The Soul of Basketball

Download The Soul of Basketball PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN 13 : 054774689X
Total Pages : 478 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (477 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Soul of Basketball by : Ian Thomsen

Download or read book The Soul of Basketball written by Ian Thomsen and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2018-04-17 with total page 478 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A fascinating, thorough look at pro basketball’s continuing evolution to becoming the ‘sport of the American Dream.’”—Publishers Weekly The Soul of Basketball tells the story of an NBA prodigy, his league, and their sport in the throes of crisis during the pivotal 2010-11 season. It began with The Decision, that infamous televised moment when uber-star LeBron James revealed that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers—thereby distancing himself from his role model Michael Jordan—to pursue his first championship with his former opponents on the Miami Heat. To the great fortune of LeBron, the NBA, and basketball itself, the mission didn’t work out as planned. In this book, veteran NBA writer Ian Thomsen portrays the NBA as a self-correcting society in which young LeBron is forced to absorb hard truths inflicted by his rivals Kobe Bryant, Doc Rivers, and Dirk Nowitzki, in addition to lessons set forth by Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Larry Bird, David Stern, Joey Crawford, and many more. Brimming with inside access, The Soul of Basketball tells the inspiring story of LeBron’s loneliest year, insecure and uncertain, when his ultimate foe was an unlikely immigrant who renewed the American game’s ideals. From Miami to Boston, Los Angeles to Dallas, Germany to the NBA’s Manhattan headquarters, the biggest names in basketball are driven by something more valuable than money and fame—a quest that would pave the way for Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and future generations to thrive. “Ian Thomsen provides an antidote to the fast-food, twitter feed of instant information consumption…deft prose and snappy anecdotes…Great, great stuff.”—Leigh Montville, New York Times-bestselling author of Sting Like a Bee “A fine work of sports journalism.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Soul of the Game

Download Soul of the Game PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Workman Publishing
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 152 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Soul of the Game by : John C. Jay

Download or read book Soul of the Game written by John C. Jay and published by Workman Publishing. This book was released on 1997 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offers anecdotes and poetry about basketball playgrounds and players.

The Book of Basketball

Download The Book of Basketball PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : ESPN
ISBN 13 : 0345520106
Total Pages : 754 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (455 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Book of Basketball by : Bill Simmons

Download or read book The Book of Basketball written by Bill Simmons and published by ESPN. This book was released on 2010-12-07 with total page 754 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The NBA according to The Sports Guy—now updated with fresh takes on LeBron, the Celtics, and more! Foreword by Malcom Gladwell • “The work of a true fan . . . it might just represent the next phase of sports commentary.”—The Atlantic Bill Simmons, the wildly opinionated and thoroughly entertaining basketball addict known to millions as ESPN’s The Sports Guy, has written the definitive book on the past, present, and future of the NBA. From the age-old question of who actually won the rivalry between Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain to the one about which team was truly the best of all time, Simmons opens—and then closes, once and for all—every major pro basketball debate. Then he takes it further by completely reevaluating not only how NBA Hall of Fame inductees should be chosen but how the institution must be reshaped from the ground up, the result being the Pyramid: Simmons’s one-of-a-kind five-level shrine to the ninety-six greatest players in the history of pro basketball. And ultimately he takes fans to the heart of it all, as he uses a conversation with one NBA great to uncover that coveted thing: The Secret of Basketball. Comprehensive, authoritative, controversial, hilarious, and impossible to put down (even for Celtic-haters), The Book of Basketball offers every hardwood fan a courtside seat beside the game’s finest, funniest, and fiercest chronicler.

