Basketball

Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s

The New York Times bestselling author of Sweetness delivers the first all-encompassing account of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of professional sports’ most-revered—and dominant—dynasties. The Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s personified the flamboyance and excess of the decade over which they reigned. Beginning with the arrival of Earvin “Magic” Johnson as the number-one overall pick of the 1979 draft, the Lakers …

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Drive: The Story of My Life

“Of all the people I play against, the only one I truly fear is Larry Bird.”–Magic Johnson, from the Foreword.The heart and soul of a champion: his life, his career, his game. To understand basketball, you have to understand Larry Bird. Arguably the greatest all-around player the game has ever known, he led the Boston Celtics from the …

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Dean Smith: More than a Coach

A moving tribute to the late Dean Smith, who was a basketball coaching legend at North Carolina as well as a socially conscious person who did what he thought was right, no matter the consequences. When he retired in 1997, he was the winningest coach in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history. Beloved by fans and players alike, …

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The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players

Not only is Pat Riley one of pro basketball’s winningest coaches, but his speeches before hundreds of corporations, from ARCO to AT&T to Toyota, have earned him the title of “America’s Greatest Motivational Speaker.” The Winner Within is his formula for success. It is a book about winning, leadership, mastery, change, and personal growth, based on understanding and …

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The Carolina Way: Leadership Lessons from a Life in Coaching

For forty years, Dean Smith coached the University of North Carolina basketball team with unsurpassed success. Now, in The Carolina Way, he explains his coaching philosophy and shows readers how to apply it to the leadership and team-building challenges they face in their own lives. In his wry, sensible, wise way, Coach Smith takes us through every aspect …

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Intangibles: Big-League Stories and Strategies for Winning the Mental Game-In Baseball and in Life

“Intangibles is filled with lessons and tools for helping baseball players in all stages of their development.”–Fredi Gonzalez, Manager, Atlanta Braves”A must read for athletes looking to gain a mental edge or simply better identify their own strengths.”–Bryan Minniti, Assistant General Manager, Washington NationalsA must read for all baseball players, coaches, and fans…Mental skills coach Geoff Miller has …

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Basketball Analytics: Spatial Tracking

Equipped with new spatial tracking data collected by SportVU and others, Basketball Analytics investigates game strategy, player evaluation, player types, and prospect potential. Author Stephen Shea, Ph.D. introduces new measures of a player’s scoring and playmaking efficiency, quantifies the spacing in an offense and the stretch of a defense, and demonstrates several ways in which the NBA …

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Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich

Pistol is more than the biography of a ballplayer. It’s the stuff of classic novels: the story of a boy transformed by his father’s dream—and the cost of that dream. Even as Pete Maravich became Pistol Pete—a basketball icon for baby boomers—all the Maraviches paid a price. Now acclaimed author Mark Kriegel has brilliantly captured the saga of …

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Runnin’ The Show: Basketball Leadership for Coaches and Players

Runnin’ the Show spells out what it takes to be a real leader on a basketball court. How can a coach get the most from his players? How can a player make everyone around her better and do the little things that lead to championship performance? Leaders have to sell their dreams, get players to work together, inspire …

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NBA Coaches Playbook: Techniques, Tactics, and Teaching Points

The Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash shines in running the break, but how do his teammates know where to go to get open to receive his passes? Orlando’s Dwight Howard is a tremendous talent in the post, but how has he improved and added new dimensions to his game? And how is it that Utah’s Deron …

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