Download or read book Bird Watching written by Larry Bird and published by Grand Central Publishing. This book was released on 1999-12-14 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Larry Bird captured the imagination and admiration of basketball fans throughout his thirteen-year career with the Boston Celtics with his trademark style of creative, intelligent, exciting, and hard-nosed play. And then, last year in his rookie season as head coach of the Indiana Pacers, he infused the team with these same qualities -- and the results were remarkable. He turned around a slumping franchise and led the Pacers to the conference finals. To finish off a great season, Bird was named the NBA's "Coach of the Year" -- quite an accolade for Bird, who had never coached before and surprised many fans with his unusual and unorthodox coaching methods. This book is a look into one of the greatest minds to have ever stepped on a hardwood court. Larry Bird shares his inner thoughts on basketball that to date only his Celtic teammates and Pacers players have been privy. From dissecting offensive and defensive strategies to assessing the talent of NBA players; from sharing the genesis of his coaching philosophies to how he deals with today's overpriced and temperamental players, it's all there. This book is Larry Bird's basketball playbook, and it's the one book every basketball fan will want to read. Cover design by Tom Tafuri Cover photograph by Glenn James/NBA Photos

Download or read book Wish It Lasted Forever written by Dan Shaughnessy and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-11-16 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From award-winning Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy, an “entertaining” (The Wall Street Journal) and nostalgia-filled retelling of the 1980s Boston Celtics’ glory years, which featured the sublime play of NBA legend Larry Bird. Today the NBA is a vast global franchise—a billion-dollar industry seen by millions of fans in the United States and abroad. But it wasn’t always this successful. Before primetime ESPN coverage, lucrative branding deals like Air Jordans, and $40 million annual player salaries, there was the NBA of the 1970s and 1980s—when basketball was still an up-and-coming sport featuring old school beat reporters and players who wore Converse All-Stars. Enter Dan Shaughnessy, then the beat reporter for The Boston Globe who covered the Boston Celtics every day from 1982 to 1986. It was a time when reporters travelled with professional teams—flying the same commercial airlines, riding the same buses, and staying in the same hotels. Shaughnessy knew the athletes as real people, losing free throw bets to Larry Bird, being gifted cheap cigars by the iconic coach Red Auerbach, and having his one-year-old daughter Sarah passed from player to player on a flight from Logan to Detroit Metro. Drawing on unprecedented access and personal experiences that would not be possible for any reporter today, Shaughnessy takes us inside the legendary Larry Bird-led Celtics teams, capturing the camaraderie as they dominated the NBA. Fans can witness the cockiness of Larry Bird (who once walked into an All-Star Weekend locker room, announced that he was going to win the three-point contest, and did); the ageless athleticism of Robert Parish; the shooting skills of Kevin McHale; the fierce, self-sacrificing play of Bill Walton; and the playful humor of players like Danny Ainge, Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell, and M.L. Carr. For any fan who longs to return—for just a few hours—to those magical years when the Boston Garden rocked and the winner’s circle was mostly colored Boston Green, Wish It Lasted Forever is a masterful tribute to “the Celtics from 1982–1986 [that] is so good even fervent Celtics haters will have trouble putting it down” (New York Post).

