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Madness: The Man Who Changed Basketball
- Narrated by: Mike DeLucia
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
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Publisher's summary
Finalist, Sports - 2019 International Book Awards
Madness is the intriguing story of Hank Luisetti, the predawn of March Madness and how modern basketball was born.
The majority of searches say Michael Jordan is the best basketball player of all time, but many others oppose this. While Jordan’s rank is debatable, a respectable dream team would include Kevin Durant, Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dr. J, Tim Duncan, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, and Hank Luisetti.
Chances are, you've never heard of Hank Luisetti. But this wouldn’t be a legitimate discussion without the Hall of Fame legend whose celebrity caused a basketball revolution.
James Naismith invented basketball in 1891; Hank Luisetti reinvented it in 1936. Hank changed basketball’s genetic footprint when he popularized the one-handed shot. He could jump so high and stay up so long, he seemed to defy gravity.
Was Luisetti better than Jordan? That’s impossible to say because they played in different eras. But Hank Luisetti was basketball’s first superstar and what he did for the game is unprecedented.
This historical fiction novel is based on the basketball achievements of Hank Luisetti. Some actual events, aspects, and characters have been fictionalized. Get the audiobook now! Visit the author's website: www.booksbymikedelucia.com
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- Germana Berni
- 11-16-21
A story of perseverance to be told especially today!
Now I know why he made it into the Nesmith Stars All of Fame. Thank you Mike DeLucia for writing the book.
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- GABRIEL
- 03-27-20
This Book Is Rocky Meets Hoosiers
Michael DeLucia has created a wonderful story centered around a real historical Character Hank Luisetti.
It’s beautifully narrated by the author who brings across his passion for the story.
Hank Luisetti, a little known Italian American by most , single handedly changed the way basketball was played in his day making it the exciting game that we see today.
His story is told within an amazing fictional novel created by Michael Delucia.
Can’t wait for the a Motion Picture.
Well Done!
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- J. E. Doherty
- 12-01-19
Coming of Age Story for a Teen & His Sport (Hoops)
This is a compelling story where the author cleverly addresses a multitude of conflicts (father/son, Old/New World family, young love, being a kid/becoming an adult, East/West teams, and Old Ways/Modern Innovation as to sport and society) through the lens of college basketball and one of its best (and largely unknown) players - Angelo "Hank" Luisetti. Being true to yourself and sticking with people who love you was a good plan for Hank and should be for any reader as well.
It is also refreshing to see basketball as a means to bridge familial and societal gaps in an historical way as baseball typically serves that role.
I very much enjoyed the story and particularly recommend the audio book as the author does a great job of bringing Hank's story to life.
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- Amazon Customer
- 10-27-19
Slam Dunk!
I am not a sports fan, but this book appeals to all! Hank Luisetti is a very interesting man and it is wonderful how this book preserves his legacy both on and off the court. Mike DeLucia is only a great author but a fantastic narrator! It is no surprise he has a background in acting.
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- L. H .
- 10-26-19
GREAT Story
This one of the best Books Ive listened to in a long time.
The Story is GREAT, and the History woven together make a Great Book.
The Story made you want to be apart of it. The characters were all people you wish you knew.
The Narrator , Tells the story with such emotion, and description, You can see, hear and feel each character Come to life!
I say , whether you like Basketball or not, This will pull you in from the first page, and you might just become a Basketball Fan after listening or reading it!!!
Definitely a 4 stars!!!
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- Nicholas Garr
- 10-23-19
Love this book. Now I can listen to it while I drive.
There’s so many reasons why I love this book. I love the setting, the time, but especially because it’s about a sports hero that had been greatly overlooked in recent times. It is a nicely read,audiobook and oneI will listen to over and over again.
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- BlackCat
- 10-01-19
Get caught in the excitement!
The narration is one of the best I've heard. DeLucia was able to infuse the excitement of a real basketball ball into his narration. He kept me interested and waiting for what happens next. The story is something every basketball fan should know about. I used to be a Jordan fan but I've never heard of Luisetti and how this man changed the game of basketball. It's a story of perseverance and hope and is ultimately inspiring. Worth the listen.
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Story
Fifteen-year-old Spencer Harris is a proud nerd, an awesome big brother, and a David Beckham in training. He's also transgender. After transitioning at his old school leads to a year of isolation and bullying, Spencer gets a fresh start at Oakley, the most liberal private school in Ohio. At Oakley, Spencer seems to have it all: more accepting classmates, a decent shot at a starting position on the boys' soccer team, great new friends, and maybe even something more than friendship with one of his teammates.
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Really Great
- By jennifer robinson on 05-21-23
By: Isaac Fitzsimons
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Paper Lion
- Confessions of a Last-String Quarterback
- By: George Plimpton, Nicholas Dawidoff - foreword
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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George Plimpton was perhaps best known for Paper Lion, the book that set the bar for participatory sports journalism. With his characteristic wit, Plimpton recounts his experiences in talking his way into training camp with the Detroit Lions, practicing with the team, and taking snaps behind center. His breezy style captures the pressures and tensions rookies confront, the hijinks that pervade when 60 high-strung guys live together in close quarters, and a host of football rites and rituals.
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Still great, after all these years!
- By D. Lichtenstein on 06-15-17
By: George Plimpton, and others
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Football Genius
- By: Tim Green
- Narrated by: Tim Green
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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When Tory White's mom gets a job with the Atlanta Falcons, Tory demonstrates his uncanny ability to call football plays before they happen. With Troy's genius, the Falcons could be unstoppable-- if only the coaches would take him seriously!
