In the sequel to the critically acclaimed memoir, Longshot, Lance Allred returns where his journey left off, sharing his stories and experiences in the NBA as well as dealing with a major publisher for his first book, as life continues to take him around the world through the game of basketball, challenging his dreams at every turn. Basketball Gods is a book about acceptance and picking up the pieces as you go along while providing insight into the supposedly glamorous world of professional sports. It is a book about basketball. And a story about spirituality as well as forgiveness and self-empowerment. Most of all, it is a story about life.
J-Rod moves like a small tank on the court, his face mean, staring down his opponents. "I play just like my father," he says. "Before my father died, he was a problem on the court. I'm a problem." Playing basketball for him fuses past and present, conjuring his father's memory into a force that opponents can feel in each bone-snapping drive to the basket. On the street, every ballplayer has a story. Onaje X. O. Woodbine, a former streetball player who became an all-star Ivy Leaguer, brings the sights and sounds, hopes and dreams of street basketball to life. He shows that big games have a trickster figure and a master of black talk whose commentary interprets the game for audiences. The beats of hip-hop and reggae make up the soundtrack, and the ballplayers are half-men, half-heroes, defying the ghetto's limitations with their flights to the basket. Basketball is popular among young black American men but not because, as many claim, they are "pushed by poverty" or "pulled" by white institutions to play it. Black men choose to participate in basketball because of the transcendent experience of the game. Through interviews with and observations of urban basketball players, Onaje X. O. Woodbine composes a rare portrait of a passionate, committed, and resilient group of athletes who use the court to mine what urban life cannot corrupt. If people turn to religion to reimagine their place in the world, then black streetball players are indeed the hierophants of the asphalt.
Playful, poignant and wholly original, this coming-of-age memoir about Blackness, masculinity and addiction follows the author, a poet and screenwriter, as he recounts his experiences, revealing a perpetual outsider awkwardly squirming to find his way in. --
As you develop your relationship with God, you will learn that while basketball is a lifestyle, it's not life. God is. This book of basketball-themed devotionals accepts readers where they are and encourages them to continually strengthen their personal relationship with God. God x Basketball will help you: - develop Christ-led character on and off the court. - discover a deeper purpose through your role in sports. - allow God to lead you through the peaks and valleys of life and sports. - use basketball as a vehicle to support you in your faith walk. - place God first in your life. Readers will learn that their talents should never compromise the continued development of their Christ-like character, which is the spirit in which basketball was invented. Knowing what to do in the game is one thing. Know what to do in life is another.
If you’ve ever asked yourself why you do what you do, or wondered what your purpose is in life, this book is for you. The lives of an intensely-driven basketball coach, an ultra-successful CEO, and an unassuming janitor all intersect in this captivating parable about leadership, relationships, and the pursuit of success. An unforgettable story packed with profound truths, LEAD . . . for God’s Sake! will challenge you to think deeply about who you are as a leader, what success means to you, and why you do what you do. Whether you’re leading a business, a team, or your own family, this book is the first and most important step to becoming the leader you were meant to be.
Examine the social and cultural impact of basketball on America at the amateur and professional levels! Basketball in America: From the Playgrounds to Jordan’s Game and Beyond is a pioneering analysis of the history of basketball and its effect on popular culture from the 1970s to today. The popularity of basketball is undeniable, and the subject allows for such a broad range of interpretations in popular culture. It cuts across economic, racial, and social boundaries, and its major stars cross over into other forms of popular entertainment more than any other professional sport. This book examines the entire scope of modern basketball history, from the playgrounds, where people first learn the fundamentals, to the college and professional levels. Basketball in America is a collection of essays that explores the intersection of basketball and popular culture in America. The contributors are an eclectic mix of writers, scholars, journalists, former players, coaches, and sports enthusiasts who all share an undying love for the game of basketball. The authors analyze the sport from a cross-cultural and historical perspective—digging deep into the profound popular cultural influences of basketball and exploring the scope and depth of its influence. This is the first book that examines the social and cultural impact of basketball on American society to reveal how tightly it is woven into America’s cultural fabric. Also included are photographs and tables to enhance your understanding of the material. Topics covered in Basketball in America include: Elgin Baylor—the first “modern” basketball player Chocolate Thunder and Short Shorts: The NBA in the 1970s Dr. J, Bird, Magic, Jordan, and the Bad Boys: The NBA in the 1980s The Jordan Era: The NBA in the 1990s LeBron James and the future of the NBA the Nike brand and popular culture lessons learned from legendary UNC coach Dean Smith professional women’s basketball and much more! Basketball in America is a comprehensive analysis that will appeal to anyone interested in understanding how the sport has become an integral part of our national culture. It is an insightful read for sports fans as well as for sports historians. In addition, this book can be used as a textbook in sports history or sociology of sports classes. It will entertain and inform those who treasure basketball and the role it plays in the American consciousness. Make it part of your collection today!
