Slam Dunk: The Shot That Changed the Game

by Matt Doeden

Overview

During the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany, United States basketball player Joe Fortenberry leaped into the air and stuffed the ball through the hoop. It was the slam dunk that introduced the shot to the professional game. But slam dunks didn't become popular until years later. Today they are one of the most exciting plays in basketball.

Read about the history of the famous shot, the most memorable plays, and the top dunkers. Take a look at how superstars complete the iconic shot, and learn how game rules and equipment have changed since jams gained popularity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798765626801
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/04/2025
Series:	Spectacular Sports
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	9.25(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	10 - 11 Years

About the Author

Matt Doeden began his career as a sports writer. Since then, he's spent more than a decade writing and editing children's nonfiction. Matt lives in Minnesota with his family.

Editorial Reviews

"This well-written, all-star sports title engages fans from start to finish and deserves a place in school and public libraries."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

2024-12-14
A tribute to one of basketball’s most showy and dramatic feats.

Despite the aid of many big, colorful action photos, Doeden struggles to stretch his topic out to book length. Still, young fans may find their appreciation for the game enhanced by the easily digestible doses of historical context, the expansive gallery of renowned dunkers, and even the anatomical diagrams and descriptions of muscle groups that have to work in concert to sink the shot. The author traces the slam dunk’s development from a disparaged and even at times banned move to its status as “a pillar of modern NBA strategy.” Though he highlights many spectacular, if ultimately repetitive-sounding, examples of its use, he doesn’t neglect to mention its hazards to vulnerable bodies and breakable backboards. And, along with shoutouts to such high-flying royalty as Michael “Air” Jordan and LeBron James, he gives women their due, from Georgeann Wells (the first reported dunker in a women’s game, 1984) to Brittney Griner (most prolific WNBA dunker). Whether or not readers readily buy his claim that a slam dunk is “one of the most exciting moments in all of sports,” they’ll have to admit that Doeden has built a feasible case.

Slender topic, but high enough in interest to keep young basketball players engaged. (glossary, source notes, further reading, index, photo credits)(Nonfiction. 9-11)

Kirkus Reviews