Hardcourt: Stories from 75 Years of the National Basketball Association

In this engrossing, statistics-peppered history of the NBA, sportswriter Bowen traces the evolution of the league, including the sport’s origin story in 1891, the league’s history of segregation and discrimination, and the noteworthy achievements of players, such as Wilt Chamberlain’s scoring 100 points in one game in 1962. The prose has a conversational, buzzy tone befitting the fast-moving subject matter: “But the ABA always had interesting players.... Characters such as Maurice ‘Toothpick’ McHartley... who couldn’t play unless he had a toothpick in the corner of his mouth. (DO NOT TRY THIS!)” Bold watercolor illustrations by Ransome feature precisely detailed teams, with mid-action shots of plays both defensive and offensive, as well as collaged spreads and recognizable portraits of beloved NBA stars. A rousing exploration of an American institution. Back matter includes lists through 2021 of NBA Finals champions and NBA/ABA career scoring leaders. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)