The art of a beautiful game

Avery Johnson was worried that Dirk Nowitzki was too obsessive about practice, so he limited his practice time. So, Nowitzki found gyms all across the country and snuck onto the court. When Steve Kerr was having a hard time shooting well coming off the bench, shooting coach Chip Engelland did something amazing.

He'd sit on the bench in the empty gym and chat with Kerr, about this, that, or whatever. Then every few minutes he'd yell that it was time to shoot, and Kerr would run out on the court and take just a few shots. It got him used to sitting, sitting, sitting and then having a couple of opportunities. And it worked. Kobe Bryant: "If you're going to beat somebody, you have to beat them to a pulp, to see what happens.

To see what they're made of. Well worth the read. To sum it up: This book is nearly impossible to sum up. But it's meaningful, insightful, enjoyable and well worth the read. Let us know. Tags: editorial. Sign up for our newsletter. Prev Back to Main Next. Be the First to Know. Join the 75, members that receive our newsletter.

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Football is also intimately linked to nationalism, in good ways and in bad. Mexico scored early. Then they scored again, and again, until the final whistle blew and Mexico had beaten Brazil by a highly improbable score of More Americans play soccer than American football now, television ratings are climbing and the once moribund Major League Soccer is maturing into a legitimate international operation.

Los Angeles in particular, with two Major League Soccer teams and a large Latin American population, is a hotbed of football lovers, and as much as Rio or Rotterdam, LA is an ideal home for a show like this.

If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter. The art world has a long history of representing football. Robin Rhode. If I were to rate this book I would rate it a 3. What happened in this book is they would take a certain part of basketball like shooting for example and they would talk about it for a whole chapter then they would go onto the next part which can be confusing but also really cool.

If you are a person who likes basketball then you best better go out and give this book a shot because it will just talk about the game you love. I loved this book and I really hope you do too when you read it.

A lot of people gave this book a 4. I hope you like this book because I sure did. Feb 12, Curtis Seven rated it really liked it Shelves: sports. While I think the title is a bit of a misnomer this book is all the same pretty masterfully done and we'd expect no less from a Sports Illustrated writer. I think I'd characterized it with more emphasis on the behind the scenes aspect than the "thinking fan's" claim.

Here is no great treatise on various strategies employed and how they vary from player to coach and so on but then to be fair that would be a tough thing to accomplish.

This is more insightful in terms of giving a person a look into While I think the title is a bit of a misnomer this book is all the same pretty masterfully done and we'd expect no less from a Sports Illustrated writer. This is more insightful in terms of giving a person a look into what makes some of the most successful players like Kobe Bryant succeed and it is not by being a nice guy.

Frankly I'd suspect he pulled his punches a bit with people like Bryant because he does after all have to deal with him in the future I'd presume so I'd recommend you take it under consideration. If this is true then Bryant is more than just a hard driving over achiever he is by most standards a jack ass to be around. Not just him mind you but he is a prominent example one could also look at Kevin Garnet. Not done with it but it is a pleasant read from an author who knows how to spin a yarn. It is not overly scholarly but then it shouldn't be as he is not writing for an academic community.

I think the book succeeds brilliantly. Before buying it I would recommend checking if they have it at the library though as it likely will not be found on most peoples shelves alongside Dickens, Homer, or anything like that. Aug 22, Mayur Patel rated it it was amazing. In the book" The Art of a Beautiful Game" By: Chris Ballard, Ballard who is a award winning Sports Illustrated writer who has covered the NBA for a decade goes behind the scenes and examines the way certain players and coaches do their job and what is so beautiful about the way each one of them does their job.

I personally believe that the way Ballard wrote this book some of the information he has May not be trustworthy but, I still for some reason provide some trust since it's a published book. However, the writing in this book in general is very powerful because because he is able to go in depth to where a person who knows the sport is able to understand it and he backs his points up with the interviews and experiences he has.

The strengths of this book is being able to entertain its audience because Ballard is able to relate to the readers and make it feel like you are in the moment.

