Sports Biographies Basketball

Jarvis Johnson was a 13-year-old basketball prodigy when he collapsed on a basketball court in 2010. But he didn't just faint. His heart stopped...for 10 minutes. He shouldn't have survived. He not only survived, but through the amazing faith and perseverance of Jarvis and his family, he's thrived and became one of the best basketball players in the country.

When all she wanted was to fit in, Tamika Catchings stood out and felt left out, never knowing one day she'd stand out - as a basketball superstar and an inspiration. She faced being set apart by her hearing loss, separated from family, living up to high expectations, and the pain and discouragement of debilitating physical injury. Yet she reached for the stars with hard work, perseverance, and her faith in God. Through the silence, she found the way to shine.

The inspiring story of Isaiah Austin, the man who captured our hearts when he was made the honorary NBA draft pick after a shocking diagnosis ended his professional basketball career before he could even step onto the court.

Lloyd Daniels learned to hoop on the playgrounds of Brooklyn and Queens during the 1980s. "Swee'pea" they called him. His rep on the court traveled all the way to the Bronx and across the country, earning him enthusiastic comparisons to the likes of Magic Johnson. Swee'pea was sure to make it to the big time and out of a New York City where drugs and violence had gripped many of its neighborhoods. Eventually he did, leaving the city's asphalt courts for the shiny hardwoods of NCAA programs.

Harvard graduate Jeremy Lin recently became a New York Knicks phenomenon and he's the NBA's first American-born player of Taiwanese descent. The book will chronicle Lin's high school, college and early career in the NBA with particular emphasis on the media explosion surrounding his success as starting point guard with the Knicks. It will explore how Jeremy's Christian faith, family, education and cultural inheritance have contributed to his success.

In Above the Noise, DeRozan opens up about both his proudest triumphs and the times he felt so weighed down he couldn’t get out of bed. He reflects on what it took to make a name for himself in a new country after getting drafted by the Toronto Raptors. He recounts the pressure of playing with veteran athletes as a twenty-year-old rookie, and the pain of losing role models. And he reveals what it felt like to be traded away from the team that he wanted to play with for the rest of his career.

At the age of 15, high school sophomore and basketball player David Cooks experienced a spinal aneurism, leaving him a T-6 paraplegic. Refusing to let the wheelchair determine the man, he made the decision to persevere from the very beginning - and he never let go of his passion for life the game of basketball. In Getting Undressed, David describes his journey to independence and purpose, and how “getting undressed” for change can pose huge challenges, literally and figuratively, while creating opportunities for victories.

This entry in a brand new line of sports biographies from Matt Christopher takes listeners onto the court with an all-star who reaches for new heights. Blake Griffin is known for being a number one draft pick, Rookie of the Year, Slam Dunk Contest winner, and one of the best power forwards playing today. But he had to fight to make it onto the NBA court at all after sitting out his first pro season with a devastating knee injury. Learn more about the perennial all-star in this comprehensive biography, complete with photos and fun infographics.

In unflinchingly honest prose, Sugar Rodgers shares her inspiring story of overcoming tremendous odds to become an all-star in the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association). Her story is a message of hope and inspiration for young girls and boys everywhere, but especially those growing up in economically challenging conditions. Never sugarcoating her life experiences, she delivers a powerful message of discipline, perseverance, and always believing in oneself.

In Kristaps Porzingis: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Most Versatile Big Men, you'll learn the inspirational story of one of basketball's premier big men, Kristaps Porzingis. Since joining the NBA, Kristaps Porzingis has quickly emerged as one of the league's best forward centers due to his abilities on both sides of the floor. The trade of Carmelo Anthony in the 2017 offseason marks the beginning of Porzingis' chapter as the go-to player for the Knicks franchise.

Manute Bol was the first African-born player in the NBA and, at seven foot seven inches, the tallest. In the 1980s and 90s he was also among the league's most fearsome shot-blockers and its most beloved figures. Off the basketball court, however, Bol's story was more remarkable than most fans ever knew. Activist, gambler, joker, rebel-Bol was a complex man whose fate was inextricably bound with that of the Sudan, his homeland.

Learn the incredible story of New York Knick Carmelo Anthony! In Carmelo Anthony: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Most Versatile Scorers, you'll read about the inspirational story of basketball's star, Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo Anthony has played in the limelight since being drafted third overall in the 2003 NBA Draft behind LeBron James and Darko Milicic.

One of basketball's grittiest point guards, Jeremy Lin had an incredible journey to get to where he is today as a highly-capable starting point guard. Despite his successes, Jeremy Lin remains incredibly humble and a role model for aspiring basketball players around the world. He has become a global icon, and you'll hear the inspirational story of what makes Jeremy so great and why it should be no surprise why he is so successful today.

In Phil Jackson: The Inspiring Life and Leadership Lessons of One of Basketball's Greatest Coaches, you will learn the story of how Phil Jackson became one of the greatest coaches of all time. A two-time NBA champion as a player, and an 11-time NBA champion as a coach, Phil Jackson knows how to win and knows how to inspire players to play at the highest of levels.

In Aaron Gordon: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Rising Star Forwards, you will learn the incredible story of one of basketball's most exciting young forwards, Aaron Gordon. As the fourth overall pick in the 2014 Draft, Aaron Gordon has become a prominent piece of the Magic franchise as they continue rebuilding after the Dwight Howard era. Now entering his fifth season, expectations are the highest they have ever been for Aaron Gordon with his new four-year contract he signed in the summer of 2018.

"A walk in the woods never lies," Dirk Dunbar says upfront in Confessions of a Basketball Junkie, and this autobiography by the pro athlete, humanities professor, musician, and sometime mystic demonstrates the point. In easygoing, familiar language that belies the depth of his knowledge, Dunbar here retraces the many paths of his life as a promising NBA star, a finely tuned philosopher, and a devoted friend and family man.

This audiobook is an uplifting story, based on the life of Worthy Patterson; one of the first black players in the NBA. Real life historical events are weaved into Worthy's upbringing, all the way through his final career position as an executive in the record music industry.

When Jayson Tatum was just a first-grade student, his teacher asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. The youngster answered matter-of-factly, “An NBA player.” Did his teacher readily support his dream? “Pick a realistic profession, please,” she quipped. But Jayson’s single mom didn’t let that teacher rest on her laurels for long. “I was livid," Brandy Cole recalls. "I went into the school the next day and talked to the teacher, and it wasn't a two-way conversation. I said, ‘Ma'am, with all due respect, if you ask him a question and he answers, I don't think it's ...

Learn the inspiring story of the Charlotte Hornets' star point guard Kemba Walker! In Kemba Walker: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Most Explosive Point Guards, you will learn the inspirational story of one of basketball's most dynamic point guards, Kemba Walker. Since entering the league in 2011, Walker has become the face of the Charlotte Hornets franchise.

La muerte de Kobe Bryant en enero de 2020 estremeció el mundo de los deportes y las celebridades. La tragedia de ese accidente de helicóptero puso de manifiesto lo lejos que llega su influencia en nuestra cultura. "El ascenso" es un riguroso trabajo de investigación periodística en el que se cuenta la historia a menudo olvidada y menos conocida de los primeros años de la vida de Kobe Bryant.