100 Best Basketball Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy

Bill Simmons and Malcolm Gladwell

5.0

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The NBA according to The Sports Guy--now updated with fresh takes on LeBron, the Celtics, and more!

Foreword by Malcom Gladwell - "The work of a true fan . . . it might just represent the next phase of sports commentary."--The Atlantic

Bill Simmons, the wildly opinionated and thoroughly entertaining basketball addict known to millions as ESPN's The Sports Guy, has wri

2

The Crossover

Kwame Alexander, Corey Allen, et al

4.8

"With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I'm delivering," announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade nov

3

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Sherman Alexie

4.7

Preview Summary

Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, with a foreword from Jaqueline Woodson.
Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully writt

Recommended by Rand Fishkin.

Rand Fishkin

Empathy is at the core of my beliefs, and this is one of the best books I’ve ever read that fosters empathetic thinking. It’s also a great reminder of how hard it is to accomplish anything when your life circumstances and surroundings negatively contribute to progress and a great reminder to stay humble. [source]

4

When the Game Was Ours

Larry Bird

4.6

From the moment these two players took the court on opposing sides, they engaged in a fierce physical and psychological battle. Their uncommonly competitive relationship came to symbolize the most compelling rivalry in the NBA. These were the basketball epics of the 1980s Celtics vs Lakers, East vs West, physical vs finesse, Old School vs Showtime, even white vs black. Each pushed the other to gre

5

Basketball (and Other Things): A Collection of Questions Asked, Answered, Illustrated

Shea Serrano, Arturo Torres, et al.

4.6

#1 New York Times bestseller

Who is the greatest dunker of all time? Which version of the Michael Jordan was the best Michael Jordan? What is allowed and absolutely not allowed in a game of pickup basketball? Basketball (and Other Things) presents readers with a whole new set of pivotal and ridiculous fan disputes from basketball history, providing arguments and answers, explained with the wit and

6

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

Jack McCallum

4.6

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team. As a writer for Sports Illustrated, McCallum enjoyed a courtside seat for the most exciting basketball spectacle on earth, covering the Dream Team from its inception to the gold medal ceremony in Barcelona. Drawing on fresh

7

Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success

Phil Jackson

4.6

During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. Even more important, he succeeded in never wavering from coaching his way, from a place of deep values. Jackson was tagged as the “Zen master” half in jest by sportswriters, but the nickname speaks to an important truth: this

Recommended by Ryan Holiday and Adam Lawrence.

Ryan Holiday

Author

Favorite business or leadership book in a long time. [source]

Adam Lawrence

Question: What’s your favorite book and why? Answer: … Eleven Rings by Phil Jackson … [source]

8

The Breaks of the Game

David Halberstam

4.5

More than 6 years after his death David Halberstam remains one of this country's most respected journalists and revered authorities on American life and history in the years since WWII. A Pulitzer Prize-winner for his ground-breaking reporting on the Vietnam War, Halberstam wrote more than 20 books, almost all of them bestsellers. His work has stood the test of time and has become the standard by

9

The Jordan Rules: The Inside Story of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls

Sam Smith

4.5

NBA Hall of Fame columnist Sam Smith had unlimited access to the team and its players during their championship 1991-92 season, which he details in the new introduction, along with candid revelations about his sources, and the reaction from Michael, his teammates, the media, and the fans when the book blasted onto the bestseller lists in 1992 (where it stayed for three months).

With more than a mil

10

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

Phil Knight

4.5

Preview Summary

In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.

In 1962, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from his father and created a company with a simple mission: import high-q

Recommended by Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Andre Agassi, and 39 others.

Bill Gates

CEO/Microsoft

This memoir, by the co-founder of Nike, is a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like: messy, precarious, and riddled with mistakes. I’ve met Knight a few times over the years. He’s super nice, but he’s also quiet and difficult to get to know. Here Knight opens up in a way few CEOs are willing to do. I don’t think Knight sets out to teach the reader anything. Instead, he accomplishes something better. He tells his story as honestly as he can. It’s an amazing tale. [source]

Warren Buffett

CEO/Berkshire Hathaway

The best book I read last year. Phil is... a gifted storyteller. [source]

Andre Agassi

Founder/ College Preparatory Academy

I've known Phil Knight since I was a kid, but I didn't really know him until I opened this beautiful, startling, intimate book. And the same goes for Nike. I've worn the gear with pride, but I didn't realize the remarkable saga of innovation and survival and triumph that stood behind every swoosh. Candid, funny, suspenseful, literary - this is a memoir for people who love sport, but above all it's a memoir for people who love memoirs. [source]

11

Michael Jordan: The Life

Roland Lazenby

4.5

The definitive biography of a legendary athlete

The Shrug. The Shot. The Flu Game. Michael Jordan is responsible for sublime moments so ingrained in sports history that they have their own names. When most people think of him, they think of his beautiful shots with the game on the line, his body totally in sync with the ball -- hitting nothing but net.

But for all his greatness, this scion of a com

Recommended by Yaro Starak and 1 others.