Download or read book Larry Bird the Inspiring Story of One of Basketball s Greatest Forwards written by Clayton Geoffreys and published by . This book was released on 2016-07-13 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn the Inspiring Story of the Legendary Forward Larry Bird! Read on your PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet or Kindle device! In Larry Bird: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Greatest Forwards, you will learn the inspirational story of one of basketball's premier forwards, Larry Bird. Larry Bird had a profound impact on the Boston Celtics' franchise throughout the 1980s, leading the franchise to three NBA Championships. With an extraordinary ability as a two-way player, Bird was gritty, full of heart, and the definition of a superstar. Since retiring from professional basketball, Bird has served many roles, as a head coach and president of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers. He has continued making history in post-retirement, as he is the only individual to be league MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year. Read on to learn Bird's inspiring story. Here is a preview of what is inside this book: Childhood and Early Life High School Career College Career Larry Bird's NBA Career Getting Drafted Rookie Season The Dawn of the Boston Big Three, First NBA Title Falling Short First MVP, Finals Battle with the Lakers, Second NBA Title Second MVP, Finals Rematch with the Lakers MVP Three-Peat, Third NBA Championship 50-40-90 Season, Last Finals Appearance Second 50-40-90 Season, End of the Reign as the Kings of the East Injury Season Return from Injury, First Round Exit Injury-Prone Season, Beginning of the End of a Legendary Career Final NBA Season 1992 Olympics: The Dream Team Life After Retirement Rivalry with Magic Johnson Larry Bird's Personal Life Larry Bird's Impact on Basketball Larry Bird's Legacy An excerpt from the book: If there were a player in the history of the NBA that deserves to be called a legend, that man would be none other than Larry Bird. All-Star appearances, clutch plays, highlight moments, personal awards, MVP's, and championships. You can name any accolade in the NBA, and Larry Bird has achieved them all in his truly stellar 13-year NBA career. Just looking at all those achievements and his career averages of 24.3 points, ten rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals, you would immediately understand why he is a legitimate NBA legend. Larry Bird is also considered as one of the best shooters in the history of the league. In Bird, you have a guy standing almost 6'10" who could shoot the lights out of the basketball. He has the size of a power forward but with the shooting touch of an off guard. No wonder he has a career shooting percentage of 49.6% from the floor, 37.6% from the three-point line, and 88.6% from the foul stripe. With those shooting numbers, Larry Bird was a two-time member of the 50-40-90 club. Though Larry's offensive skill set belonged to that of a shooting guard, he could pass the ball as well as a point guard while rebounding possessions at the rate of a center. With those skills and abilities, Larry Bird is also one of the most versatile players the NBA has ever seen. Tags: Larry Bird Bio, Larry Bird basketball, Boston Celtics basketball, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin McHale, Charles Barkley

Download or read book Dream Team written by Jack McCallum and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2012-07-10 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team. As a writer for Sports Illustrated, McCallum enjoyed a courtside seat for the most exciting basketball spectacle on earth, covering the Dream Team from its inception to the gold medal ceremony in Barcelona. Drawing on fresh interviews with the players, McCallum provides the definitive account of the Dream Team phenomenon. He offers a behind-the-scenes look at the controversial selection process. He takes us inside the team’s Olympic suites for late-night card games and bull sessions where superstars like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird debated the finer points of basketball. And he narrates a riveting account of the legendary intrasquad scrimmage that pitted the Dream Teamers against one another in what may have been the greatest pickup game in history. In the twenty years since the Dream Team first captivated the world, its mystique has only grown. Dream Team vividly re-creates the moment when a once-in-a-millennium group of athletes came together and changed the future of sports—one perfectly executed fast break at a time. With a new Afterword by the author. “The absolute definitive work on the subject, a perfectly wonderful once-you-pick-it-up-you-won’t-be-able-to-put-it-down book.”—The Boston Globe “An Olympic hoops dream.”—Newsday “What makes this volume a must-read for nostalgic hoopsters are the robust portraits of the outsize personalities of the participants, all of whom were remarkably open with McCallum, both then and now.”—Booklist (starred review)

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.

Download or read book When The Game Was Ours written by Larry Bird and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2009-11-04 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The New York Times–bestseller from the Hall of Fame basketball legends. “Finally a book that tells the story of Magic and Larry from their vantage point.” —Denzel Washington In Celtic green was Larry Bird, the hick from French Lick, with laser-beam focus, relentless determination, and a deadly jump shot, a player who demanded excellence from everyone and whose caustic wit left opponents quaking in their high-tops. Magic Johnson was Mr. Showtime, a magnetic personality with all the right moves. Young, indomitable, he was a pied piper in purple and gold. And he burned with an inextinguishable desire to win. When their matchup started they were bitter rivals, but along the way they became lifelong friends. With intimate, fly-on-the-wall detail, When the Game Was Ours transports readers to this electric era of 1980s basketball and reveals for the first time the inner workings of two players dead set on besting one another. From the heady days of trading championships to the darker days of injury and illness, we come to understand Larry’s obsessive devotion to winning and how his demons drove him on the court. We hear him talk with candor about playing through chronic pain and its truly exacting toll. In Magic we see a young, invincible star struggle with the sting of defeat, not just as a player but as a team leader. We are there the moment he learns he’s contracted HIV and hear in his own words how that devastating news impacted his relationships in basketball and beyond. But always, in both cases, we see them prevail. “An exhilarating ride down one of the most competitive rivalries ever.” —Pat Riley

Download or read book Basketball s Greatest Players written by S. A. Kramer and published by Random House Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2015-10-27 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Larry Bird and Michael Jordan to the hottest new legends such as LeBron James, this Step 5 Step into Reading early reader offers tons of facts about the best players in the game, what they were best known for, and how they got their start! Step 5 Readers tell stories in chapters using longer paragraphs, for children who want to take the plunge into chapter books but still like colorful illustrations and photography.

