Basketball Bio Titles

<style type="text/css"><!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--></style><strong>Blending personal narrative with practical guidance, <em>Cornfields to Gold Medals</em> delivers well-traveled leadership principles for on and off the court.</strong><br /><br />Coach Don Showalter’s rise to international recognition as a coach can be traced to his time at the helm of USA Basketball’s Junior National Team, where he went 62-0 and brought home 10 gold medals. Yet, for all his international success he remains grounded in the Midwestern values that shaped his character; principles have made him a passionate ambassador for the sport of basketball and one of its great teachers.<br /><br /><em>Cornfields to Gold Medals</em> is an all-American story that takes the reader on Showalter’s life journey through the sport he has coached for nearly half a century. It begins humbly, on a family farm perched atop the rolling hills of southeastern Iowa, and extends to gymnasiums in every corner of the world.<br /><br />Interspersed in this compelling personal narrative are 10 lessons in leadership, strategies Showalter employed throughout his 44-years coaching young athletes. Each is accompanied by key points in how to teach the lesson, and shares effective strategies for readers to implement in daily practice.<br /><br /><strong>Rooted in heartland principles of community, hard work, and service, this essential book offers leaders insight into guiding others and time to reflect on what is truly important.</strong><br /><br /><br /><br /> 

A candid and insightful memoir from one the NBA's most unlikely stars. Growing up, Muggsy Bogues was always told he should do something else, anything besides basketball. He never acknowledged his many doubters except to prove them spectacularly wrong. Twenty years after receiving his first basketball as a toddler, he stood proud—at five-foot-three—as the starting point guard for the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA. From the East Baltimore playground courts where he earned his nickname by "muggin'" opponents for possession of the ball, to Dunbar High School where he excelled alongside future NBA players, Bogues set the tone in his early years for the great heights he'd reach professionally. In this new autobiography, Bogues delves deep into his life and career, reflecting on legendary battles with Michael Jordan, John Stockton, and other generational stars of '80s and '90s hoops. He shares far-ranging anecdotes from playoff runs in Charlotte, filming Space Jam, and even watching a young Steph Curry grow up.Conversational and clear-sighted, this is a story of uncompromising vision and fleet-footed determination during a golden era for the NBA.

"Basketball gave me a life; Parkinson's taught me how to live it." —Brian Grant After 12 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. With esteemed basketball writer Ric Bucher, Grant shares his story in raw and candid fashion, as he takes readers 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. In Rebound, Grant shares his remarkable life before, during, and after those NBA years with no shortage of compassion and wit. 

Metta World Peace knows what it means to be both the hero and the villain. In his 17-season professional basketball career, he's darted back and forth between extremes, taking on the roles of youthful phenom, league-wide disgrace, All-Star, unlikely international ambassador, and fan favorite. Along the way, there have been awards, teammate rifts, an NBA championship trophy, plus a name change or two. It's more than the guy born Ronald William Artest, Jr. might have imagined for himself as a kid growing up in Queens. In No Malice, World Peace speaks candidly about his life on and off the court, from his difficult upbringing, to his time as a star athlete and budding math major at St. Johns; from the infamous "Malice at the Palace" brawl in Detroit, where he earned one of the lengthiest suspensions the NBA has ever handed down, to his sunnier days as a Los Angeles Laker. World Peace also opens up on such diverse subjects as his forays into business and entertainment, the truth behind his volatile, unbelievable antics which have puzzled fans and team management alike, as well as his outspoken advocacy for mental health awareness. No topic is off the table, making this a must-read for hoops fans in Indianapolis, LA, Chicago, China, and any place in between.

A complete look at the storied basketball rivalry between the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels, this guide is penned by two authorities on the subject—Art Chansky, a bestselling author and sports reporter who has covered the famed match up since his days as a student reporter at UNC and Johnny Moore, who has been intimately involved with Duke athletics for nearly four decades. Segmenting the various commonalities the Blue Devils and Tar Heels have shared for more than 60 years and nearly 250 meetings on the court, each chapter covers a distinct aspect of the rivalry between these two schools that stand a mere 10 miles apart. This book offers new details on long-forgotten stories as well as a chance to better understand where the pride and passion of today comes from between the two contiguous competitors.

