Basketball Books

This is a great book! im a keeper myself and it works for me. The pictures and disriptions are great too. ***** 5stars
GREAT VALUE!!
:)

I have over 100 soccer books including goalkeeping books by Wilson, Shilton, Luxbacher, Waiters,Machink and the videos of Machnik, Hoek and Dicicco. Lincoln Philips's book was worth the money and more for several reasons. He has the wisdom of years of playing experience at the the national team level as well as college coaching and USSF Staff coaching duties. He has an excellent discussion on the art of stopping penalty kicks and develops a list of visual cues goalkeepers can use to predict where kicks will go. He examines techniques for prevailing in 1v1 breakaways I had not previously encountered. Finally he has an excellent section on defending restarts which is particularly valuable to the goalie in light of the high percentage of goals which result from poor defensive communication and organization at these times.

I have reviewed many goalkeeping books and own four. This book is by far the best. It is well organized and explains the details of soccer's most difficult position in an approachable manner. It is obvious that Lincoln knows his stuff. If you read it in his book you can be sure of it, which is not the case in some other books I've read. Can't go wrong with this one.

I knew nothing of goalkeeping before purchasing this book. This book is easy to read and understand, well organized, and full of easy-to-follow visuals. I purchased it to understand our goalkeeper's job and loaned it to him to read. He played keeper for years, and even he learned from it and INSTANTLY improved. An injury prevents him from playing this season. With this book as my only coach and practicing what was in it, we (myself and my defense) earned a shutout in just my second game as keeper. Lincoln Phillips provides coaching in every aspect of goalkeeping and tells you exactly what you need to know. I recommend this book for beginning keepers, experienced keepers, coaches, and anyone else interested in the position and its importance. BUY THIS!

Lincoln Phillips is one of the outstanding teachers of the game today. He brings a warm and open presence to the subject, revealing the secrets to playing the position with a common sense approach that is guaranteed to bring success. This is a must-have addition to any coaches or players library.

I love this book and have bought it for several of my coaching friends. Full of great info from one of the best. Good diagrams and great instruction on how to implement multiple offenses and defenses. One of my favorite coaching books (and I have a ton). A great higher-level resource.

I have read this book over and over again. It has been a useful tool is my basketball coaching.

This book is page after page of super basketball information. It goes into great detail offenses and defenses from simple to complex. But best of all, it is written with an emphasis on the fundamentals, which will make any team better. I really recommend this book for any coach, beginner to seasoned veteran, there is a wealth of valuable information from cover to cover.

This is an awesome book. A lot of useful information for students, professionals and athletes.

I coached a camp this past summer in which a few coaches were discussing this book and referred to it as "The Holy Grail" of basketball books. To any coach looking for new perspectives and strategies, I would strongly recommend this book. You may not be able to use everything, and some of the information is a bit dated, but it prompted a million ideas of my own, and helped me plan out some fresh drills, plays, and defenses for my team.

What a wonderful book about a man who loved basketball and the Lakers. Chick Hearn was a very gifted announcer. The way he would describe the game would seem to put you court-side along with the other 17,505 at the fabulous Forum! I started listening to Chick during the 70's and into the 80's. Living in Arizona I had to try and find the L.A. station when possible. When one of the local stations started carrying the games in the 80's, I was estatic. The book does a nice job starting from his youth into his last days. Reading about the last few months of his life just broke your heart for the man----and I didn't know him!! That should tell you how the fans could relate to Chick. The Los Angeles area had two other announcers that were also great in my book---Dick Enberg doing Ram games and Vin Scully doing Dodgers games. The Los Angeles area was blessed with many great teams and announcers, but none will be able to replace Chick Hearn.

I grew up watching/listening/simulcasting to EVERY GAME for the Lakers from 1981 through about 2003 or so (still try to catch them on tv, but no longer live in the L.A. area). It seems that since he passed away, the Lakers were suddenly cursed. But this book brings back the Memoirs of one of my favorite idols. Chick was the best announcer, period. He was so good that even people who were simply not into the game, or even disgusted by sports in general, would get into it and watch because of his sharp apt to connect to the viewers/listeners with ease and comfort. I've seen this myself firsthand more than a plenty of times. His ability to bring the game to you in a simple and enjoyable fashion was priceless. My mom even loved the guy. So Laker fans, Angelinos, basketball and sports fans -- buy this book!