If this book was part of a series I would definitely read the next book because I am a huge sports fan and it would be interesting to me to read about something I can relate too. I think that the people who read this book beside me will enjoy it because of the way Ballard expresses the topic openly.

Also it wouldn't matter if people didn't know the sport because the book is so easy to pick up what he is talking about so most people would enjoy it.

Mar 31, Ice rated it liked it Shelves: sports. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The conventional wisdom among casual NBA fans holds that the game is an improvisational, formless shoot-a-thon played by undisciplined athletes whose abilities are the product of genetics rather than practice. Never again. In his examination of the free throw, he profiles Tom Amberry, a retired podiatrist who, in at 71, made 2, consecutive free throws over 10 hours in front of 10 paid witnesses.

The thinking fans will find their admiration confirmed; casual fans will see the light and find themselves converted. Nov 15, Eric Stockenauer added it.

The author is Chris Ballard. My personal opinion of this book is a good because the book is great!!! This book is related to the value of work because you have to put the time and work in to be able to do great at what you are trying to do.

Some basketball players that are great put the time and work in such as Michael Jordan. Everyday since he was 10, he always played basketball for an hour or two. His dad told him that if you keep working for what you want, you can be anything you want to be. Lebron James did the same thing played basketball every day to get better.

Lebron got drafted at the age of 18 because he was so good. Apr 05, Kenny Li rated it really liked it Shelves: It explores the NBA through a fan's perspective, not a author's perspective.

You learn about how each player is able to excel at what they do what makes them do it so well. A little glimpse of the book is that it starts out talking about Kobe's killer instinct. After reading it, I don't know if he's actually human. I would think that he grew up with a very rough childhood but he did not. It is said that in high school, when playing 1 on 1 games with his teammates, he would be up around 80 to 0 and would be play hard no matter what.

I wish I could have the mindset of Kobe Bryant, but he may just be one of the mentally toughest people in the world. This book explores every integral part of the game of basketball at the NBA level and that would make any fan go crazy. If basketball is your passion, I would highly recommend this book to you. The game is very beautiful and this book goes deeper into the beauty and art of the game.

Sep 16, Tom rated it it was amazing Shelves: non-fiction , favorites , sports. The chapters are broken down into aspects of the game shooting, rebounding, dunks, blocks, defense, killer instinct, etc. The detailed look at off-season workouts and tape studies reflects how much work NBA players put into their craft, and how deeply they think about it.

Thanks to my friend Demetri for the recommendation. Nov 05, Schuyler rated it liked it. An unique glimpse into the work ethic of NBA players.

Ballard's thesis is pretty much: NBA players and I suppose professional athletes of all sorts work way way harder than you think and that yes, they are very talented, but only the truly devoted rise to athletic superstardom, mostly due to the countless hours of hard work they put in off the court.

I would say Ballard is of the new generation of sports writers, that is, the ones who look at sports in this case, basketball from a different An unique glimpse into the work ethic of NBA players. I would say Ballard is of the new generation of sports writers, that is, the ones who look at sports in this case, basketball from a different angle, a la freedarko.

I welcome this new generation. Also, I learned that Lebron James does Yoga and that Dwight Howard's grip strength was measured at 90 pounds per square inch, the same as a dog's bite. So, if given the opportunity, don't ever shake his hand. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one ».

Readers also enjoyed. About Chris Ballard. Chris Ballard. Books by Chris Ballard. Related Articles. Are You Ready for Some Football Here in the United States, it's football season. It's time of great rivalry, wearing of team colors, and obsessing over the Read more Trivia About The Art of a Beau No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now ». Quotes from The Art of a Beau He goofs around during practice, during press conferences and during team shootarounds, for which Magic coach Stan Van Gundy has had to institute a no-flatulence rule because, as teammate Rashard Lewis says, "Dwight really likes to cut the cheese.

In , at the age of 71, Amberry set a Guinness World Record by sinking 2, consecutive free throws. Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account.