Basketball Books

Book SynopsisStephen Curry is an American professional basketballer who plays for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA. A four-time NBA champion, a two-time NBA MVP, a two-time NBA scoring champion, a ten-time NBA All-Star, and an Olympic gold medallist, Curry is widely recognised as the greatest shooter in the history of basketball. He has revolutionized the sport and will leave behind a legacy as perhaps the greatest Warrior of all time.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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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 SynopsisThe wisdom of a king of sport, business and charity.Dedicated to a legend of basketball, this is a pocket-sized compendium of the inspirational thoughts of one of the game's all-time greats. From the earliest years of his life through to the heartfelt tributes that poured in after his untimely death, this is a timely portrait of one of sport's most remarkable, accomplished and influential figures.From his high school years, through his meteoric rise on the court, Bryant always had lots to say. His words on sport, business, charity and life will delight, inspire and amuse the reader. He was almost as famed for his memorable words as for his sporting achievements, so this is a carefully crafted collection of motivational, insightful and amusing quotes from one of basketball's most respected stars.'My brain... it cannot process failure. It will not process failure. Because if I sit there and have to face myself and tell myself, 'You're a failure'... I think that's almost worse than death' (On his winning mentality, as seen on NYPost.com, January 27, 2020, by Hannah Frishberg)Kobe is the only NBA player in history to have two separate numbers retired by one team, as he wore both No. 8 and No. 24 with the Los Angeles Lakers.Table of ContentsHigh School Hero • The Rookie Rises • All-Star Years • Get in the Zone • The Charity Champ • Feel the Love.

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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 SynopsisShortlisted for the 2017 Cross Sports Book Awards Best Biography of the YearBryant is one of basketball''s greatest-ever players, a fascinating and complicated character who says he knew when he was a boy that he would be better than Michael Jordan.Aloof and uncompromising, Bryant is the grand enigma of American professional basketball, easily the most driven player in the history of the sport, the absolute master of study and preparation. But his career has also been one of almost constant conflict: with his teammate Shaquille O''Neal; with Phil Jackson, coach of the championship-winning Lakers team that Kobe led; with the law; with his wife Vanessa; and with so many of his contemporaries, opponents and teammates.Comprehensive and unflinching, Showboat unravels the conundrum that is Kobe Bryant.Trade Review'In his thoughtful, extraordinarily well-researched biography Michael Jordan: The Life, Roland Lazenby ... gives us the life and much more ... The exhaustive narrative of Jordan's basketball career is written with appropriate awe. But what makes this portrayal especially worthwhile is everything else' * New York Times Book Review, on Michael Jordan: The Life *'An utterly definitive biography ... The most comprehensive attempt yet made to explain the factors that have gone into producing the most famous basketball player and marketing phenom in the history of world sports ... I don't know how it would be possible to write a more complete biography of him' * Chicago Tribune, on Michael Jordan: The Life *

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Book SynopsisPHIL JACKSON is arguably the greatest coach in the history of the NBA. His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989-1998; during his tenure, Chicago won six NBA titles. His next team, the Los Angeles Lakers, won five NBA titles, from 2000 to 2010. He holds the record for the most championships in NBA history as a player and a head coach. He also has the highest winning percentage of any NBA coach (.704). Jackson was a player on the 1970 and 1973 NBA champion New York Knicks. In 2007 Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. In addition to Eleven Rings, he is also the author of Maverick,Sacred Hoops, and, with his friend Charley Rosen, More Than a Game.

