Basketball Beach Reads for Summer ‘19
Basketball never stops. Sure, the 2019 NBA Finals are in the rearview mirror, but there is still plenty of hoops hype to be had in the summertime. The WNBA season is in full swing, we’ve got the NBA draft coming up in less than a week, and an NBA offseason that promises to be as mysterious and thrilling as the season we just watched is on its way. It’s going to be a fun summer.
So why not supplement the summer with some amazing basketball books? Basketball has been blessed with some incredible writing over the last few years and my basketball reading list stays stacked. Here are a few titles I’ll be diving into this summer and I promise: all of these are 100% Drake free.
Boys Among Men by Jonathan Abrams
Abrams is one of very few writers on the planet who make me drop everything I’m doing to read their newest work the second it comes out. Boys Among Men came out more than three years ago and I’ve probably averaged around two full reads of it per year.
This is a gripping behind the scenes look at the successes and failures of the NBA’s prep-to-pro generation. It was impossible to put down, even during the part about the Timberwolves passing on the opportunity to have Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant (because we can’t have nice things). It’s just fantastic, and with the days numbered for the ‘one-and-done’ rule, this book is more relevant than ever.
Press:
Boys Among Men and the NBA’s High-School Boom (The Atlantic)
Praise:
“A fascinating and unsettling account of what happened to professional basketball when teenagers made their way into a man's game."—Malcolm Gladwell, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Outliers and David and Goliath
“Will stand as the definitive dissection of an oddly brief, perpetually influential period in the history of NBA labor relations."—Chuck Klosterman, New York Times bestselling author of I Wear the Black Hat and Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs
“There was much I learned from this book, which covers not only the superstar “kids" like Bryant and Garnett, but also the compelling cautionary tales.” —Jack McCallum, New York Times bestselling author of Dream Team and Seven Seconds or Less
Boom Town by Sam Anderson
Since Boom Town came out last August, I’ve been told by several different people, who don’t know each other, who all occupy different corners of my life, that I simply must read this book. I don’t have a good reason for why I haven’t picked it up yet and I’m sorry.
From the sounds of it, this is nonfiction at its finest from Sam Anderson and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.
Press:
Oklahoma City, the Ultimate ‘Boom Town,’ Rendered Vivid and Surreal (The New York Times)
Praise:
“A delightfully deep dive into ‘one of the great weirdo cities of the world’… [Boom Town is] one of the more unexpectedly entertaining -- and stimulating -- nonfiction romps in recent memory. Anderson deftly weaves together history, personalities and his own observations.”
—SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
"[Boom Town is] one of my favorite things I've read in the past year. I think it will go down in history as one of the great pieces of narrative nonfiction."
—Roman Mars, 99% Invisible
“It’s hard to believe that any biography of any American city could be more consistently interesting, entertaining and informative than this one."
—NPR
Basketball: a Love Story by Rafe Batholomew, Dan Klores, & Jackie MacMullan
The first chapter of Basketball: a Love Story, the companion book to ESPN’s 20-hour documentary, is titled ‘First Loves.’ Anyone who knows me will not be surprised to learn I was in tears by page two.
This is a complete oral history of every aspect of the game. No stone is left unturned, from the romantic moments of falling in love with the game, to the history of racism and inequality that’s plagued it. It’s all there, brilliantly woven together by three incredible artists.
Press:
An oral history of basketball that explores familiar stories and adds personality and detail (Park & Recommendations)
Praise:
“Basketball is developing its own reputation for outstanding writing—as this sterling ‘love story’ about the game from MacMullan, Bartholomew, and Klores attests.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“With unprecedented access to an unbelievably robust lineup of players, coaches, executives, journalists and others associated with the game, the authors bring readers into the action both on and off the court, rendering the entire history of the game in easy-to-read bites interspersed with helpful contextual stories and background information...this is must-read catnip for hoop heads.”
—Kirkus (starred review)
“A must-read for hoops fans...powerful and heartbreaking.”
—Slate
Hoops by Elena Delle Donne
There’s no such thing as too many good sports books for young readers. Elena Delle Donne has been one of the biggest WNBA stars since she entered the league and she launched her writing career last year with the publication of her memoir My Shot: Balancing it All and Standing Tall, and the first book in her Hoops series, Elle of the Ball, which follows the coming of age story of seventh grade basketball prodigy Elle Deluca.
The series’ fourth novel, Digging Deep, will be released on June 25. What can’t Elena Delle Donne do?
Press:
Elena Delle Donne hopes to share lessons from her life and career in new books (USA Today For The Win)
Praise:
"Donne humorously portrays Elle’s adjustment to her changing body and her increasing self-confidence and positivity. Play-by-play basketball action, friendship subplots, and the inspiration Elle draws from her older sister (who is deaf and blind and has autism and cerebral palsy) round out this engaging novel."
— Publishers Weekly
"Readers will be eager to see where the rest of the series takes Elle and her teammates... The author’s name may draw some recognition from big WNBA fans, but the diverse cast and timely subject matter for girls in middle grades are what will make this a strong choice for middle grades sports collections."
— School Library Journal
Nikki on the Line by Barbara Carrol Roberts
Another book I am so hyped to get into. Nikki Doyle is a basketball-obsessed 13-year-old (something 13-year-old me can relate to) on the brink of stardom when she’s chosen to play on an elite club team (something 13-year-old me absolutely cannot relate to).
Nikki takes on obstacles on and off the court in a heartwarming tale filled with compassion and care, necessary for readers of all ages. Can’t wait to get into this.
Press:
Fed up with the lack of sports books for girls, this author and mom wrote one (Washington Post)
Praise:
"A tremendous book about basketball, taking risks, and becoming your true self."
—Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor-winning and bestselling author
"I rooted for Nikki both on and off the court as she navigates changing friendships, tough competition, and the mystery of what makes us who we are."
—Wendy Mass, New York Times bestselling author of A Mango-Shaped Space
"In Nikki on the Line, Barbara Carroll Roberts crafts a compelling story of a girl trying to fit the pieces of her identity together at a time when everything around her is shifting. Layered, compassionate, and utterly engrossing."—Anne Ursu, author of The Lost Girl
Basketball (and Other Things) by Shea Serrano
Proud member of the FOH army reporting for duty. BAOT has been out for almost two years now, but it’s one of those books that finds a way of popping off my shelf every week or two. I inhaled this book when it came out and find myself referencing it constantly for its content and its comedy.
Serrano tackles difficult questions you didn’t know you needed the answers to. Like ‘who really is the greatest fictional basketball player of all time?’ and ‘if 1997 Karl Malone and a black bear switched places, who would be more successful?’ This book is essential whether you’re a basketball fan or not.
Press:
What if a Bear Took an NBA Star’s Place? Shea Serrano has an Answer (The New York Times)
Praise:
“Shea Serrano’s new book… is a hilarious, informative group of passages that answer questions you never realized needed to be asked."
— Slam Magazine
"Shea Serrano's Basketball (And Other Things) is equal parts hilarious and enlightening... this is the ultimate book on basketball fandom.”
— NPR
“Even if you’re a basketball novice or die-hard Spurs fan like Shea, this is a perfect companion to his Rap Year Book: full of myths, what-ifs, and hyperspecific fanaticism.”
— Vulture