This book really brought Chick Hearn back to life for me...I LOVED IT! It contained so many facinating memories from Chick and those close to him. Also, the accompanying CD with excerpts of Chick's calls from many games cleverly strung together...his Chickisms....was an added treat. For anyone who followed Chick during his career I highly recommend this book!

Dianne O.
La Canada, CA

For 3,338 consecutive games Chick Hern was the voice of the L.A. Lakers. He became as famous as the best of their players. As the voice of the lakers, he essentially was the lakers to millions of fans. He brought the team, the coaches, and the rest of the organization to the millions of fans. He lived Lakers basketball, and it showed in the way he talked.

This book presents Chick in two ways: One is the writing about Chick, his life, his stories of the team, people, and life in general. Second is the CD included with the book that gives some of his greatest calles, along with narration by Al Michaels. Normally the voice of a sports broadcaster is a transient thing. You hear what he said, or maybe you miss it, and it's gone forever. Here are some of the best of his work, recorded forever.

As a lifelong Laker fan, I've felt like I've known Chick for most of my life. He was like the eccentric uncle that explained things to you when he visited, and in Chick's case, what he explained was basketball.

If you're not a Laker fan, this book probably won't be as meaningful to you, but it's filled with entertaining stories and poignant nuggets about broadcasting, basketball, and life in general. Some of the material I'd read about before, but a lot of it was new to me. It gets quite emotional at times; it's not strictly about basketball or play-by-play announcing, although he looms very large in both fields.

The book is mostly a compilation of other people recalling their memories of Chick, with some first-hand quotes from him as well. It doesn't really have a narrative, so it's a nice book to pick up and read from occasionally. I think the structure of it really suits the subject well. Chick was great at describing basketball and relating to people, so to a large extent the book is basketball people talking about him.

If you're a Laker fan, it's a great read. If you're into sportscasting or basketball, there's something for you too.

During the 15 years that I've been coaching in Middle School, AAU, and Rec Leagues, I've read a lot of books on coaching basketball, some excellent (Dean Smith's "Multiple Offenses and Defenses," and John Wooden's "Practical Modern Basketball" come to mind), and some not so great. The book in my library that's the most dog-eared and smudged is Morgan Wootten's "Coaching Basketball Successfully." For the levels I've coached, I consider this book indispensable. The book is full not just of X's and O's and drills, although there are plenty of those, but also advice on how to organize a team, how to run tryouts, and how to relate to assistants, players, and parents. There are sections on everything from how to put together a game schedule for the season to when to call (and when not to call) timeouts. It's written clearly and concisely and at a perfect level for my needs. Part of my coaching routine every year is that the first week in August, I take "Coaching Basketball Successfully" down from the shelf and read it cover to cover, one more time.

This book was a gift for a new High School assistant basketball coach. He read it front to back and continued to comment on how it was written. Easy to read, with many useful ideas and drills.

No matter how many books I have on basketball I always come back to this one.When great coachs explain every insight they used to be successful it can only make you a better coach.

I spent one year as an assistant coach and one year as a head coach for boys high school basketball. After a four year hiatus I am returning to head coaching a freshman team and being an assistant for a varsity team. This book made me realize the little things I missed the first time around. From having a philosophy to in game situations. This is a comprehensive plan that I wish I had the first time around. Instead of going to coaching clinics to tell other coaches what Im doing, Im going with questions for the more experienced coaches on how they handle situations. All aspects of being involved in a program are covered: discipline, dealing with the media, dealing with parents, practice plans,etc.... This book does not miss a beat, a must have.

Morgan Wootten is probably THE most successful high school basketball coach, and his book is one that I believe coaches at all levels can benefit from. I have found that the principles, plays and strategies he has written to be very beneficial in my own development as a coach. Plays and diagrams are simple and complete, and his focus on developing his kids as both individuals and players is great reading. This book is one you will want to take your coaching and your team to "the next level."