Yaro Starak

Michael Jordan and Phil Knight, the Nike founder, two different biographies, those were great. See, Michael Jordan’s was really really quite good and doesn’t seem to get talked about as much but it’s nice and solid. [source]

12

Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made

David Halberstam

4.5

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist comes "the best Jordan book so far" (The Washington Post), the story of Michael Jordan's legendary years with the Chicago Bulls, capped by the 1998 NBA Finals and the team's second three-peat.

From The Breaks of the Game to Summer of '49, David Halberstam has brought the perspective of a great historian, the insider knowledge of a

13

Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association

Terry Pluto

4.5

The American Basketball Association (1967-1976) gave birth to Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Bob Costas, the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs, the Slam Dunk contest, flashy moves, and the three-point basket. During its nine seasons, the ABA generated scorn and laughter--and made a lasting impact on how the game is played. 24 pages of photographs.

14

A Season on the Brink: A Year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers

John Feinstein

4.5

"A Season on the Brink" chronicles the basketball season that John Feinstein spent following the Indiana Hoosiers and their fiery coach, Bob Knight. Knight granted Feinstein an unprecedented inside look at college basketball -- with complete access to every moment of the season. Feinstein saw and heard it all -- practices, team meetings, strategy sessions, and mid-game huddles -- during Knight's s

15

Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court

John Wooden

4.4

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

"I am just a common man who is true to his beliefs."--John Wooden

Evoking days gone by when coaches were respected as much for their off-court performances as for their success on the court, Wooden presents the timeless wisdom of legendary basketball coach John Wooden.

In honest and telling passages about virtually every aspect of life, Coach shares his personal philosophy on fam

Recommended by Ashton Kutcher and Katrín Davíðsdóttir.

Ashton Kutcher

I think it's to be digested slowly. I'm in inspiration overload. [source]

Katrín Davíðsdóttir

One of my absolute favorites. … Wooden’s approach to training resonates a lot with me and my coach. [source]

16

Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich

Mark Kriegel

4.4

"Pistol" is more than the biography of a ballplayer. It's the stuff of classic novels: the story of a boy transformed by his father's dream -- and the cost of that dream. Even as Pete Maravich became Pistol Pete -- a basketball icon for baby boomers -- all the Maraviches paid a price. Now acclaimed author Mark Kriegel has brilliantly captured the saga of an American family: its rise, its apparent

17

Play Their Hearts Out: A Coach, His Star Recruit, and the Youth Basketball Machine

George Dohrmann

4.4

Eight years of unfettered access, a keen sense of a story’s deepest truths, and a genuine compassion for his subject allow Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist George Dohrmann to take readers inside the machine that produces America’s basketball stars.

Hoop dreams aren’t just for players. The fever that grips college basketball prospects hoping to strike big-time NBA gold afflicts coaches, parents,

18

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

Jonathan Abrams

4.4

The definitive, never-before-told story of the prep-to-pro generation, those basketball prodigies who from 1995 to 2005 made the jump directly from high school to the NBA.

When Kevin Garnett shocked the world by announcing that he would not be attending college—as young basketball prodigies were expected to do—but instead enter the 1995 NBA draft directly from high school, he blazed a trail for a

19

Rebound

Kwame Alexander

4.3

Before Josh and Jordan Bell were streaking up and down the court, their father was learning his own moves. In this prequel to Newbery Medal winner The Crossover, Chuck Bell takes center stage, as readers get a glimpse of his childhood and how he became the jazz music worshipping, basketball star his sons look up to.

20

Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s

Jeff Pearlman

4.3

The New York Times bestselling author of Sweetness delivers the first all-encompassing account of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of professional sports’ most-revered—and dominant—dynasties.

The Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s personified the flamboyance and excess of the decade over which they reigned. Beginning with the arrival of Earvin "Magic" Johnson as the number-one overall pick of the 19

21

The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams

Darcy Frey

4.3

It ought to be just a game, but basketball on the playgrounds of Coney Island is much more than that — for many young men it represents their only hope of escape from a life of crime, poverty, and despair. In The Last Shot, Darcy Frey chronicles the aspirations of four of the neighborhood’s most promising players. What they have going for them is athletic talent, grace, and years of dedication. Bu

22

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

Kobe Bryant

4.3

Preview Summary

In the wake of his retirement from professional basketball, Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant has decided to share his vast knowledge and understanding of the game to take readers on an unprecedented journey to the core of the legendary “Mamba mentality.” Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it “the right way,” The

23

Seven Seconds or Less: My Season on the Bench with the Runnin' and Gunnin' Phoenix Suns

Jack McCallum

4.3

In "Seven Seconds or Less, Sports Illustrated"'s chief NBA writer, Jack McCallum, gets in the paint with the Phoenix Suns and takes a season-long look at the NBA's most exciting and controversial team.A few weeks before the 2005-2006 NBA training camps began, Jack McCallum called the Phoenix Suns ace director of public relations to propose a story idea for "Sports Illustrated," He would spend the

24

Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior

Phil Jackson

4.3

With a new introduction, Phil Jackson's modern classic of motivation, teamwork, and Zen insight is updated for a whole new readership"Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball." --Phil Jackson Eleven years ago, when Phil Jackson first wrote these words in Sacred Hoops, he was the triumphant head coach of the Chicago Bulls, known for his Zen ap

Recommended by AnneMarie Schindler.

