Basketball Audiobooks | Sports & Recreation

Basketball Coaching Fundamentals: The Evolution of the Game

The swish of the ball through the netting on a game-winning shot. The squeaking of sneakers on a hardwood floor as the team runs back for a defensive stop. The sweet taste of victory when you hoist the championship trophy. No basketball team will experience these exhilarating highs without a proper coach. That’s where you come in. If you are a prospective head coach who wants to know where to start and how to play the game right, look no further. Basketball Coaching Fundamentals: The Evolution of the Game has all the knowledge you need to become the ideal coach for the modern game. It is an invaluable asset for anyone who wants to start coaching basketball or just wants to know more about the art of being a bench boss. Within this book you will learn the duties of a coach: how to run a practice, how to develop a coaching philosophy, basic offensive and defensive sets, and much more. Loaded with contemporary analytical data and real-life coaching comparisons, it is a completely up-to-date resource for the beginner coach. Not only will you learn the history of the game that came before you, you will learn about how it became the game it is today and how it will evolve into the future. The information in this book is not is not the archaic sporting tips of yesteryear, but a nuanced and informative guide in how coaching is done today. Never has it been easier to start your coaching journey.

Jeff Dawson (Author), Jeff Bidwell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Rebound: Soaring in the NBA, Battling Parkinson's, and Finding What Really Matters

After twelve years of playing basketball at the highest professional level, Brian Grant could have been forgiven for thinking that the hardest part of his life was behind him, that he'd be able to kick back and enjoy the fruits of his considerable labors. But soon after his retirement from the NBA, Grant was diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson's Disease, ushering in a challenge greater than any he'd faced before as well as an opportunity to embrace what really matters in life. In Rebound, Grant shares his remarkable life before, during, and after those NBA years with no shortage of compassion and wit. With esteemed basketball writer Ric Bucher, Grant shares his story in raw and candid fashion, as he takes listeners to Sacramento, Portland, Miami, and beyond; to the airplane 30,000 feet in the air where he first came to understand the source of the tremors in his hand; and to the summit of Mount St. Helens alongside five others with PD, where he once again put himself to the test and defied expectations.

Brian Grant, Ric Bucher (Author), Leon Nixon (Narrator)

Audiobook

Bracketology: March Madness, College Basketball, and the Creation of a National Obsession

March Madness has become the pinnacle of college sports. Whether you're hoping your Cinderella school dances its way to the Sweet 16 or one of the millions of Americans hoping to win their office pool, it all starts with the 68-team NCAA Tournament bracket. After all, there is no true Madness without the oft-debated question about what teams should be seeded where- from the Power Five blue blood with some early-season stumbles on its résumé to the mid-major that rampaged through its less competitive conference season. The inventor of Bracketology himself, ESPN's Joe Lunardi, is here to reveal the mystery and science behind it all. While going in depth on the ever-evolving Bracketology formula, Lunardi lifts the curtain on the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, detailing how it operates, the criteria it uses, and the data it analyzes while dispelling some of the major misconceptions. In Bracketology: March Madness, College Basketball, and the Creation of a National Obsession, Lunardi not only gives the current formula, but also compares great teams from different eras, talks to the biggest names in college basketball about their perception of Bracketology, and looks ahead to the future of the sport. After reading this book, you'll understand why your alma mater is slated for a No. 1 seed in its home state, headed to the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, or about to have its bubble burst.

David Smale, Joe Lunardi (Author), Adam Grupper (Narrator)

Audiobook

Basketball (and Other Things): A Collection of Questions Asked, Answered, Illustrated Overtime Editi

Who is the greatest dunker of all time? Which version of the Michael Jordan was the best Michael Jordan? What is allowed and absolutely not allowed in a game of pickup basketball? Basketball (and Other Things) presents listeners with a whole new set of pivotal and ridiculous fan disputes from basketball history, providing arguments and answers, explained with the wit and wisdom that is unique to Shea Serrano. Serrano breaks down debates that NBA fans didn't even know they needed, from the classic (How many years during his career was Kobe Bryant actually the best player in the league?) to the fantastical (If you could assign different values to different shots throughout basketball history, what would they be and why?). This book is a must-have for anyone who has ever stayed up late into the night debating basketball's greatest moments, what-ifs, stories, and legends, or for those who are discovering the mythology of basketball for the first time.

Shea Serrano (Author), Sean Crisden (Narrator)

Audiobook

Miracles on the Hardwood: The Hope-and-a-Prayer Story of a Winning Tradition in Catholic College Bas

Discover the David vs. Goliath rise of Catholic college basketball, from Villanova to Georgetown to Gonzaga, where small schools perennially shoot past the big power conference programs. In MIRACLES ON THE HARDWOOD, author John Gasaway traces the rise of Catholic college basketball-from its early days (Villanova made an appearance in the Final Four in the first NCAA tournament in 1939) to the dominance of the San Francisco Dons in the 1950s and the ascendance of powerhouses Georgetown, Villanova, and Gonzaga-through their decades-long rivalries and championship games. Featuring interviews with notable coaches, players, alums, and fans-including Loyola Chicago's most famous and dedicated fan, 100-year-old Sister Jean-to get at the heart of how these universities have excelled at this sport. Small in number but devout in the game's spirit, these teams have made the miraculous a matter of ritual, and their greatest works may be yet to come.

