Duke - Carolina - the Blue Blood Rivalry, the Master Collection

When The Winning Tradition first appeared in 1984, it was the first complete history of the Wildcat basketball program. Bert Nelli pointed out that, contrary to the accepted mythology, Adolph Rupp arrived at a program already strong and storied. Nor did Rupp bring an entirely new style of play to the Bluegrass. Instead he adopted -- and perfected -- that of his predecessor, John Mauer. What Rupp did bring was an ability to charm the news media and a fierce determination to turn out winning teams, making him the undisputed "Baron of Basketball."

This new and expanded edition of The Winning Tradition brings the history of Kentucky basketball up to date. Nelli and his son Steve turn the same unflinching gaze that characterized the honesty of the first edition on the scandals that marred Eddie Sutton's tenure, the return to glory under Rick Pitino, and a full accounting of Tubby Smith's history-making first year.

The start of basketball season is welcomed in the Bluegrass with an unmatched enthusiasm and intensity. Each year brings a new team, new stars, and new glory. Other books have documented individual seasons, individual players, or individual coaches. But The Winning Tradition remains the only complete and authoritative history of the most celebrated college basketball program in the world.

A book no fan can afford to be without, The Winning Tradition brings alive the agonies, frustrations, and glories of each season of Kentucky basketball, from the first team (fielded by women) to the surprising victory in the 1998 NCAA tournament.

With painstaking reportage, Kathy Orton vividly captures the internal fervor of the personalities who champion their gameùall the triumphs and disappointments of an Ivy hoop season. Scholarships for student athletes? None, and this is the only Division I conference that does not offer them. The TV spotlight? It barely shines, despite the passion, talent, and commitment of the players. Megadollar contracts from the NBA? Rarely does a player receive an offer. These age-old institutions are better known for turning out presidents, not point guards, and CEOs and captains of industry, not centers on the court.

Orton weaves together the stories of coaches and players as they move from fall practice through an entire season and ahead to the NCAA tournament. From Harvard to Penn, Princeton to Cornell and beyond, playersùperhaps more accustomed to pomp and circumstanceùface leaky gyms, endure long bus rides, rigorous courseloads, and unbearable exam schedules. Why? Just to prove they can hang with the big boys despite juggling multiple non-athletic responsibilities? Maybe. But more importantly, for the sincere love of the game.

Outside the Limelight provides frontcourt vision for college basketball fans everywhere to achieve an appreciation of this captivating conference and for diehard enthusiasts to gain greater insight into what brings Ivy League basketball to center circle.

"Go to Hell, Duke!"
--Last line, Tar Heel Fight Song

For fifty years the rivalry between Duke and Carolina has featured famous brawls, endless controversy, long-nurtured hatred—and some of the best basketball ever played in the history of the sport. For Duke and UNC players and fans, the competition is not about winning a prize, trophy or title. The reason students at both schools camp out for days to get tickets—is about bragging rights and raw pride.

Fueled by a proximity of eight miles along Tobacco Road, these two highly respected academic institutions have a rivalry of contrasts: powder blue vs. royal blue; public vs. private; Southerners versus Northern transplants; Michael Jordan and Vince Carter vs. Grant Hill and Christian Laettner. And now, with former Tar Heel assistant Roy Williams the new head coach of UNC, and Mike Krzyzewski still going strong at Duke—the rivalry only continues.

Blue Blood is a thrilling chronicle of the Duke-Carolina rivalry as it has evolved over the last fifty years. With unparalleled insider access, veteran journalist and author Art Chansky details the colorful, revered, and respected rivalry—for the first time ever. Chansky has seen every Duke-Carolina game since 1968 and now gives readers the never-before-told details, the story behind the story of this rivalry that has polarized the nation.

The Duke-Carolina rivalry has fostered more than thirty former players from the two schools playing or coaching in the NBA; it has cultivated a maniacal subculture of fans who camp out for weeks just to get tickets to the seasonal match-ups; it has enchanted a nation of spectators to watch games between the archrivals—garnering some of the highest regular-season TV ratings in history. Blue Blood celebrates the history of this rivalry, the traditions, the heritage, and, most importantly—spectacular basketball.

In the wake of his retirement from professional basketball, Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant has decided to share his vast knowledge and understanding of the game to take readers on an unprecedented journey to the core of the legendary “Mamba mentality.” Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it “the right way,” The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most intelligent, analytical, and creative basketball players ever.

For the first time, and in his own words, Bryant reveals his famously detailed approach and the steps he took to prepare mentally and physically to not just succeed at the game, but to excel. Readers will learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries. They’ll also get fascinating granular detail as he breaks down specific plays and match-ups from throughout his career.

Bryant’s detailed accounts are paired with stunning photographs by the Hall of Fame photographer Andrew D. Bernstein. Bernstein, long the Lakers and NBA official photographer, captured Bryant’s very first NBA photo in 1996 and his last in 2016—and hundreds of thousands in between, the record of a unique, twenty-year relationship between one athlete and one photographer.

The combination of Bryant’s narrative and Bernstein’s photos make The Mamba Mentality an unprecedented look behind the curtain at the career of one of the world’s most celebrated and fascinating athletes.