Best Sports Books to Put on Your Coffee Table
As sports fans, the love of the sport seems to supersede nearly all other cares and concerns. Whether it’s Game 7 of the NBA Finals or a weekday game between the Yankees and the Marlins, we put aside all other obligations and seem to prioritize the game at hand.
And while there is nothing inherently wrong with doing so, you definitely don’t want to be just known as “the sports guy”.
So, in an effort to elevate your style and reputation, you may consider freshen upping your living space and interior design.
And what better way to do so then with your love of sports?
That’s why, below, we are going to review and recommend the best sports books to put on your coffee table.
These books will not only exude confidence and maturity but will also allow you to express your love for all things sports. And with beautifully designed covers, these books will look great in nearly any house or apartment and on nearly any coffee table.
Kobe Bryant: A Tribute to a Basketball Legend
Featuring a full face shot of the late, great Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant: A Tribute to a Basketball Legend is Sports Illustrated’s tribute to the man himself.
As a way to commemorate the life and career of the most beloved Laker of his generation, these moments and memories are collected in Kobe Bryant: A Tribute to a Basketball Legend.
Featuring more than 100 photographs and written coverage from the pages of Sports Illustrated this new volume provides readers a complete portrait of the international basketball superstar who transcended his sport to become a cultural icon.
Relive every moment including Bryant entering the NBA draft directly out of high school, winning consecutive NBA Finals MVP awards in 2009 and 2010, the unforgettable 60-point farewell game, and the poignant tributes that followed his death in 2020.
Why I Stand
Featuring the now iconic image of Orlando Magic starting forward Jonathan Isaac standing during the national anthem, this cover is poignant and powerful.
In Why I Stand, Jonathan shares the journey of how—through a series of divine connections and a willingness to follow his Christian understanding—his fear and insecurity-driven life was transformed into one of confidence and purpose.
From his childhood in the Bronx to his high school years in Florida, from rail-skinny freshman at FSU to top draft pick in the NBA, Jonathan uses his life story to illuminate the freedom and peace found in the love of Jesus Christ.
More than the story of an NBA player’s transformation from man on the court to man of God, Why I Stand is a testament to His love, power, and grace that extends to us all.
This book is a discovery that no matter your level of confidence today, God’s strength will develop in your weakness. That courage is found in trusting that God is greater than your fears.
As Jonathan takes you through the experiences that drove his decisions, he offers insight and inspiration to help you to grow to a point where standing alone is better than not standing at all.
Dynasties: The 10 G.O.A.T. Teams That Changed the NBA Forever
Honestly speaking, this is one of the best sports book covers of all-time. Featuring animated NBA greats in a dunking formation, this book will reignite your love for the game of basketball.
In Dynasties, Marcus Thompson II contends dynasties are good for the NBA and have pushed the sport to new heights. The ten teams identified have changed the game of basketball forever by raising the bar of greatness, introducing new skills and implementing never-before-seen strategies, all while having a lasting impact on society and culture.
From the Bill Russell Celtics and the Michael Jordan Bulls to the Tim Duncan Spurs and the Steph Curry Warriors, each team had its own architect, star, villain, and unbelievable stats.
The Baseball 100
Sometimes, simplicity is best. And in The Baseball 100, that’s exactly the theme going for the cover of the book.
However, the book looks to discuss the story of the sport of baseball through the remarkable lives of its 100 greatest players.
Baseball’s legends come alive in these pages, which are not merely rankings but vibrant profiles of the game’s all-time greats. Posnanski dives into the biographies of iconic Hall of Famers, unfairly forgotten All-Stars, talents of today, and more.
However, he doesn’t just rely on records and statistics—Posnanski lovingly retraces players’ origins, illuminates their characters, and places their accomplishments in the context of baseball’s past and present.
Tiger Woods: Celebrating 25 Years on the PGA Tour
Featuring Tiger Woods teeing off in front of adoring fans, the cover art of this book is a beautifully taken shot showcasing the inherent gap between Woods and all other players.
Capturing the magic of Woods’ career in a way that only Sports Illustrated can, this new volume includes more than 100 full-color photographs, some of which have become nearly as iconic as the man himself—from Woods’ earliest days on the golf course with his father to his play alongside his son, Charlie, in 2020.
Dwyane
Poignant and powerful, the cover of Dwayne features iconic and legendary NBA player Dwayne Wade in a partially lit focus.
And for 16 years, Dwyane Wade has dazzled basketball fans with his on-court artistry and has built his personal brand into one of the most powerful ones in sports.
In this beautiful full-color memoir, featuring more than 200 photos from Bob Metelus, who has been documenting Wade’s career for more than a decade, Wade takes readers inside his fascinating life and career.
Dwyane moves from Wade’s challenging upbringing on the South Side of Chicago through his college career at Marquette, where he went from unheralded recruit to one of college basketball’s greatest stars, to his extraordinary years with the Miami Heat, with whom he won three NBA championships and was named an All-Star 13 times.
Off the court, too, his star has transcended basketball. In Dwyane he takes readers inside his relationship with Gabrielle Union; his dedication to his children and experiences as a father; and his varied interests outside of basketball, from fashion to winemaking.
Dwyane is a deep dive into the mind and heart of one of the most compelling basketball players of all time.
NFL 100
A golden football? Now that’s a cover worth a second look.
In NFL 100, the history of America’s most popular and highly watched sport is retold from the very beginning.
From its humble beginnings in Canton, Ohio, to its emergence as a sport cherished by millions, all the key moments and famous athletes are honored within the pages of this handsomely produced book.
In addition to the lively text, and action and portrait photography, the story of the game and the context in which it grew are animated by original lists, charts, creative statistics, and infographics, along with beautiful photos of the evolving equipment and artifacts essential to the story of the sport.
A perfect gift or piece for your coffee table, NFL 100 will be cherished by every football fan, new or old.
The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy
You know we had to and how could we not? Bill Simmons’ The Book of Basketball is the book of basketball. And with, perhaps, one of the best sports covers of all-time, we would be remiss to not include it on this list.
Comprehensive, authoritative, controversial, hilarious, and impossible to put down, The Book of Basketball offers every hardwood fan a court-side seat beside the game’s finest, funniest, and fiercest chronicler.
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, Simmons opens—and then closes, once and for all—every major pro basketball debate.
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.