AnneMarie Schindler

I suggest these books because they really open up 'how' you think about life and in turn work, success/challenges/setbacks, and in general, yourself. I believe that the more you can understand yourself and broaden your approach to work, the easier it will be to find work that energizes you. Finally, I'm a team player at heart, and love working with others to achieve a huge goal so a portion of these deal with team composition and performance too. [source]

25

Long Shot (Hoops #1)

Kennedy Ryan and Lauren Clark

4.3

A Standalone FORBIDDEN LOVE SET IN THE EXPLOSIVE WORLD OF THE NBA...

Think you know what it's like being a baller's girl?
You don't.
My fairy tale is upside down.
A happily never after.
I kissed the prince and he turned into a fraud.
I was a fool, and his love - fool's gold.

Now there's a new player in the game, August West.
One of the NBA's brightest stars.
Fine. Forbidden.
He wants me. I want him.
But my

26

The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul

Phil Jackson

4.3

One of the most successful coaches in the history of professional basketball offers his own take on his turbulent 2003-2004 season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

27

Heaven Is a Playground

Rick Telander

4.3

In 1974 Rick Telander intended to spend a few days doing a magazine piece on the court wizards of Brooklyn’s Foster Park. He ended up staying the entire summer, becoming part of the players’ lives, and eventually the coach of a loose aggregation known as the Subway Stars. Telander tells of everything he saw: the on-court flash, the off-court jargon, the late-night graffiti raids, the tireless effo

28

The Art of a Beautiful Game: The Thinking Fan's Tour of the NBA

Chris Ballard

4.3

In The Art of a Beautiful Game, Chris Ballard, the award-winning Sports Illustrated writer who has covered the NBA for the past decade, goes behind the scenes to examine basketball in ways that will surprise even die-hard fans. An inveterate hoops junkie who played some college ball, Ballard sits down with the NBA's most passionate, cerebral players to find out their tricks of the trade and to lea

29

The Punch: One Night, Two Lives, and the Fight That Changed Basketball Forever

John Feinstein

4.3

With unerring insight into the deeper truths of professional sports, John Feinstein explores in riveting detail what happened one night in December 1977 when, as a fistfight broke out on the court between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers, Kermit Washington delivered a punch that nearly killed All-Star Rudy Tomjanovich. The punch-now legendary in the annals of American sports-radicall

30

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

Adrian Wojnarowski

4.3

In a city mired in endless decay, where the youth suffer through all the horrors of urban blight, hope comes in a most unassuming form: a tiny brick schoolhouse run by two Felician nuns where a singular basketball genius takes teenagers from the mean streets of Jersey City and turns them into champions on the hardcourt. Coach Bob Hurley had been working miracles at St. Anthony High School for over

31

Drive: The Story of My Life

Larry Bird

4.3

"Of all the people I play against, the only one I truly fear is Larry Bird."--Magic Johnson, from the Foreword.The heart and soul of a champion: his life, his career, his game. To understand basketball, you have to understand Larry Bird. Arguably the greatest all-around player the game has ever known, he led the Boston Celtics from the basement to three world championships, collecting three NBA Mo

32

Fab Five: Basketball, Trash Talk, the American Dream

Mitch Albom

4.2

Fans of the New York Times bestseller A Season on the Brink will savor this in-depth look at Michigan's Fab Five, the all-freshmen starting basketball team that wowed the country and stormed through the 1992 NCAA college basketball tournament. 16 pages of photos.

33

Boy21

Matthew Quick

4.2

Basketball has always been an escape for Finley. He lives in gray, broken Bellmont, a town ruled by the Irish Mob, drugs, violence, and racially charged rivalries. At home, he takes care of his disabled grandfather, and at school he’s called “White Rabbit”, the only white kid on the varsity basketball team. He’s always dreamed of getting out somehow with his girlfriend, Erin. But until then, when

34

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

John Feinstein

4.2

On March 18, 1980, the Duke basketball program announced the hiring of Mike Krzyzewski, the man who would restore glory to the team. The only problem: no one knew who Krzyzewski was. Nine days later, Jim Valvano was hired by North Carolina State to be their new head coach. The hiring didn't raise as many eyebrows, but the two new coaches had a similar goal: to unseat North Carolina's Dean Smith as

35

The Last Great Game: Duke vs. Kentucky and the 2.1 Seconds That Changed Basketball

Gene Wojciechowski

4.2

36

Basketball: A Love Story

Jackie MacMullan, Rafe Bartholomew, et al.

4.2

A sweeping and revelatory history of basketball, drawing upon hundreds of hours of interviews with the greatest players, coaches, executives, and journalists in the history of the game.

In an effort to tell the complete story of basketball in all its fascinating dimensions, Award-winning filmmaker Dan Klores, along with celebrated journalists Jackie Macmullan and Rafe Bartholomew, has compiled near

37

Let Me Tell You a Story: A Lifetime in the Game

Red Auerbach, John Feinstein

4.2

America's favorite sportswriter teams up with Red Auerbach, the most successful and admired coach in basketball history, to tell the best stories of a legendary life.Living legend Arnold "Red" Auerbach led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA championships, eight of them consecutive, during his 17 year tenure in Boston, from 1950 to 1966. The fiery coach is a unique personality; brash, opinionated, and

38

Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City, Its Chaotic Founding, Its Apocalyptic Weather, Its Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-class Metropolis

Sam Anderson

4.2

Award-winning journalist Sam Anderson’s long-awaited debut is a brilliant, kaleidoscopic narrative of Oklahoma City--a great American story of civics, basketball, and destiny.

