Kevin Love: the Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Dominant Power Forwards PDF Download

Author: Clayton Geoffreys
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781501022869
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 60

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Learn the Incredible Story of Cleveland Cavalier Kevin Love! Read on your PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet or Kindle device! In Kevin Love: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Dominant Power Forwards, you'll read about the inspirational story of basketball's star, Kevin Love. Newly acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers to join forces with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love was all the trade chatter in the summer of 2014. After finally being acquired in return for Andrew Wiggins, Thaddeus Young, Anthony Bennett, and a $6.3 million trade exception, Kevin Love teamed up in Cleveland to create one of the most hyped trios in the Eastern Conference for this upcoming year. Yet despite this news, Kevin Love left a legacy in his six years in Minnesota. This book largely focuses on that legacy and how Kevin reached where he is today. Here is a preview of what is inside this book: Early Life and Childhood High School Years College Years at UCLA Kevin's Personal Life Kevin Love's Impact on Basketball and Beyond Love's Legacy An excerpt from the book: There are few sports leagues today as grueling as the NBA. In basketball, the effect of a superstar is gigantic compared to other sports. In baseball, an elite hitter will get only about as many chances as his teammates, and his defense only matters if the ball is actually hit towards him. In football, while the impact of a quarterback might be comparable to a star, the fact that football players only play offense or defense limits their capabilities. Time and time again in NBA history, we have seen great superstars lead mediocre supporting casts to high regular season win totals and playoff success. Kobe Bryant won 45 games in 2006 with an incredibly weak Lakers supporting cast. Tim Duncan won a championship in 2003 even though his best playoff teammates were a David Robinson with one foot in the grave as well as various other players who were too young to reach their eventual potential. LeBron James dragged the 2007 Cavaliers to the NBA Finals. Unlike the other leagues, NBA stars have shown that they are fully capable of creating great results almost entirely by themselves. If this is true, then what are we to make of Kevin Love? The newest member of the Cleveland Cavaliers spent the first six years of his career as the star for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves never won more than 40 games during Love's tenure. They routinely struggled during the close games where superstars are supposed to take over. They were never a top 10 defensive team, particularly concerning given that superstar big men can make a big difference on that end. It is true that Kevin Love put up absolutely staggering numbers, but how much impact did he create if the Wolves never made the playoffs? Is Love a superstar who was cursed to play with garbage in Minnesota and will now make Cleveland the most dangerous team in the league? Or is he an overrated player who looked out for his own numbers above the teams, never won anything in the NBA, and will not help the Cavaliers as much as people expect? Tags: Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves, UCLA Bruins, Bruins Basketball, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Bennett, Andrew Wiggins, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Kevin Garnett

Author: Clayton Geoffreys
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781974560974
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 146

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Learn the Inspiring Story of the Los Angeles Lakers' Legend Shaquille O'Neal! Read on your PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet or Kindle device! In Shaquille O'Neal: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Greatest Centers, you will learn the inspirational story of one of basketball's greatest centers, Shaquille O'Neal. Often nicknamed "Shaq" or "The Diesel", O'Neal left an indelible mark on the center position. His incredible power and athleticism made him a practically unstoppable presence on both the offensive and defensive ends of the basketball court. It's no surprise O'Neal concluded his career a four-time NBA Champion. He was such a unique generational talent who could immediately change the course of a game. In this book, we'll learn more about Shaq's journey into the NBA, his impact on the game, and his legacy as one of the best to ever play at the center position. Here is a preview of what is inside this book: Childhood and Early Life High School Career College Career at LSU Shaq's Illustrious NBA Career: From Starting in Orlando, Achieving a Three-Peat in LA, to Bringing Miami the Championship International Career Post-Retirement Career Personal Life O'Neal's Impact and Legacy on Basketball An excerpt from the book: The NBA has had its share of dominant players that could lord over defenders and push around grown men inside the paint with ease. As they say, the NBA is a big man's league, and some of the best players the league has ever seen were among the greatest and most dominant men to have ever set foot on a hard wood floor. And wherever those dominant players went, success would usually follow. One of the NBA's pioneering dominant players was George Mikan, who played for what was then the Minneapolis Lakers back in the 50's. At 6'10" and 250 pounds, Mikan would not be considered one of the biggest players in today's era. But back then, he was already among the largest in the league. Nobody could stop him in the paint on his way to five NBA titles. The first truly dominant player in league history was Wilt Chamberlain. Standing above seven feet tall and weighing nearly 300 pounds of lean muscle mass, "Wilt the Stilt" used his height and strength advantage to bully players down under the basket. Chamberlain was rumored to be so strong that he could easily lift a man over 200 pounds using only one arm. He even once dunked the ball so hard that it broke an opposing player's toe. All of this strength and size were vital for Wilt Chamberlain to score 100 points in a single game. He even averaged over 50 points a game during one season while holding five of the top ten scoring averages in a single season. He was a man among boys back in the 60's era. Wilt would end up with two NBA titles, which he won during the twilight years of his career. During the 80's and 90's, Karl Malone would use his bodybuilder strength and muscle to push opposing power forwards around when he bulled his way to easy baskets inside the paint. Because of how well-conditioned and dominant of a player Malone was, he was able to stay active until the age of 40. Eventually, Malone finished second in most points ever scored in a career. Sadly, Malone was always the bridesmaid to Michael Jordan's bride as he would never win an NBA championship during his era. Tags: Shaquille O'Neal Bio, Shaq basketball, Los Angeles Lakers basketball, Miami Heat basketball, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson

