful writing will want to add this hardcover edition of his wildly popular Basketball (and Other Things) to their sports book collection. This edition features a new cover and two new chapters as well as a removable basketball card that showcases Serrano’s trademark creativity and Arturo Torres’s inimitable illustration style. On first publication, this unique, eye-opening look at basketball history and stars became a nationwide bestseller. Serrano covers Trade Review“Shea Serrano’s new book… is a hilarious, informative group of passages that answer questions you never realized needed to be asked." * Slam Magazine *"Shea Serrano's Basketball (And Other Things) is equal parts hilarious and enlightening... this is the ultimate book on basketball fandom.” * NPR *“Cleverly written and beautifully illustrated… It's a must for any basketball fan.” * Esquire *“Even if you’re a basketball novice or die-hard Spurs fan like Shea, this is a perfect companion to his Rap Year Book: full of myths, what-ifs, and hyperspecific fanaticism.” * Vulture *“The book is Serrano’s testament to the great joys of basketball fandom…” * The FADER *“It's full of hilarious hypotheticals, fun footnotes, and magnificent illustrations…” * Buzzfeed *...hilarious and insightful... * Men's Journal *“With colorful, comic-book depictions of Spurs great Tim Duncan and other NBA stars by artist Arturo Torres, Serrano drops some serious and seriously funny knowledge on a sprawling range of hoops debates.“ * San Antonio Express-News *“The sports-obsessed teen will definitely love this (even if they don’t read any other books).” * Travel + Leisure *“…weird and very fun…” * The Indianapolis Star *“An original work that captures the spirit of basketball.” * Library Journal *All of the musings—the book spans 240 pages and is comprised of 33 chapters—is playfully illustrated by Arturo Torres and serves as a reminder that although basketball fans may get all riled debating GOAT status and greatest teams, the NBA, at its core, is just plain fun. * Hoop Magazine *“The questions Serrano asks and answers (and that Arturo Torres illustrates in engaging graphic-novel style) includes many barstool argument-starters ("Who's the Greatest Dunker in NBA History?," "What Year Was Michael Jordan the Best Version of Michael Jordan?") as well as some nerdily conceptual ones.“ -- Jim Higgins * The Milwuakee Journal-Sentinel *Amazing artwork by Torres adds Jack Kirby-esque crackle to the book... * The San Antonio Current *“Serrano deftly unravels the history of basketball via ridiculous debates, quirky answers and unexpected wisdom.” * Ozy *“The game’s impact and influence on everything from fashion to young POC kids’ work ethic is undeniable and some, like Shea Serrano, have always been attuned to that.” * Remezcla *“…this coffee-table-book-that-you’ll-actually-read is a perfect gift for anyone who’s up for debating which qualities make a great basketball villain—or which NBA player they’d want as an ally if The Purgehappened in real life.” * Mental Floss *

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Book SynopsisDrawing from more than 250 interviews to take the first full measure of the Lakers'' epic Showtime era, this spectacular account of one of America''s greatest sports sagas is jam-packed with colorful characters, vicious rivalries and 1980s-style excess.

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Book SynopsisESPN 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 nev

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Book SynopsisRead all about today's greatest basketball players in this exciting book full of action-packed photos.This second edition of the best-selling Stars of the NBA has been revised and updated from cover to cover. It profiles twenty-eight of today's top NBA players, from legends like Steph Curry and Nikolia Jokic to rookie standouts like Victor Wembanyama andChet Holmgren. Young readers will learn about their favourite players' life stories, unique styles of play, and defining moments on the court.Packed with colourful photos and key stats, Stars of the NBA belongs to the Abbeville Sports series, which also includes Legends of the NBA ISBN 9780789214430 (about the greatest players of the past), Stars of the NFL ISBN 9780789214577, and Stars of World Soccer ISBN 9780789214751.

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Book SynopsisWith a new introduction, Phil Jackson's modern classic of motivation, teamwork and Zen insight.

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Book SynopsisIllustrated profiles of the very best NBA players and a definitive history of basketball, fully updated and revised for the new season.