Oklahoma City was born from chaos. It was founded in a bizarre but momentous "Land Run" in 1889, when thousands of people lined up along the borders of Oklahoma Territory and rushed in at noon to stake their claims. Since the

Recommended by Bill Walton.

Bill Walton

Basketball Player/Broadcaster

Sam Anderson is a visionary artist who sees what others can’t; he’s a master wordsmith who creates beauty and light from confusion and plunging darkness; he's our tour guide to a better tomorrow because he understands a complex and foundational history that is our launching pad to new and unexplored universes. [source]

39

Front and Center (Dairy Queen, #3)

Catherine Gilbert Murdock

4.2

After five months of sheer absolute craziness I was going back to being plain old background D.J. In photographs of course I’m always in the background...

But it turns out other folks have big plans for D.J. Like her coach. College scouts. All the town hoops fans. A certain Red Bend High School junior who’s keen for romance and karaoke. Not to mention Brian Nelson, who she should not be thinking a

40

My Losing Season: A Memoir

Pat Conroy

4.2

41

Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend

Bill Russell

4.2

“Bill Russell was the greatest team basketball player ever….[He] has produced a moving tribute to his friend and, in a larger sense, to friendship.”

—Booklist

In Red and Me, Boston Celtics basketball legend Bill Russell pays homage to his mentor and coach, the inimitable Red Auerbach. A poignant remembrance of a life-altering relationship in the tradition of Big Russ and Me and Tuesdays With Morrie

42

Shaq Uncut: Tall Tales and Untold Stories

Shaquille O'Neal

4.2

Superman. Diesel. The Big Aristotle. Shaq Fu. The Big Daddy. The Big Shaqtus. Wilt Chamberneezy. The Real Deal. The Big Shamrock. Shaq.

You know him by any number of names, and chances are you know all about his legendary basketball career: Shaquille "Shaq" O'Neal is a four-time NBA champion and a three-time NBA Finals MVP. After being an All-American at Louisiana State University, he was the overa

43

When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball

Seth Davis

4.2

44

The Sixth Man

Andre Iguodala

4.2

The standout memoir from NBA powerhouse Andre Iguodala, the indomitable sixth man of the champion Golden State Warriors.

Andre Iguodala is one of the most admired players in the NBA. And fresh off the Warriors' third NBA championship in the last four years, his game has never been stronger.

Off the court, Iguodala has earned respect, too--for his successful tech investments, his philanthropy, and

Recommended by Arianna Huffington, Bill Gurley, and Eric S. Yuan.

Arianna Huffington

Founder/The Huffington Post

Love this excerpt from @Andre Iguodala's new book "The Sixth Man" about how he learned to believe the age-old-adage that "less is more." https://t.co/QP8AeJcaJ3 [source]

Bill Gurley

If you love basketball, the @warriors, intense tenacity, or understanding how a great team executes as one, you will love @andre ‘s very candid new book, The Sixth Man, out today https://t.co/GrcNddGJwq [source]

Eric S. Yuan

Find your organization’s “Sixth Man (or Woman)” and you’ll be in great shape for growth! Great read, highly recommend @andre’s book! @zoom_us https://t.co/pWZVhUQozA [source]

45

A March to Madness: A View from the Floor in the Atlantic Coast Conference

John Feinstein

4.2

It's the book in which America's favorite sportswriter returns to the arena of his most successful bestseller, A Season on the Brink. It's the book that takes us inside the intensely competitive Atlantic Coast Conference & paints a portrait of how college baskettball is coached & played at the highest level. It's the book that takes us onto the courts, into the locker rooms, & inside the high-pres

46

Teardrop Shot

Tijan

4.2

I asked for his criteria for bed buddies-that's the PG version.

He swore at me and said he didn't do groupies. And just like that, our friendship was off to a great start.

Reese Forster was the starting point guard for the Seattle Thunder.

Gorgeous. Cocky. Loved by the nation.

He's also attending preseason basketball training camp where I used to work.

Correction: where I work again, because I was fire

47

Leading with the Heart: Coach K's Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life

Mike Krzyzewski

4.2

Duke University's head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski has proved himself a leader both on and off the court. He's led the Duke Blue Devils to five straight Final Four appearances, culminating in back-to-back championships in 1991 and '92. He has received five National Coach of the Year Awards -- and many of the players he coached in college have gone on to NBA stardom! Now Coach K offers the ins

48

Travel Team

Mike Lupica

4.2

The #1 Bestseller!

Twelve-year-old Danny Walker may be the smallest kid on the basketball court -- but don't tell him that. Because no one plays with more heart or court sense. But none of that matters when he is cut from his local travel team, the very same team his father led to national prominence as a boy. Danny's father, still smarting from his own troubles, knows Danny isn't the only kid who

49

FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History

Bethlehem Shoals, Jacob Weinstein

4.2

The history of basketball has always belonged to champions like the Celtics, the Lakers, and the Bulls. Yet the game's history cuts much deeper than that. The bottom line, the record books and retired jerseys, can never fully do justice to this wild, chaotic, and energetic game. In between the championships, there's the sight of Earl Monroe, spinning and cajoling his way to every corner of the cou

Recommended by Dan Devine.

