The
Legends of Basketball
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New & Featured Books Michael Jordan
Shaquille O'Neal
Chicago Bulls
NBA
Charles Barkley
Patrick Ewing
Alonzo Mourning
Anfernee Hardaway
Dennis Rodman
Larry Bird
Cedric Ceballos
Chris Mullin
Clyde Drexler
David Robinson
In For the Love of the Game, Jordan takes us through the wonder of his
career on the court and away from the game. From the dream that preceded
the game-winning shot against Georgetown in the 1982 NCAA Finals to the
methodical dissection of the Utah Jazz prior to his game-winning shot in
Game 6 of the 1998 Finals, Jordan pulls back the curtain on one of the
most remarkable lives this century.
Synopsis
Featuring more than 200 photographs by some of the world's greatest
photographers, and text provided by Jordan himself, this book captures
the depth and breadth of the greatest career in professional sports. From
the 1984 Olympics to his last game in a Chicago Bulls' uniform, Jordan
pulls back the curtain on a wondrous performance.
One of the finest nonfiction writers in any lineup, Halberstam likes to
alternate what he's deemed his serious work--books like The Best and the
Brightest, The Fifties, and The Children--with his sporting interludes,
though in his hands, sports are much, much more than fun and games. Books
like The Breaks of the Game and October 1964 use sports as a prism. Culture,
race, society, and history are all filtered through it, and Halberstam
refocuses--and interprets--what comes out the other side.
That he would now turn his considerable abilities to exploring
Michael Jordan is not surprising. Halberstam loves hoops, and Jordan not
only defines the game, he defines an era. His fame crosses international
borders as easily as he dribbles past half-court lines. In focusing on
Jordan--as athlete and force of nature--and his osmosis from a young hoop
dreamer to product pitchman to the world, Halberstam is really examining
intangibles like myth and legend, celebrity and fame, wealth and image,
excellence and genius, race and style, the qualities of heroism and the
pursuit of perfection. "That there had been even one Michael Jordan seemed
in retrospect something of a genetic fluke," he writes, "and the idea that
anyone would arrive in so short a span of time and do what he did both
on and off the court seemed highly unlikely." But the phenomenon that is
Jordan did just that.
Understanding, even admiring, what he did, how he did it, and
what it means in a basketball context and a larger one is Halberstam's
goal, and, despite Jordan's lack of cooperation--or maybe because of
it--Halberstam's muscular prose and thinking scores powerfully. Yet,
there is a wistfulness, in the end, to Playing for Keeps; the game doesn't
seem as much fun and collegial as it used to for Halberstam, and Jordan,
great as he may be, emerges with less of the historic grace exhibited by
Jackie Robinson, Ali, and Arthur Ashe than with a quality that Halberstam
deems the athlete-explorer "in terms of going beyond previously accepted
limits of what was humanly possible, and somehow by dint of physical excellence
and unmatched willpower, pushing those limits forward that much more."
Dazzling, certainly, but not necessarily heroic. Playing for Keeps is also
available on audiocassette. --Jeff Silverman
Updated to include information on the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, plus
details about the upcoming Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, and Sydney's
games in 2000, this book includes a list of every Olympic medal winner
since the first modern games.
The official team history of the pivotal 1996-97 season. Chicago
Bulls: The Spirit of Competition chronicles the most memorable year in
the Chicago Bulls franchise. This illustrious coffee table book details
this season as a turning point in the sports world.
The most famous moments of one of the world's most famous men. Here
is Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan in action complete with photographs
and game stats, in a book that is bound to be a keepsake for any Michael
Jordan fan, young or old. 50 photos.
Amazon.com
The Basketball Coach's Bible claims to be essential reading for
basketball coaches, whether they're coaching your daughter's fourth-grade
team or a Division I college team. Endorsements are included from both
youth coaches and well-known professional and college coaches such as Phil
Jackson and Jim Calhoun. Can any book really cover a topic that broadly
and do a good job? The resounding answer in this case is yes. Mr. Goldstein
starts from the premise that if you learn the fundamentals well, the rest
of the game comes along naturally. The first seven short chapters of the
book lay out his philosophy of the game and coaching, providing a blueprint
to follow.
The remainder of the book has two parts, multipart lessons that
focus on individual skills such as dribbling and passing, and another
series of lessons on team offense and defense. Each lesson begins with
a simple concept and then adds more complex features as your players' skills
progress. Charts accompany each lesson and detail the prerequisite skills,
time needed, and effort that is required.
This book is one of those rare breeds that live up to its hype.
One drawback is that younger players may not have enough practice time
to complete all of the drills you would like, but those you do choose
will be winners. --Rob Frankland
Michael Johnson's sensational 200-meter performance in the '96 Olympics
is shown on the cover of World Record Breakers in Track & Field
Athletics and is but one example of what men and women throughout the sport's
history have been able to do. This book provides a complete and captivating
look at the athletes who have set new world records in track and field.
350+ photos.
This is a very entertaining book for athletes & coaches.
More than a collection of biographies, Running with the Legends provides
the closest and most complete look at how running and runners have changed,
from the great Emil Zatopek in the 1940s to the superlative Uta Pippog
in the '90s. The all-star list includes Sebastian Coe, Bill Rodgers,Priscilla
Welch, Steve Jones, Toshihiko Seko, Rosa Mota, Arturo Barrios, and many
others. 67 illustrations.