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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 story of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s extraordinary rise from poverty in Athens, Greece, to superstardom in America with the Milwaukee Bucks—becoming one of the most transcendent players in history and an NBA Champion—from award-winning basketball reporter and feature writer at The Ringer Mirin Fader. Now in paperback with a new Epilogue.   As the face of the NBA’s new world order, Giannis Antetokounmpo has overcome unfathomable obstacles to become a symbol of hope for people all over the world; the personification of the American Dream. But his backstory remains largely untold. Fader unearths new information about the childhood that shaped “The Greek Freak”—from sleeping side by side with his brothers to selling trinkets on the street with his family to the racism he experienced. Antetokounmpo grew up in an era when Golden Dawn, Greece’s far-right, anti-immigrant party, patrolled his neighborhood, and his status as an illegal immigrant largely prevented him from playing for the country’s top clubs, making his NBA rise all the more improbable. Fader tells a deeply human story of how an unknown, skinny, Black Greek teen, who played in the country’s lowest pro division and was seen as a draft gamble, transformed his body and his game into MVP material. Antetokounmpo’s story has been framed as a feel-good narrative in which everyone has embraced him—watching him grow up, sign a five-year supermax contract extension worth $228 million, and lead the underdog Bucks to the NBA Championship in 2021. Giannis reveals a more nuanced story: how lonely and isolated he felt, adjusting to America and the NBA early in his career; the complexity of grappling with his Black and Greek identities; how he is so hard on himself and his shortcomings—a drive that fuels him every day; and the responsibility he feels to be a nurturing role model for his younger brothers. Fader illustrates a more vulnerable star than most people know, a person who has evolved triumphantly into all of his roles: father, brother, son, teammate, and global icon.**Instant New York Times Bestseller, Los Angeles Times Bestseller, Wall Street Journal Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, Publishers Weekly Bestseller** **Mirin Fader Selected as the 2021 Sports Media Author of the Year by The Big Lead** **The Sports Librarian’s Best of 2022 – Sports Books**

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Book SynopsisSince the founding of the USAs National Basketball League (NBA) in 1946, it has produced many of the coolest, most athletic and best-paid sports stars ever. And, in 1996, the women''s game took off, equally producing incredible players who have been hugely inspiring and taking the game to greater heights. Here, we profile 50 of the greatest ever to step foot inside the basketball court and create sporting magic with their power, speed, athleticism, and pure slam-dunking artistry. From Wilt Chamberlain to Steph Curry and Lisa Leslie to Diana Taurasi, you''ll get an ultra-cool snapshot of the VIPs of the game, spanning the entire history of these two epic leagues. With complete set of career stats at your fingertips, you''ll see why these stars stand out head and shoulders above the rest.

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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 SynopsisKobe Bryant is a legend – The Rise is a fascinating look at his early life and how he became regarded as one of basketball’s greatest-ever players.Kobe Bryant’s death in January 2020 did more than rattle the worlds of sports and celebrity. It took the tragedy of that helicopter crash to reveal the full breadth and depth of Kobe’s influence. By tracing and telling the oft-forgotten and lesser-known story of his early life, The Rise promises to provide an unparalleled insight into Kobe.In The Rise, readers travel from the cracked concrete basketball courts of Philadelphia in the 1960s and 70s – where Kobe’s father, Joe, became a playground, college and professional stand-out – to the majesty and isolation of Europe, where Kobe spent his formative years, and to the leafy suburbs of Lower Merion, where Kobe’s legend was born. The story ends with his leading Lower Merion to the 1995–96 Pennsylvania state championship – a true underdog run for a team with just one star player, Kobe – and with the 1996 NBA draft, where Kobe’s dream of playing pro basketball culminated with his acquisition by the Los Angeles Lakers.With exclusive access to a series of never-before-released interviews during Bryant’s senior season and early days in the NBA, and tapes and transcripts which have preserved Kobe’s thoughts, dreams and goals from his teenage years for a quarter-century, Mike Sielski’s The Rise uncovers insights and stories that have never been revealed before.This is an exploration of the making of an icon and the effect of his development on those around him – the essence of the man before he truly became a man.Trade ReviewWhat incredible insight into the rise of Kobe Bryant . . . Captivating from start to finish. A must read -- Billy King, former general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn NetsRichly detailed and beautifully written . . . Even readers who have never watched a basketball game will be riveted by Mike Sielski’s page-turning portrait of a young Kobe Bryant -- Abbott Kahler (aka Karen Abbott), New York Times bestselling author of The Ghosts of Eden Park

