Sports Biographies Basketball

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...

In the four biggest American sports leagues, 124 franchises vie for the crown of greatest of all. Only one can sit atop the throne. Now for the first time ever, Got Your Legends ranks all of the franchises and explains which teams are legendary, or unique, or exciting, or tragic . . . or laughable.

Learn the inspiring story of the Philadelphia 76ers' star center Joel Embiid! As the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Joel Embiid has emerged as one of the top centers to play in the modern league due to his ability to do close to everything. Whether it's rebounding, blocking shots, or making three pointers, Joel Embiid is close to the total package when it comes to finding a franchise player.

In Five Banners, Feinstein tells the inside history of Coach K’s forty-two-year career at Duke and its five NCAA championships, from the first, against Kansas in 1991, to the most recent, in 2015 against Wisconsin. With unparalleled access to Coach K, the team, and its staff, Feinstein takes listeners on a mesmerizing ride into the locker room and onto the court. Full of intimate details, personal memories, and previously untold on- and off-court stories, it is a book that only Feinstein could write.

Whether you call him King James or simply LeBron, one thing is certain: LeBron James is THE face of the NBA. At just eighteen, and facing sky-high expectations, LeBron headed straight from high school to the pros. Cool under pressure, he went on to shatter the record books and become the most popular athlete in America.

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 this day. Wooden also became a renowned motivational speaker and writer, revered for his "Pyramid of Success." The portrait that emerges from Davis's remarkable biography is of a man in full, whose life story still resonates today.

This inspiring memoir from sports and cultural icon Bill Walton recounts his devastating injuries and amazing recoveries, set in the context of his UCLA triumphs under John Wooden, his storied NBA career, and his affinity for music and the Grateful Dead.

Linspired reveals the remarkable journey of the ultimate underdog, Jeremy Lin, superstar of the New York Knicks and the first American-born player of Chinese/Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA.

Newly revised through the end of the 2022-2023 season, Ja Morant: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball’s All-Star Point Guards explores the inspirational story of one of basketball's latest star point guards, Ja Morant. Since being selected with the second overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, Ja Morant has consistently impressed fans across the league. So much so, that he won the 2020 Rookie of the Year Award. In his rookie season, Ja finished averaging 17.8 points per game, along with 7.3 assists per game.

It seems unlikely that James Naismith, who grew up playing "Duck on the Rock" in the rural community of Almonte, Canada, would invent one of America's most popular sports. But Rob Rains and Hellen Carpenter's fascinating, in-depth biography James Naismith: The Man Who Invented Basketball shows how this young man - who wanted to be a medical doctor, or if not that, a minister (in fact, he was both) - came to create a game that has endured for over a century.

In Charles Barkley: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Greatest Power Forwards, you'll learn the inspirational story of basketball's legendary power forward Charles Barkley. Barkley was one of the most popular big men throughout 1980's and 1990's basketball due to his dominance on both sides of the court. He remains one of the greatest examples of how to overcome obstacles to become a great, as he went through his entire career as "undersized" compared to traditional power forwards.

As Sister Jean wisely says, "I've seen so many changes in the last 102 years, but the important things remain the same." Part life story, part philosophy text, and part spiritual guide, Sister Jean's wit, wisdom, and common sense has broad appeal and application that transcends religious creed, belief, and even feelings on Loyola's basketball team.

In Michael Jordan: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Greatest Players, you'll hear the inspirational story of basketball's superstar, Michael Jordan. This short unauthorized biography of Michael Jordan highlights his journey in the NBA, from once being passed over until being the third overall pick to becoming a six-time NBA champion. Few players have shaped so much of the game of basketball as Michael Jordan.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has won gold medals, NBA championships, MVP awards, and more. Carefully leveled text and age-appropriate critical-thinking questions will engage young basketball fans.

Steve James has made a lifetime study of Michael Jordan’s rise from repeated failure to NBA legend. And now he’s here to share the secrets behind Michael Jordan’s winning record so you can follow in his footsteps. Michael Jordan: A Unique Insight into the Career and Mindset of Michael Jordan is an incredible account of the many trials and tribulations the legendary baller overcame so he could dominate the courts.

Through her four-year high school journey, and together with her teammates, Jamie experiences the exhilaration of winning, the agony of defeat, and the complicated layers of love, friendship, and grief. She learns what it really takes to set and achieve goals, all while navigating adolescence and high school with its inevitable confusion, heartbreak, and the highs and lows that produce powerful life lessons.

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, Muggsy 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.

At basketball-crazy Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts, junior guard Chris Herren carried his family’s and the city’s dreams on his skinny frame. His grandfather, father, and older brother had created their own sports legends in a declining city; he was the last, best hope for a career beyond the shuttered mills and factories. Herren was heavily recruited by major universities, chosen as a McDonald’s All-American, featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story, and at just seventeen years old became the central figure in Fall River Dreams, an acclaimed book about the 1994 Durfee team’s quest for the state championship.

In DeMarcus Cousins: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Top Centers, you'll hear about the inspirational story of basketball's star, DeMarcus Cousins. Since entering the league as the fifth overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft, DeMarcus Cousins has made quite the name for himself as a premier big man. After spending nearly seven years as the face of the Sacramento Kings franchise, DeMarcus was given a fresh start mid-way through the 2016-2017 season as he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans to play alongside fellow star, Anthony Davis.

By 1970 racial tension was at a breaking point in the Southern town of Gallatin, Tennessee. Desegregation had emotions running high. The town was a powder keg ready to erupt. But it was also on the verge of something incredible. Eddie Sherlin and Bill Ligon were boys growing up on opposite sides of the tracks who shared a passion for basketball. They knew the barriers that divided them - some physical landmarks and some hidden in the heart - but those barriers melted away when the boys were on the court.