Nikola Jokic: the Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Rising Stars

Nikola Jokic: the Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Rising Stars
Author: Clayton Geoffreys
Publisher:
Total Pages: 112
Release: 2019-03-02
Genre:
ISBN: 9781798590652

Learn the Inspiring Story of the Denver Nuggets' Star Center Nikola Jokic! Read on your PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet or Kindle device! One of many riveting reads in the Basketball Biography Books series by Clayton Geoffreys. In Nikola Jokic: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Rising Stars, you will learn the incredible story of one of basketball's most exciting young centers, Nikola Jokic. Once just a second round pick in the 2014 Draft, Jokic has quickly become the future of the Denver Nuggets franchise, most recently securing his first All-Star selection. He is one of the best recent international players to transition their game successfully into the NBA. Still so young, Jokic has his prime years ahead of him as he continues to become a stronger and more skillful player. Time will tell as to whether his leadership abilities and talents on the court can translate to championships, but at the time of this writing, he is just twenty-four years old. A renaissance has occurred for the Nuggets organization, and Nikola Jokic is largely a reason for it. Get this book today if you want to know the inspiring story behind basketball's latest rising star. Perfect for sports fans of all ages. Here is a preview of what is inside this Nikola Jokic biography book: Childhood and Early Life Early Professional Career in Serbia Getting Drafted, Rookie Season, The Franchise Star, The MVP Contender International Career Jokic's Personal Life Impact on Basketball Legacy and Future J An excerpt from this Nikola Jokic biography: The influx of international talent into the NBA has contributed to the way the game has rapidly evolved. From a game that relied on size and athleticism, the NBA now has a lot of players that have become stars in their own right thanks to their rare combination of skills. It is now imperative that you come into the league with a complete skillset if you want to be a star in the NBA. But this trend is nothing new. We saw the foundations of this evolution back in the late '90s and early 2000s when international players brought something new to the NBA. We saw European players bring the Euro-step, which has now become a favorite move among elite NBA superstars. Then there was Dirk Nowitzki, a seven-footer that could hit jump shots like a shooting guard. We have also seen particularly big players such as Hedo Turkoglu and Peja Stokajovic who have the size of power forwards but the skills of guards. That trend has paved the way for the "unicorn" movement in the NBA. Unicorns are considered to be players 6'10" or above but with the skills of guards and wingmen. The rise of unicorns has led to matchup nightmares in the NBA and the evolution of basketball itself. In that regard, among some of the best unicorns we see today are Kristaps Porzingis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Ben Simmons. Though most of the unicorns we see in the league today are still international players, even the Americans have gone on to become a lot more skillful for their size. Now we see 6'11" Kevin Durant dribbling and shooting like a guard. There is also the 6'10" Anthony Davis, who moves with the grace of a wingman. And then there are seven-foot centers such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Joel Embiid, and DeMarcus Cousins shooting three-pointers. Tags: Nikola Jokic Bio, Denver Nuggets basketball, marc gasol, jamal murray, paul millsap, gary harris, devin booker, luka doncic, isaiah thomas, joel embiid

The Book of Basketball

The Book of Basketball
Author: Bill Simmons
Publisher: ESPN
Total Pages: 754
Release: 2010-12-07
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 0345520106

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The wildly opinionated, thoroughly entertaining, and arguably definitive book on the past, present, and future of the NBA—from the founder of The Ringer and host of The Bill Simmons Podcast “Enough provocative arguments to fuel barstool arguments far into the future.”—The Wall Street Journal In The Book of Basketball, Bill Simmons opens—and then closes, once and for all—every major NBA debate, 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. 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.

Giannis

Giannis
Author: Mirin Fader
Publisher: Hachette Books
Total Pages: 417
Release: 2021-08-10
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0306924102

The story of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s extraordinary rise from poverty in Athens, Greece, to superstardom in America with the Milwaukee Bucks—becoming one of the most transcendent players in history and an NBA Champion—from award-winning basketball reporter and feature writer at The Ringer Mirin Fader. As the face of the NBA’s new world order, Giannis Antetokounmpo has overcome unfathomable obstacles to become a symbol of hope for people all over the world; the personification of the American Dream. But his backstory remains largely untold. Fader unearths new information about the childhood that shaped “The Greek Freak”—from sleeping side by side with his brothers to selling trinkets on the street with his family to the racism he experienced. Antetokounmpo grew up in an era when Golden Dawn, Greece’s far-right, anti-immigrant party, patrolled his neighborhood, and his status as an illegal immigrant largely prevented him from playing for the country’s top clubs, making his NBA rise all the more improbable. Fader tells a deeply human story of how an unknown, skinny, Black Greek teen, who played in the country’s lowest pro division and was seen as a draft gamble, transformed his body and his game into MVP material. Antetokounmpo’s story has been framed as a feel-good narrative in which everyone has embraced him—watching him grow up, sign a five-year supermax contract extension worth $228 million, and lead the underdog Bucks to the NBA Championship in 2021. Giannis reveals a more nuanced story: how lonely and isolated he felt, adjusting to America and the NBA early in his career; the complexity of grappling with his Black and Greek identities; how he is so hard on himself and his shortcomings—a drive that fuels him every day; and the responsibility he feels to be a nurturing role model for his younger brothers. Fader illustrates a more vulnerable star than most people know, a person who has evolved triumphantly into all of his roles: father, brother, son, teammate, and global icon. **Instant New York Times Bestseller, Los Angeles Times Bestseller, Wall Street Journal Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, Publishers Weekly Bestseller** **Mirin Fader Selected as the 2021 Sports Media Author of the Year by The Big Lead** **The Sports Librarian’s Best of 2022 – Sports Books**

