Top 10 Basketball Books For Teens Updated 04 /2024

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Basketball is one of the few sports that I can watch without getting bored. The last time I read a good YA book with a lot of basketball in it, I think about all of the times I tried to improve my free throws and cheered on my middle school and high school teams. Three great YA books about basketball, as well as other important things in life, are on this list.

Here to Stay by Sara Farizan

As a student, Bijan Majidi is a quiet, nerdy person who likes to stay out of the public eye a little. He's good at basketball and isn't bothered by that. A lot of people start paying attention to him when he plays in a high school game and makes the winning shot. They don't pay attention to his skills at all. It turns out that the cyber bully Photoshops him to look like a terrorist so that his school is afraid of Islamophobia. As Bijan adjusts to this new world, he finds that some people want to help him, but it's more difficult to figure out who is prejudiced than he thought.

The Avant-Guards by Carly Usdin and Noah Hayes

When Charlie moves to a new school, she wants to forget the humiliation of not being a sports star at a state school. Liv, the team captain of the school's basketball team, isn't going to let Charlie join the team for long before she asks him to. As a result, she doesn't want to go back to her days of competition and stress. She also doesn't know where she fits in... But maybe it's having fun with a new group of friends.

After the Shot Drops by Randy Ribay

As a side note, Ribay is also the author of Patron Saints of Nothing, which is up for the National Book Award. There are two friends, Bunny and Nasir, in this book. Bunny gets a scholarship to a good school and Nasir is left behind, hanging out with his cousin, who's in trouble. With the help of bets, Wallace is able to get out of his situation. He bets against Bunny and his success on the court, which puts Nasir in a very bad situation.

The Miracle of St. Anthony: A Season with Coach Bob Hurley and Basketball’s Most Improbable Dynasty by Adrian Wojnarowski

He wrote his first basketball book in 2006. It was based on his experience following a New Jersey high school team that set the standard for "dysfunctional." The team was surrounded by urban blight at a school that was always on the verge of bankruptcy. They never had a senior graduate to a Division I school.

This is what happened to St. Anthony's volleyball teams in the 2003-2004 season. They beat the odds and came in second in the country. They also had a perfect season and won the state title. In this book, young people learn that being good on the court isn't as important as being persistent.

Pistol by Mark Kriegel

It's one of the best books on Pete Maravich, one of the Basketball Hall of Fame's youngest members. It was written by Mark Kriegel, who is a sports analyst. Kriegel's account goes beyond listing Maravich's achievements. He says that he was the best player in NCAA Division I history, and that he was an almost unbeatable ball handler and creative offensive player. Kriegel also talks about how Pete's father, Press, is so powerful.

Though the book is full of praise for Maravich, Kriegel doesn't hide his main flaws. Maravich was mean to his teammates, didn't have good defense skills, and never won an NCAA or NBA title. Pistol is a full, accurate picture of one of the best players in the NBA. A well-written and honest book about basketball.

Heaven Is a Playground by Rick Telander

A summer in New York City in the 1970s is what this book is about. It doesn't talk about college or professional hoops. Telander, who is now a sports columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, talks about his childhood in Brooklyn. He talks about the slang, the playground talk, and his life as a high school basketball player. Even though there have been a lot of books on street ball since 1976, this one by Telander is still a favorite.

The Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam

David Halberstam, a well-known author, started writing about sports later in his life. His book The Breaks of the Game, which came out in 1981, is one of his best-known works. Halberstam uses his trademarks to talk about the NBA championship season of the 1979-80 Portland Trail Blazers. He does a lot of research and pays attention to every little detail. Years after its release, the book is still being praised by fans, the media, and other writers as a great basketball book for teenagers, parents, and anyone else who likes a well-told story.

True Legend by Mike Lupica

Mike Lupica is now one of the most well-known sports writers in the United States. He has written several best-selling basketball books. Drew "True" Robinson is the main character in one of his most recent novels, True Legend. Because he is so unique and talented, he is called "True." People get into trouble when they meet True, and he's going in the wrong direction right now. A former playground legend is going to help him, but only if he can get help from someone who used to play there.

It doesn't matter how good you are at basketball if you make the wrong decisions. This is what Lupica talks about in his book True Legend.

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