Author: Pat Riley
Publisher: Putnam Adult
ISBN: 9780399138393
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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A book about winning, leadership, mastery, change, and personal growth, based on understanding ... the shifting dynamics of ... any team, whether it is a small company ... or a group of athletes.

Author: Leigh Montville
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 0525567313
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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This "part memoir, part sports story" (Wall Street Journal) from the New York Times bestselling author of The Big Bam chronicles the clash of NBA titans over seven riveting games—Celtics versus Lakers, Russell versus Chamberlain—covered by one young reporter. Welcome to the 1969 NBA Finals! They don’t set up any better than this. The greatest basketball player of all time - Bill Russell - and his juggernaut Boston Celtics, winners of ten (ten!) of the previous twelve NBA championships, squeak through one more playoff run and land in the Finals again. Russell’s opponent? The fearsome 7’1” next-generation superstar, Wilt Chamberlain, recently traded to the LA Lakers to form the league’s first dream team. Bill Russell and John Havlicek versus Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. The 1969 Celtics are at the end of their dominance. The 1969 Lakers are unstoppable. Add to the mix one newly minted reporter. Covering the epic series is a wide-eyed young sports writer named Leigh Montville. Years before becoming an award-winning legend himself at The Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated, twenty-four-year-old Montville is ordered by his editor at the Globe to get on a plane to L.A. (first time!) to write about his luminous heroes, the biggest of big men. What follows is a raucous, colorful, joyous account of one of the greatest seven-game series in NBA history. Set against a backdrop of the late sixties, Montville’s reporting and recollections transport readers to a singular time – with rampant racial tension on the streets and on the court, with the emergence of a still relatively small league on its way to becoming a billion-dollar industry, and to an era when newspaper journalism and the written word served as the crucial lifeline between sports and sports fans. And there was basketball – seven breathtaking, see-saw games, highlight-reel moments from an unprecedented cast of future Hall of Famers (including player-coach Russell as the first-ever black head coach in the NBA), coast-to-coast travels and the clack-clack-clack of typewriter keys racing against tight deadlines. Tall Men, Short Shorts is a masterpiece of sports journalism with a charming touch of personal memoir. Leigh Montville has crafted his most entertaining book yet, richly enshrining luminous players and moments in a unique American time.

Author: Clayton Geoffreys
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781548260699
Category : Basketball players
Languages : en
Pages : 126