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Book SynopsisThis is a collection of short but extraordinarily powerful essays as to how Coach K of Duke inspires, motivates, and teaches his basketball players about the game of life, both on and off the court.For Mike Krzyzewski, the legendary head coach of the Duke University men's basketball team, certain words have special importance and force. Coach K used them every day to energize, motivate, and teach his players how to be winners on the court and in every aspect of their lives. Now, in Beyond Basketball, he offers 40 short, hard-hitting essays-each centered on an important keyword and illustrated with anecdotes from his personal experience-that will educate and inspire.

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Book SynopsisThe most iconic moments and stories of the NBA. In NBA 75, sports writer and basketball super fan Dave Zarum tells the story of the NBA, all 75 years -- from its early barnstorming days to the multi-billion-dollar sports league it is today. Readers are treated to all the biggest moments and greatest superstars, with over 75 stories.

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Book SynopsisBig Cat Phonics for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised has been developed in collaboration with Wandle Learning Trust and Little Sutton Primary School. It comprises classroom resources to support the SSP programme and a range of phonic readers that together provide a consistent and highly effective approach to teaching phonics.

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Book SynopsisThrough "self-assessment and design fitness system", this book enables readers to effectively pinpoint the weaknesses in their basketball skills and tailor a workout program that will improve on all the flaws in their game. By taking advantage of skill-specific tests, readers will be able to focus their workout time on the area they most need.

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Book SynopsisThe long-awaited photographic memoir from basketball superstar Dwyane Wade, beautifully designed with hundreds of photos from Wade’s life on and off the court.[A] trip down memory lane with one of the NBA''s greats. ... For those yearning for the personal side of Wade, they need to look no further. —Sports IllustratedFor 16 years, Dwyane Wade has dazzled basketball fans with his on-court artistry and has built his personal brand into one of the most powerful ones in sports. In this beautiful full-color memoir, featuring more than 200 photos from Bob Metelus, who has been documenting Wade’s career for more than a decade, Wade takes readers inside his fascinating life and career.Dwyane moves from Wade’s challenging upbringing on the South Side of Chicago through his college career at Marquette, where he went from unheralded recruit to one of college basketball’s greatest stars, to his extraordinary years with the Miami Heat, with whom he won three NBA championships and was named an All-Star 13 times. Off the court, too, his star has transcended basketball. In Dwyane he takes readers inside his relationship with Gabrielle Union; his dedication to his children and experiences as a father; and his varied interests outside of basketball, from fashion to winemaking.Dwyane is a deep dive into the mind and heart of one of the most compelling basketball players of all time.

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Book SynopsisForged by the crucible of this family saga, Steve went on to chart an unparalleled life in basketball, on the court and on the sidelines.The only coach other than Red Auerbach to lead a team to the Finals five consecutive seasons, Kerr seems destined for the Basketball Hall of Fame.Trade Review"Thrilling. ... Casual fans and hoops nuts alike will love this illuminating work." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Riveting. ... Deftly recounted. ... Kerr's time with the Bulls comes alive in the author's telling. ... This engaging biography is a must-read for basketball fans." — Library Journal (starred review) "If Lou Gehrig were here, he might agree Steve Kerr is the luckiest man alive, as Steve often says. Because Steve's is a heck of a story and you could write a book about it. Oh, right. Scott Howard-Cooper did. And it's well told through Steve's personal triumphs and tragedy and triumph and triumph and triumph, all achieved and experienced with endearing humor and humility. You can't believe how he got there until you know how he did. And then you appreciate Steve even more and Scott for bringing the story to us." — SAM SMITH, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Jordan Rules “The Kerr story is an amazing one, and Scott Howard-Cooper has given us a fascinating look at a fascinating life. Kerr takes such a mirthful, ironic approach, filled with self deprecation, to so much of the business of competing, yet make no mistake. Underneath all of that is a hard-edged, driven competitor, burnished in many cases by disappointment and sorrow, yet possessed of immense wisdom and insight into the emotional lives of NBA players and coaches. Scott Howard-Cooper has captured brilliantly the mystery of all that. I must say I'm quite envious.” — ROLAND LAZENBY, author of Michael Jordan: The Life "Steve Kerr has lived an amazing life, with moments of great elation and immense pain. Scott Howard-Cooper has put together an important, well-researched book that reflects all the ups and downs of Kerr's journey through basketball and beyond, with keen insights as to what makes him a successful coach and a deeply admirable human being. You don't have to be a Warriors fan, or even a basketball fan, to enjoy this book." — SETH DAVIS, basketball reporter and author, CBS Sports and The Athletic "A compelling account that demands a place in any sports collection." — Booklist "[A] highly entertaining look at one of basketball’s most interesting people." — Plainview Herald "One of the few writers with the combination of juice and talent to make a project like this work. ... A comprehensive look at one of the most interesting men in professional sports today. ... A breezy, fast-moving read that—much like its titular namesake—makes the majority of its shots." — The Maine Edge

