Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I got this from AudioFile Sync: Audio Books for Teens. It was one of the 2019 free Summer downloads. Otherwise, I would generally pass on sports. But I do love a great autobiography, which this is. And while I am generally leery of an author narrating their own book, autobiographies seem to be an exception. Even though a little of the reading is a bit stiff, hearing their voice adds to the tone of the "character" I am reading about. It's rare to read about a sports figure who cares about academics, integrity AND sports, and nice to hear that success doesn't always lead to a lot of bad (indulgent) choices.… (more)

In case you wonder how much of an MBA fan you need to be... You actually don’t need to know much about basketball to enjoy this book. The book is about a deep relationship from a basketball coach to lifelong mentor. The story is moving and the book is quite unique in that it looks at a relationship over 50 years. Not just a fragment of life wrapped with a happily-ever-after ending.

I am giving 5 stars because it really blew my expectations away. A friend gifted this book to me. There is no way based on my profile and proclaimed “interests” that an Amazon algorithm would have thought this was a good choice for me. In fact, I didn’t even know who coach Wooden was and I have little interest in sports.

Despite my lack of interest, I found this book intimate, moving, humbling and edifying at the same time. You see the world through the goggles of two athlete-celebrities and see what moves them at their core: meaningful relationships, faith, growth.… (more)