The history of basketball spans more than a century, from its humble origin as a simple diversion during the harsh winters in America to today's perennial, rim-rattling show of international renown. Throughout the last 60 years, Pennsylvania has been at the forefront of the sport's evolution, supplying the world with a steady stream of stars, from Wilt Chamberlain to Kobe Bryant, who have proven to be some of the best to ever play the game.

In "Heads of State: Pennsylvania's Greatest High School Basketball Players of the Modern Era," sportswriter Mark Hostutler sizes up the commonwealth to rank its 500 most-accomplished scholastic players from 1950-2010. With input from Sonny Vaccaro, Howard Garfinkel, and other hoops cognoscenti, the author canvassed the Keystone State, conducting hundreds of hours of research and interviews to assemble a list that is sure to stir passionate debate within an already buzzing community of roundball fans.

Hostutler's unique compilation highlights the exploits of Billy Owens, Tom McMillen, Gene Banks, Tyreke Evans, Donyell Marshall, Jameer Nelson, Geoff Petrie, and several others, as they reminisce about their achievements as teenagers on the hardwood. Wonderfully crafted and jam-packed with information, the book is perfect for hard-core fans, stat junkies, or anyone in search of a good read.

From its early days as a physical, plodding game with franchises parked in outpost towns like Fort Wayne, Moline, and Rochester, to today's international showcase sport, professional basketball has evolved dramatically over the decades. But the development of the National Basketball Association and its star players was not preordained. There were moments, both obvious and subtle, that steered the direction of the sport, whether it was Bill Russell's swan song, a near-miss on Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant's All-Star debut at nineteen, a LeBron James legacy game or a deep 3-point-shot by Steph Curry, these moments gradually brought us the NBA we know today--a scrappy league that was jump-started by a 24-second timer and will be defined by the 30,000 3-pointers its players knock down per season. Veteran NBA reporter and editor Sean Deveney will explore the unique characters and backstories of 12 crucial games in the history of the NBA, while putting them into the context of their influence on the direction of the league.

In basketball, as in most sports, a large part of a coach's responsibility is to prepare his or her team for games. Yet, little time in practice is typically devoted to readying the players and coaches for specific game situations. For instance, what are the various ways to use dead ball moments to maximum advantage? What adjustments should be made to launch a comeback in particular circumstances? When is it favorable to purposefully miss a foul shot? In Odds-On Basketball Coaching: Crafting High-Percentage Strategies for Game Situations, Michael J. Coffino presents an innovative system for coaches to prepare for specific game scenarios. Coffino challenges coaches to think differently about what they emphasize in practice, placing greater value on preparing for recurring game situations, crafting strategies by assessing the odds, and creating a culture that elevates how players think about the game. Each chapter begins with an actual game scenario that illustrates the chapter's content and includes discussions of notable college and professional basketball games in order to demonstrate specific points. Odds-On Basketball Coaching provides a framework for making game decisions beyond instincts and habits. It is intended, more than anything, to stimulate coaches and players to think comprehensively and realistically about how to approach games and practices, fostering an environment where everyone can more incisively make game-time decisions. While high school and youth basketball coaches will find this book most helpful, coaches at all levels will benefit from this novel approach to the game.

The most up-to-date and in-depth book on the business of professional team sports Pro team sports are the biggest and most important sector of international sport business Strong focus on applied analysis and performance measurement, invaluable real-world skills Covers sports, teams and leagues all over the world from the EPL to the NFL Addresses key themes from ownership and competitive balance to media revenue and the role of agents

With a new introduction, Phil Jackson's modern classic of motivation, teamwork, and Zen insight is updated for a whole new readership"Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball." --Phil Jackson Eleven years ago, when Phil Jackson first wrote these words in Sacred Hoops, he was the triumphant head coach of the Chicago Bulls, known for his Zen approach to the game. He hadnt yet moved to the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he would bring his total to an astounding nine NBA titles. In his thought-provoking memoir, he revealed how he directs his players to act with a clear mind--not thinking, just doing; to respect the enemy and be aggressive without anger or violence; to live in the moment and stay calmly focused in the midst of chaos; to put the "me" in service of the "we"--all lessons applicable to any person's life, not just a professional basketball player's. This inspiring book went on to sell more than 400,000 copies. In his new introduction, Jackson explains how the concepts in Sacred Hoops are relevant to the issues facing his current team--and today's reader.

