Please enjoy our list of the best nonfiction basketball books. To purchase any book on Amazon, please click on the book cover.
"Where the Game Matters Most" by William Gildea: This is a phenomenal book about the passion for high school basketball in the state of Indiana. Written at a time when Indiana had a single state champion and no classes based on enrollment, small town schools were competing against public school powers from cities like Indianapolis. Featuring former high school star, Luke "Rim" Recker, I loved the various storylines in this book and would recommend to any high school coach.
"Win By Two: A Kansas City Drug Dealer, a Private School Teacher, and the Game That Linked Them Together" by Adam Donyes and Derrick Derrell: This is a touching story about how two people who couldn't be more different are connected through the game of basketball. While not for everyone, the common faith that both men shared allowed them to overcome tremendous tragedy. Life isn't always fair, but you'll leave this book with a renewed sense of the impact that you can have, even just on one person.
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"Sum It Up: A Thousand and Ninety-Eight Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses, and a Life in Perspective" by Pat Summitt: Pat Summitt should be in every conversation for the greatest coach of all-time. What I loved about Pat is that she was authentic, almost to a fault. Some of her coaching methods certainly made you shake your head, as in "wow, she was tough on some of these young women." At the same time, the respect that her players all seemed to have for her tells you everything you need to know. Pat Summitt demanded excellence and is one of the greatest winners ever. There are a lot of good basketball coaching books out there; this one is one of the best.
"The Boys of Dunbar: A Story of Love, Hope, and Basketball" by Alejandro Danois: Danois takes the reader to Baltimore, where Dunbar High School's 1981-1982 boys team is arguably the best high school basketball team of all time. Led by diminutive point guard, Muggsy Bogues, along with Reggie Lewis, Reggie Williams, and David Wingate, it was fun to learn about the upbringing of several players that would go on to star in the NBA. There's a great story in this book about Muggsy at the Five Star basketball camp, highlighted by his high school coach's incredible belief in his young prodigy. In a lot of ways, this book is reflective of times gone by with the rise of prep schools and private schools focused on recruiting the nation's best prep talent.
"Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable" by Tim Grover: This book got a lot of hype when it was published. I'll play both sides. On one hand, Grover was Michael Jordan's trainer, and the association alone, is worth the price of admission. On the other, there are a lot of concepts in this book that felt generic to me. Ultimately, like a lot of "self help" books, the power is in the actions taken by the reader. If you haven't read it, I'd certainly encourage you to do so and form your opinion. Mine is good but not great.
"The Wisdom of Wooden: My Century On and Off the Court" by John Wooden and Steve Jamison: There are a lot of great John Wooden books. This one is short and sweet and makes a great addition to the coffee table. I also really enjoyed all of the pictures, from his childhood to the bench at UCLA. We previously had a guest author that wrote about his memories in Westwood. This is the type of book that makes a great gift.
"Attitude: Develop a Winning Mindset on and off the Court" by Jay Wright: Wright is arguably one of the best college basketball coaches ever, and you see why in this book. From the type of kids he was looking to recruit to how he thought about in-game adjustments, this is an easy read and a fun look into Villanova basketball. I'm not sure if it's still there, but the word "Attitude" used to be displayed prominently as you walk into the Villanova locker room.
"The Mamba Mentality" by Kobe Bryant: Mamba Mentality isn't written like a normal book. Each two-page spread is its own theme. This not a book that's meant to be read cover to cover but rather paged through, picked up when you need some motivation, or the perfect source for some friendly sports debate. Less words and lots of pictures make this a great gift for teens that may not be into "reading." Would recommend for ages 13 and up.
"Leading With The Heart" by Mike Krzyzewski: Coach K is one of the greatest coaches, in any sport, of all time. Anyone can teach x's and o's; K's ability to create and sustain a culture is what made Duke what it is today. This book was also featured in our list of Best College Basketball Books and is required reading in several undergraduate degree courses.