Eleven Rings

Download Eleven Rings PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101617969
Total Pages : 390 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (16 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Eleven Rings by : Phil Jackson

Download or read book Eleven Rings written by Phil Jackson and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-05-21 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Through candor and comprehensiveness, Jackson writes a convincing revisionist take, in which he emerges as an excellent coach . . . highly readable . . . reflects Jackson’s polymathy." —The New York Times Book Review "Part sports memoir, part New Age spirit quest, part pseudo-management tract . . . But the primary thing with Jackson—as with all the old bards, who were also known for repeating themselves—is the voice." —Sam Anderson, The New York Times Magazine A New York Times Bestseller The inside story of one of basketball's most legendary and game-changing figures 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 hypercompetitive 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.

The Best Book of Basketball Facts & Stats

Download The Best Book of Basketball Facts & Stats PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Buffalo, N.Y. ; Richmond Hill, Ont. : Firefly Books
ISBN 13 : 9781552978771
Total Pages : 308 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (787 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Best Book of Basketball Facts & Stats by : Marty Strasen

Download or read book The Best Book of Basketball Facts & Stats written by Marty Strasen and published by Buffalo, N.Y. ; Richmond Hill, Ont. : Firefly Books. This book was released on 2004 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A reference guide to all National Basketball Association teams, important players, coaches, games, and statistics.

Before March Madness

Download Before March Madness PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Illinois Press
ISBN 13 : 0252052145
Total Pages : 406 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (52 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Before March Madness by : Kurt Edward Kemper

Download or read book Before March Madness written by Kurt Edward Kemper and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2020-08-10 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Big money NCAA basketball had its origins in a many-sided conflict of visions and agendas. On one side stood large schools focused on a commercialized game that privileged wins and profits. Opposing them was a tenuous alliance of liberal arts colleges, historically black colleges, and regional state universities, and the competing interests of the NAIA, each with distinct interests of their own. Kurt Edward Kemper tells the dramatic story of the clashes that shook college basketball at mid-century—and how the repercussions continue to influence college sports to the present day. Taking readers inside the competing factions, he details why historically black colleges and regional schools came to embrace commercialization. As he shows, the NCAA's strategy of co-opting its opponents gave each group just enough just enough to play along—while the victory of the big-time athletics model handed the organization the power to seize control of college sports. An innovative history of an overlooked era, Before March Madness looks at how promises, power, and money laid the groundwork for an American sports institution.

The Whore of Akron

Download The Whore of Akron PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0062066382
Total Pages : 238 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (62 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Whore of Akron by : Scott Raab

Download or read book The Whore of Akron written by Scott Raab and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2011-11-15 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After 52 long years, the city of Cleveland finally has a new championship team, thanks to LeBron James and his Cavaliers. Scott Raab—Cleveland super-fan—has suffered for every one of those five decades of drought. In the tradition of Frederick Exley’s cult-classic sports book A Fan’s Notes, The Whore of Akron is Raab’s hilarious and unhinged plea for deliverance from all those years of pain. Traveling from Cleveland to Miami and back again, Raab heads out on an obsessive quest to uncover the soul of one of today’s greatest basketball players: LeBron James, the man who finally brought Cleveland out of sporting exile.

My Losing Season

Download My Losing Season PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bantam
ISBN 13 : 0553898183
Total Pages : 418 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (538 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis My Losing Season by : Pat Conroy

Download or read book My Losing Season written by Pat Conroy and published by Bantam. This book was released on 2003-08-26 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A deeply affecting coming-of-age memoir about family, love, loss, basketball—and life itself—by the beloved author of The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini During one unforgettable season as a Citadel cadet, Pat Conroy becomes part of a basketball team that is ultimately destined to fail. And yet for a military kid who grew up on the move, the Bulldogs provide a sanctuary from the cold, abrasive father who dominates his life—and a crucible for becoming his own man. With all the drama and incandescence of his bestselling fiction, Conroy re-creates his pivotal senior year as captain of the Citadel Bulldogs. He chronicles the highs and lows of that fateful 1966–67 season, his tough disciplinarian coach, the joys of winning, and the hard-won lessons of losing. Most of all, he recounts how a group of boys came together as a team, playing a sport that would become a metaphor for a man whose spirit could never be defeated. Praise for My Losing Season “A superb accomplishment, maybe the finest book Pat Conroy has written.”—The Washington Post Book World “A wonderfully rich memoir that you don’t have to be a sports fan to love.”—Houston Chronicle “A memoir with all the Conroy trademarks . . . Here’s ample proof that losers always tell the best stories.”—Newsweek “In My Losing Season, Conroy opens his arms wide to embrace his difficult past and almost everyone in it.”—New York Daily News “Haunting, bittersweet and as compelling as his bestselling fiction.”—Boston Herald