Download or read book Stephen Curry written by Clayton Geoffreys and published by . This book was released on with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Highlights the life and accomplishments of the high-scoring player with the Golden State Warriors, who was dismissed by most scouts as being too small in stature to be successful in college basketball.

Download or read book Drive written by Larry Bird and published by Doubleday Books. This book was released on 1989 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The long-silent superstar sets the record straight, revealing a side of himself and basketball you've never seen before. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Download or read book Basketball s Greatest Players written by Bob Italia and published by ABDO & Daughters. This book was released on 1993 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explains how basketball awards are determined and highlights the achievements of award winning players, such as the 1993 Maurice Podoloff Trophy winner, Charles Barkley.

Download or read book Kobe Bryant written by Clayton Geoffreys and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2014-10-30 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Read about the inspirational story of basketball's star, Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant has been the face of the Lakers dynasty for the past two decades and for good reason. Few players have commanded a basketball court as much as Kobe in historical performances such as his notable 81-point performance in just under 42 minutes of playing time in 2006 against the Toronto Raptors. Whenever Kobe Bryant decides to retire, he is not going to do so on his own terms as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Few players can parallel with Kobe Bryant in terms of competitive fire and will to win. His polarizing figure defines him and makes even those who do not like him at the very least respect him. Read on to learn about the days of when Kobe played alongside Shaquille O'Neal, Robert Horry, Metta World Peace, Derek Fisher, and Pau Gasol in some of the greatest times of Los Angeles Lakers' basketball history.

Download or read book Michael Jordan written by Clayton Geoffreys and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2015-05-31 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Traces the life of one of the most legendary basketball players in the history of the sport, drawing upon interviews with Jordan's friends, family, and teammates, and following his career from college to the NBA."--Provide by publisher.

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.

Download or read book West by West written by Jonathan Coleman and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2011-10-19 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: He is one of basketball's towering figures: "Mr. Clutch," who mesmerized his opponents and fans. The coach who began the Lakers' resurgence in the 1970s. The general manager who helped bring "Showtime" to Los Angeles, creating a championship-winning force that continues to this day. Now, for the first time, the legendary Jerry West tells his story-from his tough childhood in West Virginia, to his unbelievable college success at West Virginia University, his 40-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his relationships with NBA legends like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant. Unsparing in its self-assessment and honesty, West by West is far more than a sports memoir: it is a profound confession and a magnificent inspiration.

Download or read book Larry Bird written by Francine Poppo Rich and published by . This book was released on 2009-12 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book NBA Legends written by Dan Peel and published by . This book was released on 2021-03 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The word legend is thrown around all too easily these days, but there can be no doubt that the NBA players featured in this book are the very best to have ever graced a basketball court. They are true legends of the game. Spanning the decades and covering all the league's most iconic eras, this book uncovers the fascinating stories and incredible accomplishments of the greatest basketball players. From the game's first superstars, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Jerry West, to the modern-day greats of the late Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Garnett. There are also in-depth features on Lakers legends Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O'Neal, as well as Celtics great Larry Bird, while it also explores 23 reasons why Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time. It's not just about great players, though. Without great coaches there would be no great players, legendary teams, or memorable matchups. That's why this book also runs down the 10 most successful and influential coaches from NBA history, looks back at the 10 greatest championship-winning teams, and relives 10 of the best ever games. It also includes a review of the 50 most iconic NBA players of all time.

Download or read book How to Be Like Mike written by Pat Williams and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. But his pre-eminence is more than just extraordinary athletic ability: the lessons of his life-such as focus, passion, hard work, perseverance and accountability-have shaped him into one of the most revered celebrities of the 20th century. In this inspiring book Pat Williams, motivational speaker and senior vice president of the NBA's Orlando Magic, reveals Jordan's method for living a life of greatness that we can all incorporate into our lives. Fascinating anecdotes and quotes from those who know Michael best provide a glimpse into a persona as sweeping and immense as any generation has ever witnessed. Peppered with examples from Williams's life and those of other star athletes and celebrities, this uplifting book shows that we are, indeed, all capable of fulfilling our full potential. Readers from all walks of life can appreciate and aspire to living life like a champion.