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERThe definitive biography of college basketball’s all-time winningest coach, Mike Krzyzewski.Mike Krzyzewski, known worldwide as “Coach K,” is a five-time national champion at Duke, the NCAA’s all-time leader in victories with nearly 1,200, and the first man to lead Team USA to three Olympic basketball gold medals. Through unprecedented access to Krzyzewski’s best friends, closest advisers, fiercest adversaries, and generations of his players and assistants, three-time New York Times bestselling author Ian O’Connor takes you behind the Blue Devil curtain with a penetrating examination of the great but flawed leader as he closes out his iconic career.Krzyzewski built a staggering basketball empire that has endured for more than four decades, placing him among the all-time titans of American sport, and yet there has never been a defining portra

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Book SynopsisAn inside look at the season that proved to be the final ride of a truly great dynasty—Kobe Bryant, Shaq, and the LA Lakers For the countless basketball fans who were spellbound by the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2003–2004 high-wire act, this book is a rare and phenomenal treat. In The Last Season, Lakers coach Phil Jackson draws on his trademark honesty and insight to tell the whole story of the season that proved to be the final ride of a truly great dynasty. From the signing of future Hall-of-Famers Karl Malone and Gary Payton to the Kobe Bryant rape case/media circus, this is a riveting tale of clashing egos, public feuds, contract disputes, and team meltdowns that only a coach, and a writer, of Jackson’s candor, experience, and ability could tell. Full of tremendous human drama and offering lessons on coaching and on life, this is a book that no sports fan can possibly pass up.

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Book SynopsisMidnight basketball may not have been invented in Chicago, but the City of Big Shoulders home of Michael Jordan and the Bulls is where it first came to national prominence. And it's also where Douglas Hartmann first began to think seriously about the audacious notion that organizing young men to run around in the wee hours of the night all trying to throw a leather ball through a metal hoop could constitute meaningful social policy. Organized in the 1980s and '90s by dozens of American cities, late-night basketball leagues were designed for social intervention, risk reduction, and crime prevention targeted at African American youth and young men. In Midnight Basketball, Hartmann traces the history of the program and the policy transformations of the period, while exploring the racial ideologies, cultural tensions, and institutional realities that shaped the entire field of sports-based social policy. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, the book also brings to life the actual, on-the-ground

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Book SynopsisMidnight basketball may not have been invented in Chicago, but the City of Big Shoulders home of Michael Jordan and the Bulls is where it first came to national prominence. And it's also where Douglas Hartmann first began to think seriously about the audacious notion that organizing young men to run around in the wee hours of the night all trying to throw a leather ball through a metal hoop could constitute meaningful social policy. Organized in the 1980s and '90s by dozens of American cities, late-night basketball leagues were designed for social intervention, risk reduction, and crime prevention targeted at African American youth and young men. In Midnight Basketball, Hartmann traces the history of the program and the policy transformations of the period, while exploring the racial ideologies, cultural tensions, and institutional realities that shaped the entire field of sports-based social policy. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, the book also brings to life the actual, on-the-ground

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Book SynopsisIn urban and rural high schools throughout Illinois, basketball is a Friday night ritual. This book brings together the stories of the great players, teams, and coaches from the 1940s through the 1990s. It is titled for four players - Sweet Charlie Brown, Dike Eddleman, Cazzie Russell, and Bobby Joe Mason.