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Book SynopsisThe ultimate book for both hoops fans and sneaker obsessives, A History of Basketball in Fifteen Sneakers is an exciting and fascinating look at the sport written with authority and experience by former Complex magazine editor Russ Bengtson. From primeval Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars to baroque Reebok Pumps and myth-making Air Jordans to super-high-tech Nike Adapt BBs, each chapter breaks down how a specific sneaker defined an era of basketball, transformed the culture, or changed the game. With full-colour sneaker photographs and sidebars throughout, the book is a kaleidoscopic celebration of the players, styles, and iconic moments that have shaped hoops both on and off the court. Topics include: Puma Clydes and the New York City street game; the explosion of sneaker marketing in the 1980s and the rise of the modern global basketball superstar with Michael Jordan; Nike Air Swoopes and the evolution of the women's game; sneaker tech and tweaking design to playing style, from inside post moves to outside sharpshooting; and much more.Trade Review“This book is not only a tremendous amount of fun, but also a tremendous resource of history. And I know that oftentimes those two things cannot co-exist. But that’s only because oftentimes it’s not Russ Bengtson who is doing the writing.”—Shea Serrano, bestselling author of Basketball (and Other Things)“This book is not only a tremendous amount of fun, but also a tremendous resource of history. And I know that oftentimes those two things cannot co-exist. But that’s only because oftentimes it’s not Russ Bengtson who is doing the writing.” —Shea Serrano, bestselling author of Basketball (and Other Things)“This is the personification of perfect author meeting perfect subject. Russ Bengtson’s passion for sneakers knows no bounds, and it oozes from the pages of this joyfully explosive book. A herculean effort that takes the reader on an unforgettable journey of leather, laces, and soul.” —Jeff Pearlman, bestselling author of Showtime, Three-Ring Circus, and The Last Folk Hero“This is the personification of perfect author meeting perfect subject. Russ Bengtson’s passion for sneakers knows no bounds, and it oozes from the pages of this joyfully explosive book. A herculean effort that takes the reader on an unforgettable journey of leather, laces, and soul.”—Jeff Pearlman, bestselling author of Showtime, Three-Ring Circus, and The Last Folk Hero“A gorgeous book, as innovative and essential as the iconic sneakers that grace these pages. Whether you’re a sneakerhead, a basketball lover, or someone who has never even watched hoops, this book will pull you in. There’s no one better to tell this story than Russ Bengtson.”—Mirin Fader, bestselling author of Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP and senior staff writer at The Ringer“A gorgeous book, as innovative and essential as the iconic sneakers that grace these pages. Whether you’re a sneakerhead, a basketball lover, or someone who has never even watched hoops, this book will pull you in. There’s no one better to tell this story than Russ Bengtson.” —Mirin Fader, bestselling author of Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP and senior staff writer at The Ringer“Russ Bengtson has been at both the genesis and the center of the sneaker revolution for thirty years. A History of Basketball In Fifteen Sneakers is not the typical sneaker dive—it is a historical recreation on how basketball and the shoes that have been a part of the game since Day One are as deeply connected as Chuck is to Taylor, Jordan is to Air, and P. J. is to Tucker.” —Scoop Jackson, author of Sole Provider and former writer/editor at SLAM and ESPN“Russ Bengtson has been at both the genesis and the center of the sneaker revolution for thirty years. A History of Basketball In Fifteen Sneakers is not the typical sneaker dive—it is a historical recreation on how basketball and the shoes that have been a part of the game since Day One are as deeply connected as Chuck is to Taylor, Jordan is to Air, and P. J. is to Tucker.”—Scoop Jackson, author of Sole Provider and former writer/editor at SLAM and ESPN“A History of Basketball in Fifteen Sneakers confirms Russ Bengtson as this generation's definitive voice on everything sneaker-related. This book is a treasure trove of knowledge for novices and a reminder to even the most diehard sneakerhead that there are many layers to the history behind what we're wearing on our feet today.”—Alex Wong, author of Cover Story and We the Champs“A History of Basketball in Fifteen Sneakers confirms Russ Bengtson as this generation's definitive voice on everything sneaker-related. This book is a treasure trove of knowledge for novices and a reminder to even the most diehard sneakerhead that there are many layers to the history behind what we're wearing on our feet today.” —Alex Wong, author of Cover Story and We the Champs“Russ Bengtson has spent three decades reporting on—and shaping—basketball and sneaker culture. A History of Basketball in Fifteen Sneakers is a culmination of that expertise, but, more importantly, it is flat-out terrific. Through interviews with major contributors (Kobe Bryant, Sonny Vaccaro, David Falk) and tireless research, Bengtson crafts a mix of sports and cultural history that will inform and intoxicate readers for years to come.” —Pete Croatto, author of From Hang Time to Prime Time“Russ Bengtson has spent three decades reporting on—and shaping—basketball and sneaker culture. A History of Basketball in Fifteen Sneakers is a culmination of that expertise, but, more importantly, it is flat-out terrific. Through interviews with major contributors (Kobe Bryant, Sonny Vaccaro, David Falk) and tireless research, Bengtson crafts a mix of sports and cultural history that will inform and intoxicate readers for years to come.”—Pete Croatto, author of From Hang Time to Prime Time