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Learn the Inspiring Story of the Milwaukee Bucks' Rising Star Giannis Antetokounmpo! Read on your PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet or Kindle device. This holiday season, if you buy the print edition as a gift, you can keep the Kindle edition for yourself! In Giannis Antetokounmpo: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Rising Superstars, you will learn the inspirational story of one of basketball's most promising young stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Often nicknamed "The Greek Freak", Giannis Antetokounmpo has quickly emerged as one of the most unique players in the league today. His incredible wingspan and athleticism have made him a dominant presence on both the offensive and defensive ends of the basketball court. He is easily one of the most difficult defensive assignments for opposing teams due to his ability to not only start as a forward, but also as a guard. In just four years, Giannis Antetokounmpo has gone from averaging 6.8 points per game to 22.9 points per game. He has also quickly become the face of the Milwaukee Bucks franchise. There is still much to be unveiled in the career of Giannis Antetokounmpo. At the time of this writing, Giannis is just twenty-two years old. In this book, we'll learn more about The Greek Freak's journey into the NBA, his impact on the game, and his growing legacy as one of the best up and coming stars to make his presence known in basketball. Here is a preview of what is inside this book: Childhood and Early Life NBA Career: Getting Drafted, Rookie Season, Working Under Jason Kidd, The Largest Point Guard in the League, and Becoming an All-Star International Career Personal Life Giannis Antetokounmpo's Player Profile and Impact on Basketball Antetokounmpo's Future An excerpt from the book: The NBA loves those rags to riches stories about how a person that lived and grew up through poverty worked his way up to get to the league, not only as an ordinary player, but a superstar ranking among the best in the world. These are the kinds of stories that makes the people adore the player and what he has been through to get to the top. More importantly, these are the stories that inspire young children to work just as hard, if not harder, than their idol to reach the success they aspire to achieve. Several of the greatest players in league history have had to endure poverty before they found success in the NBA. Allen Iverson barely had a home growing up before he starred at Georgetown. In his MVP speech back in 2014, Kevin Durant said that his mother raised him and his brother alone while the family moved from roof to roof. The same was true for LeBron James, who was raised alone by his mother when she was still 16 years old. These players not only earned millions as NBA superstars, but have also become fan favorites because of how they worked themselves up to get to the league. Likewise, the NBA has also found a liking for players that were seemingly genetically engineered to dominate in the game of basketball. These are the types of players that, at a glance, were naturally destined to be a great because of the physical tools they possess. If the NBA was a horse race, these kinds of players are your thoroughbreds judging by how much more physically gifted and talented they are than the rest of the competition. Tags: Giannis Antetokounmpo Bio, Giannis Antetokounmpo basketball, Milwaukee Bucks basketball, Jason Kidd, Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Lowry, Jabari Parker, Matthew Dellavedova, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Thon Maker

Author: Gary Mack
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071504648
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 238

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Praise for Mind Gym "Believing in yourself is paramount to success for any athlete. Gary's lessons and David's writing provide examples of the importance of the mental game." --Ben Crenshaw, two-time Masters champion and former Ryder Cup captain "Mind Gym hits a home run. If you want to build mental muscle for the major leagues, read this book." --Ken Griffey Jr., Major League Baseball MVP "I read Mind Gym on my way to the Sydney Olympics and really got a lot out of it. Gary has important lessons to teach, and you'll find the exercises fun and beneficial." --Jason Kidd, NBA All-Star and Olympic gold-medal winner In Mind Gym, noted sports psychology consultant Gary Mack explains how your mind influences your performance on the field or on the court as much as your physical skill does, if not more so. Through forty accessible lessons and inspirational anecdotes from prominent athletes--many of whom he has worked with--you will learn the same techniques and exercises Mack uses to help elite athletes build mental "muscle." Mind Gym will give you the "head edge" over the competition.

Author: Chris Herren
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 1429924144
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 286

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As seen in ESPN Films’ Unguarded, a “powerful . . . bracing . . . exceptional” true account of the former NBA and overseas pro’s rise and harrowing fall (NPR Books). I was dead for thirty seconds. That’s what the cop in Fall River told me. When the EMTs found me, there was a needle in my arm and a packet of heroin in the front seat. At basketball-crazy Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts, junior guard Chris Herren carried his family’s and the declining city’s dreams on his skinny frame. He was heavily recruited by major universities, chosen as a McDonald’s All-American, featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story, and at just seventeen years old became the central figure in Fall River Dreams, an acclaimed book about the 1994 Durfee team’s quest for the state championship. Leaving Fall River for college, Herren starred on Jerry Tarkanian’s Fresno State Bulldogs team of talented misfits, which included future NBA players as well as future convicted felons. His gritty, tattooed, hip-hop persona drew the ire of rival fans and more national attention: Rolling Stone profiled him, 60 Minutes interviewed him, and the Denver Nuggets drafted him. When the Boston Celtics acquired his contract, he lived the dream of every Massachusetts kid—but off the court Herren was secretly crumbling, as his alcohol and drug use escalated and his life spiraled out of control. Twenty years later, Chris Herren was a husband, a father, and a heroin junkie, who would flirt with death—and ultimately live to tell about it.

