An athlete can go so far as to become a legend, and then many people will be interested in hearing about their stories, not just watching and experiencing their current stardom. A great way of getting to know some of the legends long gone is to read about them. This is best done by reading their biographies, preferably authorized ones. Here is a list of the best biographies of a couple of legends.
Michael Jordan: The Life – Roland Lazenby
Even though he is still among the living, it is always great to brush up on a legend’s story. In this book, Jordan’s career is revisited, from his college days to those of being a professional and even beyond. Roland Lazenby did Jordan’s story justice by being vigilant and by paying attention to details. He interviewed anyone close to Jordan, including his coaches, teammates, friends, and family. Jordan himself, was, of course, interviewed. This book explores his career, but also Jordan’s mentality, something people would rather read about than reading statistics.
Muhammad Ali – His Life and Times – Thomas Hauser
Everyone knows of the great boxer Muhammad Ali, but not everyone is familiar with his long and definitely interesting story. Thomas Hauser is a big fan of Ali, yet his fandom does not get in the way. You can see the praise in the book, but also the hard facts. This is probably the best biography about Ali as Hauser quotes, words and extracts from interviews of more than two hundred of Ali’s opponents, family, and friends. Ali’s story is amazing, but when you read it in the words of Thomas Hauser, you feel much closer to the legend himself.
Open: An Autobiography – Andre Agassi
The best biographies can come from the authors themselves, or in this case, tennis star. Andre Agassi tells his own story in a way which can bring you into the world of professional tennis, from a very young age to a feeling of resent in the end. His story is full of details, from matches and tennis camps, as well as off the court, when he was just ruminating on his career. If you want to get to know Andre Agassi, this is the best way of doing it apart from talking to him, but the latter is probably less likely to happen.
The Secret Race – Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle
Tyler Hamilton was a professional cycling for the US Postal Team and he was retired early due to a positive doping test. Doping in cycling is a very frequent topic, one more frequent than the cyclists themselves, at times. Hamilton tells a story about the Tour de France and the behind the scenes version of what doping in the US Postal Team was like. You can get a very different perspective on professional cycling by reading this book.
These sports biographies are not connected in any other way except they all tell their respective stories in a great and immersive way. Biographies similar to these ones are what you should look for if you want a good read about athletes and sports.