For fans of the hit Netflix docuseries The Last Dance. During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. Even more important, he succeeded in never wavering from coaching his way, from a place of deep values. Jackson was tagged as the 'Zen master' half in jest by sportswriters, but the nickname speaks to an important truth: this is a coach who inspired, not goaded; who led by awakening and challenging the better angels of his players' nature, not their egos, fear, or greed. This is the story of a preacher's kid from North Dakota who grew up to be one of the most innovative leaders of our time. In his quest to reinvent himself, Jackson explored everything from humanistic psychology and Native American philosophy to Zen meditation. In the process, he developed a new approach to leadership based on freedom, authenticity, and selfless teamwork that turned the hyper-competitive world of professional sports on its head. In Eleven Rings, Jackson candidly describes how he: - Learned the secrets of mindfulness and team chemistry while playing for the champion New York Knicks in the 1970s - Managed Michael Jordan, the greatest player in the world, and got him to embrace selflessness, even if it meant losing a scoring title - Forged successful teams out of players of varying abilities by getting them to trust one another and perform in sync - Inspired Dennis Rodman and other 'uncoachable' personalities to devote themselves to something larger than themselves - Transformed Kobe Bryant from a rebellious teenager into a mature leader of a championship team. Eleven times, Jackson led his teams to the ultimate goal: the NBA championship six times with the Chicago Bulls and five times with the Los Angeles Lakers. We all know the legendary stars on those teams, or think we do. What Eleven Rings shows us, however, is that when it comes to the most important lessons, we don't know very much at all. This book is full of revelations: about fascinating personalities and their drive to win; about the wellsprings of motivation and competition at the highest levels; and about what it takes to bring out the best in ourselves and others.

Basketball has a lock on the Filipino soul. From big arenas in Manila to makeshift hoops in small villages, basketball is played by Filipinos of all walks of life and is used to mark everything from summer breaks for students to religious festivals and many other occasions. Playing with the Big Boys traces the social history of basketball in the Philippines from an educational and "civilizing" tool in the early twentieth century to its status as national pastime since the country gained independence after World War II. While the phrase "playing with the big boys" describes the challenge of playing basketball against outsized opponents, it also describes the struggle for recognition that the Philippines, as a subaltern society, has had to contend with in its larger transnational relationships as a former U.S. colony. Lou Antolihao goes beyond the empire-colony dichotomy by covering Filipino basketball in a wider range of comparisons, such as that involving the growing influence of Asia in its region, particularly China and Japan. In this context, Antolihao shows how Philippines basketball has moved from a vehicle for Americanization to a force for globalization in which the United States, while still a key player, is challenged by other basketball-playing countries.

In 1943 The West Point basketball team, the Cadets, had only managed a 5-10 record, and for the 1944 season coach Ed Kelleher's hopes in reversing Army's fortunes rested on his five starters. They consisted of three seniors - team captain "Big Ed" Christl, John "Three Star" Hennessey, and class president Bobby Faas - and two juniors, Dale Hall and Doug Kenna. At the academy, Kelleher molded his cadets into a new kind of team, and, as the new season opened in January of 1944, Kelleher's strategy paid handsome dividends. By the end of January, West Point was 6-0; by the end of February, the team boasted a 13-0 record. Of course, during those weeks, it only took a glance at the newspaper headlines to be reminded that there were far bigger contests than intercollegiate basketball afoot in the winter of 1944. The cadets would not be able to play in the NIT or NCAA national tournaments for a likely national championship. The world was at war, and the U.S. Army needed its finest on the front line more than on the court. Just after their incredible basketball battles ended, the three seniors were about to enter other battles. Hennessey endured months of front-line fighting, battling from the waist-deep snow of Alsatian forests to the bombed-out rubble of German cities. Christl, a fearless forward observer for his field artillery battalion, made it all the way to Austria, where he would lose his life in the final week of the war in Europe. Three months later, Faas was shot down over Japan and forced to bail out over the Pacific Ocean. Coach Kelleher would die overseas on his own special assignment with the Army. In the years that followed, the Army's basketball team would never again have a chance to again play in the NCAA tournament and, in the modern era, few remember West Point's perfect 1944 season. Although West Point's home basketball court is named the Edward C. Christl Arena, and the National Invitational Tournament's trophy is named after his coach, Edward A. Kelleher, too few people fully appreciate why. But after reading Their Greatest Season, they will.

The Science of Basketball is the only book to examine the scientific principles underpinning preparation and performance in basketball, applied to both individual and team contexts. Drawing on the very latest scientific evidence, and including contributions from leading international coaches and scientists involved in the sport, the book explores every aspect of physical and mental preparation and performance, including: strength and conditioning, and training strategies physiological aspects of performance nutrition and supplementation psychological preparation skill acquisition biomechanical aspects of performance performance analysis injury epidemiology, prevention and rehabilitation coach education Incorporating case studies at the end of each chapter to demonstrate how scientific principles can be applied to practice, the book bridges the gap between theory and applied practice in basketball better than any other. It is essential reading for any student, researcher, sport scientist, coach, physiotherapist or clinician with an interest in the game, and illuminative supplementary reading for students of sport science and sports coaching.