The Soul of Michael Jordan and Company

Download The Soul of Michael Jordan and Company PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Gramercy
ISBN 13 : 9780517204559
Total Pages : 130 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (45 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Soul of Michael Jordan and Company by : Gerald Sprayregen

Download or read book The Soul of Michael Jordan and Company written by Gerald Sprayregen and published by Gramercy. This book was released on 1998 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exciting, action-filled photos of basketball's greatest personality are paired with commentary text and quotes by John Updike, Phil Jackson, Wilt Chamberlain, and many others. Full color.

Crashing the Borders

Download Crashing the Borders PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1416589821
Total Pages : 228 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (165 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Crashing the Borders by : Harvey Araton

Download or read book Crashing the Borders written by Harvey Araton and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2007-11-01 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unflinching, timely, and authoritative, Crashing the Borders is the beginning of a much-needed conversation about sport and American culture. For those who care about both, this book will be the must-read work of the season. The game of basketball has gone global and is now the world’s fastest-growing sport. Talented players from Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa are literally crashing the borders as the level of their game now often equals that of the American pros, who no longer are sure winners in international competition and who must compete with foreign players for coveted spots on NBA rosters. Yet that refreshing world outlook stands in stark contrast to the game’s troubled image here at home. The concept of team play in the NBA has declined as the league’s marketers and television promoters have placed a premium on hyping individual stars instead of teams, and the players have come to see that big-buck contracts and endorsements come to those who selfishly demand the spotlight for themselves. In this taut, simmering book, Harvey Araton points his finger at the greed and exploitation that has weakened the American game and opens a discussion on the volatile, undiscussed subject that lies at the heart of basketball’s crisis: race. It begins, he argues, at the college level, where, too often, undereducated, inner-city talents are expected to perform for the benefit of affluent white crowds and to fill the coffers of their respective schools in what Araton calls a kind of “modern-day minstrel show.” Harvey Araton knows the players well enough to see beyond the stereotypes, and by combining passion and knowledge he calls on the NBA to heal itself and, with a hopeful sense of the possible, he points the way to a better future.

Tuff Juice

Download Tuff Juice PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1493023829
Total Pages : 249 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (93 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Tuff Juice by : Caron Butler

Download or read book Tuff Juice written by Caron Butler and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2015-09-24 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two-time All-Star and thirteen-year NBA veteran Caron Butler has an impressive basketball record. He was Big East Co-Player of the Year at UConn, the 10th overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft and a key player for the Dallas Mavericks in their championship-winning season in 2011. But before Butler had a chance to prove himself on the court, he spent his time trying to prove himself on the streets, as a gang member and drug dealer in his hometown of Racine, Wisconsin. He saw friends gunned down in the bloody street wars near his home, was arrested nearly 15 times and wound up behind bars and in solitary confinement before his 15th birthday. Tuff Juice shares Caron Butler’s extraordinary journey from his delinquent youth in the streets of Racine to his role as an accomplished pro basketball player, dedicated husband and father, active philanthropist and burgeoning businessman. Along the way, the book explores the incredible impact his single mother’s unconditional love and his college coach’s unwavering support had on him, and what drives him to be so successful in basketball and in life. Like The Blind Side, it’s a gripping narrative filled with hubris, dangerous obstacles and heartwarming moments that transcend sports and speak to perseverance, hope and the triumph of the human spirit.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inside Basketball