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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 SynopsisIn his first memoir written especially for young readers, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will focus on his relationships with several important coaches in his life - including his father, his high-school coach and Coach Wooden - as he tells the story of his life and career. At one time, Lew Alcindor was just another kid from New York City with all the usual problems: He struggled with fitting in, with pleasing a strict father, and with overcoming shyness that made him feel socially awkward. But with a talent for basketball, and an unmatched team of supporters, Lew Alcindor was able to transform and to become Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.From a childhood made difficult by racism and prejudice to a record-smashing career on the basketball court as an adult, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar''s life was packed with coaches who taught him right from wrong and led him on the path to greatness. His parents, coaches Jack Donahue and John Wooden, Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, and many others played important roles in Abdul-Jabbar''s life and sparked him to become an activist for social change and advancement. The inspiration from those around him, and his drive to find his own path in life, are highlighted in this personal and awe-inspiriting journey.

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Book SynopsisBasketball: Steps to Success details the skills and tactics needed for excellence on the court. Hal Wissel, renowned college and professional coach, shooting instructor, and special consultant to NBA players, covers the entire progression of technical and tactical development needed for becoming a complete player.Trade Review"Hal Wissel demonstrates to the world why he is recognized as one of America's top-rated basketball clinicians. This book is a must-read for players and coaches at all levels of play."Hubie Brown -- Basketball Hall of Fame, two-time NBA Coach of the Year, NBA Analyst for ESPN, ABC and NBA TV "Hal Wissel is an outstanding teacher and has many years of experience coaching and scouting in the NBA. He knows what he's talking and writing about. This book will help players improve and help coaches teach."Phil Jackson -- Basketball Hall of Fame, 11-time NBA Champion coach "Hal Wissel shows you ways to build your own confidence. Coach Wissel helped me understand my own shot and become my own best coach."Pau Gasol -- Player Los Angeles Lakers, NBA All-Star "Hal Wissel's personalized teaching helped me improve my free-throw shooting, three-point shooting, and post-up ability."Dale Ellis -- Former NBA All-Star, ranks fifth in NBA career three-point shots made, career .403 three-point percentage “Hal Wissel helped me improve my field-goal percentage and three-point percentage, and his training led to my shooting over 40 percent on three-pointers for four consecutive seasons.”Mike Miller -- Miami Heat, Former USA National Team Member Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Key to Diagrams Step 1 Footwork Step 2 Passing and Catching Step 3 Dribbling Step 4 Shooting Step 5 Shooting off the Catch Step 6 Creating Your Shot off the Dribble Step 7 Scoring in the Post Step 8 Rebounding Step 9 Fast Break Step 10 Two- and Three-Man Plays Step 11 Team Offense Step 12 Team Defense About the Author

