basketball players

Teaches readers about the history of basketball, its top teams and players, and the skills young players may need to compete.

"In [this book], readers will travel from the cracked concrete basketball courts of Philadelphia in the 1960s and '70s--where Kobe's father, Joe, became a playground, college, and professional standout--to the Bryant family's isolation in Europe, where Kobe spent his formative years, to the leafy suburbs of Lower Merion, where Kobe's legend was born. The story will trace his career and life at Lower Merion--he led the Aces to the 1995-96 Pennsylvania state championship, a dramatic underdog run for a team with just one star player--and the run-up to the 1996 NBA draft, where Kobe's dream of playing pro basketball culminated with his acquisition by the Los Angeles Lakers"--Provided by publisher.

"Every few years a talent comes along that disrupts everything we think we know about how the NBA should work. Whether it's scoring, playmaking, or shooting, these are players and tactics that fundamentally challenge how the game is played and what greatness looks like on a basketball court. For a period of time, these players each become an "Atlas" for the league, carrying the weight of the NBA on their shoulders, but also providing the roadmap that points the way to the future of the sport. In tandem, they map out the modern NBA's creation. Goldsberry returns with a highly visual, electrifying tour through the last three decades of NBA history, showing the "Atlas" players that have led us out of the brutishness of 90s hoops and into the wide open spaces of the most skilled era in NBA history. Charting the course from Jordan to Jokic-with plenty of stops along the way for Iverson, Kobe, Curry, and of course Lebron-Goldsberry, who was instrumental in helping spur the NBA's statistical revolution, has designed a vibrant new way to compare and debate the contributions of the best NBA players of all-time. Masterfully connecting NBA past and present through incisive writing and stunning visual statistical analyses, he shows how we've come to this unprecedented moment, a time when offensive efficiency and shooting percentages are higher than ever. Using beautifully designed, four-color shot maps and illustrations, Goldsberry offers a graphic journey through the last thirty years of the NBA that covers up to the 2023 season and is as much fun to look at as it is to read. The end result offers stories and analyses of a select group of NBA superstars that open up lively debates, reveal just how singular their talents truly are, and characterize the dramatic 21st-century metamorphosis of the best basketball league in the world"--.

"Through full-color photographs of Diana [Taurasi] on the hardwood, readers follow her from her beginnings in basketball, to being a star at the University of Connecticut, to playing with the Phoenix Mercury, highlighting her accomplishments in the United States and on the world stage throughout"--Provided by publisher.

"Explores the basketball career of Maya Moore with stats, charts, infographics, timelines, and strongly controlled text"--Provided by publisher.

"The seven-foot Dirk Nowitzki is one of the great players in basketball history. With a devastating fadeaway and unexpected agility, the Dallas Mavericks superstar helped to pioneer the modern three-shooting game and became a global ambassador for the sport. Award-winning novelist and sportswriter Thomas Pletzinger traveled with Nowitzki for more than seven years, seeking the secret of his success and longevity. In novelistic detail, Pletzinger tells the dramatic story of how a lanky kid from the German suburbs became a top-five all-time scorer and NBA champion. He profiles the revolutionary training methods developed by Holger Geschwindner, Dirk's enigmatic mentor and coach, whose philosophical insights on performance, creativity, and freedom shaped Dirk's game"--Provided by publisher.

Looks at the life of Basketball player LeBron James.

Tells the story of basketball player Anthony Edwards, from growing up in Georgia to his career in the NBA.

Tells the story of basketball player Jayson Tatum.

Tells the story of basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo, from growing up in Greece to his NBA finals experience.