Great book on MJ. This book really goes in depth about the personal character of MJ. Also a very motivating book, especially how it describes the work ethic of MJ. I refer to it here and there when I need to pick myself up in life. Fun read.

I am 39 years old. I have read literally thousands and thousands of books in my life. This is the BEST book I have ever read. After you read this you will wan to go out and ACCOMPLISH something. Just the quotes in the book alone are worth the price. If you have a teenager who plays basketball, buy him or her this book. But you dont have to be an athlete to love it. THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ.

This book was totally awesome. The author showed what a true leader Mike really is. There were so many examples of how his leadership helped so many people. Not only in sports, but in everything, leadership is extremely important.

Fantastic book! Great lessons for anyone with any ambition in sport or indeed life. Mike is a role model for many people, and hearing about Mike from other people's experience of him, just make's you understand what made him so special

Pat Williams' book "How to be Like Mike" is a tight, focused book about what it takes to succeed. The lessons are modeled on the philosophies of Michael Jordan and there is much to be learned from MJ.

My only complaint is that the book tends to falter when author Pat Williams inserts his own family stories. Williams comes across as an authoritarian father who demands that his children do things his way. He seems to bristle at the idea that not every person thrives on competition or wants to model his or her life around an athletic paradigm.

Still, if you can move beyond Williams' interjections, the remainder of the book is a gem.

You don't have to be a fan of basketball to enjoy this book--but if you are you will love it. I wish all of todays athletes would read this book. These kids were a "one of a kind" team. Mr. Combs makes you feel as if you are sitting in the stands watching these games. I got so excited reading about the last game I could hardly stand it!! This would make a wonderful movie. Ron Howard, Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, one of you please read this book!!!

What a wonderful book! Leon Combs is a great storyteller. Living in the Ozarks and near the Bradleyville area most all of my life I could really visualize the story. The characters and situations were like telling a part of my own family and hometown history. The play by play of the basketball games was like being there in that place and time. I would love to see it on the big screen! I'm ready for the next book Mr. Combs.

This author not only reveals the spirit of the sport, his colorful, descriptive narrative takes you into the very hearts of the players. Nostalgic, well-written story about a winning team, interwoven with games and statistics, makes this book a winner. Can't wait for the movie. It will happen.

I just read this wonderful book last weekend. My parents, Harlan and Betty House, were two of Bradleyville basketball's most enthusiastic followers. Both are mentioned in the book for a small portion of their contributions to the Bradleyville basketball program. The Bradleyville teams, those that were champions and those that were not, were made up of very special people--people who were willing to use all their god-given talents as best they could. With hard work they overcame their limited personal, family, and school resources. Bradleyville coaches were the best at enhancing the skills of their players and making a team out of very different individuals. The whole community was energized by the hard work and success of those winning teams. They were proud of the victories and the way their teams achieved those victories--by being great sportsmen. This book captures the spirit of the people, the players, the coaches, the community and the era. This story of our own Missouri "Hoosiers" will be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys an uplifting story about those who can prevail over long odds by hard work and fair play.

I live in the area and so the book is pretty special to me. The author has written an insightful story depicting the down/home special family quality of the Ozarks. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the raccoon-hunting point guard and the innocence of pre-Vietnam/early 60's rural society. There are too many good stories to spotlight but I really liked the one about the kids at the big Springfield tournament berating their coach for calling too many time-outs when they wanted to go coon-hunting through the hills that night the best. The Bradleyville people really shine in this book which is written with great authenticity and obvious personal experience adn affection. It's a work which deserves to be up there with the best of midwestern/western folk history-it ranks with the Milan basketball story and October Skies in my opinion any way.

This is a great book, it is about two friends who were like brothers. This story is told by Bo Kimble. Hank Gathers had a good friend, like a brother named Bo Kimble. He tells how him and Hank grow up and what they had to go though. Bo tells alot about when him and Hank was in the NCAA. Hank was a good player. Bo loved Hank very munch, but Hank died of heart failure on the count. Bo tells that he misses Hank very munch and he will always have a place in his heart. Hank's #44 was retire, so if you don't got this book get it because it is sad because the things Bo tells you about Hank. Bo went to the NBA, but did not do what he wanted to do. Hank Gathers a Legend.