Bobby &#34;Slick&#34; Leonard has etched his name forever on the Mount Rushmore of Indiana basketball, and in Boom, Baby! he shares memories from his storied career. Leonard takes readers inside the Indiana locker room with legendary head coach Branch McCracken and onto the court when he hit the deciding free throws as the &#34;Hurrying Hoosiers&#34; topped Phog Allen&#39;s Kansas Jayhawks. He recalls the NBA&#39;s early years, including being drafted by a Baltimore Bullets team that folded soon after selecting him. He tells of his time as the winningest coach in the ABA&#39;s nine-year history, securing three championships in his first five seasons with the Indianapolis Pacers. In his final act, &#34;Slick&#34; endeared himself to new generations of Hoosier hoops fans as the longtime Pacers radio voice, with his trademark call &#34;Boom, Baby!&#34; for a successful three-point shot.

The never-before-told story of the Buss family and of one woman's rise to the top in a man's world, <I>Laker Girl</I> is an unprecedented glimpse into the glamorous world of the Los Angeles Lakers. It is also a behind-the-scenes journal of the 2009–10 Lakers season, a year in which the franchise captured its 16th world championship. By the time Jeanie was 19, she was already a high-ranking executive with World Team Tennis. Today, she is the Lakers' executive vice president of business operations and one of the most influential women in professional sports. Along the way, she's rubbed elbows with everyone from Michael Jordan, John McEnroe, and Shaquille O'Neal to Ryan Seacrest, Khloe Kardashian, Hugh Hefner, and Jack Nicholson. And she's done it all in her own unique, inimitable style. In this updated edition, Buss discusses her recent engagement to Phil Jackson and looks back on the Lakers' eventful past three seasons—an era that has included multiple coaching changes, changes in the front office, a new TV deal, and much more.

The never-before-told story of the Buss family and of one woman's rise to the top in a man's world, Laker Girl is an unprecedented glimpse into the glamorous world of the Los Angeles Lakers. It is also a behind-the-scenes journal of the 2009–10 Lakers season, a year in which the franchise captured its 16th world championship. By the time Jeanie was 19, she was already a high-ranking executive with World Team Tennis. Today, she is the Lakers' executive vice president of business operations and one of the most influential women in professional sports. Along the way, she's rubbed elbows with everyone from Michael Jordan, John McEnroe, and Shaquille O'Neal to Ryan Seacrest, Khloe Kardashian, Hugh Hefner, and Jack Nicholson. And she's done it all in her own unique, inimitable style.

In 1973, John Wooden became the first person to be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. By 2010, the year of his death at the age of 99, he had become something of a living legend. Continually beloved by his players, with awards and athletic facilities named in his honor and his philosophies immortalized, the legacy of Coach Wooden was apparent well before his passing. This commemorative portrait of a marvelous individual reintroduces the players he coached, his many accomplishments on and off the court, and reveals the impact he had on the lives of countless others. As one of the most iconic figures in sports history, the “Wizard of Westwood&#34; had achieved such feats as a record-setting ten NCAA basketball championships—including seven in a row. Whether celebrating his championship playing career at Purdue or his unmatchable coaching record at UCLA, the book demonstrates that Wooden’s life is one well worth remembering.

Through the award-winning lens of one of South Florida's most renowned sports photographers and the intimate, behind-the-scenes text of one of Miami's most prolific sportswriters, this account chronicles the season and incredible postseason in which young Dwyane Wade morphed into the greatest NBA talent since Michael Jordan. This full-color, 128-page collectible book delves into Wade's humble beginnings in Chicago and his unlikely climb to superstardom from Marquette University.

Chick Hearn was the beloved broadcaster for the Los Angeles Lakers for four decades and 3,338 consecutive games; his previously unpublished memoirs are now available for the first time, along with a anecdotes and stories from those who knew him—and the Lakers—best. Also included is an audio CD that features Chick's greatest calls.

Allen Iverson, a.k.a. “The Answer”, is one of a handful of legitimate superstars in the NBA today. Despite his relatively small size, the 6’0”, 165 pound guard led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals in 2001, was named the league’s Most Valuable Player, and led the league in scoring average and steels. He was also named the MVP in the All-Star game that year. Allen has enjoyed spectacular success on the court, but has also scored some remarkable achievements off the court. He established the Crossover Foundation to help troubled and underprivileged youth, and each year he hosts the Allen Iverson Celebrity Summer Classic event to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Hampton Roads, Virginia. In words and color images, Allen Iverson traces his inspirational career, which reached a new plateau with his MVP performance and awesome play throughout the playoffs. But it is also the story of a misunderstood star, a devoted father, a true leader. And the most unlikely of success stories.