What’s the best basketball book you’ve read?

[ZionDunks]

Going to Florida in a week and always read a basketball book while I’m down there watching the Finals.

What’s the best book you’ve read? Hoping to find a good one I haven’t found. I read Showtime last year and Three Ring Circus the year before.

I am only through 2 chapters of the Book of Basketball so if I can’t find anything better I’ll finish that

[1987_Lakers]

I bought the Book of Basketball when it came out, very good read if you like history stuff.

'The Breaks of The Game' is often regarded as the GOAT basketball book, but I've never read it. It's about the Blazers team from '77-'80.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Breaks_of_the_Game

Bill Walton is on record to saying he has never read the whole thing because he gets too emotional.

[Round Mound]

Outrageous of Charles Barkley and i also have an Basketball Encyclopedia with Sir Charles in the picture from 1994 i believe. I should perchuase the book I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It some day.

[Axe]

Eleven rings by the zen master phil jackson. :pimp:

[SomeBitterDude]

Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World he Made (https://www.amazon.com/Playing-for-Keeps-audiobook/dp/B07K1JRRP8/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3ONNLU899DYA0&keywords=playing+for+keeps&qid=1653394743&sprefix=playing+for+keeps%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-5)

[ZionDunks]

I bought the Book of Basketball when it came out, very good read if you like history stuff.

'The Breaks of The Game' is often regarded as the GOAT basketball book, but I've never read it. It's about the Blazers team from '77-'80.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Breaks_of_the_Game

Bill Walton is on record to saying he has never read the whole thing because he gets too emotional.

I’ve gotta read this I think, the breaks … wow

[Wally450]

I've gotta order When The Game Was Ours. The story of Bird and Magic.

Also, Bill Simmons' The Book of Basketball.

[ZionDunks]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far guys I am making a list. Awesome

[Airupthere]

I second Playing for Keeps.

Books that I want to read, already have them but I don't have time to read yet:
- Eleven Rings
- Showboat - The Life of Kobe Bryant
- When the Game was Ours
- The Fab Five
- Relentless (Tim Grover)

[pandiani17]

If you are into college/high school hoops these books are really good:

-A season inside (about the 1987-1988 college basketball season)
-The boys of Durban (about the legendary Baltimore HS squad of the 1981-82 season, some NBA players in the book)
-The story of Lloyd Daniels and other playground legends
-The last shot (about Stephon Marbury's Lincoln HS team when he was a freshman. Steph is just a a side character, there are more important characters than him in the book)

In the NBA level, I really liked "The three ring circus" about the Shaq-Kobe Lakers era, really, really funny and feel-good. Watching the NBA finals, I would go with it, as there are lot of intense post-season moments mentioned.

[Thorpesaurous]

I loved The Book of Basketball, but I've been into Simmons' stuff for ever. His list and rank sort of approach to things just kind of hits my brain right. And he and I are roughly the same age, so I think I respond to his references better than most people.

The Breaks of the Game has already been mentioned, but I'll second it (or third or fourth or whatever). It's just a great book.

I'd also add Heaven is a Playground, about the 70s streetball scene. It's generally considered right there with Breaks as the most important books about the game out there, although it can feel a tad dated.

And some of my personal favorites:

Let Me Tell You a Story is a first person account by John Feinstein he wrote about his time after he infiltrated the private chinese dinners he'd hold at the same restaurant in DC forever after his retirement. He'd sort of hold court and regale and rotating audience with basketball history stories. There's some regulars there, Sam Jones with the AD at GW University at the time, so he was there pretty regularly, but you get some nice cameos as teams travel through to play the Wizards, and older coaches and team execs travel through. It's an excellent read, and because of the independent nature of the stories and dinners, it's easy to jump in and out of.

I'll also through in The Miracle of St. Anthony's. It's an inside account of Bob Hurley's final season coaching at one of the last natural national power houses in the country (before some of these basketball factory schools came on the scene). It lacks the star power some people look for, as none of the kids on the team really make it. But it's an incredible narrative as this team chases down the mythical high school national title, and play against some of the biggest HS powers at the time. Adrian Wojnarowski wrote it, and it's written so well that at times it feels like it could be fiction.

[Full Court]

I highly recommend that all you Bronies read this one:

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/P/B09R3BS3GP.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_SX500_.jpg