I picked this book up a few years ago and read it prior to the annual NCAA Mens' Basketball Tournament. It was a fascinating read, and takes the reader along with Hank and Bo as if all were teammates. My memories of this book made seeing the retiring of the Gathers and Kimble Jerseys at LMU last season an extra special event.

I have read this book and I would recommend it to anyone for future reading. It illustrates the true meaning of friendship and brotherly love. While reading this book, I felt the heartache of the lost of Hank. I have had the privilege of meeting these young men, while playing round ball at Taft College and this book gives an accurate account of their friendship. This is a must read book to anyone who has lost a special individual in their life.

This is a great book, it is about two friends who were like brothers. This story is told by Bo Kimble. Hank Gathers had a good friend, like a brother named Bo Kimble. He tells how him and Hank grow up and what they had to go though. Bo tells alot about when him and Hank was in the NCAA. Hank was a good player. Bo loved Hank very munch, but Hank died of heart failure on the count. Bo tells that he misses Hank very munch and he will always have a place in his heart. Hank's #44 was retire, so if you don't got this book get it because it is sad because the things Bo tells you about Hank. Bo went to the NBA, but did not do what he wanted to do. Hank Gathers a Legend.

Bo Kimble shows all facets of Hank Gathers' personality. He does not try to make him better than he was, much less dis him. Bo knows... This booka lso shows the love of the game both Hank and Bo had.

THIS IS A GREAT RESOURCE IF YOUR DESPERATE AT THE FREE THROW LINE.MOST PLAYERS THINK YOUR CRAZY WHEN YOU TEACH THIS METHOD.

My basketball coach gave me this book in 7th grade to read because I was struggling from the freethrow line! Not only could I easily understand it but it also drastically improved my shot at the line! After practicing the steps I was able to sink my freethrows consistantly within a couple weeks!! I am now a high school senior and am still using the basic steps I read so many years ago!! This book is a must read whether you are struggling from the freethrow line or not!!!

I read the book with great pleasure. Following the guidelines in the book builds up an automatic sequence in your throwing style that definitely improve your results under game pressure!

Dr. Tom is the best at shooting a free throw. He makes it simple for anyone to improve.

I love this book. The methods and thinking demonstrated in the book can be used in other things (other than just basketball.)
It's a short read. You can finish it in less than a day. Go back and review it from time to time.
I buy a lot of books. Most get given away or sold. Some get a permanent place on my bookshelf. This is a keeper.

This book was awesome, I could not put it down. You can really tell that he wrote it. It makes you understand what goes on in his head.

Jason McElwain's autobiography is well written and informative.
It describes the essential details of his life. The book presents
interviews with the most important people who have interacted with
Jason. It is highly recommended reading.
Jason's coping with his autism is relieved by his pleasure of
playing basketball. Jason in one basketball game colossally surmounts
being autistic by being artistic with his incredible three point shooting
accuracy. He sinks a total of twenty points with six three point shots and a two point field goal( where he mistakenly was standing on the three point line ) within the last three minutes and nine seconds of
his team's game. This performance was so incredibly phenomenal Jason's
life story is currently being developed into a national movie release.
One facet of Jason ( "J-Mac's" ) personal basketball practice
( "shootarounds" ) was never revealed in his autobiography that might
potentially be interesting to the public is his personal "best" basketball
shooting statistics and records. What percentage of three point shots
and free throws did Jason sink in practice? What were the most consecutive
three point shots or most consecutive free throws Jason ever sank in practice? What was the longest practice session shot Jason ever sank? Did Jason ever sink or perfect any practice "trick shots" or any other trick basketball handling or dribbling skills such as spinning the basketball upon his finger? I am an internationally famous basketball trick shooter and inspirational and motivational speaker named JIM "TRICK SHOT" LISTER.
I sink many of the most unusual and most difficult basketball trick
shots in basketball history with an astonishingly high degree of accuracy
despite shooting the basketball with a crippled right shooting hand.
My own personal basketball triumph over adversity is considered
by some basketball experts to be one of the greatest true basketball stories of all time.
I personally rate Jason McElwain's heart-wrenchingly and tear-jerkingly basketball triumph-over-an-obstacle accomplishment as the
single greatest true basketball story of all time!!!

