Sports Books by Jewish Authors Make Great Gifts

Are you shopping this Chanukah season for a sports fan in your family? If so, these three books would make ideal gifts:

Moses Malone: The Life of a Basketball Prophet by Paul Knepper

Before Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James made the quantum leap from high school to pro basketball stardom, there was Moses Malone, the eventual three-time NBA MVP who’s widely hailed as the all-time greatest offensive rebounder. And yet, Malone, a one-time Atlanta Hawk who tragically died a decade ago at 60, never had his remarkable life story chronicled in a comprehensive, dynamic biography — until earlier this month when author Paul  Knepper’s latest work, “Moses Malone: The Life of a Basketball Prophet,” hit bookshelves.

Readers should find that the wait was worth it as Knepper, a former NBA columnist for Bleacher Report who also authored a book on the Patrick Ewing Knicks, expertly chronicles the life and times of one of the most towering, enigmatic, and criminally overlooked figures in basketball history. Malone’s on-court resume (which included a brief stint in the long-defunct ABA) is hands-down Hall of Fame-worthy: the 12-time NBA All-Star and 1983 NBA Finals MVP is one of only nine players to be named league MVP at least three times. But no personal or team awards can do justice to Malone’s work ethic. Writes Knepper, “fans don’t fantasize about being a ‘blue-collar superstar,’ though Malone’s unparalleled work ethic and searing intensity were more relatable than gravity-defying dunks. There’s something heroic about the humble warrior who loves to compete with no regard for fame.”

But Malone’s off-court legacy is not-so straightforward. As Knepper so vividly illustrates, Malone, whose road to basketball immortality began in impoverished and segregated 1950s Petersburg, Va., was a humble superstar in a league of Texas-sized egos and an unflaggingly loyal friend whose lifelong generosity knew no bounds. While Malone may have been perceived as a gentle giant on the hardwood — despite his aggressive style, the big man played a record 1,212 games without a single disqualification — he apparently had his fair share of personal demons when the stadium lights went out. After Malone’s wife, Alfreda, decided she could no longer tolerate her husband’s infidelity and filed for divorce in September 1991, the ensuing petition included horrific allegations of Moses being physically and verbally abusive. This impartial account of Malone’s private life reminds readers once again that some sports heroes aren’t always so heroic when the cheering stops.

Ultimately, the many insightful anecdotes — some of which wade into uncomfortable areas — grounded in copious primary resources bring to life an often-overshadowed NBA legend, making Moses Malone a vital contribution to the canon of basketball literature.

A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers by Yaron Weitzman

At this hour, the future of LeBron James remains shrouded in mystery as there’s no telling how effective the Los Angeles Lakers megastar and NBA’s all-time leading scorer, will be upon returning from sciatica.  Regardless, James’ legacy among the pantheon of Laker greats is unquestioned — but as basketball author Yaron Weitzman (“Tanking to the Top”) compellingly demonstrates in his new NBA tome, “A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers” — LeBron’s final act has had plenty of, well, drama.

With his conversational and entertaining writing style, Weitzman makes it abundantly clear that LeBron’s Hollywood ending, which began in summer 2018 just after propelling the Cleveland Cavaliers to four straight NBA Finals appearances, shouldn’t be confused with a storybook ending. Take for instance the first pandemic season: James has been in the league since 2003, but no season has been more draining and tumultuous than the 2019-20 campaign, which coincided with Kobe Bryant’s tragic death and a bizarre mid-summer shift to the NBA bubble where Los Angeles won its record-tying 17th NBA title in a vacant arena with faux crowd noise. More recently, with the exception of becoming the first NBA player to take the court with his son (Bronny) on opening night of the 2024-25 season, LeBron’s last several seasons have been downright disappointing.

In delineating the highs and lows of James’ career as a Laker, Weitzman provides a fascinating and impartial character study of arguably the greatest player since Michael Jordan. James, as Weitzman reveals, has often used his social media platform to weigh in on many political issues during his Lakers tenure, whereas Jordan, coincidentally, often remained tight-lipped when it came to politics.

Similarly, James (often in conjunction with his talent management agency) has also been outspoken about the Lakers’ front office decisions — a dynamic that Weitzman doesn’t shy away from chronicling. Nevertheless, the Lakers were in utter disarray in the late 2010s post-Kobe era and Lebron’s arrival single-handedly revived the iconic franchise. Weitzman concludes his book by writing, “he’d saved the Lakers, giving everything he had to them and the league, and, in doing so, achieved more than he ever could have dreamed. LeBron James had come to Hollywood, won in Hollywood, and become part of Hollywood. All that remained was a ride off into the sunset.”

As one of the most famous people of the 21st century, LeBron James continues to be chronicled in an endless stream of books. But “A Hollywood Ending,” rooted in more than 250 interviews conducted over three years of research, provides such a gripping account of the surefire Hall of Famer’s final NBA seasons that it promises to be the definitive account of the Los Angeles years.

American Coach: The Triumph and Tragedy of Notre Dame Legend Frank Leahy by Ivan Maisel

Notre Dame football is enjoying a resurgence this decade. The Fighting Irish played in last year’s national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and are poised to make a deep run in this year’s College Football Playoff. So, the timing is very apropos for a fresh look at the late, great Frank Leahy, the trailblazing celebrity head coach who pioneered Notre Dame to six immaculate seasons and four national titles in just over a decade. Indeed, in “American Coach: The Triumph and Tragedy of Notre Dame Legend Frank Leahy,” prominent Jewish sportswriter Ivan Maisel reminds — or perhaps in some cases, educates — readers as to why Leahy stands as one of the most intriguing figures in football history who rightfully deserves his long-awaited spot in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Leahy’s legacy, per the book’s subtitle, is nonetheless one of a tragic figure: for everything football gave him — gracing the cover of Time magazine and palling around with U.S. presidents and movie stars were just a couple perks of helming one of the most storied college football programs following his playing days in South Bend — the sport also turned him into a workaholic often separated from his wife, Florence, and eight children. Even when Leahy retired from coaching in the wake of a frightening pancreatic attack in the locker room during halftime of a 1953 game against Georgia Tech, his family’s internal dynamics were fraught with serious trouble.

Maisel offers, “all the Leahy kids wanted was to be what every teenager wants to be — like everyone else. But they had a famous dad. That brought unwanted attention. And they might come home from school to a mother who hadn’t waited for happy hour to open a bottle.”

Less than two decades later, Leahy valiantly fought a five-year battle with leukemia before passing away at 64.

Though “American Coach” was written posthumously, Maisel’s exhaustive research, based on a treasure trove of historical documents and unfettered access to Leahy’s descendants, yields a riveting account of one of the 20th century’s most underappreciated sports figures.