Sports & Recreation : Basketball

Foreword by Earvin "Magic" Johnson. "Absolutely one of the best players ever to play the game." --Bill Walton. A three-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time MVP of the WNBA, and the first woman ever to dunk in a professional basketball game, Lisa Leslie is considered one of the greatest players in the history of women's basketball. But before the superstar was the child growing up too fast in South Central Los Angeles. Over six feet tall in the sixth grade, with a father Lisa never knew, and a sister she couldn't trust, her life seemed destined to go nowhere fast--another failed statistic in the American dream. Today, Lisa is a poised, beautiful, assertive, six-foot-five-inch basketball powerhouse. Her elegance and charm have made her a favorite with fans, the fashion world, and even Hollywood. With hard-won candor and confidence, Lisa Leslie shares in her own words her empowering story about finding grace under pressure, and exceeding expectations--including your own--by playing like a girl. "There are a lot of young girls out there who look up to Lisa Leslie. I think it's great that they can look at Lisa and say we don't have to make sacrifices." --Sheryl Swoopes, Houston Comets and U.S. Olympic Team. "Lisa is doing for women what Michael Jordan has done for young men." --Michael Cooper, Lakers great and L.A. Sparks head coach. "She has it all: beauty, brains, and athleticism. She brings class, fashion, and she's sassy in her own way. She has all that and the championship rings to back it up." --Nancy Lieberman, ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer. "Lisa Leslie is absolutely one of the best players ever to play the game. She is a leader who works hard, plays hard, and carries herself with incredible poise, grace and dignity. She is an icon and a perfect role model." --Bill Walton, ESPN commentator and NBA Hall of Famer more...

Price: $12.00

Rick Pitino is a basketball icon: the only coach in college history to lead three different schools to the Final Four, the winner of the 1996 NCAA championship, the owner of a sparkling career record, a bestselling author, and a lock for the College Basketball Hall of Fame. Yet Pitino's journey has not been without life-altering adversity: He's experienced profound personal and professional losses. In 2001, after three losing seasons as coach and president of the Boston Celtics, Pitino resigned, walking away from the $23 million left in his contract. And while recovering from the only breakdown in his extraordinary basketball career, Pitino—who had previously suffered the devastating loss of his infant son, Daniel—endured additional tragedies: His brother-in-law and best friend Billy Minardi, a trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, perished in the World Trade Center attacks of 9/11, less than a year after another brother-in-law had been fatally struck by a taxi. Pitino writes, "From that point on, my life changed forever. Nothing will ever be the same.". This realization gave Pitino a new perspective. With it, the innovative leader felt the freedom to act even more dynamically than he ever had in the past. Returning to college basketball, he has rebuilt and revitalized the storied program at Louisville, guiding the Cardinals to a history-making Final Four appearance in 2005 that stamped him the only coach in history to take three schools that far. And in 2008, he rallied an injury-plagued Louisville team from a disappointing start and led it to the Elite Eight, setting the stage for greater success to come. The failures and tragedies he recounts make this book unique. More than just a recitation of what works and why, it's about how to succeed after you've failed; how to pick yourself up after being knocked down; and how to reframe yourself and see the world in a new light. This is a comeback story, a manual for overcoming life's dif more...

Price: $19.99

The real basketball deal–the inside story of Harlem’s legendary tournament and the pros and playground legends who have made it world famous. Earl “The Goat” Manigault. Herman “Helicopter” Knowings. Joe “The Destroyer” Hammond. more...

Price: $19.00

Superagent David Falk -- the man who called the shots for some of the greatest heroes in the history of basketball -- reveals the innovative business secrets that catapulted him to the top of his game. David Falk is the most successful agent in the game of basketball. He has represented more NBA first-round draft selections, lottery picks, Rookies-of-the-Year, and All-Stars than anyone else in the business. He changed the NBA's entire salary structure with a unique approach to negotiations that garnered some of the biggest contracts in league history, including Alonzo Mourning's $100-plus million contract with the Miami Heat -- the first ever in professional sports. His groundbreaking Nike deal for Michael Jordan, the most successful endorsement relationship in history, revolutionized basketball by creating the game's first commercial superstar. Basketball Digest called Falk one of the sport's most influential people, second only to NBA commissioner David Stern. In The Bald Truth, Falk, respected throughout the industry as an innovator, candidly unveils the business secrets that have fueled his extraordinary success. For the first time, he shares the fascinating insider details of how he negotiated lucrative contracts, learned from his mistakes, and branded and marketed not only the greatest basketball stars in history but also other elite athletes and coaches. Falk is blunt, he's fair, and he looks at the long run rather than the short-term gains. To make a great deal, he believes, both sides have to win. He adheres to steadfast principles, some of which he learned from the celebrated champion athletes and revered coaching legends -- like Georgetown's John Thompson and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski -- who have been long-standing clients and lifelongfriends. Since Falk began representing athletes more than thirty-five years ago, basketball has grown from a fledgling team sport to a multibilliondollar business with celebrity players, powerful end more...

Price: $27.00

Talent, drive, smarts, and an absolutely one-of-a-kind personality - that is the essence of basketball legend Larry Bird. Now Bird tells the story of his playing and coaching days that the headlines would only hint at. Starting with the day he announced his retirement as a member of the Boston Celtics ('one of the happiest days of my life'), looking back to his college career, and going behind the scenes as head coach of the Indiana Pacers, Bird talks hoops and talks life, strategy and players, victories and defeats. more...

Price: $7.99