Basketball Audiobooks | Sports & Recreation

The Making of a Basketball Dynasty: Unreleased Interviews of LA Lakers Owners Dr. Jerry & Jeanie Bus

Produced by Dr. Elliott Haimoff, Barbara Sharp, Alina Butina and Randy Friend This audiobook contains the UNIQUE unfiltered, unedited, and previously unreleased interviews conducted by Dr. Elliott Haimoff of Afterburner Enterprises of the long-time LA Lakers owner, Dr. Jerry Buss, and his daughter, Jeanie Buss, who is now the President and controlling owner of the Lakers. These two iconic figures collectively changed the game of pro basketball as we now know it, and altered the entire landscape of pro sports entertainment. They put the “Show” in “Showtime”, representing the gold standard for all sports teams in all pro sports leagues around the world. However, Jerry & Jeanie have never previously told the back-story to the early days of their sports team ownership, before all the glitz and glam and Hall of Fame players. Their true creative genius is brought here to the public from their own recollections and in their own words of those kinder gentler days of yesteryear. There are several other previously unreleased interviews with basketball and sports icons interviewed here who all had an effect on the Buss family that’s included here - Dennis Murphy, Mitch Kupchak, Bill Sharman, Claire Rothman, and Michael Shapiro. The introduction and epilogue are presented by John Ireland, the long-time LA Lakers announcer and “Voice of the Lakers”.

Dr. Elliott Haimoff (Author), John Ireland (Narrator)

Audiobook

Crossing Borders: A guide to navigating a professional basketball career internationally

Thinking of taking your professional basketball career abroad? Crossing Borders is an introspective view on pursuing a basketball career overseas. Reflecting on the challenges of an international career can ultimately prove to be an opportunity of a lifetime. The seasons of a professional athlete can be both challenging and rewarding simultaneously, especially when taking your talents abroad. Therefore, within new worlds come new trials. This book comes as an account of personal experience from one professional athlete to another. Green’s goal is to guide players seeking advice about how to navigate a basketball career overseas. Life away from family, friends, and native culture will undoubtedly be a threshold to overcome; one will need the necessary wisdom to sail through this new world. From contract details to representation, agent etiquette, overall preparation, and more, you will learn basic principles to understand how to succeed. The blueprint to success is not linear and looks different for everyone. Those who stay focused and maintain a good character can reach many peaks of greatness throughout their careers. Read along to understand the ins and outs of uncharted waters of an international profession that are often learned through trial, error, and untold experiences. People usually learn the most valuable lessons through their own mistakes, but only those wise enough will learn the same lessons through the errors of others.The love of the game has no borders, but the way it is played does. Education combined with raw talent can make a world of difference; grab your copy TODAY and take your talents abroad in confidence!

Garlon Green (Author), Johnny Unitus (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality

Kobe Bryant is a legend – The Rise is a fascinating look at his early life and how he became regarded as one of basketball’s greatest ever players. Kobe Bryant’s death in January 2020 did more than rattle the worlds of sports and celebrity. It took the tragedy of that helicopter crash to reveal the full breadth and depth of Kobe’s influence, and by tracing and telling the oft-forgotten and lesser-known story of his early life, The Rise promises to provide an unparalleled insight into Kobe. In The Rise, readers travel from the cracked concrete basketball courts of Philadelphia in the 1960s and 70s - where Kobe's father, Joe, became a playground, college and professional stand out - to the majesty and isolation of Europe, where Kobe spent his formative years and to the leafy suburbs of Lower Merion, where Kobe's legend was born. The story culminates with his leading Lower Merion to the 1995-96 Pennsylvania state championship - a true underdog run for a team with just one star player, Kobe - and with the 1996 NBA draft, where Kobe's dream of playing pro basketball culminated with his acquisition by the Los Angeles Lakers. With exclusive access to a series of never-before-released interviews during Bryant's senior season and early days in the NBA. Mike Sielski's The Rise reveals insights never seen before. For a quarter-century, these tapes and transcripts preserved Kobe's thoughts, dreams and goals from his teenage years, and they contained insights into him and told stories about him that have never been revealed before. This is beyond a mere basket ball book. This is an exploration of the making of an icon and the effect of his development on those around him - the essence of the man before he truly became a man.