John Gasaway (Author), Adam Verner (Narrator)

Audiobook

KG: A to Z: An Uncensored Encyclopedia of Life, Basketball, and Everything in Between

A unique, unfiltered memoir from the NBA champion and fifteen-time all-star ahead of his induction into the Hall of Fame. Kevin Garnett was one of the most dominant players the game of basketball has ever seen. He was also one of its most outspoken. Over the course of his illustrious twenty-one-year NBA career, he elevated trash talk to an art form and never shied away from sharing his thoughts on controversial subjects. In KG A to Z, published ahead of Garnett's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, he looks back on his life and career with the same raw candor. Garnett describes the adversity he faced growing up in South Carolina before ultimately relocating to Chicago, where he became one of the top prospects in the nation. He details his headline-making decision to skip college and become the first player in two decades to enter the draft directly from high school, starting a trend that would be followed by future superstars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. He shares stories of playing with and against Bryant, James, Michael Jordan, and other NBA greats, and he chronicles his professional ups and downs, including winning a championship with the Boston Celtics. He also speaks his mind on a range of topics beyond basketball, such as fame, family, racism, spirituality, and music. Garnett's draft decision wasn't the only way he'd forever change the game. His ability to play on the perimeter as a big man foreshadowed the winning strategy now universally adopted by the league. He applies this same innovative spirit here, organizing the contents alphabetically as an encyclopedia. If you thought Kevin Garnett was exciting, inspiring, and unfiltered on the court, just wait until you read what he has to say in these pages.

Kevin Garnett (Author), Guy Lockard (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Big Three: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and the Rebirth of the Boston Celtics

New York Times bestselling sportswriter Michael Holley tells the inside story of how Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett joined together to form the most dominant team in basketball and lead the Boston Celtics to their first championship in more than two decades. 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. Six years later, remaining the sole star on a struggling team, he asked to be traded and briefly became a lightning rod among fans. Then, in 2007, the Boston Celtics General Manager made two monumental trades, bringing Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to Boston. A press conference on July 31, 2007 was a sight to behold: Pierce, KG, and Ray Allen holding up Celtics jerseys for the flood of media. Coach Doc Rivers made sure the team bonded over the thought of winning a title and living by a Bantu term called Ubuntu, which translates as 'I am because we are.' Rivers wanted to make it clear that togetherness and brotherhood would help them maximize their talent and win. What came next -- the synthesis of the Celtics' 'Big Three' and their dominant championship run -- cemented their standing as one of great teams in NBA history, a rival to Kobe Bryant's Lakers and LeBron James's Cavaliers. This is the team that brought excitement back to the Garden, and therefore to one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. They met their historic rivals, the Lakers, in the 2008 NBA Finals, winning the series in Game 6, in a rout on their home court with a raucous, concert like atmosphere. Along the victory parade route, Paul Pierce smoked a cigar -- as a tribute to legendary former Celtics Coach Red Auerbach. In a city now defined by a wealth of championships, 'The Big Three' joined the club. Michael Holley, the premier chronicler of Boston sports, brings their story to life with countless untold stories and behind-the-scenes details in another bestselling tome for New England and sports fans across the country.

Michael Holley (Author), Jean-Francois Donaldson, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable

An all-new production of the phenomenal bestseller, now featuring exclusive new conversations with the authors! For more than two decades, legendary trainer Tim Grover has taken the greats—Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and hundreds of relentless competitors in sports, business, and every walk of life—and made them greater. Now, for the first time ever, he reveals what it takes to achieve total mental and physical dominance, showing you how to be relentless and achieve whatever you desire. Direct, blunt, and brutally honest, Grover breaks down what it takes to be unstoppable: you keep going when everyone else is giving up, you thrive under pressure, you never let your emotions make you weak. In "The Relentless 13," he details the essential traits shared by the most intense competitors and achievers in sports, business, and all walks of life. Relentless shows you how to trust your instincts and get in the Zone; how to control and adapt to any situation; how to find your opponent's weakness and attack. Grover gives you the same advice he gives his world-class clients—"don't think"—and shows you that anything is possible. Packed with previously untold stories and unparalleled insight into the psyches of the most successful and accomplished athletes of our time, Relentless shows you how even the best get better...and how you can too.