Download Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inside Basketball PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1611591619
Total Pages : 419 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (115 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inside Basketball by : Jack Canfield

Download or read book Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inside Basketball written by Jack Canfield and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-02-15 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fans will be inspired, surprised, and even amused, by inside stories from well-known coaches and players, fascinating looks behind the scenes, and anecdotes from the people who make it all possible – the fans. Pat Williams has drawn on his basketball industry connections to compile great stories from on and off the court. Fans will be inspired, surprised, and even amused, by inside stories from well-known coaches and players, fascinating looks behind the scenes, and anecdotes from the people who make it all possible – the fans. Pat will work his magic on marketing this book, as well, with signings at the NBA store and other appearances.

Hoops

Download Hoops PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1538148560
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (381 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Hoops by : Thomas Aiello

Download or read book Hoops written by Thomas Aiello and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2022-02-25 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From its early days as a sport to build “muscular Christianity” among young men flooding nineteenth-century cities to its position today as a global symbol of American culture, basketball has been a force in American society. It grew through high school gymnasiums, college pep rallies, and the fits and starts of professionalization. It was a playground game, an urban game, tied to all of the caricatures that were associated with urban culture. It struggled with integration and representations of race. Today, basketball’s influence seeps into film, music, dance, and fashion. Hoops tells the story of the reciprocal relationship between the sport and the society that received it. While many books have celebrated specific aspects of the game, Thomas Aiello presents the only contemporary cultural history of the sport from the street to the highest levels of professional mens and womens competition. He argues that the game has existed in a reciprocal relationship with the broader culture, both embodying conflicts over race, class, and gender and serving a s public theater for them. Aiello places cultural icons like Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant in the context of their times and explores how the sport negotiated controversies and scandals. Hoops belongs on the bookshelf of every reader interested in the history of basketball, sports, race, urban life, and pop culture in America.

The Last Season

Download The Last Season PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Penguin Books
ISBN 13 : 9780143035879
Total Pages : 324 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (358 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Last Season by : Phil Jackson

Download or read book The Last Season written by Phil Jackson and published by Penguin Books. This book was released on 2005-10-04 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An inside look at the season that proved to be the final ride of a truly great dynasty—Kobe Bryant, Shaq, and the LA Lakers For the countless basketball fans who were spellbound by the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2003–2004 high-wire act, this book is a rare and phenomenal treat. In The Last Season, Lakers coach Phil Jackson draws on his trademark honesty and insight to tell the whole story of the season that proved to be the final ride of a truly great dynasty. From the signing of future Hall-of-Famers Karl Malone and Gary Payton to the Kobe Bryant rape case/media circus, this is a riveting tale of clashing egos, public feuds, contract disputes, and team meltdowns that only a coach, and a writer, of Jackson’s candor, experience, and ability could tell. Full of tremendous human drama and offering lessons on coaching and on life, this is a book that no sports fan can possibly pass up.

Basketball and Philosophy

Download Basketball and Philosophy PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
ISBN 13 : 0813172217
Total Pages : 302 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (131 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Basketball and Philosophy by : Jerry Walls

