Basketball: Great Writing About America's Game

FromthestreetgametoMarchMadnesstoJordanandLeBron,thegreatestwritingaboutthegrit,grace,andgloryofbasketballMadeinAmerica,basketballisasportthatstirsanationalpassion,reachingfeverpitchduringtheNCAA'sMarchMadnessandtheNBAFinals.MasterfullyassembledbylongtimeSportsIllustratedwriterAlexanderWolff,Basketballspanseightdecadestobringtogetheradreamteamofwritersasawe-inspiringandendlesslyinventiveasthegameitself.Herearein-depthprofilesofthelegendsofthehardcourt--Russell,Kareem,Bird,Jordan,andLeBron--andstoriedfranchisessuchastheKnicksandCeltics,alongwithdazzlingportraitsoftheflashandsizzleofplaygroundballandmorepersonalreflectionsonthegamebysomeofAmerica'sfinestwriters,amongthemDonaldHall,JohnEdgarWideman,andPatConroy.HighlightsincludeJamesNaismithrecallinghowheinventedthegamethatwouldgoontoconquertheworld;JohnMcPheecapturingtheever-disciplinedBillBradleyasaPrincetonTiger;PeterGoldman'sindelibleportraitofthelifeanddeathofaHarlemGlobetrotter;andMichaelLewis'saccountofthebravenewworldofNBAanalytics.Classicjournalismaboutinner-citybasketballbyPeteAxthelm,RickTelander,andDarcyFreyisjoinedbystoriesofthegame'spopularityacrossAmerica,fromtheheartlandofHoosiercountrytoanApacheReservationinArizona.