Zeus, Hera, Athene, Poseidon, and Hades pull some dirty tricks as they face off against Hercules, Jason, Odysseus, Achilles, and Theseus in this gods versus mortals basketball game in ancient Greece.
“A fascinating, thorough look at pro basketball’s continuing evolution to becoming the ‘sport of the American Dream.’”—Publishers Weekly The Soul of Basketball tells the story of an NBA prodigy, his league, and their sport in the throes of crisis during the pivotal 2010-11 season. It began with The Decision, that infamous televised moment when uber-star LeBron James revealed that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers—thereby distancing himself from his role model Michael Jordan—to pursue his first championship with his former opponents on the Miami Heat. To the great fortune of LeBron, the NBA, and basketball itself, the mission didn’t work out as planned. In this book, veteran NBA writer Ian Thomsen portrays the NBA as a self-correcting society in which young LeBron is forced to absorb hard truths inflicted by his rivals Kobe Bryant, Doc Rivers, and Dirk Nowitzki, in addition to lessons set forth by Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Larry Bird, David Stern, Joey Crawford, and many more. Brimming with inside access, The Soul of Basketball tells the inspiring story of LeBron’s loneliest year, insecure and uncertain, when his ultimate foe was an unlikely immigrant who renewed the American game’s ideals. From Miami to Boston, Los Angeles to Dallas, Germany to the NBA’s Manhattan headquarters, the biggest names in basketball are driven by something more valuable than money and fame—a quest that would pave the way for Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and future generations to thrive. “Ian Thomsen provides an antidote to the fast-food, twitter feed of instant information consumption…deft prose and snappy anecdotes…Great, great stuff.”—Leigh Montville, New York Times-bestselling author of Sting Like a Bee “A fine work of sports journalism.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
In basketball, as in most sports, a large part of a coach’s responsibility is to prepare his or her team for games. Yet, little time in practice is typically devoted to readying the players and coaches for specific game situations. For instance, what are the various ways to use dead ball moments to maximum advantage? What adjustments should be made to launch a comeback in particular circumstances? When is it favorable to purposefully miss a foul shot? In Odds-On Basketball Coaching: Crafting High-Percentage Strategies for Game Situations, Michael J. Coffino presents an innovative system for coaches to prepare for specific game scenarios. Coffino challenges coaches to think differently about what they emphasize in practice, placing greater value on preparing for recurring game situations, crafting strategies by assessing the odds, and creating a culture that elevates how players think about the game. Each chapter begins with an actual game scenario that illustrates the chapter’s content and includes discussions of notable college and professional basketball games in order to demonstrate specific points. Odds-On Basketball Coaching provides a framework for making game decisions beyond instincts and habits. It is intended, more than anything, to stimulate coaches and players to think comprehensively and realistically about how to approach games and practices, fostering an environment where everyone can more incisively make game-time decisions. While high school and youth basketball coaches will find this book most helpful, coaches at all levels will benefit from this novel approach to the game.
Sports Illustrated, the most respected voice in sports journalism, has covered the NBA for the much of its existence, documenting its expansion from fledgeling league to global force. Curated by editor and bestselling author Chris Ballard, this anthology features the best hoops writing from the SI archives along with new postscripts from nationally renowned basketball journalists including Jackie McMullan, Jack McCallum, Jeff Pearlman, S.L. Price, Lee Jenkins, Frank Deford, and more.