Dan Devine

@ringernba The Wilt illustration I mention in the Giannis section is by the great Jacob Weinstein, from @freedarko's Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History, a wonderful and beautiful book I own, have bought for multiple people, and can't recommend enough: https://t.co/VHTzixuwVN https://t.co/3creRu94MZ [source]

50

Hook Shot (Hoops #3)

Kennedy Rya

4.2

A deeply emotional standalone romance set in the worlds of professional basketball and high fashion.

Divorced. Single dad. Traded to a losing squad. Cheated on, betrayed, exposed.
My perfect life blew up in my face and I'm still picking up the pieces.
The last thing I need is her.
A wildflower. A storm. A woman I can't resist.
Lotus DuPree is a kick to my gut and a wrench in my plans
from the moment o

51

They Call Me Coach

John Wooden

4.2

The legendary coach talks about his life, his players, and his winning philosophies in this bestselling autobiography

John Wooden's dedication and inspiration made him America's "winningest" coach. His beliefs in hard work and preparedness brought the UCLA Bruins an unparalleled 10 NCAA basketball championships. Now in this bestselling autobiography--with a Foreword by Hall-of-Famer Bill Walton--th

52

Pacific Rims: Beermen Ballin' in Flip-Flops and the Philippines' Unlikely Love Affair with Basketball

Rafe Bartholomew

4.2

Welcome to the Philippines, where the men are five foot five, the everyman's Air Jordans are a pair of flip-flops, and the rhythm of life is punctuated by the bouncing of a basketball.

Rafe Bartholomew arrived in Manila with little more than a Fulbright scholarship and an urban legend that Filipinos loved basketball more than anyone else on the planet. He'd heard that the locals constructed jerry-r

53

Sum It Up: 1,098 Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses, and a Life in Perspective

Pat Head Summitt

4.2

Pat Summitt, the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history and bestselling author of Reach for the Summitt and Raise The Roof, tells for the first time her remarkable story of victory and resilience as well as facing down her greatest challenge: early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Pat Summitt was only 21 when she became head coach of the Tennessee Vols women's basketball team. For 38 years,

54

Beyond Basketball: Coach K's Keywords for Success

Mike Krzyzewski and Jamie K. Spatola

4.2

This 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.

55

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

Mark Titus

4.2

An irreverent, hilarious insider's look at big-time NCAA basketball, through the eyes of the nation's most famous benchwarmer and author of the popular blog ClubTrillion.com (3.6m visits!). Mark Titus holds the Ohio State record for career wins, and made it to the 2007 national championship game. You would think Titus would be all over the highlight reels. You'd be wrong.

In 2006, Mark Titus arriv

56

Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player

Paul Shirley, Chuck Klosterman

4.2

He’s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn’t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com’s “The Sports Guy,” has said of Paul Shirley, “We could finally have an answer to the question ‘What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?”

There’s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball’s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged t

57

The Last Amateurs: Playing for Glory and Honor in Division I College Basketball

John Feinstein

4.2

America's favorite sportswriter takes readers on a thrilling and unforgettable journey into the world of college basketball in this national bestseller.
Like millions who love college basketball, John Feinstein was first drawn to the game because of its intensity, speed and intelligence. Like many others, he felt that the vast sums of money involved in NCAA basketball had turned the sport into a d

58

Wooden: A Coach's Life

Seth Davis

4.1

A provocative and revelatory new biography of the legendary UCLA coach John Wooden, by one of America’s top college basketball writers

No college basketball coach has ever dominated the sport like John Wooden. His UCLA teams reached unprecedented heights in the 1960s and ’70s capped by a run of ten NCAA championships in twelve seasons and an eighty-eight-game winning streak, records that stand to t

59

Tip Off: How the 1984 NBA Draft Changed Basketball Forever

Filip Bondy

4.1

The 1984 NBA draft is one of the most controversial in NBA history. Teams were losing games very suspiciously during the regular season to enhance their draft position. And who wouldn't, when the draft featured four future members of the Top 50 NBA Players of All Time team-Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, and Michael Jordan. But this draft is most often remembered as the one where

60

SprawlBall: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA

Kirk Goldsberry

4.1

From the leading expert in the exploding field of basketball analytics, a stunning infographic decoding of the modern NBA: who shoots where, and how.

The field of basketball analytics has leaped to overdrive thanks to Kirk Goldsberry, whose visual maps of players, teams, and positions have helped teams understand who really is the most valuable player at any position. SprawlBall combines stunning

Recommended by Ryan Spoon.

