Welcome to Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School, in a working-class corner of the Bronx, where a driven coach inspires his teams to win games and championships. Head coach Marc Skelton tells the thrilling story of an entire season, as the Panthers seek to improve on an early exit from the playoffs the year before. But this is a story which extends far beyond the basketball court. It's a profile of a school that, against the odds, educates kids from the poorest district in the country and sends the majority of them to college; of an unusual coach who studies the game with acute intensity and demands as much of himself as he does of his players. At the very centre is a squad of young men who battle against difficulties in life every day, and who don't know how to quit. Pounding the Rock is exhilarating, heart-pounding sportswriting of the very highest calibre.
In the 40 years the San Antonio Spurs have been in the NBA, Tim Duncan played 19 of them. A star from the moment he put on the Silver and Black, and productive through his final season, Duncan's career is among the best the league has ever seen. The Big Fundamental won Rookie of the Year in 1998 and his first NBA championship in 1999, on his way to five NBA titles, three NBA Finals MVPs, two NBA regular season MVPs, 15 All-Star game appearances, and countless other accolades. Perhaps most impressive, he achieved it all without putting himself before the team, and he left the game with his franchise still in contention for an NBA title. Tim Duncan: Team-First Superstar is the ultimate tribute to the Spurs legend, covering 19 years of hardwood genius – including nearly 100 full-color photographs, giving fans a glimpse into the early days of Timmy's career when he burst onto the NBA scene as the sidekick to David Robinson, to establishing the renowned Spurs culture with Coach Gregg Popovich, to avenging a 2013 NBA Finals loss to the Heat with a dramatic title in 2014. The book also explores Duncan's status as one of the best teammates of all time, celebrating his relationships with fellow Spurs heroes Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. A must-have keepsake for Spurs fans and Duncan aficionados alike, Tim Duncan: Team-First Superstar is the perfect commemoration of an NBA icon; one of the most humble superstars in all of sports history.
Welcome to Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School, in a working-class corner of the Bronx, where a driven coach inspires his teams to win games and championships--and learn Russian history and graduate and go on to college. In 2006, the Fannie Lou Hamer Panthers basketball team was 0-18. Since 2007, the year Marc Skelton, a New Hampshire native, took over as head coach, the Panthers' record has been 228-68, and they've won three Public School Athletic League championships and one statewide championship. This tiny 400-student school has become a powerhouse on the basketball court, as well as a public education success story and a symbol of the regeneration of its once blighted neighborhood. In Pounding the Rock, Marc Skelton tells the thrilling story of the 2016-2017 season, as the Panthers seek to redeem an early exit from the playoffs the year before. But this is far more than a basketball story. It's a profile of a school that, against the odds, educates kids from the poorest congressional district in the country and sends the majority of them to college; of an unusual coach who studies the game with Talmudic intensity, demands as much of himself as he does of his players (a lot), and finds inspiration as much from Melville, Gogol, and Jacob Riis as from John Wooden; and of a squad of young men who battle against difficulties in life every day, and who don't know how to quit. In a world of all too many downers, Pounding the Rock is one big up, on the court and off. All fans of basketball and of life will rise up and applaud.
Drooling fanatic, n. 1. One who drools in the presence of beloved rock stars. 2. Any of a genus of rock-and-roll wannabes/geeks who walk around with songs constantly ringing in their ears, own more than 3,000 albums, and fall in love with at least one record per week. With a life that’s spanned the phonographic era and the digital age, Steve Almond lives to Rawk. Like you, he’s secretly longed to live the life of a rock star, complete with insane talent, famous friends, and hotel rooms to be trashed. Also like you, he’s content (sort of) to live the life of a rabid fan, one who has converted his unrequited desires into a (sort of) noble obsession. Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life traces Almond’s passion from his earliest (and most wretched) rock criticism to his eventual discovery of a music-crazed soul mate and their subsequent production of two little superfans. Along the way, Almond reflects on the delusional power of songs, the awkward mating habits of drooling fanatics, and why Depression Songs actually make us feel so much better. The book also includes: • sometimes drunken interviews with America’s finest songwriters • a recap of the author’s terrifying visit to Graceland while stoned • a vigorous and credibility-shattering endorsement of Styx’s Paradise Theater • recommendations you will often choose to ignore • a reluctant exegesis of the Toto song “Africa” • obnoxious lists sure to piss off rock critics But wait, there’s more. Readers will also be able to listen to a special free mix designed by the author, available online at www.stevenalmond.com, for the express purpose of eliciting your drool. For those about to rock—we salute you!
