Sports Biographies Basketball

In this, the definitive biography of Hall of Fame inductee and one of college basketball's most controversial and successful coaches, son Danny Tarkanian takes us through a first-hand accounting of the life, controversy, and triumphs of historic UNLV coach Jerry "The Shark" Tarkanian. From his immigrant roots through his own school days as an athlete, through the continual conflict with the NCAA and the eventual shocking outcome, with play-by-play action of the greatest games, and with a first-hand account of finally breaking through to win a national championship.

Verne Lundquist's remarkable broadcasting career has placed him at the center of major sporting events in America for more than 50 years, from Jack Nicklaus' final victory at the 1986 Masters to Tonya Harding's attack on Nancy Kerrigan at the 1994 Olympics to the Auburn-Alabama shocker of 2013. In his first memoir, he replays highlights from his career, taking sports fans behind the scenes of some of the most dramatic moments in modern sports history.

On September 26, 2017, the biggest recruiting scandal in college basketball history sent shock waves through the world of sports. Caught up in a massive FBI and NCAA investigation - and the intense media spotlight - was Rick Pitino, the Louisville Cardinals’ Hall of Fame coach. Here, from Pitino himself, comes the real story of the ongoing case and the hard truth about how college hoops has been pushed to the brink of disaster by greed, bad actors, and shoe company money.

The first of "The Big Three" was Paul Pierce. As Boston Celtics fans watched the team retire Pierce's jersey in a ceremony on February 11, 2018, they remembered again the incredible performances Pierce put on in the city for fifteen years, helping the Celtics escape the bottom of their conference to become champions and perennial championship contenders. But Pierce's time in the city wasn't always so smooth. In 2000, he was stabbed in a downtown nightclub eleven times in a seemingly random attack.

From the smallest kid on every team to the game-changing, record-breaking NBA All-Star he is today, Steph Curry’s journey to stardom is a master class in excellence. Bolstered by what he calls his irrational confidence, the “baby-faced assassin” shattered expectations and accrued millions of fans as he led the Golden State Warriors to championship after championship, garnered multiple MVP awards, and emerged as the greatest three-point shooter of all time. Steph Curry: Life Lessons from a Legend gives you courtside seats to the incredible highs and lows of his phenomenal career.

Just 20 years old at the time of this writing, Doncic has many of his best years ahead of him. This audiobook highlights Luka’s accomplishments before he entered the NBA, and through much of his rookie season. Listen to this unauthorized biography today to learn the inspiring story behind Luka Doncic. Perfect for basketball fans or late elementary to early high school listeners.

The author, a native of Philadelphia and an alumnus, as was Wilt Chamberlain, of Overbrook High School, spent four years researching and interviewing the most important people in Wilt's life. The result is a capturing of Wilt's personality and thoughts that relatively few people other than family and closest friends ever knew.

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.

In Bill Russell: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Legendary Centers, you will learn the incredible story of one of basketball's greatest players of all time, Bill Russell. In his 13-year career, Bill Russell accomplished what many NBA players today would dream of. He was an 11-time champion, 12-time All-Star, and five-time Most Valuable Player. He won the MVP award so many times that the league renamed the trophy after him in 2009! Listen to find out more.

In Rudy Gobert: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball’s Rising Star Centers, you'll learn the incredible story of one of basketball's centers, Rudy Gobert. In the last few years, Gobert has quickly emerged as a prominent big man in the league due to the significant impact he brings to the defensive end of the floor.

In Kyle Lowry: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's All-Star Guards, you will learn the inspirational story of one of basketball's all-star guards, Kyle Lowry. The Toronto Raptors' rise in the NBA in recent years has been largely attributed to Kyle Lowry's leadership as he helped guide the Raptors to their first Atlantic Division title in several years.

Paul Westhead was teaching high school in his native Philadelphia when he was named La Salle University’s men’s basketball coach in 1970. By 1980 he was a Los Angeles Lakers assistant, soon to be hired as head coach, winning an NBA title with Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and rookie guard Magic Johnson.

In Steve Kerr: The Inspiring Life and Leadership Lessons of One of Basketball's Greatest Coaches, you will learn the story of one of basketball's premier coaches, Steve Kerr. Since joining the Warriors organization in the summer of 2014, Steve Kerr has catapulted the Golden State Warriors to become a perennial championship contender. He has demonstrated admirable leadership in his ability to create a sustainable system where players play like family and have fun.

In Gordon Hayward: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Star Forwards, you'll learn the inspirational story of one of basketball's premier forwards, Gordon Hayward. Few would have expected when he was selected with the 9th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft that Gordon Hayward would become as influential of a player as he is today. For seven years, he played on the Utah Jazz and helped the franchise return to prominence after it had spent years looking from the outside in during the playoffs.

Since the beginning of her career as Lady Vol head coach at twenty-two years old, Pat Head Summitt effectively established the University of Tennessee Lady Vols as the top women's athletics program in the nation. The winningest coach in the history of NCAA basketball, Summitt overcame one obstacle after another on the road to every victory, but it is the lives she has impacted along the way that tell the story of her true legacy.

Come spend a week with legendary Coach John Wooden at his summer basketball camp! Filled with timeless basketball and life wisdom from Coach Wooden, this recollection of those summer days includes stories about campers, coaches, and the Dallas Cowboys who experienced camp alongside Coach, a humble hero who did not disappoint. Author Greg Hayes witnessed the beloved coach mentor, mold, teach, and inspire players and coaches of all ages, leaving a legacy that seeped into the future of all those he encountered.

"Work hard, and don't look for excuses", C. Vivian Stringer's parents told her, "and you can achieve anything." But her faith and perseverance would be tested many times. A gifted athlete, she had to fight for a place on an all-White cheerleading squad in the 60s. In 1981, just as her coaching career was taking off, her 14-month-old daughter, Nina, was stricken with spinal meningitis. Yet Stringer brought a small, poor, historically Black college to the national championships.

The experiment was dreamed up by two fathers, one white, one black. What would happen, they wondered, if they mixed white players from an elite Seattle private school and black kids from the inner city on a basketball team? The team's season unfolded like a perfectly scripted sports movie: The ragtag group of boys gelled together to win the league championship. The experiment was deemed a success. But was it?

One of basketball's grittiest point guards, Jeremy Lin had an incredible journey to get to where he is today as a highly-capable starting point guard. Despite his successes, Jeremy Lin remains incredibly humble and a role model for aspiring basketball players around the world. He has become a global icon, and you'll hear the inspirational story of what makes Jeremy so great and why it should be no surprise why he is so successful today.

Learn the inspiring story of the Golden State Warriors' star sixth-man Andre Iguodala! In Andre Iguodala: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Most Skilled Forwards, you'll learn the incredible story of one of basketball's premier forwards, Andre Iguodala. Since entering the league as the ninth overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, Andre Iguodala has molded quite the career for himself.