Sports Basketball

He is considered by many the greatest basketball player ever produced by the hoops-crazy state of Kentucky. In two years at the University of Kentucky, he scored over 1,000 points, led the Wildcats to a Sweet Sixteen appearance and was nicknamed “King Rex.” The first player ever drafted by the Charlotte Hornets, he spent twelve seasons in the NBA, dazzling in dunk contests and sinking one of the most memorable buzzer-beaters in league history. But by the end of his career, Rex Chapman was harboring a destructive secret.

How do the best basketball players go from playing pick-up games on a neighborhood court to scoring big-time contracts in the NBA and WNBA? With hard work and determination! Discover the paths players take to turn their street ball and high school hoop dreams into college and professional careers.

From the first jump ball to the final second on the clock, women can finally bring together nascent hoop dreams and their desire to relate to the b-ball obsessed men in their lives.

When the Toronto Raptors first took the court back in 1995, the world was a very different place. Michael Jordan was tearing up the NBA. No one had email. And a lot of people wondered whether basketball could survive in Toronto, the holy city of hockey.

Basketball: A Guide for Players and Fans gives young listeners a courtside look at one of the world's most popular sports. Listeners will find simple explanations of basketball's beginnings, basic rules and strategies, and how they can suit up and get on the court. Kids who love basketball won't want to stop listening until they're ready for tip-off!

On opening night, a green dragon flies down to the Orlando Magic’s court on a zip line. At the Phoenix Suns’ arena, a goofy gorilla leaps off a trampoline and slams a big-time dunk. On the Chicago Bulls’ court, a fuzzy red bull shoots T-shirts into the crowd. Basketball fans love to laugh and cheer at the shenanigans of these and many other colorful mascots. Have a blast learning about the zaniest basketball mascots!

How do you pick basketball’s GOATs? Michael Jordan and LeBron James get a lot of GOAT nods. But is Steph Curry the greatest shooter? And what about all-time WNBA points leader Diana Taurasi? It comes down to stats, history, and hunches.

Mike Krzyzewski's eight trips to the Final Four and two national championships with Duke University make him one of the most successful college basketball coaches of all time. With Donald T. Phillips, the best-selling author of Lincoln on Leadership, Krzyzewski explains the techniques that have made his program so successful and offers advice on using those same strategies to excel in both your business and personal lives.

Basketball is fun watch, but even more fun to play! Kids can get in the game by learning about the rules of the sport, the equipment needed to play, and the importance of good sportsmanship. Then, they can practice a key basketball skill to have even more fun on the court.

Many of the greatest basketball players have earned funny, odd, or interesting nicknames during their careers. Listen to find out the stories behind basketball’s legendary nicknames.

Did Wilt Chamberlain really score 100 points by himself in a single game? Was the 1985 NBA Draft really fixed to make sure the New York Knicks got the first pick? Was Michael Jordan really let go by his high school basketball team? Get ready to discover the real stories behind these and other great basketball myths and legends!

How did pro basketball's biggest stars become the greatest players of all time? By playing the game in ways no one had ever done before! Discover the magic that propelled players like Julius “Dr. J” Irving, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Maya Moore, and others to superstardom.

Bookworm Addison James has vowed to crush it in her second year in college. Avoiding guys who'll break her heart is at the top of her to-do list. But when a smoking hot jerk makes her Monday night shift part of his weekly routine, she wonders if her resolution will even last until midterms....

Think pro basketball begins with the opening tipoff? Think again! In this Sports Illustrated Kids book, go behind the scenes of a typical game day in professional basketball—from cleaning the hardcourt and mascot madness to locker room pep talks and postgame interviews.

What does fashion have to do with the game of basketball? More than meets the eye! From shoes, shorts, and headbands to hairstyles and body art, discover the evolution and influence of basketball fashion both on and off the court.

The definitive history of the 1990s New York Knicks, illustrating how Pat Riley, Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Charles Oakley, and Anthony Mason resurrected the iconic franchise through oppressive physicality and unmatched grit. Blood in the Garden is a portrait filled with eye-opening details that have never been shared before, revealing the full story of the franchise in the midst of the NBA’s golden era. And rest assured, no punches will be pulled. Which is just how those rough-and-tumble Knicks would like it.

In Playing for Keeps, David Halberstam takes the first full measure of Michael Jordan's epic career, one of the great American stories of our time. A narrative of astonishing power and human drama, brimming with revealing anecdotes and penetrating insights, the audiobook chronicles the forces in Jordan's life that have shaped him into history's greatest basketball player and the larger forces that have converged to make him the most famous living human being in the world.

LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of the twenty-first century, and he’s in the conversation with Michael Jordan as the greatest of all time. The reigning king of the game and the first active NBA player to become a billionaire, LeBron wears the crown like he was born with it. Yet his ascent has been anything but effortless and predetermined—the truth is vastly more interesting than that. LeBron tells the full, riveting saga of how a child adrift found the will to become a titan. Jeff Benedict paints a vivid picture of LeBron’s epic origin story, showing the gradual rise of a star.

Going to a basketball game? Give Elena Delle Donne a few extra seconds to say a few words before her free throw. And watch out for toilet paper at John Brown University's first home game. But first, take time out to learn the ins and outs of good fun and good luck in basketball. This book will delight young sports fan with some of the best and weirdest practices on the court and in the stands.

Hit a buzzer beater! Throw up a brick! Make it rain! Discover the meaning of these b-ball terms and more in Basketball Talk. This action-packed nonfiction book—created in partnership with Sports Illustrated Kids—presents wacky lingo and puzzling phrases from the game of basketball.