Enter the City of Brotherly Love and see how the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers trusted The Process–using a bold plan to get to first by becoming the worst. When a group of private equity bigwigs purchased the Philadelphia 76ers in 2011, the team was both bad and boring. Attendance was down. So were ratings. The Sixers had an aging coach, an antiquated front office, and a group of players that could best be described as mediocre. Enter Sam Hinkie—a man with a plan straight out of the PE playbook, one that violated professional sports' Golden Rule: You play to win the game. In Hinkie's view, the best way to reach first was to embrace becoming the worst—to sacrifice wins in the present in order to capture championships in the future. And to those dubious, Hinkie had a response: Trust The Process, and the results will follow. The plan, dubbed "The Process," seems to have worked. More than six years after handing Hinkie the keys, the Sixers have transformed into one of the most exciting teams in the NBA. They've emerged as a championship contender with a roster full of stars, none bigger than Joel Embiid, a captivating seven-footer known for both brutalizing opponents on the court and taunting them off of it. Beneath the surface, though, lies a different story, one of infighting, dueling egos, and competing agendas. Hinkie, pushed out less than three years into his reign by a demoralized owner, a jealous CEO, and an embarrassed NBA, was the first casualty of The Process. He'd be far from the last. Drawing from interviews with nearly 175 people, Tanking to the Top brings to life the palace intrigue incited by Hinkie's proposal, taking readers into the boardroom where the Sixers laid out their plans, and onto the courts where those plans met reality. Full of uplifting, rags-to-riches stories, backroom dealings, mysterious injuries, and burner Twitter accounts, Tanking to the Top is the definitive, inside story of the Sixers' Process and a fun and lively behind-the-scenes look at one of America's most transgressive teams. Including exclusive interviews with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Coach Brett Brown, Sam Hinkie, and more.
From award-winning young adult author Paul Volponi comes the true story of his unforgettable summer spent proving himself as a legitimate New York City streetballer, only later discovering that he had gained a set of skills that would enhance his life off the court, as well. During the sweltering summer of seventeen-year-old Paul Volponi’s life, he had only one goal—he wanted, no, needed to become a legitimate and respected New York City street basketball player. It was a passion that consumed him night and day, and at times even isolated him from his friends and family. So he entered through the gates of the Proving Ground, the roughest streetball yard in the city. It was a place where the fouls resembled felonies, and the atmosphere mirrored that of the Roman Coliseum more than Madison Square Garden. It was where teens and adults contested pickup games with a ferocity seemingly greater than that of the NBA Finals. The Proving Ground was a difficult place to cultivate friendships and an easy environment to make enemies. This is the story of Paul’s summer-long initiation at the Proving Ground. It is truly a streetball testament of a teenager who wanted more than anything else to earn his stripes in streetball society. Only what he didn’t understand at the time was that this experience would deliver to him, as it does today for so many young adults, a set of skills that would enhance his life far beyond the boundaries of a basketball court.
The most famous rock star in the world has finally found the one, but secrets from his past threaten to ruin both their lives in this "heart-pounding romance" (Fresh Fiction). Shane Hawthorne has it all. At least, that's what the headlines say about me. I have millions of fans, awards, more money - and women - than I know what to do with. But what you don't see is the wreckage I've caused. The memories and pain I can't escape, even when I pour them into music and spin them into gold. I tried to forget. To lose myself in booze and groupies. It didn't work. It hurt me and - worse - it hurt my band. That's the last thing I want to do, so I'm cleaning up my act... starting with Delaney Fraser. Gorgeous, smart, drama-free, and even nice - Delaney is the perfect "girlfriend." When I'm with her I don't have to pretend. It's like she sees the real me. And I can see a future with her. But that's dangerous. Because the truth is, Shane Hawthorne doesn't actually exist. He's a shield to hide who I really am. Fraud. Runaway. Addict. Murderer. And it's impossible to love a lie, right?
"There's a secret to mastery that you may have never heard, a single little thing that only the very best in the world know how to do. In fact, I believe it is the only thing anyone can do to gain true mastery at anything, and it's an equal opportunity principle. It can be applied to fulfill your potential in business, in sports, in your relationships, as well as your overall life. Do you want to know what it is?" In the crowd, Jason leaned forward, laser focused. Kicked off his basketball team after a season-ending fight, his only chance to play ball again was to sell enough books door-to-door over the summer to get back on the team. He never needed wisdom like he needed it now. But little did he know that the answer he was seeking was about to change his life forever... Pound The Stone is the intense and inspiring story of a young man's journey through the obstacles, defeats, and eventual victories that come while developing grit on the path to mastery. Told in the same engaging fable style as Chop Wood Carry Water, this is a deeper dive into the timeless principles that guide and inspire anyone who seeks greatness in life, and covers everything from true success, to the perfection trap, the value of failure, why courage is contagious, and why vulnerability can save your life. Pound The Stone will move you, inspire you, and hopefully encourage you to choose love and courage over fear and shame.
Tony Parker is nothing short of a San Antonio legend, and his number 9 hangs high in the rafters as a symbol of teamwork, longevity, and tenacious talent. This candid, conversational memoir takes fans on a whirlwind tour which includes Parker's early life in France, his four NBA championships with the Spurs, and countless memorable interactions with luminaries like Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan. It also includes insights on more personal matters and unique challenges Parker faced. Featuring photos from Parker's personal collection, this is an essential read for all basketball fans.
Dave Marsh has been an editor and columnist at Creem and Rolling Stone. His books include Born to Run, Behind Blue Eyes: The Story of the Who, Glory Days, and Louie Louie. This virtual Methusaleh of rock critics currently serves as a music critic at Playboy and as editor of Rock and Rap Confidential.