During the 1972-73 season, the Philadelphia 76ers were not just a bad team; they were fantastically awful. Doomed from the start after losing their leading scorer and rebounder, Billy Cunningham, as well as head coach Jack Ramsay, they lost twenty-one of their first twenty-three games. A Philadelphia newspaper began calling them the Seventy Sickers, and they duly lost their last thirteen games on their way to a not-yet-broken record of nine wins and seventy-three losses.
Charley Rosen recaptures the futility of that season through the firsthand accounts of players, participants, and observers. Although the team was uniformly bad, there were still many memorable moments, and the lore surrounding the team is legendary. Once, when head coach Lou Rubin tried to substitute John Q. Trapp out of a game, Trapp refused and told Rubin to look behind the team's bench, whereby one of Trapp's friends supposedly opened his jacket to show his handgun. With only four wins at the All-Star break, Rubin was fired and replaced by player-coach Kevin Loughery.
In addition to chronicling the 76ers' woes, "Perfectly Awful" also captures the drama, culture, and attitude of the NBA in an era when many white fans believed that the league had too many black players, most of whom were overtly political and/or using recreational drugs.

Believe it or not, Waterloo, Iowa, had an NBA team during the league's first season, 1949 to 1950. Broadcaster and independent sports historian Tim Harwood uncovers the fascinating story of the Waterloo Hawks and the Midwest's influence on professional basketball. Beginning with the professional leagues that led up to the creation of the National Basketball Association, Harwood recounts big games and dramatic buzzer-beaters, and the players who made them. The first season of the NBA was far from a success. Teams had a hard time attracting fans, with games often played in half-empty arenas. When Waterloo residents learned that the team was struggling financially, they rallied behind the Hawks and purchased shares of the team in a bid to keep it afloat. Unfortunately, that community-based effort was not enough; owners of teams in larger markets pressured the league to push Waterloo-and other smaller towns like Anderson, Indiana, and Sheboygan, Wisconsin-out of the league. Though the Hawks disappeared after their lone NBA campaign, Waterloo and other midwestern teams were nonetheless integral to getting the NBA off the ground, and their legacy continues today through some of the current franchises that relocated to larger markets. Combining newspaper accounts and personal interviews with surviving players, Harwood weaves a fascinating story of the underdog team, in the unlikeliest of places, that helped make professional basketball the worldwide success it is today.

The Chicago Bulls, one of the NBA's most storied and valuable franchises, have been building their highly decorated legacy for five decades. To this day, the Bulls are one of the most popular teams the world over. Six championships and the eternal legacy of Michael Jordan perhaps the greatest player of all time will do that, and Bulls fans wouldn't have it any other way. Published to commemorate the team's 50th anniversary, The Chicago Tribune Book of the Chicago Bulls is a decade-by-decade look at the pride of Chicago's West Side. Curated by the Chicago Tribune sports department, this book documents every era in the team's history through the newspaper's original reporting, in-depth analysis, interviews, and archival photos. Comprehensive timelines, rankings of top players by position, and profiles on key coaches, Hall of Famers, and MVPs provide an entertaining, blow-by-blow look at the team's greatest successes and most dramatic moments. A first-of-its-kind collector's item, The Chicago Tribune Book of the Chicago Bulls is a tour through basketball history produced by the award-winning journalists who have been documenting their home team since the beginning.

COACH YOUR TEAM TO PLAY BETTER, FASTER, AND WIN, WITH INNOVATIVE DRILLS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE"Simply fantastic! The Complete Book of Offensive Basketball Drills is a treasure trove of information from around the world. I can honestly say that I have not seen nor read a more complete drill book on one topic that is better than this. Giorgio Gandolfi has outdone himself." - Kevin Sutton, Head Coach, Montverde Academy, and Assistant Coach for the Gold Medal USA Jr. National TeamAll coaches look for an edge that will help put their team over the top against their rivals. The Complete Book of Offensive Basketball Drills helps you take your team to the next level with the most effective offensive drills from the world's best coaches. Run practice sessions that can produce dominant players using these elite instructional workouts taken from around the globe. You'll bring a fresh perspective on the game to your players, all while teaching solid fundamentals, improving offensive performance, and driving up the score with teams at any level.Covering everything from basic footwork to fast breaks, with advanced variations for more experienced players and teams, author Giorgio Gandolfi has collected more than 150 drills from the best-of-the-best to equip you with the necessary skills to: Decide which drills are appropriate-and adapt them to meet each team's needsTeach fast breaks, screens, post play, and reboundingPrepare teams to shoot, pass, play the boards, and runTrain players to shoot and score under pressure "Gandolfi offers a truly global sampling of the finest thinking on how to attack the basket or get a shot off against a tough defender. . . . If it's effective in helping a player improve his pull-up jump shot or make a power move to the basket, it's here. Gandolfi has done the game a huge service-and made Planet Basketball a more intimate place-with this timely and invaluable book." -Alexander Wolff, Sports Illustrated senior writer and author of Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure, from the Introduction "Simply fantastic! This is a treasure trove of information from around the world. I can honestly say that I have not seen nor read a more complete drill book on one topic that is better than this book. Giorgio Gandolfi has out done himself with this book. . . . Great job!" -Kevin Sutton, Head Coach at Montverde Academy and Assistant Coach for the Gold Medal USA Jr. National Team "This book is one of the best. . . filled with valuable basketball information that has been tested and proven to help coaches and players alike. Giorgio Gandolfi has dedicated his life to helping improve the game and this is just another part of his continuing journey to provide the best basketball information out there!" -Kevin Eastman, Assistant Coach, Boston Celtics, 2008 NBA World Champions