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Book SynopsisWhen 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 faci

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Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of the basketball legend Earvin ''Magic'' Johnson, from the author of Michael Jordan: the Life. Magic Johnson is one of the most beloved, and also controversial, athletes in history. He lifted the dowdy sport of American pro basketball into the global spotlight, a transformation driven by his ability to eviscerate opponents with a grand sense of fun. He was a master entertainer who directed basketball to the heights of both glory and epic excess, all of it driven by his mind-blowing no-look passes and personal charm. At the charismatic height of his power, Johnson shocked the world with his personal story which pushed public awareness of the HIV and AIDs crisis. Through hundreds of interviews with Johnson''s coaches, representatives past and present, teammates, opponents, friends and loved ones, including key conversations with Johnson himself, this is the first truly definitive study of the revolutionary player: the man, the

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Book SynopsisNow in paperback!Heaven Is a Playground was the first book on the uniquely American phenomenon of urban basketball. Rick Telander, a photojournalist and former high school basketball player, spent part of the summer of 1973 and all of the summer of 1974 in Brooklyn living the playground life with his subjects at Foster Park in Flatbush. He slept on the floor of a park regular’s apartment, observing, questioning, traveling, playing with, and eventually coaching a ragtag group of local teenagers whose hopes of better lives were often fanatically attached to the transcendent game itself. Telander introduces us to Fly Williams, a playground legend with incredible leaping ability and self-destructive tendencies that threatened to keep him earthbound. Another standout was Albert King, a fifteen-year-old phenom whose shy, quiet demeanor masked an otherworldly talent that eventually took him to the NBA. This edition also includes Telander’s perspectives on the arrival of an NBA team in Brooklyn. Heaven Is a Playground is one of a kind—a funny, sad, ultimately inspiring book about Americans and the roots of the sport that they love.Trade ReviewSports Illustrated's Top 100 Sports Books of All Time "The best basketball book I've ever read." —Barack Obama "Telander’s beautiful sentences... feature his keen eye for detail, and his effortless blend of sociology and sport." —Jonathan Eig, New York magazine “Funny, sad, superbly written, and intensely involving.” —New York Times Book Review “Telander’s open-ended chronicle of inner-city playground basketball life is a model of clarity and restraint. No one has written a more resonant or understanding book about kids playing basketball, and few books about sports have willingly pulled together so many truths about the disappointments and dislocating fantasies of athletic competition.” —The Atlantic “Heaven Is a Playground is a book that was an inspiration to me in making Hoop Dreams. Not just because of the way Rick Telander engaged in the kind of immersive personal journalism that was as rare then as it is now. But because he wrote with such passion, love, and poetry about that uniquely American confluence of mean streets, basketball, and dreams.” —Steve James, director of Hoop Dreams

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Book SynopsisDiscover the amazing achievements of fan favorite two-time MVP Stephen Curry in this brand-new, comprehensive biography Steph Curry is a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, record-breaker, and Finals champion who electrifies fans with his incredible on-court feats. He''s also a dedicated husband, father, and philanthropist who inspires people on and off the court. Learn more about this remarkable athlete in this biography, complete with stats and photographs.

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Book SynopsisBasketball 2.0 takes a riveting and inspirational look inside the rise of 3x3 basketball, which made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, just a decade after launching as the official truncated version of arguably the world's second most popular sport. For generations, three-on-three was a popular form of pickup basketball but seen as a novelty until the governing body, FIBA, hatched an ambitious plan to broaden the sport's worldwide footprint and extend its fan base through a distinctive brand. But to achieve legitimacy, 3x3 needed to accomplish the improbable and go from the streets to the Olympics. Despite scepticism, FIBA created a professional tour and international competitions before its dream was realised when 3x3 became an Olympic sport for the Tokyo Games. FIBA is betting big on its new game, but even after 3x3's memorable Olympic debut, the question remains: will it truly succeed? Basketball 2.0 is the first in-depth exploration of this fascinating and quirky new global game.