Mike Sielski (Author), Landon Woodson, Mike Sielski (Narrator)

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The Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom

One of the most successful Black businessmen in the country, who has led Nike’s Jordan Brand from a $200M sneaker company to a $4B global apparel juggernaut, tells the remarkable story of his rise from gangland violence to the pinnacles of international business. Jump tells Larry Miller’s journey from the violent streets of West Philly in the 1960s to the highest echelons of American sports and industry. Miller wound up in jail more than once, especially as a teenager. But he immersed himself in the educational opportunities, eventually took advantage of a Pennsylvania state education-release program offered to incarcerated people, and was able to graduate with honors from Temple University. When revealing his gangland past caused him to lose his first major job opportunity, Miller vowed to keep it a secret. He climbed the corporate ladder with a number of companies such as Kraft Foods, Campbell’s Soup, and Jantzen, until Nike hired him to run its domestic apparel operations. Around the time of Michael Jordan’s basketball retirement, Nike Chairman Phil Knight made Larry Miller president of the newly formed Jordan Brand. In 2007 Paul Allen convinced Miller to jump to the NBA to become president of the Portland Trailblazers, one of the first African-Americans to lead a professional sports team, before returning to Jordan Brand in 2012. All along, Miller lived two lives: the secret of his violent past haunted him, invading his days with migraines and his sleep with nightmares of getting hauled back to jail. More than a rags-to-riches story, Jump is also a passionate appeal for criminal justice reform and expanded educational opportunities for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people across the United States. Drawing on his powerful personal story, as well as his vast and well-connected network, Miller plans to use Jump as a launching point to help expand such opportunities and to provide an aspirational journey for those who need hope.

Laila Lacy, Larry Miller (Author), Jd Jackson (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Magical Season 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers: and the Greatest Record in Pro Sports History

THE MAGICAL SEASON: 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers and the 50th Anniversary of the Greatest Record in Pro Sports History,” profiles the Los Angeles Lakers’ first championship since moving to LA 15 years earlier, but also covers their record-setting 33-game winning streak that season. This record of 33 straight wins covering over two months of play, still stands unbroken even after 50 years. This accomplishment is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest team records in pro sports history. No other team in any major pro sport has even come close to breaking that record since that achievement in 1972. This offers a unique insight into those days of yesteryear, with this compilation of the unedited and unadulterated interviews of over TWENTY (20) LA Lakers players, coaches, and other basketball icons of that era. All of these iconic basketball notables were personally interviewed for a TV documentary special covering that season, of which 14 of them are NBA Hall of Famers. John Ireland, the long-time LA Lakers announcer provides an introduction, as well as the summary and impact of this magical season on the NBA, that is still felt in pro basketball to this day.

Dr. Elliott Haimoff (Author), John Ireland (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Big East: Inside the Most Entertaining and Influential Conference in College Basketball History

The definitive, compulsively readable story of the greatest era of the most iconic league in college basketball history-the Big East "This book captures the inside of a special time in Big East basketball. If you love the game, this book is a must read!"-Jim Calhoun, former University of Connecticut men's basketball coach The names need no introduction: Thompson and Patrick, Boeheim and the Pearl, and of course Gavitt. And the moments are part of college basketball lore: the Sweater Game, Villanova Beats Georgetown, and Six Overtimes. But this is the story of the Big East Conference that you haven't heard before-of how the Northeast, once an afterthought, became the epicenter of college basketball. Before the league's founding, East Coast basketball had crowned just three national champions in forty years, and none since 1954. But in the Big East's first ten years, five of its teams played for a national championship. The league didn't merely inherit good teams; it created them. But how did this unlikely group of schools come to dominate college basketball so quickly and completely? Including interviews with more than sixty of the key figures in the conference's history, The Big East charts the league's daring beginnings and its incredible rise. It transports fans inside packed arenas to epic wars fought between transcendent players, and behind locker-room doors where combustible coaches battled even more fiercely for a leg up. Started on a handshake and a prayer, the Big East carved an improbable arc in sports history, an ensemble of Catholic schools banding together to not only improve their own stations but rewrite the geographic boundaries of basketball. As former UConn coach Jim Calhoun eloquently put it, "It was Camelot. Camelot with bad language."