Author: Clayton Geoffreys
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781545308462
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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Learn the Inspiring Story of the Toronto Raptors' Star Shooting Guard DeMar DeRozan! Read on your PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet or Kindle device! In DeMar DeRozan: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Star Shooting Guards, you will learn the inspirational story of one of basketball's greatest offensive players, DeMar DeRozan. DeMar DeRozan has quickly emerged as one of the premier scorers in the NBA, with a ruthless ability to score that reminds many of none other than a combination of Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. Since being drafted as the ninth overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, DeMar has played a significant role in the Raptors' emergence as a force in the Eastern Conference. Paired with Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and the Raptors are a formidable team in the East, and will likely remain so for years to come. In this unauthorized biography, we'll explore DeMar's incredible life story and impact on the game of basketball. Here is a preview of what is inside this book: Childhood and Early Life High School Career College Career NBA Career Getting Drafted, The Rookie Campaign, The Development Years Teaming Up with Kyle Lowry, the Rudy Gay Experiment, First All-Star Season, Playoff Debut, Injury Struggles, Lowry's Evolution into an All-Star Breaking Through to the Conference Finals, Road to Becoming Elite International Career Personal Life and Impact on Basketball Legacy and Future An excerpt from the book: The shooting guard position has always been one of the more difficult spots to play in the NBA. Shooting guards are required first and foremost to be among the best scorers on their team since their primary role of the team is to, of course, shoot and make their shots. While scoring the ball may not sound like the most difficult task to do, what makes the shooting guard a difficult position in the NBA is the level of skill required to be elite. As far as the history of the league is concerned, there have not been a lot of great shooting guards compared to centers, point guards, and forwards due to the relative difficulty the position requires for the player to be elite. But even though there have not been a lot of great shooting guards in the NBA's history, the best of the best happen to be those that play that position. Since the dawn of the league, the first great shooting guard was the NBA logo himself, Jerry West. Then there came guys like George Gervin and Pete Maravich during the dark 70's era of the league. Come the 80's and 90's, Reggie Miller and Clyde Drexler dominated the position. Those that came after them were Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Vince Carter, and Dwyane Wade. And Michael Jordan, the greatest player to have ever played the game, is known as a shooting guard. There have not been a lot of great shooting guards, but they were always the best of their respective eras. Tags: DeMar DeRozan Bio, DeMar DeRozan basketball, Toronto Raptors basketball, Kyle Lowry, DeMarcus Cousins, Jimmy Butler, Jonas Valanciunas, Paul George, James Harden, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady

Author: Jack McCallum
Publisher:
ISBN: 0399179070
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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"During their 1971-72 championship season, the L.A. Lakers won thirty-three games in a row ... a run of uninterrupted dominance that predated by decades the overwhelming firepower of today's Warriors, a revolutionary team whose recent seasons include some record-threatening win streaks of their own. Tying together the two strands [of the] story is Hall of Famer [Jerry] West, the ferociously competitive Laker guard who later became one of the key architects of the Warriors"--Amazon.com.

Author: Rick Pitino
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 1466837217
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 271

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A life-changing guide to achieving your goals, by the 2013 NCAA champion college basketball coach and #1 New York Times bestselling author. Rick Pitino is famous as one of the most dynamic and successful basketball coaches of our time, leading the University of Louisville Cardinals to the NCAA basketball championship in 2013, and is renowned for writing the #1 New York Times bestselling success and leadership book, Success is a Choice. In his new book, The One-Day Contract, Pitino details his key to success, on the court and in life: to focus on making the most of each day, by creating a contract with yourself. Coach Pitino was able to turn Louisville into NCAA champions by applying this idea to everything he and the team did-every practice, every recruiting visit, every game preparation, every scouting report, every instruction that he gave players and coaches, and everything he did himself. Each day became just as important as reaching the national championship, and so, by honoring the one-day contract, he and Louisville moved through adversity toward their goal. In this inspiring and practical guide, Coach Rick Pitino illustrates how to set your own one-day contract, and follow through to honor it for each day, each goal, and each interaction with another person. Pitino shows how to: - Establish focus as a discipline in everything you do: planning, strategy, priorities, and career advancement. - Discover the true key to success: not ambition, not wealth, not power, but humility. - Use technology wisely-but don't let it replace personal connection with the people you work and live with. - Own up to your problems, tell the truth and they will become part of your past. Lie and they become part of your future. - Make small changes and add value to every minute of your life. The One-Day Contract will reshape the way you approach your job, your goals, and your life.