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Book SynopsisTells the story of the most significant college basketball program at a pivotal period in American cultural history.Trade ReviewA Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2014. "This volume uncovers the indelible link between sports and society in the US. While he focuses on Wooden and UCLA men's basketball, Smith remains mindful of the larger forces molding the young men who played for the 'Wizard of Westwood.' Highly recommended."--Choice"The Sons of Westwood is an excellent, wide-ranging history, not only of UCLA basketball and the Wizard of Westwood, but of the great social movements which characterized the era of the Wooden Dynasty. I recommend it to any who love basketball or are interested in one of the more interesting periods of recent American life. John Matthew Smith is a historian on which we should all keep our eye."--Charles E. Young, Chancellor Emeritus, UCLA"This is the John Wooden book I've been waiting to read--a well-written, meticulously researched, and astute portrait of one of the sporting world's most interesting and influential characters. John Matthew Smith's book is at once a pleasure to read and a solid work of history."--Jonathan Eig, New York Times bestselling author of Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season“A highly readable cultural study of one of the greatest teams in sports history.”--Kirkus Reviews"John Matthew Smith may be the first author to fully and fairly assess the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) basketball program during its miraculous run of ten championships from 1964 to 1975. . . . revealing and insightful."--Journal of Sport History"A thoroughly engrossing account. . . . The Sons of Westwood makes a complex story during a turbulent time in U.S. history a little easier to understand. It is a well-researched account that would be attractive to scholars and a popular audience. . . . John Matthew Smith connects the events occurring in collegiate athletics to events in the larger American society."--The Journal of African American History"In this carefully-researched study, John Matthew Smith has provided an entertaining and insightful look at college basketball's most successful coach and team dynasty. Mixing sport history with social history, Smith reveals the complex reality behind iconic coach John Wooden and his UCLA Bruin teams, as well as the not-so-innocent days of college athletics. Fans and scholars of college sports should not miss this important book."--Charles H. Martin, author of Benching Jim Crow: The Rise and Fall of the Color Line in Southern College Sports, 1890–1980"A fascinating account of the greatest dynasty in the history of college athletics and its legendary architect, John Wooden. Giving full attention to UCLA basketball's unprecedented success and the careers of its star players, John Matthew Smith provides a thoughtful analysis of societal concerns and issues surrounding the program in the 1960s and early '70s. A first-rate work."--J. Samuel Walker, author of ACC Basketball: The Story of the Rivalries, Traditions, and Scandals of the First Two Decades of the Atlantic Coast Conference "The Sons of Westwood is the history of an institution (UCLA), the chronicle of a sport (basketball), and the biography of its greatest coach (John Wooden), in a time of cultural and political upheaval (the 1960s and 1970s). It succeeds richly on all four fronts."--Susan Ware, author of Game, Set, Match: Billie Jean King and the Revolution in Women's Sports "John Matthew Smith tells, in a very balanced and forthright manner, the inside story of John Wooden's famed UCLA basketball program and how it fit into the larger narratives of the civil rights movement, the anti-Vietnam War movement, and the athletic revolution. He shows how Wooden and his extraordinarily talented and gifted integrated teams helped transform college basketball from a regional pastime to a national phenomenon."--David K. Wiggins, coauthor of The Unlevel Playing Field: A Documentary History of the African American Experience in Sport