Giannis Antetokounmpo: the Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Rising Superstars

Giannis Antetokounmpo: the Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Rising Superstars
Author: Clayton Geoffreys
Publisher:
Total Pages: 126
Release: 2017-06-20
Genre: Basketball players
ISBN: 9781548260699

Learn the Inspiring Story of the Milwaukee Bucks' Rising Star Giannis Antetokounmpo! Read on your PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet or Kindle device. This holiday season, if you buy the print edition as a gift, you can keep the Kindle edition for yourself! In Giannis Antetokounmpo: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Rising Superstars, you will learn the inspirational story of one of basketball's most promising young stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Often nicknamed "The Greek Freak", Giannis Antetokounmpo has quickly emerged as one of the most unique players in the league today. His incredible wingspan and athleticism have made him a dominant presence on both the offensive and defensive ends of the basketball court. He is easily one of the most difficult defensive assignments for opposing teams due to his ability to not only start as a forward, but also as a guard. In just four years, Giannis Antetokounmpo has gone from averaging 6.8 points per game to 22.9 points per game. He has also quickly become the face of the Milwaukee Bucks franchise. There is still much to be unveiled in the career of Giannis Antetokounmpo. At the time of this writing, Giannis is just twenty-two years old. In this book, we'll learn more about The Greek Freak's journey into the NBA, his impact on the game, and his growing legacy as one of the best up and coming stars to make his presence known in basketball. Here is a preview of what is inside this book: Childhood and Early Life NBA Career: Getting Drafted, Rookie Season, Working Under Jason Kidd, The Largest Point Guard in the League, and Becoming an All-Star International Career Personal Life Giannis Antetokounmpo's Player Profile and Impact on Basketball Antetokounmpo's Future An excerpt from the book: The NBA loves those rags to riches stories about how a person that lived and grew up through poverty worked his way up to get to the league, not only as an ordinary player, but a superstar ranking among the best in the world. These are the kinds of stories that makes the people adore the player and what he has been through to get to the top. More importantly, these are the stories that inspire young children to work just as hard, if not harder, than their idol to reach the success they aspire to achieve. Several of the greatest players in league history have had to endure poverty before they found success in the NBA. Allen Iverson barely had a home growing up before he starred at Georgetown. In his MVP speech back in 2014, Kevin Durant said that his mother raised him and his brother alone while the family moved from roof to roof. The same was true for LeBron James, who was raised alone by his mother when she was still 16 years old. These players not only earned millions as NBA superstars, but have also become fan favorites because of how they worked themselves up to get to the league. Likewise, the NBA has also found a liking for players that were seemingly genetically engineered to dominate in the game of basketball. These are the types of players that, at a glance, were naturally destined to be a great because of the physical tools they possess. If the NBA was a horse race, these kinds of players are your thoroughbreds judging by how much more physically gifted and talented they are than the rest of the competition. Tags: Giannis Antetokounmpo Bio, Giannis Antetokounmpo basketball, Milwaukee Bucks basketball, Jason Kidd, Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Lowry, Jabari Parker, Matthew Dellavedova, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Thon Maker

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo
Author: Jackson Carter
Publisher:
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2020-02-11
Genre:
ISBN:

On a sunny, hot day two boys sat on the basketball court of a park in a run-down section of Greece. They casually chatted and laughed as one took off his shoes and gave them to the other boy so that he could have his turn playing the sport it seemed like their long, athletic bodies were built for. But with no formal training, they were clumsy and awkward. No one would have thought to look at the two boys that one of them was destined to be the MVP of the NBA.Giannis Antetokounmpo tells the story of one of the best athletes in the game today, Giannis. From selling trinkets on Greek streets to thrilling sold-out arenas, Giannis has truly persevered and made a name for himself and a life for his family. In Giannis, you will hear the whole story and be inspired to overcome the adversity that you are facing in your life!

Letters to a Young Athlete

Letters to a Young Athlete
Author: Chris Bosh
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2021-06-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1984881795

A legendary NBA player shares his remarkable story, infused with hard-earned wisdom about the journey to self-mastery from a life at the highest level of professional sports Chris Bosh, NBA Hall of Famer, eleven-time All-Star, two-time NBA champion, Olympic gold medalist, and the league’s Global Ambassador, had his playing days cut short at their prime by a freak medical condition. His extraordinary career ended “in a doctor’s office in the middle of the afternoon.” Forced to reckon with moving forward, he found himself looking back over the course he'd taken, to the pinnacle of the NBA and beyond. Reflecting on all he had learned from a long list of basketball legends, from LeBron and Kobe to Pat Riley and Coach K, he saw that his important lessons weren’t about basketball so much as the inner game of success—right attitude, right commitment, right flow within a team. Now he shares that journey, giving us a view from the inside of what greatness feels like and what it takes. Letters to a Young Athlete offers a proven path for taming your inner voice and making it your ally, through the challenges of failure and success alike.

Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler
Author: Jackson Carter
Publisher:
Total Pages: 62
Release: 2021-01-21
Genre:
ISBN:

It's easy to see an NBA All-Star and to think their life has been one big cakewalk filled with fame and fortune. But when you dive deeper into Jimmy Butler's history you can see all the adversity and hardship he has overcome.In Jimmy Butler, we follow the unlikely superstar's path from sleeping on friends' couches to becoming one of the NBA's most dominant players.

Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson
Author: Jackson Carter
Publisher:
Total Pages: 47
Release: 2019-06-19
Genre:
ISBN: 9781074851460

In the dark of a Carolina night on the edge of morning, a young man is awoken by an alarm at 6 am. He wakes up, groggy from his sleep and thinks about how easy it would be to hit snooze and go back to sleep. But he knows he is destined for something great, a future that will require a little extra of him, so he laces up his shoes and heads to the gym to outwork the competition before they even wake up."A once in a generation athlete""The most explosive athlete to play the game"People have tried to describe Zion Williamson in a variety of different ways, but none of these descriptions really capture the true essence of who is his. In Zion Williamson we will tell the story of how Zion went viral with his powerful dunks and captured the nation's attention by overcoming a potentially devastating injury.The story of Zion Williamson isn't just a story of someone who was gifted with nearly infinite athletic talent and coasted on it. It's the story of a young man who accepted the challenge of being a highly talented athlete and became Zion, a cultural icon

The Midrange Theory

The Midrange Theory
Author: Seth Partnow
Publisher: Triumph Books
Total Pages: 239
Release: 2021-11-16
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1641256974

From one of basketball's foremost experts in the field of analytics, a fascinating new perspective on how to watch and think about the game. At its core, the goal of any basketball team is relatively simple: take and make good shots while preventing the opponent from doing the same. But what is a "good" shot? Are all good shots created equally? And how might one identify players who are more or less likely to make and prevent those shots in the first place? The concept of basketball "analytics," for lack of a better term, has been lauded, derided, and misunderstood. The incorporation of more data into NBA decision-making has been credited—or blamed—for everything from the death of the traditional center to the proliferation of three-point shooting to the alleged abandonment of the area of the court known as the midrange. What is beyond doubt is that understanding its methods has never been more important to watching and appreciating the NBA. In The Midrange Theory, Seth Partnow, NBA analyst for The Athletic and former Director of Basketball Research for the Milwaukee Bucks, explains how numbers have affected the modern NBA game, and how those numbers seek not to "solve" the game of basketball but instead urge us toward thinking about it in new ways. The relative value of Russell Westbrook's triple-doubles Why some players succeed in the playoffs while others don't How NBA teams think about constructing their rosters through the draft and free agency The difficulty in measuring defensive achievement The fallacy of the "quick two" From shot selection to evaluating prospects to considering aesthetics and ethics while analyzing the box scores, Partnow deftly explores where the NBA is now, how it got here, and where it might be going next.

Long Shot

Long Shot
Author: Craig Hodges
Publisher: Haymarket Books
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2017-01-09
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1608467465

In this memoir, the Chicago Bulls basketball star details his life on the court as an athlete and off the court as an activist. As a member of the 1992 world-champion Chicago Bulls, a dashiki-clad Hodges delivered a handwritten letter to President George H. W. Bush demanding that he do more to address racism and economic inequality. Hodges was also a vocal union activist, initiated a boycott against Nike, and spoke out forcefully against police brutality in the wake of the Rodney King beating. But his outspokenness cost him dearly. In the prime of his career, after ten NBA seasons, Hodges was blackballed from the NBA for using his platform as a professional athlete to stand up for justice. In this powerful, passionate, and captivating memoir, Hodges shares the stories—including encounters with Nelson Mandela, Coretta Scott King, Jim Brown, R. Kelly, Michael Jordan, and others—from his lifelong fight for equality for Black Americans. Praise for Long Shot “A skillfully told, affecting memoir of sports and social activism.” —Kirkus Reviews “Hodges has told his compelling life story with fiery passion, looping around a cast of characters stretching from Jordan, Magic Johnson and Phil Jackson back to Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, before returning to the present.” —Guardian “Craig Hodges is someone I looked up to as a child & now as an adult . . . I read Long Shot in like two hours, I couldn’t stop turning pages. There are so many hooks in it.” —Jesse Williams, actor, producer, director, activist “A beautifully written, brutally honest book. If you loved the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls, if you love black history, or if you are fascinated by the politics of sports, I highly recommend this book. Simply put: Craig Hodges’ life is incredible and Long Shot is invaluable.” —AETHLON: The Journal of Sport Literature