From the street game to March Madness to Jordan and LeBron, the greatest writing about the grit, grace, and glory of basketballMade in America, basketball is a sport that stirs a national passion, reaching fever pitch during the NCAA's March Madness and the NBA Finals. Masterfully assembled by longtime Sports Illustratedwriter Alexander Wolff, Basketball spans eight decades to bring together a dream team of writers as awe-inspiring and endlessly inventive as the game itself. Here are in-depth profiles of the legends of the hardcourt—Russell, Kareem, Bird, Jordan, and LeBron—and storied franchises such as the Knicks and Celtics, along with dazzling portraits of the flash and sizzle of playground ball and more personal reflections on the game by some of America's finest writers, among them Donald Hall, John Edgar Wideman, and Pat Conroy. Highlights include James Naismith recalling how he invented the game that would go on to conquer the world;...

The Ninth Inning series presents Memphis Angels' first baseman, Hector Rodriguez.* Hector Rodriguez is an easy going guy, the one who tries to make everyone laugh or smile on the hard days. He loves playing baseball, loves his family, and loves chasing the girl who has caught his eye. His two biggest obstacles are getting the girl to give him the time of day and then getting his mother to look past what she sees on the surface. Zoey Reyes is use to people staring at her because of the tattoos covering her body, but the big tipper who has been begging for her name for two months is the only one who looks at her differently. Once Hector wears her down and finds out her name, she realizes why he is so likeable. However, it's one battle after another for their friendship to grow and Zoey's not sure how much stress she can handle. Hector and Zoey are making the right plays, but will it be enough for them to come out with a big win?**

Just about the time I decide I need to move on with my life, Paul comes back into it. With me still dealing with my mother’s problems and Paul still worrying about keeping his sister and nephew safe…that might not be a good thing. My mother falls into old familiar patterns and then I discover Paul has just one more deep, dark secret. Will I finally walk away and take care of myself for a change or am I in way too deep this time?

When Donald Sales' 22-year-old daughter is brutally murdered while at law school, he comes undone. In a fit of rage, he accuses his daughter's professor, Eric Lipton, of killing her. Lipton hires Casey Jordan as his attorney and maintains his innocence throughout the trial. Then just as the jury announces its verdict of "not guilty" Lipton leans toward his lawyer and whispers a confession of his guilt – knowing he is protected bt attorney-client privilege. Now, Casey has to decide: will she uphold her legal oath to protect her client, or will she join forces with an obsessed father who demands that a killer be brought to justice?

From New York Times bestselling author Tim Green comes a captivating baseball novel about one kid's search of a lifetime.It's always been just Ryder and his mom. But on the way home from Ryder's baseball practice, everything comes to a halt. An accident sends his mom to the hospital, and now she is fighting for her life. So Ryder goes on a search to find his father, determined to help pay for the expensive operation to save his mother's life. But with only a signed baseball and a letter as his clues, and the help of his next-door neighbor and a New York City firefighter, will everything fall into place in time, or will Ryder become a lost boy forever?New York Times bestselling author Tim Green knocks this one out of the park, combining heart and baseball to create a story that readers will never forget.

After the 1969 season, the St. Louis Cardinals traded their star center fielder, Curt Flood, to the Philadelphia Phillies, setting off a chain of events that would change professional sports forever. At the time there were no free agents, no no-trade clauses. When a player was traded, he had to report to his new team or retire. Unwilling to leave St. Louis and influenced by the civil rights movement, Flood chose to sue Major League Baseball for his freedom. His case reached the Supreme Court, where Flood ultimately lost. But by challenging the system, he created an atmosphere in which, just three years later, free agency became a reality. Flood's decision cost him his career, but as this dramatic chronicle makes clear, his influence on sports history puts him in a league with Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali.

In the four years since being forced off the professional tour for being gay, Daniel Bottega has taught tennis at a second-rate country club. He found a sanctuary to hide from an unkind world, while his lover, Jared Stoderling, fought a losing battle with alcohol addiction to cope with his disappointment of not playing on the pro circuit.Now Daniel has another chance at the tour by coaching tennis prodigy Connor Lin to a Grand Slam championship win. He shares his chance with Jared by convincing him to return to the pro circuit as Connor's doubles partner.Competing on the world tour is challenging enough, but Daniel and Jared also face major media attention, political fallout from the pro association, and a shocking amount of hate that threatens Connor's career in tennis, Jared's love for Daniel, and Daniel's very life.