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Book SynopsisBig money NCAA basketball had its origins in a many-sided conflict of visions and agendas. On one side stood large schools focused on a commercialized game that privileged wins and profits. Opposing them was a tenuous alliance of liberal arts colleges, historically black colleges, and regional state universities, and the competing interests of the NAIA, each with distinct interests of their own. Kurt Edward Kemper tells the dramatic story of the clashes that shook college basketball at mid-century—and how the repercussions continue to influence college sports to the present day. Taking readers inside the competing factions, he details why historically black colleges and regional schools came to embrace commercialization. As he shows, the NCAA''s strategy of co-opting its opponents gave each group just enough just enough to play along—while the victory of the big-time athletics model handed the organization the power to seize control of college sports. An innovatiTrade Review"Kurt Kemper's history on the rise of college basketball is a valuable addition to the University of Illinois Press's Sport and Society series. . . . One hopes that Kemper will follow this excellent book with another on the madness that the NCAA basketball tournament has become." --Journal of Sport History"Kemper details the unsuccessful fight by small colleges to keep basketball from becoming highly commercialized in the hands of the larger universities, as had happened with football. . . . Before March Madness is well researched. . . . It is well written and maintains a captivating flow." --Review of High Education"The author has a deep familiarity with and understanding of the subject matter, and he comfortably and compellingly situates Before March Madness within the landscape of existing sport history literature. . . . Unique, impressive, and insightful." --Journal of Arizona History "He does a masterful job of sorting out the various organizations that sponsored amateur basketball and providing details about their rivalries for dominance in the first six decades of the twentieth century." --History of Education Quarterly"Kemper’s research is diligent and exhaustive, and for those who like the inner-workings of college sports and its history, it’s an invaluable guide to an overlooked chapter in the evolution of amateur athletics." --Sports Biblio Reader”A well-researched and provocative inquiry into the contentious early development of college basketball. Kemper lucidly exposes the numerous conflicts over fundamental principles and specific policies that repeatedly erupted before the NCAA seized complete control of the sport in 1957.”—Charles Martin, author of Benching Jim Crow: The Rise and Fall of the Color Line in Southern College Sports, 1890–1980”An impressive and important work, Before March Madness powerfully illustrates the internecine conflicts between rival collegiate organizations and how the NCAA was forced to confront its racist, duplicitous, and often indifferent behaviors to ultimately emerge triumphant in the late 1950s.”—Milton Katz, Kansas City Art Institute

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The book offers a timely and original contribution to an understanding of the current, highly managed transformation of the globally differentiated access to media content. Secular convincingly argues that in many respects the NBA is a frontrunner regarding its global media strategies and thus--similar to Netflix for fictional content--can be taken as a lens into the wider marketization and mediatization of sport in a global multi-platform environment.”--Markus Stauff, University of AmsterdamTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: The International House of Hoops The Court: Event Production, Streaming Television, and the Glocalization of Live Sport The Venue: Silicon Valley, Public Finance, and the Arena as Media Platform The Wires: Dark Fiber, Satellites, and the Global Infrastructures of Streaming Sport The Office: The NBA’s Executive Operation as a Global Media Empire The Couch: At-Home Sport Spectatorship and the Multiplatform Viewing Environment Conclusion: The House That Hoops Built Notes Index

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Book SynopsisHow the NBA went from nothing to "nothing but net"Trade Review"A fascinating story about the evolution of the NBA. Surdam's command of the economic history of the formative years of the NBA is flat- out impressive. He tells a very compelling story of the role of a small group of owners who stayed with the sport and the league when it was always on the verge of financial collapse and then began to cash in when the league caught on in the 1960s, a long-shot gamble that paid off big."--James Quirk, coauthor of Hard Ball: The Abuse of Power in Pro Team Sports"If you're a fan of the NBA—and I mean a real fan of the league and its history— Surdam's book won't disappoint. Surdam tells well the story of the founders creating a league in which uncertainty and excitement were part of every contest."--EH.Net

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Book Synopsis Delving into the history of gambling and corruption in intercollegiate sports, Cheating the Spread recounts all of the major gambling scandals in college football and basketball. Digging through court records, newspapers, government documents, and university archives and conducting private interviews, Albert J. Figone finds that game rigging has been pervasive and nationwide throughout most of the sports'' history. The insidious practice has spread to implicate not only bookies and unscrupulous gamblers but also college administrators, athletic organizers, coaches, fellow students, and the athletes themselves. Naming the players, coaches, gamblers, and go-betweens involved, Figone discusses numerous college basketball and football games reported to have been fixed and describes the various methods used to gain unfair advantage, inside information, or undue profit. His survey of college football includes early years of gambling on games between eTrade Review"Cheating the Spread is an important study that usefully synthesizes existing literature on college sports gambling and the major scandals and provides a wealth of new information gleaned from heretofore untapped sources. The exhaustive research in Cheating the Spread has a comprehensive sweep that is stunning."--Richard O. Davies, author of Sports in American Life: A History "A compelling, informative look into the dark side of collegiate athletics."--Booklist"An informative account illustrating the nature of incentives in big-time college athletics. It should be required reading for any serious student of college athletics."--The International Journal of the History of Sport

