Basketball

A Love Story

By: Jackie MacMullan, Rafe Bartholomew, Dan Klores

Narrated by: James Fouhey, Jim Frangione, Sullivan Jones, Pete Larkin, January LaVoy, Carol Monda

A sweeping and revelatory history of basketball, drawing upon hundreds of hours of interviews with the greatest players, coaches, executives, and journalists in the history of the game.

In an effort to tell the complete story of basketball in all its fascinating dimensions, acclaimed authors Jackie MacMullan, Rafe Bartholomew, and Dan Klores have compiled nearly a thousand hours' worth of interviews with a staggering number of basketball greats. They've talked to hundreds of legendary players, such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Magic Johnson, and spoken with renowned coaches, including Phil Jackson and Coach K, as well as numerous executives, commissioners, and journalists. Most impressive was the extraordinary quality of the interviews. Again and again, players spoke candidly about secrets and told stories they'd never before discussed on the record.

The audiobook that grew out of those interviews is an extraordinary project and quite possibly the most ambitious basketball work ever made. At once a definitive oral history and something far more literary and intimate, this is the never-before-told story of how basketball came to be and about what it means to those who've given their lives to the game.

Read by James Fouhey, Jim Frangione, Sullivan Jones, Pete Larkin, January LaVoy, and Carol Monda.

©2018 Jackie MacMullan, Rafe Bartholomew, and Dan Klores (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"This is a shadow history of how basketball became the game that it is today - it's all the details you don't know about the all the stuff you always thought you understood. Maybe you think you know everything about Wilt's 100-point game. You don't. Maybe you think you have a grasp on the ABA and the ACC and the complexity of institutional racism and Michael Jordan's secret grudge with George Gervin. You do not. This is not a book for people who just think basketball is OK. This is a book for people who care." (Chuck Klosterman, New York Times best-selling author of I Wear the Black Hat and But What If We're Wrong?)

“The boldface names (Russell, Wilt, West, Jordan, Bird, Magic) and the boldface events (Celtics dynasty, Showtime, Magic's HIV) are all here. But what I appreciate most about A Love Story were the reminiscences about the women's game and especially the accounts of the racial battles fought by the game's pioneers. Jackie and Rafe have done a masterful job of historical hoops excavation.” (Jack McCallum, New York Times best-selling author of Dream Team and Seven Seconds or Less)

“A must-read for hoops fans.... powerful and heartbreaking." (Slate)

“Basketball is developing its own reputation for outstanding writing - as this sterling "love story" about the game from MacMullan and Bartholomew attests.” (Booklist, starred review)

Amazing

Very well edited. Some chapters were hard to stop listening to. The others were still good, they just gave me a chance to rest or do something else.

absolutely awesome

enjoyed every minute of it, will definitely recommend this book to all hoop fans out there

The love!!

This is a great audio listen on the go at the gym! If your a Bball Junky like myself I recommend your get this now!

Good listen

The format of the book is somewhat awkward for an audio book. That's not the fault of the narrators though, they all did a fine job . It never really flows, especially when the quotes are only a few words. I still enjoyed the stories and was glad I listened

American basketball oral story

Full of stars (with Jordan being probably the only top important person who didn't share their thoughts). Insider perspective. Important events, dynasties + quite a lot on woman's game.

Solid, easy listen for a wide history of hoops

Some of the impressions were a little off putting, while reading quotes, but overall a fun listen.

Amazing Stories from the Game's Best

Great insight into a game and players I have loved all my life. MUST LISTEN

Good book

This is a good book filled with wonderful stories about basketball. The story tellers could be better.

Book for any basketball fan

This book has everything! I learned a ton, it was entertaining, even the narrators were great. Definitely recommend!

if you love hoops ...a MUST read

it is long but you hear from so many different eras and what the people went through - black, white, women and international players. thank you