In the 1960s, college sports required more than athletic prowess from its African American players. For many pioneering basketball players on 18 teams in the Atlantic and Southeastern conference, playing ball meant braving sometimes menacing crowds during the tumultuous era of civil rights. Perry Wallace feared he would be shot when he first stepped onto a court in his Vanderbilt uniform. During one road game, Georgia's Ronnie Hogue fended off a hostile crowd with a chair. Craig Mobley had to flee the Clemson campus, along with other black students. C.B. Claiborne couldn't attend the Duke team banquet when it was held at an all-white country club. Wendell Hudson's mother cried with heartache when her son decided to play at the University of Alabama, and Al Heartley locked himself in a campus dorm at North Carolina State for safety the night Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated. Grounded in the civil rights struggles on campuses throughout the south, the voices of players, coaches, opponents and fans reveal the long-neglected story of race, sports and social history. Barry Jacobs has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, People and other publications. He is the author of several sports books, including Coach K's Little Blue Book. He lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Drain three pointers, slam dunk easily, and sink that buzzer-beater from half court with the help of simple science. Your coach, physicist John J. Fontanella, shows how you can improve your game if you take advice from Isaac Newton. As you read, relive some of the great moments in the game - this time with a scientist and diehard basketball fan as your color analyst. Find out why you ought to put spin on the ball. Get tips on how to improve your free throw and increase your percentage from the charity stripe. You'll even learn how to shatter the backboard, if that's something you've always dreamed of doing. With photographs and simple high school formulas, physics professor Fontanella - who played in college against Pittsburgh and Syracuse - reveals the key pieces of physics that underscore basketball. He covers almost every aspect of the game, weaving in stories from games he's played and games he's seen, and tales from basketball history and folklore. Physics comes alive as you see how Kobe Bryant, Wilt the Stilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Becky Hammon, and J. J. Reddick do naturally the things that Isaac Newton says they should.

The story of global sport is the story of expansion from local development to globalized industry, from recreational to marketized activity. Alongside that, each sport has its own distinctive history, sub-cultures, practices and structures. This ambitious new volume offers state-of-the-art overviews of the development of every major sport or classification of sport, examining their history, socio-cultural significance, political economy and international reach, and suggesting directions for future research. Expert authors from around the world provide varied perspectives on the globalization of sport, highlighting diverse and often underrepresented voices. By putting sport itself in the foreground, this book represents the perfect companion to any social scientific course in sport studies, and the perfect jumping-off point for further study or research. The Routledge Handbook of Global Sport is an essential reference for students and scholars of sport history, sport and society, the sociology of sport, sport development, sport and globalization, sports geography, international sports organizations, sports cultures, the governance of sport, sport studies, sport coaching or sport management.

One of the biggest draws on the sports calendar, the NCAA men's basketball tournament routinely thrills fans with "bracket buster" upsets. From Loyola Marymount's emotional 1990 run following the death of team leader Hank Gathers to UMBC in 2018 becoming the first 16-seed to defeat a 1-seed, March Madness holds the sporting world captive for a few weeks each year and changes the lives of players. Drawing on dozens of original interviews, this book chronicles the tournament's many underdog underdog tournament runs, with insights into the teams beyond their exploits on the hardwood.

On Point gives you a seat on the bench with one of the nation's top women's basketball coaches. Distilling a 27-year coaching career into crucial lessons, On Pointdrives home the essence of effective leadership under pressure, stress and times of chaos. On Point delivers the practical knowledge and skills leaders need to achieve success in life and business, using stories from business, the courts, locker rooms, and press conferences. From leading a Big 10 basketball program to coaching high-performing teams in business, leader-focused chapters provide a holistic view of attributes crucial for On Point leadership. On Point leaders will learn to: Master the Front Court - establish the fundamentals that set leaders on the path to winning. Build A Strong Bench - develop a team with the right attitude, skills, and strength. Dominate At Center Court - integrate the core values of On Point leadership. Leverage the Locker Room - influence and motivate individual success. Defend Your Back Court - finish strong in your life and your work.

The celebration of Washington D.C. basketball is long overdue. The D.C. metro area stands second to none in its contributions to the game. Countless figures who have had a significant impact on the sport over the years have roots in the region, including E.B. Henderson, the first African-American certified to teach public school physical education, and Earl Lloyd, the first African-American to take the court in an actual NBA game. The city's Spingarn High School produced two players - Elgin Baylor and Dave Bing - recognized among the NBA's 50 greatest at the League's 50th anniversary celebration. No other high school in the country can make that claim.These figures and many others are chronicled in this book, the first-ever comprehensive look at the great high school players, teams and coaches in the D.C. metropolitan area. Based on more than 150 interviews, The Capital of Basketball is first and foremost a book about basketball. But in discussing the trends and evolution of the game, McNamara also uncovers the turmoil in the lives of the players and area residents as they dealt with prejudice, educational inequities, politics, and the ways the area has changed through the years.