Tim S. Grover (Author), Pete Simonelli (Narrator)

Audiobook

Remembering Kobe Bryant: Players, Coaches, and Broadcasters Recall the Greatest Basketball Player of

Let Stephen Curry, Charles Barkley, Grant Hill, Reggie Miller, and more, tell you what it was like to take the floor against one of the Greatest of All Time. With a Foreword by Jerry West, and a new tribute from the author about Kobe's tragic death. When he entered the NBA in 1996 as a high-school star from Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, Kobe Bryant faced enormous expectations. No one can deny that he rose to the challenge. Today Bryant's status as a future Hall of Fame player is assured. During his stellar career, Bryant won five NBA championships; was a seventeen-time All-Star, NBA MVP, and two-time NBA Finals MVP. He led the league in scoring in 2006 and 2007. Now for the first time, hear stories from opponents, teammates, and players about what it was like to go against Kobe in Remembering Kobe Bryant. Contributors include: Chris Webber Jeff Van Gundy Rick Barry Doc Rivers Dwayne Wade Draymond Green Giannis Antetokounmpo Russell Westbrook Carmelo Anthony And many more Kobe Bryant was the greatest basketball player of his generation-a former schoolboy prodigy whose moves are now imitated in gyms and playgrounds around the world. Remembering Kobe Bryant provides an unprecedented glimpse into what it was like to play against one of the best of all time.

Jerry West, Sean Deveney (Author), Leon Nixon (Narrator)

Audiobook

From Hang Time to Prime Time: Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA

Perfect for fans of Moneyball and The Book of Basketball, this vivid, thoroughly entertaining, and well-researched book explores the NBA's surge in popularity in the 1970s and 1980s and its transformation into a global cultural institution. Far beyond simply being a sports league, the NBA has become an entertainment and pop culture juggernaut. From all kinds of team logo merchandise to officially branded video games and players crossing over into reality television, film, fashion lines, and more, there is an inseparable line between sports and entertainment. But only four decades ago, this would have been unthinkable. Featuring writing that leaps off the page with energy and wit, journalist and basketball fan Pete Croatto takes us behind the scenes to the meetings that lead to the monumental American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, revolutionizing the NBA's image. He pays homage to legendary talents including Julius "Dr. J" Erving, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan and reveals how two polar-opposite rookies, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, led game attendance to skyrocket and racial lines to dissolve. Croatto also dives into CBS's personality-driven coverage of key players, as well as other cable television efforts, which launched NBA players into unprecedented celebrity status. Essential reading whether you're a casual or longtime fan, From Hang Time to Prime Time is an enthralling and entertaining celebration of basketball history.

Pete Croatto (Author), Feodor Chin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Basketball: Basketball Made Easy: Beginner and Expert Strategies For Becoming A Better Basketball Pl

Are you embarrassed by your basketball skills? Tired of missing those crucial shots? Wish you could steal the ball more often? Whether you want to (1) shoot more accurately, (2) play better defense, or (3) discover how to be a more powerful player, this audio book will get you there. Are you afraid you’re too short to ever succeed at basketball? You can play a great game, even if you’re not a giant. Superior speed and agility can overcome a lack of height. I’ve included plenty of drills and strategies you can use to make the most of your ability to maneuver around your opponents quickly and easily! Ooze confidence on the court. If you adopt even a few of the strategies in this audio book, you can find yourself dribbling more smoothly, passing, the ball more accurately, and shooting baskets with far greater confidence and effectiveness. Know the game inside and out. From the basics to expert strategies, this audio book will fill in the gaps in your knowledge with detailed descriptions of each playing position and a variety of playing strategies. Sharpen your knowledge of the game with targeted drills and proven strength training exercises. Effectively boost your most important skills through targeted practice. Learn how to design practice sessions tailored to your specific strengths and weaknesses. Know exactly what to do in order to make the most of your practice time. See how easily you can smoke ‘em! Start enjoying the sounds of the cheering crowd. Get in the zone and start dominating on the court: Buy It Now!

Ace McCloud, Ace Mccloud (Author), Joshua Mackey (Narrator)

Audiobook

We the North: 25 Years of the Toronto Raptors

NATIONAL BESTSELLER 'Doug Smith always gets the first question in any Raptors press conference--as the dean of our press corps, he's been in the front row for every development over the past 25 years. There's no one better placed to write a history of our team's first quarter century.' --Nick Nurse, head coach, Toronto Raptors Bringing Jurassic Park to your home, a celebration of the 25th anniversary of Canada's most exciting team. When the Toronto Raptors first took the court back in 1995, the world was a very different place. Michael Jordan was tearing up the NBA. No one had email. And a lot of people wondered whether basketball could survive in Toronto, the holy city of hockey. Twenty-five years later, the Raptors are the heroes not only of the 416, but of the entire country. That is the incredible story of We the North, told by Doug Smith, the Toronto Starreporter who has been covering the team since the press conference announcing Canada's new franchise and the team's beat reporter from that day on. Comprising twenty-five chapters to mark the team's twenty-five years, We the North celebrates the biggest moments of the quarter-century--from Vince Carter's amazing display at the dunk competition to the play-off runs, the major trades, the Raptors'incredible fans, including Nav Bhatia and Drake, and,of course,the challenges that marked the route to the championship-clinching Game 6 that brought the whole countryto a standstill. We the North: 25 Years of the Toronto Raptors tells the story of Canada's most exciting team, charting their rise from a sporting oddity in a hockey-mad country to the status they hold today as the reigning NBA champions and national heroes.

Doug Smith (Author), Kia Nurse, Matt Devlin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Basketball Audiobooks in Sports & Recreation