The Basketball 100

David Aldridge and John Hollinger—senior staffers for The Athletic—present a fun, engaging, and insightful compilation of the best and biggest stars in the 75-year history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Basketball Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley gets the book off to a great start with a jocular forward, followed by Aldridge’s heartfelt introduction on what the game has meant to him and to others who love the sport. The write-ups are extensive, with engrossing backstories, human interest anecdotes, and play-by-play highlights of players’ most pivotal games and moments. Career stats (points per game, rebounds, and assists averages) and achievements (All-NBA and All-Star selections) are listed. Players from every era are represented, including current superstars LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. Hakeem Olajuwon and Nikola Jokić are also mentioned. The book details a metric created by Hollinger that’s called GOAT Points, which applies numerical values for ranking players. Readers may question players’ ranks or inclusion but never their talent and accomplishments. The work finishes with Aldridge’s essay about how the 24-second shot clock saved basketball. Let the debates begin.

[CORRECTION NOTICE: We found several editorial errors in the original review; this online version has been corrected.]