"My Life On A Napkin" by Rick Majerus: Majerus's style and personality were one of a kind. I was fortunate to work with Rick and experience this first hand. When I think about best books about basketball, this book is an absolute classic, as co-writer Gene Wojciechowski gets at what made Majerus tick and also the undeniable passion that he had for the game. This book was also featured in our list of Best College Basketball Books.
"Pistol" by Mark Kriegel: I don't think there will ever be a player like Pete Maravich. Both for adults that had the privilege to watch the magic of Pistol Pete to kids who've never heard the name, this is an unforgettable biography about a guy that simply captivated people. It's no surprise that this book is listed on several sites as one of the best basketball books of all time. My friend, Scott Fields, had Pete's son, Jaeson, on his show, and it's one of the best interviews that I've watched this year.
"The Miracle of St. Anthony" by Adrian Wojnarowski: Bob Hurley Sr. is a legend and rightfully a part of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. His love for the community of Jersey City and the students at St. Anthony goes way beyond basketball. While most people know Hurley for what he accomplished on the basketball court, I was most impressed with how he leveraged that to make an impact off of it. Hurley's sons, Bobby and Danny, have also done quite well for themselves.
"Giannis" by Mirin Fader: From the most humble beginnings in Greece, Fader does a phenomenal job painting the picture of who Giannis was before we all knew him as a basketball player. Born to a former Nigerian soccer player, Giannis had physical gifts from a young age but was so incredibly uncoordinated that his potential as an athlete (much less a professional athlete) looked to have a pretty low ceiling. His meteoric rise redefines what it means to be humble and believe when nobody else does. This was also included on our list of best sports biographies.
"West By West" by Jerry West and Jonathan Coleman: Growing up dirt poor in West Virginia, Jerry West goes back to where it started, revisiting times that many of us would hope to forget. I sometimes get emails from people asking about basketball players who wrote books. While there are several, I typically find that players further removed from their playing days write better books because they're ok with talking about things that are difficult. Books like this require a tremendous amount of courage to write, both because they force people to look back on painful memories and then be ok to share them with the public. While many know West as the "logo" of the NBA, there's a complicated back story that bears reading.
"Player's First" by John Calipari: Arguably, Calipari's greatest strength has always been his relationship with his players. From recruiting to his day-to-day interactions, this is a good reminder that players perform for coaches that they trust and respect. While this was written when "One and Done" was all the rage, there's still a lot of wisdom in here about doing what's best for kids and their futures. This book was also featured in our list of Best College Basketball Books, as well as our article: Best Basketball Books For Coaches.
"Barkley" by Timothy Bella: Barkley is a bit of an enigma: a guy that you hated to play against as a player, but someone who softened with age to become an extremely likable broadcaster. Previously known as the "Round Mound of Rebound," Barkley's ability to dominate games despite not having a prototypical body speaks to his incredible competitive spirit. This book also made our list of Best New Releases for 2023. You can see the whole list here.
"The Book of Basketball" by Bill Simmons: This book is long (752 pages), but there is so much basketball history in it. In fact, it's really the quintessential NBA basketball book. Simmons has made a living debating basketball topics from Wilt vs. Russell to the greatest players to ever play the game. If you love the NBA and are constantly debating basketball history with your friends, you need to read this book.
"A Season On The Brink" by John Feinstein: Most coaches today wouldn't allow this: total access to a program to someone from the outside. Yet, that's what Feinstein was given during the 1985-1986 season at Indiana. The book certainly captures the drama that surrounded Knight on almost a daily basis, but it showcased Knight's non-negotiables when it came to academics and how players were expected to handle themselves. Knight was a complicated soul: a relentless competitor and disciplinarian but a deeply loyal man to his players. May he rest in peace.
"When The Game Was Ours" by Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson: Bird and Magic changed the game. The two were the fiercest of rivals in the 1980's and would later become the best of friends. Some books are ghostwritten, and it's hard to hear the voice of the celebrity. This book was really enjoyable because it sounded like Bird and Magic. As a competitor, I loved hearing stories about how one guy would shoot extra shots after practice because he wanted to gain an edge over the other. The greatest competitors make each other better, sometimes from thousands of miles away.