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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 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 SynopsisThree-time Emmy Sports Award winner and popular host of TNT's Inside the NBA provides a never-before-seen look at his life both on and off screen, from his rise to the top of sports broadcasting to raising a special needs child from Romania.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisA journey into the mindset of a historic basketball superstar, and the importance of his landmark career.Trade Review"All the hours in the gym, all the defeats and victories, all the stories and memories - it takes an author like Thomas Pletzinger to find the right words for my world and my game. I couldn't have wished for a better one." -- Dirk Nowitzki"Pletzinger brings a sense of curiosity and discovery to the story of his German countryman…. He gains his subject’s trust early and carries it through to the finish, after all the cheers have died out and Dirk Nowitzki assumes his full-time role as down-to-earth dude." -- Chris Vognar - Texas Monthly"A meticulously observed, impassioned assessment of Nowitzki’s significance as a basketball player." -- Kirkus Reviews"Nowitzki’s army of fans will devour this well-crafted account of a great player and a decent human being, and other hoops loved will come away happy to have better made his acquaintance." -- Jim Burns - Library Journal"[The Great Nowitzki] works not just as biography but as a story of sporting fame and fandom. Of the symbiotic relationship between a superstar and his city, country and the broad range of people touched by his feats of sporting greatness… [E]ngrossing, engaging and special." -- AllSportsBooks.Reviews

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Book SynopsisHow many NBA players have averaged forty points in a season? Who is the worst free-throw shooter in NBA history? Which team has won the most NBA titles since 2000? Who became the first player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points and 10,000 assists? Which three NBA players have scored more than 35,000 career points? (Hint: Michael Jordan is not on the list.) In Strong to the Hoop, veteran sports writer and trivia expert Ken Shouler has written 1,500 trivia questions broken into more than 25 categories that are designed to challenge, inform, and delight fans of pro basketball at every level. Whether you root for the Knicks, Lakers, Celtics, Warriors, or any other NBA franchise, Strong to the Hoop will feature questions that will test your knowledge of your favorite team and league.

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Book SynopsisThe improbable story of the birth of modern-day pro basketball in Toronto In just over 25 years, the Toronto Raptors have evolved from an intrepid expansion team to an NBA champion. But for all the triumphs of the past decade, the beginning looked a bit different. When the franchise began its first season in 1995, a pro basketball team in Toronto was viewed as an experiment. There was no playbook to follow, and very few people gave them a chance to succeed. In Prehistoric, irreverent Raptors voice and culture writer Alex Wong explores the franchise’s fascinating and unconventional inception through 140 original interviews with those involved with the team’s very beginning, examining the process of how the team came up with their name and logo inspired by the blockbuster film Jurassic Park, taking a behind-the-scenes look at the drafting of star point guard Damon Stoudamire, telling the backstories of a group of misfits who formed the first-year roster, and providing an in-depth look at the team’s opening night victory at the SkyDome and the expansion franchise’s signature win over Michael Jordan and a 72-win Chicago Bulls team. The Raptors boldly and intentionally pursued a much different audience in a hockey-first town. The result is a team who went through the necessary growing pains and eventually captured the heart of a city, as told in this essential origin story through the lens of the people who were there to help lay the foundation for a thriving modern-day basketball franchise in Toronto.

