In the wake of his retirement from professional basketball, Kobe "The Black Mamba" Bryant shares his vast knowledge and understanding of the game. Citing an obligation to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it "the right way," The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most analytical and creative basketball players ever. Bryant reveals his famously detailed approach and the steps he took to prepare mentally and physically to not just succeed at the game, but to excel. Readers learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries. They also get granular detail as he breaks down specific plays and match-ups from throughout his career.

A provocative and revelatory new biography of the legendary UCLA coach John Wooden, by one of America's top college basketball writers No college basketball coach has ever dominated the sport like John Wooden. His UCLA teams reached unprecedented heights in the 1960s and '70s capped by a run of ten NCAA championships in twelve seasons and an eighty-eight-game winning streak, records that stand to this day. Wooden also became a renowned motivational speaker and writer, revered for his "Pyramid of Success." Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports has written the definitive biography of Wooden, an unflinching portrait that draws on archival research and more than two hundred interviews with players, opponents, coaches, and even Wooden himself. Davis shows how hard Wooden strove for success, from his All-American playing days at Purdue through his early years as a high school and college coach to the glory days at UCLA, only to discover that reaching new heights brought new burdens and frustrations. Davis also reveals how at the pinnacle of his career Wooden found himself on questionable ground with alumni, referees, assistants, and even some of his players. His was a life not only of lessons taught, but also of lessons learned. Woven into the story as well are the players who powered Wooden's championship teams – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Walt Hazzard, and others – many of whom speak frankly about their coach. The portrait that emerges from Davis's remarkable biography is of a man in full, whose life story still resonates today.

For millions of basketball fans in the 1970s, Walt “Clyde” Frazier defined the word cool . An iconic piece of basketball history and sports journalism, this meticulously documented account tells the story of one of the greatest point guards in NBA history and how he led the Knicks to their only two championships with a style and flair that was wholly his own. Now, three decades later, Rockin’ Steady is back with an all-new introduction, afterword, and everything that made it one of the most unusual sports books of all time.

Holzman has seen all the great ones in action, and here he discusses the unique contributions of such superstars as Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Bob Cousy, Julius Erving, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and others. These are the names that changed the way the game is played today. The heart of the book is Holzman's appraisal of the great matchups, those individual rivalries that have often decided championship series. The model here is Russell, who brought back the concept of defense, against Chamberlain, the greatest offensive force the game has known and virtual owner of the record book. Other matchups such as Bradley vs. Havlicek are chosen to illustrate Holzman's concept of team play. In each case he breaks down the matchup into its physical and psychological aspects, with plenty of anecdotal spinoffs that reflect the intensity of the rivalry. Reading this book is like sitting beside Red Holzman on the bench. His uncensored observations give a whole new perspective on how the game is played by the pros and what to watch for.

An account of the 1954 Illinois High School State Championship basketball game between the DuSable Panthers, the first all-black team to make the finals, and a team from Mount Vernon High School.

A behind-the-scenes look at pro basketball from veteran Hall of Famer Red Holzman who--as player, coach and manager--has seen the game grow from infancy to megabucks entertainment. Packed with inside stories on many of the greatest stars. 16-pages of photographs.

Through the lens of Indiana basketball--once known as the cradle of Larry Bird and Gene Hackman's Hoosiers, now as the land of Ron Artest and a flashy, urban game--the story of how basketball became the hip-hop sport, and why that's not a bad thing, by the award-winning Sports Illustrated writer and Indiana native.

Scott Raab is a last vestige of gonzo journalism in an era when sanitary decorum reigns. Crude but warmhearted, poetic but raving, Raab has chronicled many stories at GQ and Esquire, but the book you hold in your hands is neither a story nor a job: The Whore of Akron is the product of lifelong suffering. Raab sat in Cleveland Stadium on December 27, 1964, when the Browns won the NFL World Championship--the last sports title the declining city has held. Each generation born in Cleveland is another generation removed from that victory. LeBron James was supposed to change that. A native of Akron, he seemed like a miracle sent to transform Cleveland's losing ways. But after seven years--and still no parade--he left. And in a way that seemed designed to twist the knife. Now Raab bears witness to LeBron's every move, and in doing so acts as the eyes and ears of Cleveland itself.--From publisher description.

"Scott Raab's big-hearted companion to his darkly comic "sports-jeremiad-slash-memoir" The Whore of Akron follows the first two years of LeBron James's return to Cleveland, where everybody just loves a good story of forgiveness--especially when you fulfill your promise and bring home an NBA Championship, the first major title for a Cleveland team since 1964. "If I had a chance to return to Cleveland, and those fans welcomed me back, that'd be a great story." --LeBron James in 2010, days after "The Decision" In 2010, when LeBron James announced to the world that he was leaving for Miami, he broke the collective heart of his native city and destroyed the hopes of an entire tortured generation. As LeBron headed south, unofficial spokesman Scott Raab sent him off with a middle-finger salute of his own--a deliciously obscene aria of sports fandom, Jewishness, and weight gain that became infamous as The Whore of Akron. Four years--and two NBA championships later--LeBron came home to the Rust Belt faithful who had vilified him mercilessly, none more so than Raab. You're Welcome, Cleveland is the story of both LeBron's and Scott's redemption as they pursue the one thing they crave more than anything in life--an NBA title for the city that made them men. LeBron is back. So is Scott Raab. It's a great story. You're Welcome, Cleveland"--

Book by Davis, Seth

For three decades, Earl Strom ruled the courts as pro basketball's best, most respected referee. In Calling the Shots, he tells stories he could not tell until his retirement. "Charming, humorous, and often bitingly critical, Strom's memoirs should win both friends and enemies alike".--Kirkus Reviews. 8 pages of photographs.