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Book SynopsisTells the story of the most significant college basketball program at a pivotal period in American cultural history.Trade ReviewA Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2014. "This volume uncovers the indelible link between sports and society in the US. While he focuses on Wooden and UCLA men's basketball, Smith remains mindful of the larger forces molding the young men who played for the 'Wizard of Westwood.' Highly recommended."--Choice"The Sons of Westwood is an excellent, wide-ranging history, not only of UCLA basketball and the Wizard of Westwood, but of the great social movements which characterized the era of the Wooden Dynasty. I recommend it to any who love basketball or are interested in one of the more interesting periods of recent American life. John Matthew Smith is a historian on which we should all keep our eye."--Charles E. Young, Chancellor Emeritus, UCLA"This is the John Wooden book I've been waiting to read--a well-written, meticulously researched, and astute portrait of one of the sporting world's most interesting and influential characters. John Matthew Smith's book is at once a pleasure to read and a solid work of history."--Jonathan Eig, New York Times bestselling author of Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season“A highly readable cultural study of one of the greatest teams in sports history.”--Kirkus Reviews"John Matthew Smith may be the first author to fully and fairly assess the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) basketball program during its miraculous run of ten championships from 1964 to 1975. . . . revealing and insightful."--Journal of Sport History"A thoroughly engrossing account. . . . The Sons of Westwood makes a complex story during a turbulent time in U.S. history a little easier to understand. It is a well-researched account that would be attractive to scholars and a popular audience. . . . John Matthew Smith connects the events occurring in collegiate athletics to events in the larger American society."--The Journal of African American History"In this carefully-researched study, John Matthew Smith has provided an entertaining and insightful look at college basketball's most successful coach and team dynasty. Mixing sport history with social history, Smith reveals the complex reality behind iconic coach John Wooden and his UCLA Bruin teams, as well as the not-so-innocent days of college athletics. Fans and scholars of college sports should not miss this important book."--Charles H. Martin, author of Benching Jim Crow: The Rise and Fall of the Color Line in Southern College Sports, 1890–1980"A fascinating account of the greatest dynasty in the history of college athletics and its legendary architect, John Wooden. Giving full attention to UCLA basketball's unprecedented success and the careers of its star players, John Matthew Smith provides a thoughtful analysis of societal concerns and issues surrounding the program in the 1960s and early '70s. A first-rate work."--J. Samuel Walker, author of ACC Basketball: The Story of the Rivalries, Traditions, and Scandals of the First Two Decades of the Atlantic Coast Conference "The Sons of Westwood is the history of an institution (UCLA), the chronicle of a sport (basketball), and the biography of its greatest coach (John Wooden), in a time of cultural and political upheaval (the 1960s and 1970s). It succeeds richly on all four fronts."--Susan Ware, author of Game, Set, Match: Billie Jean King and the Revolution in Women's Sports "John Matthew Smith tells, in a very balanced and forthright manner, the inside story of John Wooden's famed UCLA basketball program and how it fit into the larger narratives of the civil rights movement, the anti-Vietnam War movement, and the athletic revolution. He shows how Wooden and his extraordinarily talented and gifted integrated teams helped transform college basketball from a regional pastime to a national phenomenon."--David K. Wiggins, coauthor of The Unlevel Playing Field: A Documentary History of the African American Experience in Sport

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This book is a fantastic testament to the power, struggle, and triumph of wheelchair basketball and the program, coaches, and players at the University of Illinois. Dr. Nugent 's dream is alive and well and is personified by the team of individuals captured in Dream Shot: The Journey to a Wheelchair Basketball National Championship ."--Jim Scherr, Executive Director, National Wheelchair Basketball Association"Dream Shot is a unique visual and literary journey through the National Championship season of a historic and successful program. The book touches on all aspects of a season including relationship building, skill development, and setting and achieving goals. The story gives readers a chance to get to know the athletes and the process behind winning a National Championship."--Jeremy L. Lade, Director of Wheelchair Athletics, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater"Birnbaum's respectful and big-hearted honest photographs show us that on the court, and especially off of the court during their everyday lives, this is a team and a community of champions."--David Guttenfelder, National Geographic photographer

