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Cover of The Book of Basketball by Bill SimmonsThe Book of Basketball
Modern · Nonfiction, Young Adult

The Book of Basketball

by Bill Simmons
2009 · 754 pages · Nonfiction
74.9Must-Read
Score Modern
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 19 hours to read · about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Bill Simmons, ESPN's 'Sports Guy', makes his case about the history of the NBA: who really mattered, what-if scenarios, why Bill Russell beats Wilt Chamberlain, and 'the Secret' of winning basketball he says Isiah Thomas once told him. At its center is his pyramid of the ninety-six greatest players ever, ranked in tiers.

Why it's worth reading

It hit #1 on the New York Times list. It's opinionated, funny and packed with footnotes, a book basketball fans argue about endlessly.

You'll love it if you liked

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Good to know

It's around 700 pages and full of pop-culture jokes. It ends in 2009, so recent stars are missing.

By the numbers

74.9Must-Read Score
  • Readers79 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller50 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
#1 New York Times bestseller (1 week at #1)

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2000sTop 25 · 490 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 ranked

Quick answers

Is The Book of Basketball worth reading?

Yes. It hit #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #804 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 74.9 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Book of Basketball about?

Bill Simmons, ESPN's 'Sports Guy', makes his case about the history of the NBA: who really mattered, what-if scenarios, why Bill Russell beats Wilt Chamberlain, and 'the Secret' of winning basketball he says Isiah Thomas once told him. At its center is his pyramid of the ninety-six greatest players ever, ranked in tiers.

How long does it take to read The Book of Basketball?

About 19 hours (754 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Book of Basketball?

If you liked it, try Open by Andre Agassi, Moneyball by Michael Lewis or What If? by Randall Munroe.