RECEIVED THIS BOOK VERY QUICKLY. GREAT CONDITION. REAL BARGAIN. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SELLER!

After seeing the tail end of Jason's recent appearance on "Larry King Live", I immediately went on line to buy "The Game of My Life". Jason's compelling story kept me up past 2:00 a.m. last night because I couldn't get enough of his unique ponderings on the importance of "focus" and his astonishing feat [20 points in just over 4 minutes of playing time!] on the basketball court.

Many parts of his narrative made me smile while others moved me to tears. I was even reminded of the brilliant screenplay penned by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for their 1997 breakout film, "Good Will Hunting".

I can't wait to see the movie based on Jason "J-Mac" McElwain's life and to see who plays the lead role. If I were directing, I would cast J-Mac to star as himself!

Many people probably remember hearing about Jason McElwain on the news back in 2006. He scored a record six three-point shots for his high school basketball team. That might not have been outstanding for a superior high school player, but Jason was the team manager, not a first string player. And, in addition to that, he was a young man diagnosed as autistic.

In THE GAME OF MY LIFE, Jason McElwain tells his story. He shares what he recalls from family stories about his early childhood years, unable to communicate or even tolerate his mother's loving touch. Extensive medical testing resulted in a diagnosis of severe autism. With the help of dedicated parents, Jason was able to learn coping skills and manage many of his autistic outbursts. Sports provided a focus point and an outlet for his energy, and ultimately earned Jason his moments of fame.

Jason's unique voice can be clearly heard as he tells his memories of early treatments thought to reduce the symptoms of autism. He explains the frustration of moving from one school to the next as school administrators searched for the best programs to help him. As Jason became interested and involved in a variety of sports, he found not only friends, but also a way to achieve success. Always in touch with reality, Jason knew his skills were adequate but not exceptional, and his success came as a chance to just be part of a team. But with the care and concern of his coach and teammates, his part on the team gave him the chance of his life and memories that have changed him forever.

THE GAME OF MY LIFE is an inspiring story about living with an increasingly common condition. It is an excellent book for teens suffering with autism or connected to someone with the condition. Jason's positive, up-beat personality is refreshing, as well as direct and realistic.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

In this age of video games and cartoons, its wonderful to see a room full of 80 second grade students fascinated for a full hour by Matt Travares reading his old fashioned tale about baseball and describing the writing process. No technology can replace the power of a good book!

The plot of ZACHARY'S BALL is basic enough: it tells the story of Zachary and his father attending a baseball game, Zachary's father catching a ball, and the dream that the young man has when he falls asleep. Tavaraes accomplishes three things in this book. First, he beautifully tells the story of a touching father/son memory. He also writes about his love of baseball. Perhaps the book's greatest accomplishment is the way in which he brings Fenway Park and the Red Sox to life. The Red Sox are one of the more magical and mythical teams in baseball and fit well into Tavares' tale.

Young readers will love the book, but it will definitely touch a chord with Red Sox fans young and old.

Like all good baseball stories, this one is a little corny. The somewhat smarmy illustrations tell a story better appreciated by adults than by kids, about nostalgia and Fenway Park. This book is sure to be most popular in the Boston area, but all baseball fans may enjoy its hopeful tone.

Matt has captured the magic of attending a game at Fenway Park in splendid fashion. It brought back warm memories of attending my first Red Sox game with my father almost 25 years ago. With a sweet story and the amazing drawings, this is a must-read book for any young kid. It will surely start a love affair with the game of baseball.

I often read these reviews, but I've never written one before... I got this for my 4 1/2 year old boy and he loves it. I'm not a big baseball fan, but I get choked up every time I read "Zachary' Ball." I've just ordered more copies to have on hand for gifts. The sense of innocence, magic and timelessness remind me of "The Polar Express." I look forward to more from Matt Tavares.