The Art of a Beautiful Game: The Thinking Fan's Tour of the NBA

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 sports talk radio fodder and deep into the heart of the game.

Ballard talks to Dwight Howard, a prolific shot-blocker, about the enervating feeling of meeting another man at the height of his leap; challenges Steve Kerr to a game of H-O-R-S-E to understand the mentality of a pure shooter; reveals the roots of Kobe Bryant's unmatched killer instinct; and spends time with LeBron James to better understand both his mental game and his seemingly unlimited physical skills. He tracks down renowned dunkers from Dominique to Shaq to explore the impact of the dunk on the modern game, shadows Shane Battier during his preparations to defend LeBron, takes lessons from a freethrow shooting guru who once hit 2,750 in a row, and attends an elite NBA training camp to feel the pain that turns a prospect into a pro.

Packed with lively characters and basketball history, and grounded in superb writing and the reportage that is the hallmark of Sports Illustrated, The Art of a Beautiful Game is an often witty, always insightful look at the men like Steve Nash, Yao Ming, and Alonzo Mourning who devote themselves to this elegant and complicated sport. It ultimately provides basketball fans what they all want: an inside read on the game they love.

Share your thoughts on the The Art of a Beautiful Game: The Thinking Fan's Tour of the NBA ebook with other internet viewers!

Title of ebook: The Art of a Beautiful Game: The Thinking Fan's Tour of the NBA
ISBN: 9781439141175
parent-ISBN: 9781439110218
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Internet download file size: 4209 kb
Pages: 240
Published: 10-2009
Released online for download: 11-03-2009
Author of eBook: Ballard, Chris

Format

Encrypted

Sku

ISBN

File size

Security

Printing

Copying

Read aloud

Devices

ePub

Yes

1439141177

9781439141175

4209 KB

n/a

Not allowed

Sys Requirments

Download reader

The Art of a Beautiful Game

The Thinking Fan's Tour of the NBA
Introduction

Some years ago I had the unenviable task of guarding Mark Aguirre in a pickup game. I'd like to say I held my ground as he posted me up, absorbing each of the bargelike blows he delivered with his hips and prodigious backside, holding strong against the Nor'easter of Ass he unleashed upon me. But I did not. Like so many opponents during Aguirre's NBA days, I slid and stumbled and shuffled backward until he was essentially standing under the basket and I out-of-bounds. At which point he could merely reach up and lay the ball into the basket.

How I came to be guarding Aguirre was a matter of circumstance. I was in Indianapolis writing a story for Sports Illustrated and had wandered over to a local health club looking for a run. Aguirre, then an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers, arrived a half hour later. My teammates, kind souls that they were, agreed that I should be the one to guard Aguirre.

This was what an NBA coach might refer to as "a matchup problem." Aguirre was a 6' 6", 230-pound NBA legend who averaged 20 points ... read full excerpt from The Art of a Beautiful Game: The Thinking Fan's Tour of the NBA ebook

Other Ballard, Chris ebooks:

receive alert on new Ballard, Chris ebooks

The Art of a Beautiful Game: The Thinking Fan's Tour of the NBA

In The Art of a Beautiful Game, Chris Ballard, the award-winning Sports Illustrated writer who has cover ...

Best price: $22.82

Other Sports & Fitness eBooks Categories

Sports & Fitness General (422)

Boating (37)

Diets (424)

Exercise (99)

Fishing (33)

Games-Gambling (37)

Martial Arts & Self-Defense (85)

Nutrition (240)

Sailing (49)

Baseball (196)

Basketball (50)

Football (70)

Golf (112)

Top eBooks in Sports & Fitness General & Other

Anabolic Steroids and Making Them
by Frank, Professor

You can't buy them (legally) so why not make them yourself? A comprehensive guide to making all the anabolic steroids you'll ever need yourself...more

Best price: $9.65

Bow Hunting Whitetails
by Vujic, Dragan

A comprehensive book on hunting whitetails with a bow. Loaded with information, this book has something for everyone from novice to veteran. Topics include ...more

Best price: $5.42

Cricket For Dummies
by Knight, Julian

Whether you’re a weekend cricketer or aspiring armchair expert, Cricket For Dummies helps you make sense of this fascinating sport. Not just a ...more

Best price: $23.41

Boxing Fitness
by Oliver, Ian

The Best Boxing Fitness Book in the World! Whether you're serious about boxing or just serious about getting in shape this book will help. The same methods that...more

Best price: $23.81

Break Into Sports: Through Ticket Sales
by Washo, Mark

I want to be in Marketing, PR or Community Relations...that is the phrase heard countless times from candidates looking to land a job with a professional sports...more

Best price: $19.05

Coming of Age: Andy Roddick's Breakthrough Year
by Tom & Beth Donelson

For many, Michael Jordan represented basketball, and in earlier generations baseball was associated with the legendary exploits of Babe Ruth. In the past, it ...more

Best price: $5.84

Release

Customer review:
Bart Steib was my high school history teacher for two years, and he is a genius. A pure genius. His insight to current events, let alone why everything else in this world happens...more

Best price: $5.42

Adobe Reader Information:

Adobe Digital Editions requirements

Windows

Microsoft® Windows® 2000 with Service Pack 4, Windows XP with Service Pack 2, or Windows Vista™ (32- and 64-bit editions supported)
Intel® Pentium® 500MHz processor. 128MB of RAM. 800 x 600 monitor resolution

Macintosh PowerPC

Mac OS X v.10.3.9 or 10.4.8
PowerPC® G4 or G5 500MHz processor
128 MB of RAM

Note: Mac OSX 10.5 is not yet supported.

Linux

Digital Editions does not support Linux OS

Adobe Reader 7 requirements

Windows

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or 7, Mozilla Firefox 2
Adobe Flash® Player 7, 8, or 9

Macintosh

Apple Safari 2.0.4, Mozilla FireFox 2
Adobe Flash Player 8 or 9

Why must I activate my Adobe Reader?

Many publishers require powerful copy protection for their eBook titles. In order for you to be able to purchase and download eBook titles that have been secured for distribution, you first need to activate your Adobe Reader. Just as a credit card typically must be activated by a bank before use, your Adobe Reader needs to be activated before you can purchase and read eBooks packaged for secure distribution.

Can I print or copy my Adobe ebook?

To protect copyrights, publishers and authors establish their own guidelines for how much of their eBooks can be printed or copied. This means that these permissions will differ from book to book. Each ebook file has a differing level of encryption which is controlled by the author/publisher at creation. For example, a publisher might give users the ability to print several pages of a cookbook within a set period of time. You'll see specifc settings for the Adobe title under the ebook description.