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Book SynopsisAs a member of the 1992 world-champion Chicago Bulls, a dashiki-clad Hodges delivered a handwritten letter to President George H. W. Bush demanding that he do more to address racism and economic inequality. Hodges was also a vocal union activist, initiated a boycott against Nike, and spoke out forcefully against police brutality in the wake of the Rodney King beating. But his outspokenness cost him dearly. In the prime of his career, after ten NBA seasons, Hodges was blackballed from the NBA for using his platform as a professional athlete to stand up for justice. In this powerful, passionate, and captivating memoir, Hodges shares the stories—including encounters with Nelson Mandela, Coretta Scott King, Jim Brown, R. Kelly, Michael Jordan, and others—from his lifelong fight for equality for African Americans.Trade Review“Long Shot tracks Hodges’s political awakening, from black-studies courses in college to his early run-ins with Donald Sterling, the notoriously racist owner of the San Diego (and later Los Angeles) Clippers. The trajectory is clear, and, despite the occasionally engrossing glimpse into the typical N.B.A. player’s home life—Hodges’s tumult involved R. Kelly—almost every detail is shared as context for his more radical turn in the late eighties and nineties.”—New Yorker "Hodges has told his compelling life story with fiery passion, looping around a cast of characters stretching from Jordan, Magic Johnson and Phil Jackson back to Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, before returning to the present." —Guardian “In the book, Hodges talks about conversations he had with teammates Jordan and Pippen about their lack of knowledge regarding Black history. ‘I don't bring this up to shame Scottie, Michael, and the other players who aren't educated in our history,’ Hodges writes. ‘I bring it up because we can't solve a problem if we don't recognize the sickness.’” —Rolling Stone “Craig has written a very in depth portrait of his struggles and triumphs in the NBA and beyond.” —Kareem Abdul-Jabbar "The people's champion." —Chuck D "A skillfully told, affecting memoir of sports and social activism." —Kirkus "With its sharp observations about Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and the state of race relations in the NBA, Long Shot is likely to cause a stir." —Chicago Reader “Craig Hodges is someone I looked up to as a child & now as an adult…I read Long Shot in like two hours, I couldn’t stop turning pages. There are so many hooks in it." —Jesse Williams "Long Shot is a beautifully written, brutally honest book. If you loved the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls, if you love black history, or if you are fascinated by the politics of sports, I highly recommend this book. Simply put: Craig Hodges’ life is incredible and Long Shot is invaluable." —AETHLON: The Journal of Sport Literature "It is time to remove Craig Hodges from exile status and place him where he has always belonged: on the short-list of the activist athletes who stood tall, paid the price and now live their life perhaps scarred, but without regrets. Read this book so a new generation of NBA players and fans will know his true story. Read this book so to say not in a whisper but with a confident shout, 'You DO want to be like Craig Hodges.' —Dave Zirin, from the Introduction “This riveting and affirmative read offers a revealing and pertinent insight into the odious nature of corporate-driven politics in the US and the consequences of racism, poverty, homelessness and despair it engenders. And, as a candid glimpse behind the scenes of the US basketball industry, it’s an eye-opener and many a nugget make it a diverting read. A singular lesson of history in the making.’Michal Boncza, Morning Star

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Book SynopsisSince its formation in 2010, 3x3 basketball’s popularity has rocketed. In only seven years, 3x3 basketball has gone from being played casually as a pick-up game to becoming an official Olympic sport, with the 2021 Summer Games showcasing its debut. 3x3 Basketball is the first-ever book to cover multiple aspects of this up-and-coming sport. In this book, author Luka Snoj comprehensively presents the differences between traditional basketball and 3x3 basketball and outlines the fundamental tactics and game structure, theory, terminology, as well as principles for successful play. The author also details the history of 3x3 basketball - why and how it was formed as well as how the sport has evolved over the years. He also describes the competition system, including how the rules have changed, and what teams have been successful over the past decade. In this section, Snoj weaves contemporary interviews with top players like Dusan Bulut - 3x3 basketball’s GOAT (four-time world champion) - to round out the narrative on a sport whose popularity will only continue to grow. Finally, Snoj provides both statistical and analytical analyses of the sport.

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Book SynopsisNBA Scrapbook is packed with rare photographs images and on the page facsimile memorabilia and provides an incredible insight into the history NBA and its legendary players and coaches. Featuring a wide variety of superb on the page rare memorabilia from the archives covering the NBA?s hugely successful history including match tickets match programs cards and promotional material. Spanning the decades and covering all the NBA?s most iconic eras, we uncover the fascinating stories and incredible accomplishments of the greatest basketball players of all time, 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.