Dana O'neil (Author), Dana O'neil (Narrator)

Audiobook

Centered: Autism, Basketball, and One Athlete's Dreams

'They don't know me. They don't know what I'm capable of.' Diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder, a form of autism, as a toddler, Anthony Ianni wasn't expected to succeed in school or participate in sports, but he had other ideas. As a child, Ianni told anybody who would listen, including head coach Tom Izzo, that he would one day play for the Michigan State Spartans. Centered: Autism, Basketball, and One Athlete's Dreams is the firsthand account of a young man's social, academic, and athletic struggles and his determination to reach his goals. In this remarkable memoir, Ianni reflects on his experiences with both basketball and the autism spectrum. Centered, an inspirational sports story in the vein of Rudy, reveals Ianni to be unflinching in his honesty, generous in his gratitude, and gracious in his compassion. Sports fans will root for the underdog. Parents, teachers, and coaches will gain insight into the experience of an autistic child. And everyone will triumph in the achievements of Centered.

Anthony Ianni, Rob Keast (Author), Anthony Ianni (Narrator)

Audiobook

Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP

Discover the story of one of the most transcendent players in NBA history-from his early life living in poverty in Greece to his inspiring rise to super-stardom in America. As the face of the NBA's new world order, Giannis Antetokounmpo has overcome unfathomable obstacles to become a symbol of hope for people all over the world, the personification of the American Dream. But his backstory remains largely untold, and Fader unearths new information about the childhood that shaped "The Greek Freak"-from sleeping side by side with his brothers to selling trinkets on the side of the street with his family to the racism he experienced in Greece. Antetokounmpo grew up in an era when Golden Dawn, Greek's far-right, anti-immigrant party, patrolled his neighborhood, and his status as an illegal immigrant largely prevented him from playing for Greek's top clubs, making his rise to the NBA all the more improbable. Fader tells a deeply-human story of how an unknown, skinny, Black-Greek teen, who played in the country's lowest pro division and was seen as a draft gamble, transformed his body and his game into MVP material. Antetokounmpo's story has been framed as a feel-good narrative in which the globe has embraced him, watching him grow up and lead the underdog Bucks to the best record in the NBA in 2020. Giannis reveals a more nuanced story: how hesitant Antetokounmpo was, and still is, to spend money; how lonely and isolated he felt, adjusting to America and the NBA early in his career; the way he changed after his father recently died of a heart attack; the complexity of grappling with his Black and Greek identities; how private he is, so hard on himself and his shortcomings, a drive that fuels him every day; and the deep-rooted responsibility he feels to be a nurturing role model for his younger brothers. Fader illustrates a more vulnerable star than people know, a person who has evolved triumphantly into all of his roles: as father, brother, son, teammate, and global icon. Giannis gives readers a front-row seat as Antetokounmpo strives for an elusive championship with the Bucks, quelling speculation about potentially leaving Milwaukee after signing a five-year supermax contract extension worth $228 million. Now, he contends with his next big hurdle: proving that committing to a small-market franchise can bring Milwaukee back to glory.

Mirin Fader (Author), Mirin Fader (Narrator)

Audiobook

How to Watch Basketball Like a Genius: What Game Designers, Economists, Ballet Choreographers, and T

A brilliant, entertaining deconstruction of basketball, drawing on the expertise of board-game creators, magicians, therapists, and more. Basketball is the second-most popular sport in the world-an insanely complicated game built on a combination of athleticism, craftiness, rules, intangibles, and superstardom. However, while it's enjoyable to watch, the real reason it works is because it's a game of culture, art, and all the things that make us human. How to Watch Basketball Like a Genius deconstructs the sport from top to bottom and then puts it back together again, detailing its intricacies through reporting and dozens of interviews with experts. These experts, however, are a diverse group: wine critics weighing in on LeBron's ability to delegate on the fly, magicians analyzing Chris Paul's mystifying dribbling techniques, cartographers breaking down Steph Curry's deadeye three-point shooting. Every chapter treats basketball to a multi-disciplined study that adventures far beyond the lines of the court, examining key elements of the sport from some surprising and revealing angles. There's a reason it has conquered the world, and every game is a chance to learn about pop culture, fashion, history, science, art, and anything else that bounces our way.