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Great book
- By Jill Hofer on 08-26-23
By: Tim Green
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The Residue Years
- By: Mitchell S. Jackson
- Narrated by: Corey Allen
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Mitchell S. Jackson grew up black in a neglected neighborhood in America’s whitest city, Portland, Oregon. In the ’90s, those streets and beyond had fallen under the shadow of crack cocaine and its familiar mayhem. In his commanding autobiographical novel, Mitchell writes what it was to come of age in that time and place, with a break-out voice that’s nothing less than extraordinary. The Residue Years switches between the perspectives of a young man, Champ, and his mother, Grace.
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Dense in cultural details
- By Angel on 12-04-15
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Rats Saw God
- By: Rob Thomas
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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By his senior year, Steve York has come through the worst two years of his life. His parents have divorced, and his girlfriend has betrayed him. Worse yet, after running away to live with his mother in San Diego, forays into the drug culture have turned his A-average into a thing of the past. Steve's only hope to graduate on time and avoid summer school is to write a 100-page paper for his guidance counselor. Unfortunately, he has to write about something he knows, and all he knows well are the last two years of his life.
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Real
- By Mary on 06-26-09
By: Rob Thomas
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Unstoppable
- By: Tim Green
- Narrated by: Tim Green
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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If anyone understands the phrase "tough luck", it's Harrison. As a foster kid in a cruel home, he knows his dream of one day playing for the NFL is a long shot. Then Harrison's luck seems to change. He is brought into a new home with kind, loving parents - his new dad is even a football coach. Harrison's big build and his incredible determination quickly make him a star running back on the junior high school team. In no time, he's practically unstoppable. But Harrison's good luck can't last forever.
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Listen to it with you kid
- By mamamijo on 07-06-14
By: Tim Green
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Dust Bowl Girls
- The Inspiring Story of the Team That Barnstormed Its Way to Basketball Glory
- By: Lydia Reeder
- Narrated by: Virginia Wolf
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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At the height of the Great Depression, Sam Babb, the charismatic basketball coach of tiny Oklahoma Presbyterian College, began dreaming. Like so many others, he wanted a reason to have hope. Traveling from farm to farm, he recruited talented, hardworking young women and offered them a chance at a better life: a free college education if they would come play for his basketball team, the Cardinals. Despite their fears of leaving home and the sacrifices faced by their families, the women followed Babb and his dream.
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Only A 'Nice' Story
- By Gillian on 01-29-17
By: Lydia Reeder
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Between Sundays
- By: Karen Kingsbury
- Narrated by: Kathy Garver
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Football season becomes a time of realization that life's most important victories are won off the field. A star running back with much to learn, a younger player with much to give, and a woman with a heart for underprivileged kids - all three are thrown together into a time of self-discovery and a new awareness of the things that matter most.
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Great Narration
- By Jennifer on 12-30-12
By: Karen Kingsbury
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By the Grace of the Game
- The Holocaust, a Basketball Legacy, and an Unprecedented American Dream
- By: Dan Grunfeld
- Narrated by: Chris Lutkin
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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When Lily and Alex entered a packed gymnasium in Queens, New York, in 1972, they barely recognized their son. The boy who escaped to America with them, who was bullied as he struggled to learn English and cope with family tragedy, was now a young man who had discovered and secretly honed his basketball talent on the outdoor courts of New York City. That young man was Ernie Grunfeld, who would go on to win an Olympic gold medal and reach previously unimaginable heights as an NBA player and executive.
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Exceptional
- By Patrick Messing on 04-07-22
By: Dan Grunfeld
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Dr. J Unabridged
- The Autobiography
- By: Julius Erving, Karl Taro Greenfeld
- Narrated by: Julius Erving
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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With his flights of improvisation around the basket and his towering afro, Julius Erving became one of the most charismatic (and revolutionary) players basketball has ever known. But while the public has long revered this cultural icon, few have ever known of the double life of Julius Erving. Dr. J traces the inner lives of the nearly perfect player and the imperfect man - and how he has come to terms with both.
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I may overrate it, but I’m a hoops junkie!
- By @JWTheBlueprint on 01-29-14
By: Julius Erving, and others
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The Great Nowitzki
- Basketball and the Meaning of Life
- By: Thomas Pletzinger, Shane Anderson - translator
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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The seven-foot Dirk Nowitzki is one of the great players in basketball history. With a devastating fadeaway and unexpected agility, the Dallas Mavericks superstar helped to pioneer the modern three-shooting game and became a global ambassador for the sport. Award-winning novelist and sportswriter Thomas Pletzinger traveled with Nowitzki for more than seven years, seeking the secret of his success and longevity. In novelistic detail, Pletzinger tells the dramatic story of how a lanky kid from the German suburbs became a top-five all-time scorer and NBA champion.
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Swish
- By Raquel on 04-20-23
By: Thomas Pletzinger, and others
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Slow Getting Up
- A Story of NFL Survival from the Bottom of the Pile
- By: Nate Jackson
- Narrated by: Nate Jackson
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Nate Jackson’s Slow Getting Up is an unvarnished and uncensored memoir of everyday life in the most popular sports league in America - and the most damaging to its players - the National Football League. After playing college ball at a tiny Division III school, Jackson, a receiver, signed as a free agent with the San Francisco 49ers, before moving to the Denver Broncos. For six seasons in the NFL as a Bronco, he alternated between the practice squad and the active roster, eventually winning a starting spot - a short, tenuous career emblematic of the average pro player.