Table of Contents
Introduction vii
Indelible Moments
The Greatest Game Nobody Ever Saw 3
By Jack McCallum | July 2, 2012
Anatomy of a Miracle 18
By Lee Jenkins | December 25, 2013
She Was Truckin' 28
By Shelley Smith | February 19, 1990
55 31
By Alexander Wolff | November 13, 1995
LeBron: I'm Coming Back to Cleveland 44
By LeBron James (As Told to Lee Jenkins) | July 11, 2014
I'm a 34-Year-Old NBA Center. I'm Black. And I'm Gay 47
By Jason Collins | May 6, 2013
Giants Among Men
The Ring Leader 57
By Frank Deford | May 10, 1999
A Different Drummer 73
By John Papenek | March 31, 1980
Shag's World 86
By Rick Reilly | April 21, 1997
Freak Unleashed 99
By Lee Jenkins | January 3, 2017
Doing Just Fine, My Man 108
By Frank Deford | August 18, 1986
Icons
Michael and Me 123
By Jackie MacMullan | December 20, 1999
Mister Clutch, Master Builder 129
By Richard Hoffer | April 23, 1990
Ahead of His Class 141
By Grant Wahl | February 18, 2002
Geno Auriemma + Diana Taarasi = Love, Italian Style 147
By Frank Deford | November 24, 2003
Show Time! 164
By Ian Thomsen | April 27, 1998
Gifts That God Didn't Give 176
By John Papanek | November 9, 1981
'We Are Grown Men Playing a Child's Game' 189
By Gilbert Rogin | November 18, 1963
Wonder Women 201
By Steve Rtishin | September 26, 2005
Sportsperson of the Year: LeBron James 204
By Lee Jenkins | December 1, 2016
How Allen Iverson and Larry Brown Learned to Live Together 218
By Gary Smith | April 23, 2001
Colorful Characters
Rodman Unchained 239
By Michael Silver | May 29, 1995
One Last Shot 249
By Johnette Howard | June 1, 1998
Tower of Power 255
By Phil Taylor | January 24, 2000
Jimmy Butler Does Not Want to Be Your Hero 265
By Rohan Nadkarni | December 15, 2020
Teams
This Is the Life 275
By Jack McCallum | October 31, 2005
Warriors Come Out to Play 291
By Chris Ballard | February 18, 2015
The Harden-Era Nets Instantly Become One of NBA's Strangest Cautionary Tales 306
By Chris Herring | February 11, 2022
All Red, So Help Them Henna 310
By William Johnson and Nancy Williamson | May 6, 1974
Beyond the Court
Lost Soul 325
By Chris Ballard | October 23, 2013
A Whoop-Dee-Damn-Do-Gooder 345
By Selena Roberts | November 24, 2008
Crime and Punishment 348
By Gary Smith | June 24, 1996
'I'm Going Home.' Reflecting on Life Inside the NBA Bubble 371
By Chris Mannix | September 7, 2020
Making It 375
By Kelli Anderson | October 3, 2005
Hoop Dream? Dream On 378
By Jeff Pearlman | June 10, 1996
'You Can't Give In' 381
By Chris Ballard | April 10, 2017
Power
Pop Art 399
By Jack McCallum | April 29, 2013
The Gospel According to Hubie 410
By Bruce Newman | October 31, 1983
The Last Laugh 423
By S.L. Price | October 30, 2000
Ponytail Express 433
By Alexander Wolff | December 14, 2015
For Whom the Bulls Toil 440
By Jack McCallum | November 11, 1991
Lord Jim 450
By S.L. Price | February 12, 2007
You Really Should Know Connie Kunzmann 465
By Chris Ballard | February 24, 2022
Adam Silver Is His Own Man 478
By Lee Jenkins | May 26, 2014
