Inspirational Basketball Books
Basketball tends to evoke intense feelings and emotions. From anger, to frustration, to glory, and happiness alike. Basketball, unlike many other sports, is a game of passion both as an individual and as a collective team.
Below, we are going to discuss the best and most inspirational basketball books of all-time. These books will discuss the necessary toughness needed to succeed at the sport and the mindset that can best help you to achieve greatness.
Interested in more basketball books? Be sure to check out our review on the best basketball books on mental toughness!
The Mamba Mentality: How I Play
Written by the famed and late Los Angeles Laker, Kobe Bryant, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play is a deeply personal, introspective perspective of his life and the way he played the game. Written shortly after his retirement, Kobe takes readers on a journey to fully understand what the “Mamba mentality” is and how other players can achieve it.
Kobe provides, in his own words, his famously detailed approach to the game and how to prepare both mentally and physically for it. This includes learning and understanding how Kobe studied his opponents, how he played through injuries, and how he channeled his passion for the game to success.
Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable
Are you looking to achieve complete and total mental and physical dominance on the basketball court? Then look no further then Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim Grover. Tim Grover is a legendary trainer, having worked with the greats such-as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Dwayne Wade, to name a few.
In this book, Grover is not only direct and blunt but also brutally honest in breaking down what it really takes to be unstoppable. According to Grover, to be unstoppable, you simply need to continue going when everyone else has given up. You will need to learn to thrive under pressure and most importantly, you never, ever let your emotions make you weak.
Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success
One of the most legendary coaches to ever live, Phil Jackson discusses his philosophy on basketball and life in Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success. Phil Jackson discusses his philosophies which not only helped him to win more championships than any coach in the history of any professional sport but also how he learned to never waver from his coaching philosophy.
In this book, Jackson describes the secrets of mindfulness and team chemistry. How he managed Michael Jordan, by-far the best basketball player to play the game, in a manner of selflessness, and how he forged and created successful teams and players regardless of ability and skill-level. An inspirational and at-times emotional book that provides insight into the mind of one of the best coaches of all time.
Shoot Your Shot
There are a plethora of NBA stars who took the necessary steps to elevate themselves to superstardom. From Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant to Kevin Durant to Stephen Curry. But what principles did they follow to help them become some of the best of the best?
In Shoot Your Shot, author Vernon Brundage Jr. identifies the key principles that these players, and many others, have applied and placed in their lives to help them accomplish their goals and attain their dreams. An entertaining, unique, and inspirational read, you’ll be sure to walk away better informed and inspired in your daily habits.
Old School Grit
Psychologists have longed pronounced grit as the key and secret to a successful and happy life. Grit, defined as the willpower and persistence to persevere with passion, is the single best determining factor to achieving happiness. In Old School Grit, Darrin Donnelly writes through Bob Flanagan, the quintessential voice of the older, tougher generation.
Flanagan writes letters to his grandchildren, instructing them on how to toughen up, build grit, and persevere through hardships and challenges. In this book, Flanagan provides fifteen rules to a clear and straight path of success in any endeavor you may choose.
The Sixth Man: A Memoir
Andre Iguodala may be best known for his monster dunks and defensive abilities. But in The Sixth Man: A Memoir, Iguodala digs deeper into his role as the sixth man on the legendary Warriors’ team, his history and experience with racial tensions, and the relationships between competitors and brothers amongst the league’s best players.
A powerful, inspirational tale that is so much more than just basketball and looks past the façade of the sport. Discussing issues such as leadership, pain, accomplishment, and drive, you’ll be engrossed by this powerful, poignant memoir of a man who took on an unlikely role and succeeded by embracing it.