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Book SynopsisThe dramatic story of the clashes that shook college basketball at mid-century—and how the repercussions continue to influence college sports to the present day. Readers learn an innovative history of an overlooked era, looking at how promises, power, and money laid the groundwork for an American sports institution.Trade Review"Kurt Kemper's history on the rise of college basketball is a valuable addition to the University of Illinois Press's Sport and Society series. . . . One hopes that Kemper will follow this excellent book with another on the madness that the NCAA basketball tournament has become." --Journal of Sport History"Kemper details the unsuccessful fight by small colleges to keep basketball from becoming highly commercialized in the hands of the larger universities, as had happened with football. . . . Before March Madness is well researched. . . . It is well written and maintains a captivating flow." --Review of High Education"The author has a deep familiarity with and understanding of the subject matter, and he comfortably and compellingly situates Before March Madness within the landscape of existing sport history literature. . . . Unique, impressive, and insightful." --Journal of Arizona History "He does a masterful job of sorting out the various organizations that sponsored amateur basketball and providing details about their rivalries for dominance in the first six decades of the twentieth century." --History of Education Quarterly"Kemper’s research is diligent and exhaustive, and for those who like the inner-workings of college sports and its history, it’s an invaluable guide to an overlooked chapter in the evolution of amateur athletics." --Sports Biblio Reader”A well-researched and provocative inquiry into the contentious early development of college basketball. Kemper lucidly exposes the numerous conflicts over fundamental principles and specific policies that repeatedly erupted before the NCAA seized complete control of the sport in 1957.”—Charles Martin, author of Benching Jim Crow: The Rise and Fall of the Color Line in Southern College Sports, 1890–1980”An impressive and important work, Before March Madness powerfully illustrates the internecine conflicts between rival collegiate organizations and how the NCAA was forced to confront its racist, duplicitous, and often indifferent behaviors to ultimately emerge triumphant in the late 1950s.”—Milton Katz, Kansas City Art Institute

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Book SynopsisThe National Basketball Association reaches a global audience via a multiplatform strategy that leverages its uncanny ability to connect fans to all things NBA. Steven Secular brings readers inside the league's global operations and traces the history of the NBA's approach to sports media from its 1980s embrace of cable through the streaming revolution of the twenty-first century. As fans around the world stream games and other league content, NBA teams incorporate foreign languages and cultures into broadcasts to boost their product's appeal to audiences in Brazil, China, and beyond. Secular's analysis reveals how the NBA continues to transform itself into a wildly successful media producer and distributor more akin to a streaming studio than the sports leagues of old even as its media partners and sponsors erase any notion of sports as a civic good. A timely look at a dynamic media landscape, The Digital NBA shows how the games we love became content first and sport a distant secondTrade Review“The book offers a timely and original contribution to an understanding of the current, highly managed transformation of the globally differentiated access to media content. Secular convincingly argues that in many respects the NBA is a frontrunner regarding its global media strategies and thus--similar to Netflix for fictional content--can be taken as a lens into the wider marketization and mediatization of sport in a global multi-platform environment.”--Markus Stauff, University of AmsterdamTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: The International House of Hoops The Court: Event Production, Streaming Television, and the Glocalization of Live Sport The Venue: Silicon Valley, Public Finance, and the Arena as Media Platform The Wires: Dark Fiber, Satellites, and the Global Infrastructures of Streaming Sport The Office: The NBA’s Executive Operation as a Global Media Empire The Couch: At-Home Sport Spectatorship and the Multiplatform Viewing Environment Conclusion: The House That Hoops Built Notes Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMilan may not now be the location of 'happy ending' sports stories, but the town had a magical moment many communities do not, one that can serve as burden or inspiration. The beauty of sports is that the underdog can rise up unexpectedly, even if the address keeps changing. * Indiana Magazine of History *Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsPrologueMeasurements and PrioritiesGrowing Up MilanWe Ask For a Chance That's FairHomeWorking For FreeAll QuietThe ExpendablesGames Within the GameChange For the Nice BoysStallingAgainSomething PositiveSitting TogetherHysteriaThe Milan Everyone ExpectsSenior NightHopeBoth Lion and LambGraduationEpiloguePostscript

