Best Basketball Autobiographies

If you’re looking to gain a deeper understanding and insight into the mind of professional basketball players, then reading their autobiographies would be your best bet.  Below, we are going to discuss the best basketball autobiographies, written by some of the greatest players to play the game.

While many of these autobiographies are written addressing the game and the players experience in a professional league, we looked for autobiographies which went further and discussed personal struggles, mental toughness, and overcoming setbacks.  These stories provide a richer, deeper sense of the player and deserve their credit.

Interested in more basketball books? Definitely check out our review on the best books written by athletes!

Disclaimer

Below we are going to take a look at the best basketball autobiographies which can be purchased on Amazon.  Please note, the product links below include links from an Amazon Associates account.  This means that we at Ball Are Life receive a small commission on any purchases made from those links.  This is at no additional cost to you and helps to keep our site free, honest, and without bias or prejudice.

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

Prior to his untimely passing, Kobe Bryant penned The Mamba Mentality: How I Play.  In this in-depth and comprehensive book, Bryant discusses not just his knowledge and understanding of the game but takes readers deeper into how he truly developed his mamba mentality.

Bryant set out writing this book as he felt an obligation to players, fans, and students of the game to help them understand how to play correctly.  In The Mamba Mentality, Bryant details his approach to preparing mentally and physically to excel at the game. 

He details how to study an opponent, how to channel your passion for the game, and how he played through injuries.  A must read for any basketball fans and one of the best basketball autobiographies on the market.

The Sixth Man: A Memoir

Andre Iguodala may be best known for his gravity defying dunks and defensive plays and ability but in The Sixth Man: A Memoir, he goes further than ever before about his personal life and what makes him who he is.  Tracing Iguodala’s life from childhood, in his Illinois hometown, to his home court in the Bay Area, Iguodala is honest and approachable in how he recounts his life’s journey.

Not just a story of basketball, but one of racial tensions, of how athletes sacrifice their bodies, on the relationship and competition between players.  Iguodala takes readers on a journey that few basketball players have shown and introduces readers to his true self.

From the Outside: My Journey Through Life and the Game I Love

Ray Allen may be one of the most prolific and gifted three-point shooters of all time.  In From the Outside: My Journey Through Life and the Game I Love, Allen discusses not just the game but his dedication to perfecting it.  He speaks to the needed commitment, devotion, and practice required to excel at the sport.

But it’s more than just basketball.  Having grown up in a military family, Allen discusses the levels of responsibility and respect that he was taught and how those characteristics helped him to excel at the game.  Allen also discusses his own personal philosophies, on sacrifice and on dedication, that truly set him apart from his colleagues and other professional players.

When the Game Was Ours

Written by both Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson, When the Game Was Ours discusses in intimate detail the relationship and competition both men had while playing in the professional league.  Two men of vastly different personalities and styles who competed for glory and bragging rights.

When the Game Was Ours takes readers back to a time when the NBA was in an electric era.  Dominated by the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, these two men demanded excellence from themselves and their colleagues.  A unique and introspective take on how both men saw the game during their prime.

I’ll Show You

It’s not often that a city embraces a player as wholly and as quickly as Chicago embraced Derrick Rose.  Having grown up in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, Rose dreamed of playing for the Bulls and earning his stripes.  But injuries and personal setbacks kept Rose from achieving the heights he originally dreamed of.

In I’ll Show You, Rose takes readers on an unforgettable journey.  From his childhood to making it to the NBA to the injuries which nearly derailed his career.  A story of tragedy and comeback set in Rose’s own words and style.

Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court

Before he was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he was Lew Alcindor.  Another kid from New York City simply trying to fit in and please his strict father.  But with the guidance of coaches, both professionally and personally, he was able to transform to not only a great player but also an inspirational activist. 

Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court is so much more than just basketball.  It is a story of triumph, of drive, of activism and social change.  Kareem discusses how he drew inspiration from those around him and how he found his own path.

Darkness to Light: A Memoir

Lamar Odom may be best known for his relationship to the Kardashian’s.  but before the infamy, the notoriety, and the failed marriage, Odom was a prolific player who succeeded mightily on the court.  In Darkness to Light, Odom discusses his own personal demons, his struggles with fame, addiction, and self-discovery.

A story of discovery and redemption, Odom recounts his journey through fame and glory.  But he does not mince words when it comes to his own lows either.  He is candid and frank about his own struggles and how he has worked to overcome them.  A story about redemption and looking forward and a must-read for anyone interested in the true Lamar Odom.

Shaq Uncut: My Story

Shaquille O’Neal is best known for his larger than life personality.  With a number of nicknames, Shaq is an outsized personality with an impressive record to add.  In Shaq Uncut: My Story, O’Neal not only discusses his personal relationships with players and coaches but also discusses his own journey to fandom and superstardom.

From being cut from his high school basketball team to this incredible basketball career, Shaq is honest and straightforward in his thoughts.  He discusses all facets of his life and the various business and personal endeavors he has taken.