Dražen Petrovic was born on October 22, 1964, in Šibenik, Croatia. Learning basketball at an early age from his older brother, Aleksandar, Dražen was a natural. He began his professional career at the age of fifteen, playing for the national team, where he began his rise through the European circuit. Known as a skilled shooter, it was not unusual for him to score 40, 50, even 60 points during a single game. While playing for Yugoslavia in the Olympics, Dražen and his team finished with the...

They were the Beatles of basketball, the Mercury Seven in sneakers.In Dream Team, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team that captivated the world, kindled the hoop dreams of countless children around the planet, and remade the NBA into a global sensation.As a senior staff writer for Sports Illustrated, McCallum enjoyed a courtside seat fo...

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. "Eloquent and dazzling," the story of the legendary baseball manager's tenure with the Boston Red Sox ( Philadelphia Daily News).When Terry Francona took over as manager of the Boston Red Sox in 2004, the storied franchise hadn't won a World Series championship in eighty-six years. Led by Francona, the team won two over the course of four years. During the full eight years of Francona's tenure, the Red Sox were transf...

The tennis classic from Olympic gold medalist and ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert, now featuring a new introduction with tips drawn from the strategies of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Andy Murray, and more, to help you outthink and outplay your toughest opponents.A former Olympic medalist and now one of ESPN’s most respected analysts, Brad Gilbert shares his timeless tricks and tips, including “some real gems” (Tennis magazine) to help both re...

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 WashingtonIn 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 p...

Pete Sampras is arguably the greatest tennis player ever, a man whose hard-nosed work ethic led to an unprecedented number one world ranking for 286 weeks, and whose prodigious talent made possible a record-setting fourteen Grand Slam titles. While his more vocal rivals sometimes grabbed the headlines, Pete always preferred to let his racket do the talking.Until now.In A Champion’s Mind, the tennis great who so often exhibited visible discomfort with letting people...

Novak Djokovic is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Most fans are aware of his amazing accomplishments on the court, but very few are aware of his incredible upbringing and rise to fame. In order to truly understand Novak Djokovic, you must first understand where he came from. Novak Djokovic: An Unauthorized Biography explores Djokovic's upbringing, his Junior Circuit career, and details his breakthrough into professional tennis, all the way through his consecutive l...

In The Art of a Beautiful Game, Chris Ballard, the award-winning Sports Illustrated writer who has covered the NBA for the past decade, goes behind the scenes to examine basketball in ways that will surprise even die-hard fans. An inveterate hoops junkie who played some college ball, Ballard sits down with the NBA's most passionate, cerebral players to find out their tricks of the trade and to learn what drives them, taking readers away from the usual spo...

“Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it.” — Lou HoltzMeet Lou Holtz, the motivational miracle worker who revitalized the Notre Dame football program by leading the legendary Fighting Irish to nine bowl games and a national championship. During his twenty-seven years as a head football coach, Holtz garnered a 216-95-7 career record. Each new assignment brought a different team wit...

More than a Game covers the years that follow the one featured in the ESPN documentary series "The Last Dance."After leaving the Bulls at the end of the 1997-1998 season—the year featured in the new ESPN documentary series "The Last Dance"—Phil Jackson had one year off and started to write this book—together with his old friend, fellow player and coach, the basketball novelist Charley Rosen. Then Phil took the LA Lakers coaching job, Rosen followe...

When I die and people realize that I will not be resurrected in three days, they will forget me. That is the way it should be. For reasons known only to God, I was asked to write an autobiography. Most people who knew me growing up didn't think I would ever read a book, let alone write one.—Lou HoltzFew people in the history of college sports have been more influential or had a bigger impact than Lou Holtz. Winner of the three national Coach of the Year honors, the only coa...

"An entertainingly clear-eyed look at big league life" from the former professional baseball outfielder and Ivy League graduate ( Sports Illustrated).In The Game from Where I Stand, Glanville shows us how players prepare for games, deal with race and family issues, cope with streaks and slumps, respond to trades and injuries, and learn the joyful and painful lessons the game imparts. We see the flashpoints that cause misunderstandings and friction...