Ryan Spoon

@bgurley He’s absolutely incredible. Literally unguardable even as teams create new schemes and throw even more defenders at him. Assume you’ve read @kirkgoldsberry’s awesome book on new age basketball? [source]

61

The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball

John Taylor

4.1

A BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN ACCOUNT OF THE NBA’S GLORY DAYS, AND THE RIVALRY THAT DOMINATED THE ERA

In the mid-1950s, the NBA was a mere barnstorming circuit, with outposts in such cities as Rochester, New York, and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Most of the best players were white; the set shot and layup were the sport’s chief offensive weapons. But by the 1970s, the league ruled America’s biggest media markets;

62

Life on the Run

Bill Bradley

4.1

Almost two decades after its original publication and more than fifteen years after its author retired from the New York Knicks to become a United States senator, Bill Bradley's account of twenty days in a pro basketball season remains a classic in the literature of sports, unparalleled in its candor and intelligence.

Bradley takes readers from the court to the locker room, from the seamless teamwo

63

FreeDarko Presents: The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac: Styles, Stats, and Stars in Today's Game

Bethlehem Shoals, Dr. Lawyer IndianChief, Silverbird 5000, Brown Recluse Esq., Big Baby Belafonte

4.1

The indispensible, amazingly illustrated companion to today's NBA—a roundball Rosetta Stone that hilariously decodes the trends and tendencies of pro basketball.
The NBA of the moment is a league of hugely charismatic celebrities, crackling aesthetic intrigue, sociopolitical undercurrents, and raw humanity: every Kobe Bryant pump-fake or LeBron James dunk holds within it a Shaq-size load of meanin

64

Stephen Curry: The Boy Who Never Gave Up

Anthony Curcio

4.1

65

Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry

Marcus Thompson

4.1

INSTANT #1 BESTSELLER—ALL-ACCESS LOOK AT STEPH CURRY AND THE 2017 NBA CHAMPIONS GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

“A revolutionary player like Curry—whose three-point shooting altered basketball in a way similar to Babe Ruth changing baseball with the home run—deserves an in-the-moment book. And in the same way so many of Curry’s outlandish shots nestle softly into the net, so Thompson’s engaging and knowing b

66

Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball

John Coy, Joe Morse

4.1

Taking over a rowdy gym class right before winter vacation is not something James Naismith wants to do at all. The last two teachers of this class quit in frustration. The students--a bunch of energetic young men--are bored with all the regular games and activities. Naismith needs something new, exciting, and fast to keep the class happy...or someone's going to get hurt. His only resources are a g

67

Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant

Roland Lazenby

4.1

Finalist for the Cross British Sports Biography of the Year Award in the UK"With surgical precision, Roland Lazenby expertly dissects the life of this generation's most fascinating basketball player. What made Kobe Bryant tick so loud for so long? Lazenby shows you with a tour de force in reporting and an intimate inspection at Bryant's trials, accomplishments and tribulations." -- Jonathan Abrams

68

West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life

Jerry West, Jonathan Coleman

4.1

It was only logical that when the National Basketball Association needed a silhouette for their logo that they selected the side view of Jerry West. For forty years, West has been an integral part of N.B.A. history, first as a player and then as a coach and general manager. "Mr. Clutch" made the All-Star team every year of his career and created the dynasties that would win eight championships. Th

69

Last Dance: Behind the Scenes at the Final Four

John Feinstein, Mike Krzyzewski

4.1

Exploring what it means to be a school, a coach, and a player in college basketball's Final Four, Feinstein exposes the driving forces behind one of the most revered events in American sports. Readers will also find dramatic stories from the officials and referees to the scouts and ticket-scalpers.

70

Relentless: The Ultimate Mind & Body Challenge

Tim S. Grover

4.1

Preview Summary

For more than two decades, legendary trainer Tim Grover has taken the greats—Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and dozens more—and made them greater. Now, for the first time in paperback, he reveals what it takes to get those results, showing you how to be relentless and achieve whatever you desire.

Fore more than two decades, legendary trainer Tim Grover has taken the greats—Michael Jordan

Recommended by Ryan Switzer.

Ryan Switzer

Never forget my FR year at Carolina, @CoachFedora handed me the book “Relentless” by Tim Grover. Inside look on the mindset that drove Dwade, MJ, KOBE. Gave me an idea of what it was going to take to live my dream. Relentless became my favorite word. My passion. My everything. [source]

71

Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery (The Sports Beat, #1)

John Feinstein

4.1

New York Times bestselling sportswriter John Feinstein exposes the real “March Madness”—behind the scenes at the Final Four basketball tournament.

When Stevie wins a writing contest for aspiring sports journalists, his prize is a press pass to the Final Four in New Orleans. While exploring the Superdome, he overhears a plot to throw the championship game. With the help of fellow contest winner Sus

72

The Final Four

Paul Volponi

4.1

"Volponi, a multiple award-winning author, keeps the tension high from the first to last page ...The Final Four is definitely a winner." —VOYA, starred review

March Madness is in full swing, and there are only four teams let in the NCAA basketball championship. The heavily favored Michigan Spartans and the underdog Troy Trojans meet in the first game in the seminfinals, and it's there that the fate

73

Glory Road: My Story of the 1966 NCAA Basketball Championship and How One Team Triumphed Against the Odds and Changed America Forever

Dan Haskins

4.1

Timed to the release of Jerry Bruckheimer's movie, the moving autobiography of Hall of Fame basketball coach Don Haskins and his storied team of players, the Texas Western Miners

In 1966, college basketball was almost completely segregated. In the championship game for the NCAA title that year, Don Haskins, coach of the then little-known Texas Western College, did something that had never been done

74

A Season Inside: One Year in College Basketball

John Feinstein

4.1

Feinstein takes readers inside the locker rooms, the grueling practices, the late-night strategy sessions. They get a close-up look at recruiting, referees, injuries, winning, losing, and the private lives of the game's biggest stars.