Download or read book Basketball and Philosophy written by Jerry Walls and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2007-03-09 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What can the film Hoosiers teach us about the meaning of life? How can ancient Eastern wisdom traditions, such as Taoism and Zen Buddhism, improve our jump-shots? What can the “Zen Master” (Phil Jackson) and the “Big Aristotle” (Shaquille O’Neal) teach us about sustained excellence and success? Is women’s basketball “better” basketball? How, ethically, should one deal with a strategic cheater in pickup basketball? With NBA and NCAA team rosters constantly changing, what does it mean to play for the “same team”? What can coaching legends Dean Smith, Rick Pitino, Pat Summitt, and Mike Krzyzewski teach us about character, achievement, and competition? What makes basketball such a beautiful game to watch and play? Basketball is now the most popular team sport in the United States; each year, more than 50 million Americans attend college and pro basketball games. When Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, first nailed two peach baskets at the opposite ends of a Springfield, Massachusetts, gym in 1891, he had little idea of how thoroughly the game would shape American—and international—culture. Hoops superstars such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Yao Ming are now instantly recognized celebrities all across the planet. So what can a group of philosophers add to the understanding of basketball? It is a relatively simple game, but as Kant and Dennis Rodman liked to say, appearances can be deceiving. Coach Phil Jackson actively uses philosophy to improve player performance and to motivate and inspire his team and his fellow coaches, both on and off the court. Jackson has integrated philosophy into his coaching and his personal life so thoroughly that it is often difficult to distinguish his role as a basketball coach from his role as a philosophical guide and mentor to his players. In Basketball and Philosophy, a Dream Team of twenty-six basketball fans, most of whom also happen to be philosophers, proves that basketball is the thinking person’s sport. They look at what happens when the Tao meets the hardwood as they explore the teamwork, patience, selflessness, and balanced and harmonious action that make up the art of playing basketball.

The Hoops Whisperer

Download The Hoops Whisperer PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Avery
ISBN 13 : 1592409377
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (924 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Hoops Whisperer by : Idan Ravin

Download or read book The Hoops Whisperer written by Idan Ravin and published by Avery. This book was released on 2015-05-05 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Basketball’s most unlikely—and most sought-after—training guru offers an inside look at his career, his methods, and the all-star players whose games he’s helped transform. Where do the best basketball players in the world turn when they want to improve their game? Whom does a future NBA Hall of Famer thank at his press conference when he’s named Rookie of the Year? Who is it that Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal, and Men’s Journal all call the "Hoops Whisperer" because of his ability to engage, inspire, and challenge the players he trains? The answer to all of these questions is Idan Ravin. Ravin never played or coached in college or the pros, yet a virtual NBA All-Star team relies on him to better their game and reach their full potential. A soft-spoken former lawyer, Ravin has become professional basketball’s hottest trainer. In The Hoops Whisperer, Ravin shares the fascinating story of how he transformed a passion for the game into working with iconic basketball stars such as Chris Paul, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Dwight Howard, and many more. He offers a rare unguarded glimpse inside the lives of these great athletes, drawn from his intimate connection with them that is the basis of his success. Showcasing his unorthodox drills and improvisational techniques in action, Ravin reveals how faith, effort, dedication, and passion can make a player into a superstar—and anyone into a success. Combined with his own inspiring journey, Ravin’s insights make The Hoops Whisperer a must-read for anyone who loves the game.

Basketball Is Jazz

Download Basketball Is Jazz PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781540856074
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (56 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Basketball Is Jazz by : David Thorpe

Download or read book Basketball Is Jazz written by David Thorpe and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-02-09 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Harvey Penick wrote "The Little Red Book" to teach golf enthusiasts the world over, fans and players, the nuances of the game. He succeeded brilliantly, and in the process he inspired David Thorpe to do the same thing for the sport he has spent a lifetime coaching. Coach Thorpe, an ESPN NBA Analyst for the past ten years, has spent a lifetime coaching thousands of players the game of basketball, while mentoring hundreds of coaches, NBA executives, and even a few owners. He is credited with being the first "basketball skills trainer," doing for players what golf and tennis pro's have been doing for years. "BASKETBALL IS JAZZ: Stories and Lessons From a Basketball Lifer" is a glimpse inside how the game is best taught, played, coached, and enjoyed. Thorpe's stories, about his NBA clients or his high school players from earlier in his career, will help the reader see the game better and appreciate it more. Parents looking for guidance will gain valuable insights into how they can better serve their children, just as coaches and players will learn better methods to improve their performances. And NBA fans will catch a long glimpse behind the curtain separating them from the players they love, seeing firsthand what these men do each day to make this incredibly difficult game look so easy to play.