Thirty years after Michael Jordan's first NBA game comes an oral history of his legendary career, told by the men who played with him and against him, coached him, and witnessed first-hand the iconic greatness of the most dominant athlete sports has ever seen. FEATURING INTERVIEWS WITH: Larry Bird * Magic Johnson * Phil Jackson * Reggie Miller * Isiah Thomas * Reggie Theus * Chris Mullin * Doug Collins * Dominique Wilkins * Steve Kerr * John Paxson * David Stern * Gregg Popovich * Derek Harper * Bill Walton * Karl Malone * Horace Grant * Joe Dumars * Danny Ainge * B.J. Armstrong * Marv Albert * Grant Hill * Jerry Colangelo * Bill Cartwright * Jerry Reinsdorf * Johnny Bach * Rod Thorn * Rick Barry * Kevin Loughery * David Axelrod * President Barack Obama * and many more! Written by Sam Smith-author of the New York Times bestseller The Jordan Rules and recent inductee into the NBA Hall of Fame-There is No Next assembles a cast of Hall-of-Famers, teammates, opponents, coaches, and others who experienced the ferocious drive and unparalleled greatness that defined Jordan's career. Packed with previously untold stories and stunning insight into Jordan and his six championships, There is No Next is the last word on why there has never been, and will never be, another Michael Jordan. -- Sam Smith * There Is No Next: NBA Legends on the Legacy of Michael Jordan *

Learning and teaching basketball skills and tactics can be challenging. Executing them in competition can be troubling. Mastering them can be a career-long quest.

Is it possible that a single book can provide all the instruction you need to conquer these basketball roadblocks? First you must know exactly how the skill or tactic is properly performed. Check Then you need to attempt it again and again, with corrective advice through those trials until you get it right. Check Next comes practice. Lots of practice, with drills designed to make performance of the skill or tactic efficient and effective. Check

In "Basketball: Steps to Success," Coach Hal Wissel covers the entire progression of technical and tactical development needed to become a complete player. From essential footwork to key principles of defense, this guide details the skills and tactics needed to excel in today's game. Shooting off the catch and creating shots off the dribble, running two- and three-player offensive plays, and many more topics in the book will prepare players to succeed in every situation on the court.

Two books on hoops weren't enough, so now there's a third: Basketball Championships' Most Wanted (TM), focusing on the best, worst, greatest, and most amusing from basketball's long history of championships in college and the pros-mens' and womens', ABA and CBA, and the Olympics as well! March Madness is one of the most exciting times of year, when anything can happen and Cinderella looks for her prince, sometimes even finding him. And when May and June roll around and the NBA playoffs are in full swing, the intensity ratchets up as the professionals take center stage. Basketball Championships' Most Wanted (TM) celebrates both of these and more, with fifty top-ten lists on topics like unlikely heroes and fantastic freshmen in the NCAA tournament, some of the best long-range gunners in play-off history, players who stepped up big-time with a triple-double in important games, the best buzzer-beaters of all time, and even teams that excelled in the regular season but withered in the pressure cooker. The championship hunt is the most thrilling and action-packed time of the year in basketball, and now you can relive all the excitement. Get in on all the"hoopla" with Basketball Championships' Most Wanted (TM): The Top 10 Book of March Mayhem, Playoff Performances, and Tournament Oddities.

Basketball has so many great stories, so many interesting anecdotes-about college and pro teams, players from all levels, announcers, and even owners-that one book just isn't enough to hold it all. That's why Potomac Books, Inc. is introducing "Basketball's Most Wanted(TM) II: The Top 10 Book of More Hotshot Hoopsters, Double Dribbles, and Roundball Oddities," With even more fun tales and interesting facts from the world of hoops, there's something in here for all fans of basketball.Which NBA team attempted to draft a player straight out of high school in 1969-a female player from the Iowa six-on-six league? What standard features in today's NBA were originally introduced in the renegade American Basketball Association? Who are the best three-point shooters in both the pros and college? Which high school team had an amazing four future NBA players on its roster? With which team did Wilt Chamberlain begin his professional career? (Hint: It wasn't an NBA team.) You'll find the answers to all those questions and so much more in Basketball's Most Wanteda II, including the best and worst basketball movies, the most shocking NCAA tournament upsets, top names from basketball's "Asian invasion," and even guys who played one game-and only one game-in the NBA.So join David L. Hudson, Jr. as he looks at the amazing and the amusing, the wacky and the wonderful, the best and worst of everything basketball has to offer. It's a slam dunk!