Sports Basketball

Nav immigrated to Canada from India after experiencing many hardships—only to face a host of new challenges. Life as an immigrant was gruelling and grey . . . and then, a new basketball team came to town. As Nav cheered on the Toronto Raptors at game after game, as they lost, as they won, on the good days and the bad, he discovered inspiration and community in the greatest game on Earth, formed life-long bonds with many of the best players the sport has ever known, and solidified his own place in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

NBA fans had low expectations for rookie coach Nick Nurse and his Toronto Raptors. But what those naysayers didn't realize was that Nurse had spent the past 30 years proving himself at every level of the game, from youth programs and college ball to the NBA D League and Britain's struggling pro circuit. While few coaches have taken such a circuitous path to pro basketball's promised land, the journey - which began at Kuemper Catholic high school in Carroll, Iowa - forged a coach who proved to be as unshakable as he is personable.

LeBron James is a standout forward in the NBA. Learn about his childhood and his rise to becoming a basketball superstar.

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 family, achievement, success, and excellence. Raised on a small farm in South-Central Indiana, he offers lessons and wisdom learned throughout his career at UCLA and life as a dedicated husband, father, and teacher.

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.

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.

People think of Elgin Baylor as one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game - and one of the NBA's first Black superstars - but the full extent of his legacy stretches beyond his game-changing jump shots and dunks. Baylor recounts his story: flying back and forth between the US Army and the Lakers, how he helped break down color barriers in the sport, his 1964 All-Star game boycott, and 22 years as general manager for the notorious LA Clippers and Donald Sterling, spent fighting to draft and sign young, Black phenoms - only to be hamstrung by his boss.

Basketball statistics come to life. Listeners won't look at math the same way again!

How has the game of basketball changed since it was first invented? In more ways than anyone back in 1891 could have ever imagined! Discover how a simple game played with peach baskets evolved over time into the complex sport we know and love today.

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.

Behind every big-time basketball record is a dramatic story of how a player or team achieved greatness on the court. From the greatest three-point shooters to the winningest teams of all time, here are the record-setting moments that will keep basketball fans tuned in for more.

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!

Scottie Pippen has been called one of the greatest NBA players for good reason. Simply put, without Pippen, there are no championship banners - let alone six - hanging from the United Center rafters. There’s no Last Dance documentary. There’s no “Michael Jordan” as we know him. The 1990s Chicago Bulls teams would not exist as we know them. So how did the youngest of 12 go from growing up poor in the small town of Hamburg, Arkansas, enduring two family tragedies along the way, to become a revered NBA legend?

Best-selling sportswriter Jeff Pearlman draws from almost 300 interviews to take the first full measure of the Lakers’ epic Showtime era. A dazzling account of one of America’s greatest sports sagas, Showtime is packed with indelible characters, vicious rivalries, and jaw-dropping, behind-the-scenes stories of the players’ decadent Hollywood lifestyles. From the Showtime era’s remarkable rise to its tragic end - marked by Magic Johnson’s 1991 announcement that he had contracted HIV - Showtime is a gripping narrative of sports, celebrity, and 1980s-style excess.

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.

There’s a story about Rich Paul that everyone knows: A twenty-one-year-old kid from Cleveland who sells sports jerseys out of his car meets a high school basketball phenom named LeBron James at an airport—the two become friends and forge a decades-long partnership that reinvents the business of sports. That random meeting might seem like the lucky break that changed Paul’s life. But a moment of good fortune means nothing without the struggle that gets you there. And the truth is, Paul had always been lucky.

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.

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.

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.