Since 2002, Mike Pratt and Tom Leach have become as much a part of Kentucky Basketball as Rupp Arena itself, as longtime colour analysts for the UK Radio Network. This collection of candid and intimate conversations between Pratt and Leach gifts fans and readers insights into each season between 2002 and 2021 that only they could have. Pratt and Leach cover it all here: the games, the players, the coaches, and the moments that stood out. Mike Pratt is colour analyst for the UK Radio Network, alongside Tom Leach. Pratt was a three-year letterwinner under legendary coach Adolph Rupp at the University of Kentucky from 1967 through 1970. Tom Leach began his work on the UK Radio Network in 1989 as host of the postgame scoreboard and call-in shows. Eight years later, he was named the play-by-play voice for Kentucky football and he added the basketball responsibilities in 2001. Leach is an acclaimed sports journalist, winning several awards including two Eclipse Awards for Thoroughbred racing coverage, and six Sportscaster of the Year awards for Kentucky from the National Sports Media Association.

While the starting lineup of an NBA team consists of five players, there are at least 12 on each roster. Allocating time on court to keep each of them satisfied is challenging. Theoretically the worst position on the roster is the sixth man-so close to being the starter yet seeming to be the odd man out. This book aims at dispelling that notion, presenting many important players who through the years came off the bench for NBA teams, proving that despite not starting, they were worthy of playing in the best basketball league in the world.

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. 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 street with his family to the racism he experienced. Antetokounmpo grew up in an era when Golden Dawn, Greece's far-right, anti-immigrant party, patrolled his neighborhood, and his status as an illegal immigrant largely prevented him from playing for the country's top clubs, making his NBA rise 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 everyone has embraced him-watching him grow up, sign a five-year supermax contract extension worth $228 million, and lead the underdog Bucks to the NBA Championship in 2021. Giannis reveals a more nuanced story: how lonely and isolated he felt, adjusting to America and the NBA early in his career; the complexity of grappling with his Black and Greek identities; how he is so hard on himself and his shortcomings-a drive that fuels him every day; and the responsibility he feels to be a nurturing role model for his younger brothers. Fader illustrates a more vulnerable star than most people know, a person who has evolved triumphantly into all of his roles: father, brother, son, teammate, and global icon. **Instant New York Times Bestseller, Los Angeles Times Bestseller, Wall Street Journal Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, Publishers Weekly Bestseller** **Mirin Fader Selected as the 2021 Sports Media Author of the Year by The Big Lead**

Be inspired by the story of Kevin Atlas (formerly Laue), whose faith and perseverance helped him become an NCAA Division I basketball player, despite being born with only one arm.

Even before entering the world, Kevin Atlas was a fighter. He should have died in childbirth, as the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck twice, but he survived because his left arm was in the middle of it, allowing blood to flow to his brain. But since circulation was cut off in that arm, he was born with his left arm ending just below his elbow.

GET IN THE GAME is Kevin's story of transformation: Moving from anger to joy. From embarrassment to confidence. From the sidelines and wishing his life was different to getting in the game and showing who he is. Kevin's arduous journey to earning a scholarship to Manhattan College in New York City and becoming the first NCAA Division I basketball player missing a limb has given him keen insights to help anyone who feels trapped and defeated by less-than-perfect circumstances, whether physical, mental, or environmental.

Kevin doesn't encourage readers to simply accept and live with their challenges, hurts, and losses. He spurs them on to believe any weakness can, in reality, become the one thing that propels them to achieve their greatest potential. As Kevin has learned throughout his life, you can't win if you don't get in the game!

As a young girl, Sylvia Hatchell longed to play little league baseball and, later, high-school basketball, but both were closed to her because she was a girl. In college, her world shifted when she discovered a passion for coaching that would lead her to become a Naismith Hall of Fame coach of women's basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In this book, Coach Hatchell's life story unfolds against the backdrop of Title IX and women's struggle for equal opportunities in athletics. She celebrates triumphs (such as winning the 1994 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament) and weathers sadness and failure (such as the loss of her parents, surviving cancer, and being forced to resign from her dream job in 2019).