Introduction
Chapter One. Michael Jordan and the Creation of the Modern NBA
Chapter Two. Shaquille O’Neal: Black Superman
Chapter Three. Alonzo Mourning: The Player with a Mission
Chapter Four. Vin Baker: The Downfall and Rebirth of the Alcoholic Athlete
Chapter Five. Allen Iverson: Celebrity and the Event
Chapter Six. Antoine Walker: Overconfident or Asshole?
Chapter Seven. Steve Nash: The “Unlikely” Hero
Chapter Eight. Tim Duncan: The Boredom of Excellence
Chapter Nine. Kobe Bryant: Personification of the Spectacle
Conclusion
Works Cited
Index
About the Author
Łukasz Muniowski holds a PhD in American Literature from the University of Warsaw and is the author of Three-Pointer! A 40-Year NBA History.
Narrating the NBA is an insightful and dynamic study of the NBA’s
rich mythology, which traces the carer narratives of many of the
league’s most iconic players. Dr. Muniowski effectively
demonstrates how individual athletes are transformed into mythical
figures by showing how these narratives inform players’ careers,
lives, and legacies. By unpacking the archetypal associations of
basketball’s biggest athlete-celebrities, he reveals the complex
tension between sport biographies and biofictions. This is a
fascinating read, for both sport scholars and fans of the game.
*Brittany Reid, Thompson Rivers University*
This is a fascinating collection of studies of the career
narratives of nine leading NBA players, including Michael Jordan,
Allen Iverson, and Kobe Bryant, each of them chosen because they
represent archetypes that are prevalent not only in the world of
professional basketball also in professional sport more generally.
This book is both a labor of love and a highly significant
contribution to academic debates about sports celebrity. It will
also be read avidly by countless NBA fans from Chicago to
Chongqing, Madrid to Manila.
*Alan Bairner, Loughborough University*
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