Basket Ball, Kadir Nelson
Basket Ball, Kadir Nelson
List: $14.99 | Sale: $10.50
Club: $7.49

Basket Ball
The Story of the All-American Game

Author: Kadir Nelson

Series: American Sports Histories #2

Narrator: Cary Hite

Unabridged: 2 hr 28 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/13/2026


Synopsis

Award-winning creator Kadir Nelson delivers the perfect gift for basketball fans of any age—a beautifully illustrated history of the game and its key players over the years—in this companion to his bestselling We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball.

Basketball has evolved by leaps and bounds since its origin over 125 years ago, but what remains is the passion of the players, the heat of competition, and supreme strategy and athleticism on the court. In this visual tour de force, celebrated artist Kadir Nelson weds his love for the game with showstopping paintings that bring its heart-pounding history to life.

The sage voice of an elder player narrates the journey from the early days of the slow game of “basket ball” to today’s dazzlingly athletic and fast-paced sport. Engaging profiles of revolutionary players—including Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry—are featured, along with notable quotes from major figures of the game. With each breathtaking page turn, fans young and old will learn the gripping story of the all-American game and meet its iconic, indomitable heroes.

About Kadir Nelson

Kadir Nelson won the 2012 Coretta Scott King Author Award and Illustrator Honor for Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans. He received Caldecott Honors for Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, for which he also garnered a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and won an NAACP Image Award. Ellington Was Not a Street by Ntozake Shange won a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. Nelson's authorial debut, We Are the Ship, was a New York Times bestseller, a Coretta Scott King Author Award winner, and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor book. He is also the author and illustrator of the acclaimed Baby Bear.


Reviews

There are currently no user reviews for this audiobook.

Quotes

* "Jam-packed with well-researched historical context, each chapter is compelling.... A backboard-shattering slam dunk."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Praise for We Are the Ship:

Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor
Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Award
A New York Times bestseller


"Nelson continues to top himself with each new book." —Kirkus Reviews

"Pitch-perfect history of Negro League Baseball. " —Horn Book

“The stories and artwork contained here are a tribute to the spirit of the Negro Leaguers.” —Booklist

“An engaging tribute that should resonate with a wide audience and delight baseball fans of all ages.” —School Library Journal

“One need not be a baseball fan to enjoy this book.” —Library Media Connection