A great sports book is one of the easiest, most reliable gifts there is, especially for the dad, partner or friend who lives for the game. These six are the crowd-pleasers: beautifully produced, widely loved and hard to put down, from a founder's page-turner to a legend's reflection on his craft to timeless coaching wisdom. Easy to wrap, hard not to love.
Quick picks:
- Best overall: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. View on Amazon
- Best for hoops fans: The Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant. View on Amazon
- Best for golfers: Ben Hogan's Five Lessons by Ben Hogan. View on Amazon
Crowd-pleasers
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
Phil Knight is the founder of Nike. Phil Knight's gripping, honest memoir of building Nike from nothing. A business and sports classic and a great gift.
Best for: The Nike founder's story.
→ View on AmazonThe Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
Daniel James Brown is a narrative historian. The stirring true story of the 1936 US Olympic rowing team. A beloved, deeply moving underdog tale told with warmth.
Best for: The great underdog story.
→ View on AmazonThe Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant is an NBA legend. Kobe Bryant's beautifully produced reflection on his craft and mindset. A giftable book for any basketball fan.
Best for: Kobe on his craft.
→ View on AmazonPlaying It My Way by Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar is the highest run-scorer in cricket history. The autobiography of the Little Master himself, from a Mumbai childhood to two decades carrying a billion hopes. Essential for any Tendulkar fan.
Best for: The Tendulkar memoir.
→ View on AmazonFor a specific fan
Ben Hogan's Five Lessons by Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan is one of golf's greatest players. The timeless instruction classic on the fundamentals of the swing. Still the most recommended golf book decades on. Giftable.
Best for: The golf instruction classic.
→ View on AmazonWooden by John Wooden, Steve Jamison
John Wooden is the greatest college basketball coach ever. John Wooden's distilled wisdom on coaching, leadership and life. Short, profound and endlessly giftable.
Best for: Timeless coaching wisdom.
→ View on AmazonHow we chose these
We looked for the sports books that last: player memoirs with something real to say, credentialed sports scientists and psychologists and the acclaimed journalists and historians who turn a game into a story. A few iconic novels earn a place too and we label them as fiction. We describe and compare these books to help you choose your next read.