75

A Sense of Where You Are: Bill Bradley at Princeton

John McPhee

4.1

When John McPhee met Bill Bradley, both were at the beginning of their careers. A Sense of Where You Are, McPhee's first book, is about Bradley when he was the best basketball player Princeton had ever seen. McPhee delineates for the reader the training and techniques that made Bradley the extraordinary athlete he was, and this part of the book is a blueprint of superlative basketball. But athleti

Recommended by Jim Collins, Daniel Pink, and Erik Torenberg.

Jim Collins

Author

About Bill Bradley. [source]

Erik Torenberg

@bencasnocha His book on Bradley is perhaps the best basketball related literature I’ve read, followed by Bradley’s own book. [source]

76

Wilt, 1962: The Night of 100 Points and the Dawn of a New Era

Gary M. Pomerantz

4.1

On the night of March 2, 1962, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, right up the street from the chocolate factory, Wilt Chamberlain, a young and striking athlete celebrated as the Big Dipper, scored one hundred points in a game against the New York Knickerbockers.

As historic and revolutionary as the achievement was, it remains shrouded in myth. The game was not televised; no New York sportswriters showed up

77

Dr. J: My Life Above the Rim and Behind Closed Doors

Julius Erving, Karl Taro Greenfeld

4.1

At long last, a high-flying American legend comes cown to earth to tell his life story

With flights of improvisation around the basket, and his towering afro, Julius Erving became one of the most charismatic (and revolutionary) players basketball has ever known. A cool, acrobatic showman, his flamboyant dunks sent him to the Hall of Fame and turned the act of jamming a basketball through a hoop int

78

H.O.R.S.E.: A Game of Basketball and Imagination

Christopher Myers

4.1

One day at the basketball court, two kids, a familiar challenge--H.O.R.S.E.?

But this isn’t your grandmother’s game of hoops.

Not when a layup
from the other side of the court
standing on one foot
with your eyes closed is just the warm-up.

Around the neighborhood, around the world, off Saturn’s rings, the pair goes back and forth.

The game is as much about skill as it is about imagination.

A slam du

79

Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream

Deloris Jordan, Roslyn M. Jordan, Kadir Nelson

4.1

Michael Jordan.
The mere mention of the name conjures up visions of basketball played at its absolute best. But as a child, Michael almost gave up on his hoop dreams, all because he feared he'd never grow tall enough to play the game that would one day make him famous. That's when his mother and father stepped in and shared the invaluable lesson of what really goes into the making of a champion --

80

Toughness: Developing True Strength On and Off the Court

Jay Bilas

4.1

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 insig

81

When Nothing Else Matters: Michael Jordan's Last Comeback

Michael Leahy

4.1

As one of the greatest, most celebrated athletes in history, Michael Jordan conquered professional basketball as no one had before.

Powered by a potent mix of charisma, nearly superhuman abilities, and a ferocious need to dominate the game, he won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and captured every basketball award and accolade conceivable before retiring and taking a top executive post

82

One False Move (Myron Bolitar, #5)

Harlan Coben

4.0

She's smart, beautiful, and she doesn't need a man to look after her. But sports agent Myron Bolitar has come into her life -- big time. Now Myron's next move may be his last.

Brenda Slaughter is no damsel in distress. Myron Bolitar is no bodyguard. But Myron has agreed to protect the bright, strong, beautiful basketball star. And he's about to find out if he's man enough to unravel the tragic ridd

83

Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

4.0

Former NBA star and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explores his 50-year friendship with Coach John Wooden, one of the most enduring and meaningful relationships in sports history.

When future NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still an 18-year-old high school basketball prospect from New York City named Lew Alcindor, he accepted a scholarship from UCLA largely on the s

84

Shoot Your Shot: A Sport-Inspired Guide To Living Your Best Life

Vernon Brundage Jr.

4.0

85

Second Wind

Bill Russell

4.0

Ben is a 32 year old accountant who's just been dumped from a nine year relationship with Paul. Paul is a 40 something year old who's midlife crisis includes a 22 year old to sleep with. Ben bought a beautiful 3 bedroom home in the suburbs after he was thrown out. Now bring in Joey, a 28 year old widower with an 20 month old son who's from a huge Catholic Italian family who's been having thoughts

86

Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization

John Wooden

4.0

A Wall Street Journal Bestseller

A compelling look inside the mind and powerful leadership methods of America's coaching legend, John Wooden

"Team spirit, loyalty, enthusiasm, determination. . . . Acquire and keep these traits and success should follow."
--Coach John Wooden

John Wooden's goal in 41 years of coaching never changed; namely, to get maximum effort and peak performance from each of his pl

Recommended by Jim Sinegal, Lolly Daskal, and Skip Prichard.