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Book SynopsisThe improbable story of the birth of pro basketball in Toronto In just over 25 years, the Toronto Raptors have evolved from an intrepid expansion team to a model NBA franchise, with a front office, head coach, and player development program that sets the standard around the league. They also boast the most diverse fanbase in the NBA and play in an increasingly sought-out market, particularly as the league teems with top class international talent. But for all the success of the last decade, the beginning looked a bit different.In Prehistoric, irreverent Raptors voice and culture writer Alex Wong explores the franchise's fascinating and unconventional inception, chronicling everything from the decision-making process behind the Jurassic Park-inspired dinosaur logo to the construction of an expansion roster to how the team approached marketing the sport of basketball in city dominated by hockey. On the court, Wong takes an insider’s look at the drafting of star point guard Damon Stoudamire, the cast of misfits and forgotten players who formed the first-year roster, and highlights from the inaugural season, including the first-ever game and even a win over Michael Jordan and the 72-win Bulls.The Raptors boldly and intentionally pursued a much different audience than the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Prehistoric additionally explores what a professional basketball team in Toronto meant to an immigrant community that had never been so directly acknowledged by professional sports. The result is a team that has survived growing pains and captured the heart of a city, as told in this essential origin story.

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Book SynopsisBlending personal narrative with practical guidance, Cornfields to Gold Medals delivers well-traveled leadership principles for on and off the court. Coach Don Showalter’s rise to international recognition as a coach can be traced to his time at the helm of USA Basketball’s Junior National Team, where he went 62-0 and brought home 10 gold medals. Yet, for all his international success he remains grounded in the Midwestern values that shaped his character; principles have made him a passionate ambassador for the sport of basketball and one of its great teachers.Cornfields to Gold Medals is an all-American story that takes the reader on Showalter’s life journey through the sport he has coached for nearly half a century. It begins humbly, on a family farm perched atop the rolling hills of southeastern Iowa, and extends to gymnasiums in every corner of the world. Interspersed in this compelling personal narrative are 15 lessons in leadership, strategies Showalter employed throughout his 44-years coaching young athletes. Each is accompanied by key points in how to teach the lesson, and shares effective strategies for readers to implement in daily practice.Rooted in heartland principles of community, hard work, and service, this essential book offers leaders insight into guiding others and time to reflect on what is truly important.

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Book SynopsisA candid and insightful memoir from one the NBA's most unlikely stars. Growing up, Muggsy Bogues was always told he should do something else, anything besides basketball. He never acknowledged his many doubters except to prove them spectacularly wrong. Twenty years after receiving his first basketball as a toddler, he stood proud—at five-foot-three—as the starting point guard for the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA. From the East Baltimore playground courts where he earned his nickname by "muggin'" opponents for possession of the ball, to Dunbar High School where he excelled alongside future NBA players, Bogues set the tone in his early years for the great heights he'd reach professionally. In this new autobiography, Bogues delves deep into his life and career, reflecting on legendary battles with Michael Jordan, John Stockton, and other generational stars of '80s and '90s hoops. He shares far-ranging anecdotes from playoff runs in Charlotte, filming Space Jam, and even watching a young Steph Curry grow up.Conversational and clear-sighted, this is a story of uncompromising vision and fleet-footed determination during a golden era for the NBA.

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Book SynopsisAn entertaining and deeply personal autobiography from one of basketball's all-time great scorers To see George Gervin on the hardwood was to witness elegance, entertainment, and boundless cool. With his unmatched agility and vast repertoire of moves, Gervin floated his way to bucket after bucket, night after night across 14 years in the ABA and NBA. "The Iceman" made it look easy, and his number 44 hangs high in the San Antonio rafters as tribute to the excellence that seemed to roll right off his fingertips. In Iceman: Why I Was Born to Score, Gervin opens up for the first time about his life in basketball and beyond, including his childhood in Detroit, the rocky and unconventional path that brought him to professional basketball, and the successful legacy he built as a Spur. Gervin also reflects on family, mental health, spirituality, and his continuing bond with the San Antonio community in this candid and conversational book.

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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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