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Kirk Haston is one of my all-time favorite players." -Bob Knight "Here's a Bet You Didn't Know, Hoosier Fan: among IU's 3-year career players, only Scott May, Archie Dees and Walt Bellamy outscored Kirk Haston; only Bellamy, Dees and Steve Downing outrebounded him. And none of those Hoosier all-timers was blessed and cursed with the emotional peaks and valleys that Kirk went through in his IU years. His mother was a school teacher, an English teacher. She would have been very proud of the excellence her son shows here as a writer, and-thanks to her urging to be a note-taker-as an inside observer of the most tumultuous years in recent IU athletics." -Bob Hammel, author of The New York Times Best Seller, Knight: My Story and Beyond the Brink with Indiana: 1987 NCAA: Champions and member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame "People don't realize the type of positive impact Coach Knight has had over the years.This book not only gives a true depiction of his greatness as a coach, but it also gives a true depiction of his greatness as an individual who cares about others." -Calbert Cheaney, Indiana Hoosier 1989-93, former Washington Wizard, assistant coach at St. Louis University "I've been a fan of Kirk for a long time, going back to his high school days, when Tom Izzo and I tried to recruit him at MSU. Kirk is a person and player who has EARNED everything he's gotten out of basketball. He has always had a rare work capacity and it carried him a long, long way. He was also very hungry and humbled in his pursuit to be successful with a desire to be coached and taught. It shows up in this book." -Coach Tom Crean, Indiana Hoosiers "I really enjoyed this book. It was very detailed and brought back tons memories. Fans wanting to know both the competitive and compassionate sides of Knight should definitely read Days of Knight." -A.J. Guyton, Indiana Hoosiers 1996-2000, 2000 All-American, Former Chicago Bull "I've always had the ultimate respect for Coach Knight as one of the great coaching minds of our time. When I was a young coach, he took me under his wing and provided valuable knowledge, just as he had with so many of his players. Thanks to Kirk Haston, a player I once recruited and have always appreciated, readers will gather insight as to what made Coach Knight successful, while also offering a view to a side of him that not all of us were fortunate enough to see." -Coach Tom Izzo, Michigan State Spartans "Days of Knight is a great look at how Coach Knight made the young players he coached better men first and better players second. It's a personal glimpse into at how the legendary Indiana basketball coach taught and mentored his team." -Jared Jeffries, Indiana Hoosiers 2000-2002, member of the 2002 NCAA runner-up team, former New York Knick "I've read lots of words about Bobby Knight, but never from one of his players. I can't wait to read this." -Tony Kornheiser, co-host of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption and former sportswriter for The Washington Post "Coach Knight is a complex man with a very clear vision. Through a vast array of techniques and emotions, Days of Knight is an incredible inside look at Coach Knight's version of teaching the game of life and basketball. Most importantly, we see all sides of a fascinating leader and a brilliant tactician." -Dane Fife, Indiana Hoosiers 1998-2002, member of the 2002 NCAA runner-up team, assistant coach at Michigan State "This is an outstanding read. Kirk has done a great job of portraying the very unique relationship that is player/coach. This book will take you inside one of the most storied college basketball programs and give you insight into one of the game's greatest coaches." -Michael Lewis, Indiana Hoosiers 1997-2000, Hoosiers all-time assists leader, assistant coach at University of Nebraska "Coach Knight stories and teachings are in the veins of Indiana-and they are in the pages of Days of Knight. Filled with previously unheard knight stories and quotes, this book gives an inside look at what it was like to be a player who experienced the final three seasons of the Knight era at Indiana. If you are a Hoosier fan, you're going to want to read this book." -Jeff Overton, Indiana Hoosier 2002-2005, PGA Tour player, member of the 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup Team "Haston paints an intense picture of what it takes to be an Indiana Hoosier and provides an inside look at the most controversial news story in IU history-the firing of Coach Bob Knight." -Stan Sutton, retired sports journalistTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroduction1. If the Game Doesn't FitThen You Didn't Commit2. Tennessee Knight Game3. The Day after Knight4. Welcome to B-Town Greenhorn5. A Hall of Fame Kind of Day6. Hoosier Family Counseling7. Talking About Practice8. This isAssembly Hall9. Close to Greatness & Close to Great Failures10. Let the Games Begin11. Phone Call12. A Parachute Policy?13. Friendship Tolerance 14. #1 Comes to Town15. Day Camp and Knight Chat16. Image Is Something, But Not EverythingBibliography

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