Jim Sinegal

CEO/Costco

Wooden On Leadership offers valuable lessons no matter what your endeavor. 'Competitive Greatness' is our goal and that of any successful organization. Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success is where it all starts. [source]

87

When the Garden Was Eden: Clyde, the Captain, Dollar Bill, and the Glory Days of the New York Knicks

Harvey Araton

4.0

In the tradition of The Boys of Summer and The Bronx Is Burning, New York Times sports columnist Harvey Araton delivers a fascinating look at the 1970s New York Knicks—part autobiography, part sports history, part epic, set against the tumultuous era when Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, and Bill Bradley reigned supreme in the world of basketball. Perfect for readers of Jeff Pearlman’s The Bad Guys Won!

88

The City Game: Basketball from the Garden to the Playgrounds

Pete Axthelm, Rick Telander

4.0

Pete Axthelm follows the 1969–70 season of the New York Knicks and provides a parallel focus on basketball as it was then played in the black neighborhoods of New York City. Throughout, he writes clearly, intelligently, and passionately about the game, bringing alive the players’ efforts, accomplishments, and failures.

89

Block Shot (Hoops #2)

Kennedy Rya

4.0

𝘼𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙚𝙨-𝙩𝙤-𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.

𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮'𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙠 . . .

𝗝𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗗

If I had a dollar for every time Banner Morales made my heart skip a beat...
The heart everyone assumes is frozen over.
Her anger is . . . arousing.
Every glare from those fire-spitting eyes, every time she grits her teeth, gets me . . .well, you know

90

Knight: My Story

Bob Knight, Bob Hammel

4.0

Bob Knight was a head coach in college basketball at twenty-four, coach of an unbeaten NCAA champion at thirty-five, coach of the last amateur team to win the Olympic men's basketball gold medal at forty-three, and out of a job at not quite sixty.

His shock, disappointment and anger over Indiana University's manner of firing a twenty-nine-year employee comes through clearly in his account of his la

91

Summer Ball

Mike Lupica

4.0

The sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Travel Team!

When you’re the smallest kid playing a big man’s game, the challenges never stop—especially when your name is Danny Walker. Leading your travel team to the national championship may seem like a dream come true, but for Danny, being at the top just means the competition tries that much harder to knock him off. Now Danny’s leaving Middletow

92

The Crossover

Kwame Alexander, Dawud Anyabwile

4.0

Kwame Alexander's The Crossover is brought to life as a graphic novel with illustrations by Dawud Anyabwile.

"With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . . The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. ’Cuz tonight I’m delivering," raps twelve-year-old Josh Bell. Thanks to their dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in

93

Unfinished Business: On and Off the Court With the 1990-91 Boston Celtics

Jack McCallum

4.0

94

What Happened to Goodbye

Sarah Dessen

4.0

Who is the real McLean?

Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLe

95

A Coach's Life

Dean Smith, John Kilgo, Sally Jenkins

4.0

For almost forty years, Dean Smith coached the University of North Carolina basketball team with unsurpassed success, having an impact both on the court and in the lives of countless young men. In A Coach’s Life, he looks back on the great games, teams, players, strategies, and rivalries that defined his career and, in a new final chapter, discusses his retirement from the game. The fundamentals o

96

All American Boys

Jason Reynolds, Brendan Kiely

4.0

Rashad is absent again today.

That’s the sidewalk graffiti that started it all…

Well, no, actually, a lady tripping over Rashad at the store, making him drop a bag of chips, was what started it all. Because it didn’t matter what Rashad said next—that it was an accident, that he wasn’t stealing—the cop just kept pounding him. Over and over, pummeling him into the pavement. So then Rashad, an ROTC kid

97

Corrupt (Devil's Night, #1)

Penelope Douglas

4.0

Erika

I was told that dreams were our heart’s desires. My nightmares, however, became my obsession.

His name is Michael Crist.

My boyfriend’s older brother is like that scary movie that you peek through your hand to watch. He is handsome, strong, and completely terrifying. The star of his college’s basketball team and now gone pro, he’s more concerned with the dirt on his shoe than me.

But I noti

98

Return of the King: LeBron James, The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Greatest Comeback in NBA History

Brian Windhorst

4.0

In this New York Times bestseller, get the inside scoop into LeBron James's return -- and ultimate triumph -- in Cleveland.
What really happened when LeBron James stunned the NBA by leaving a potential dynasty in Miami to come home to play with the Cleveland Cavaliers? How did the Cavs use secret meetings to put together the deal to add star Kevin Love? Who really made the controversial decision t

99

LeBron James: The Boy Who Became King

Anthony Curcio

4.0

The Boy Who Became King is the inspiring true story of NBA superstar LeBron James. This Fully illustrated picture book biography tells the story of a young boy and his loving, single mother and their struggle to make it on their own. With the help of a coach and his family, LeBron is introduced to the game of basketball.

Against all odds, “the kid from Akron” not only makes it to the NBA but becom

100

Boys of Brayshaw High (Brayshaw, #1)

Meagan Brand

4.0

"Girls like you aren't exactly welcomed at a place like this, so keep your head down and look the other way."

Those were the exact words of my social worker when she dropped me in my newest hellhole, a place for "troubled teens".

I didn't listen, and now I'm on their radar.

They expect me to play along in their games of hierarchy, to fall in line in the social order they've deemed me fit.

Too bad