Nick Greene (Author), Michael Butler Murray (Narrator)

Audiobook

Steve Kerr: A Life

The definitive biography of Steve Kerr, the championship-winning basketball player and head coach of the record-breaking Golden State Warriors Few individuals have had a career as storied, and improbable, as Steve Kerr. He has won eight NBA titles—five as a player and three as a coach—for three different franchises. He played alongside the best players of a generation, from Michael Jordan to Shaquille O’Neal to Tim Duncan, and learned the craft of basketball under four legendary coaches. He was an integral part of two famed NBA dynasties. Perhaps no other figure in basketball history has had a hand in such greatness. In Steve Kerr, award-winning sports journalist Scott Howard-Cooper uncovers the fascinating life story of a basketball legend. Kerr did not follow a traditional path to the NBA. He was born in Beirut to two academics and split his childhood between California and the Middle East. Though he was an impressive shooter, the undersized Kerr garnered almost no attention from major college programs, managing only at the last moment to snag the final scholarship at the University of Arizona. Then, during his freshman season at Arizona, tragedy struck. His father, Malcolm, then the president of the American University of Beirut, was assassinated in Lebanon by terrorists. Forged by the crucible of this family saga, Steve went on to chart an unparalleled life in basketball, on the court and on the sidelines. The only coach other than Red Auerbach to lead a team to the Finals five consecutive seasons, Kerr seems destined for the Basketball Hall of Fame. Steve Kerr is his incredible story, offering insights into the man and what it takes to be—and make—a champion. Drawing upon Scott Howard-Cooper’s years covering Warriors, deep archival research, and original interviews with more than one hundred of the central characters in Kerr’s life, this is basketball biography at its finest.

Scott Howard-Cooper (Author), Roger Wayne (Narrator)

Audiobook

Built to Lose: How the NBA's Tanking Era Changed the League Forever

A singular, transcendent talent can change the fortunes of a basketball franchise faster than in any other sport. For NBA teams, three avenues exist for acquiring those pivotal superstars: signing players in free agency, adding them via trade, or hand-selecting them through the draft. One only has to look toward the outright fanfare surrounding recent top pick Zion Williamson to recognize that it's the pursuit of the latter which has defined and forever altered the NBA in its current era. It's a story that weaves its way behind closed doors to reveal intricate machinations normally hidden from public view. Backed by extensive reporting and hundreds of interviews with top players, coaches, and executives, Jake Fischer chronicles secret pre-draft workouts, feuding between player agents and executives, surprising trade negotiations, interpersonal conflict within rosters, organizational power struggles, and the missteps behind infamous public relations fiascos, making for a fascinating and unmissable insider's look at the NBA.

Jake Fischer (Author), Kyle Tait (Narrator)

Audiobook

Bubbleball: Inside the NBA's Fight to Save a Season

When NBA player Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020, the league shut down immediately, bringing a shocking, sudden pause to the season. As the pandemic raged, it looked as if it might be the first year in league history with no champion. But four months later, after meticulous planning, twenty-two teams resumed play in a bubble at Disney World-a restricted, single-site locale cut off from the outside world. Due to health concerns, the league invited only a handful of reporters, who were required to sacrifice medical privacy, live in a hotel room for more than three months, and submit to daily coronavirus testing in hopes of keeping the bubble from bursting. In exchange for the constant monitoring and restricted movement, they were allowed into a basketball fan's dream, with a courtside seat at dozens of games in nearly empty arenas. Ben Golliver, the national NBA writer for The Washington Post, was one of those allowed access. Bubbleball is his account of the season and life inside, telling the story of how basketball bounced back from its shutdown, how players staged headline-grabbing social-justice protests, and how Lakers star LeBron James chased his fourth ring in unconventional and unforgettable circumstances. Based on months of reporting in the exclusive, confined environment, this is an entertaining record of an extraordinary season.

Ben Golliver (Author), Ben Golliver (Narrator)

Audiobook

Basketball Audiobooks in Sports & Recreation