{"product_id":"hardcourt-stories-from-75-years-of-the-national-basketball-association-9781534460430","title":"Hardcourt: Stories from 75 Years of the National Basketball Association","description":"\u003cb\u003eCelebrate seventy-five years of the NBA in this exciting and beautifully illustrated middle grade account of the legendary athletes, coaches, and teams that changed basketball forever and created a national phenomenon enjoyed by millions today.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe National Basketball Association is the biggest league for one of the nation's most beloved sports. Played in massive stadiums by athletes who are now household names, with millions of fans around the world, basketball has truly become a global phenomenon. But it didn't always exist the way we know it now. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFollow basketball from its humble beginnings as a casual indoor pastime played in gyms and colleges through its evolution for seventy-five years of hardcourt history. The NBA gained legions of fans thanks to the introduction of rules like the three-point line and the twenty-four second clock, and teams such as the Harlem Globetrotters, who paved the way for desegregated teams. Discover the story of the legendary Olympic Dream Team of 1992 and beloved players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James, along with the early game-changers who made basketball what it is today. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith the expert storytelling of veteran sportswriter Fred Bowen and stunning full-page illustrations from award-winning artist James E. Ransome, experience the biggest and best basketball league in the world, the NBA.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFred Bowen is the author of \u003ci\u003eGridiron\u003c\/i\u003e and more than twenty additional children's books about sports, and for the past twenty years has written the weekly \u003ci\u003eKidsPost \u003c\/i\u003ecolumn in \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e. Fred lives in Maryland with his family. Visit him at FredBowen.com. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJames E. Ransome's highly acclaimed illustrations for \u003ci\u003eBefore She Was Harriet \u003c\/i\u003ereceived the 2018 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. His other award-winning titles include the Coretta Scott King winner \u003ci\u003eThe Creation\u003c\/i\u003e; Coretta Scott King Honor Book \u003ci\u003eUncle Jed's Barbershop\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eSweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt\u003c\/i\u003e; and \u003ci\u003eLet My People Go\u003c\/i\u003e, winner of the NAACP Image Award. James is also a recipient of the ALA Children's Literature Legacy Award. He frequently collaborates with his wife, author Lesa Cline-Ransome, and their books include \u003ci\u003eGame Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis\u003c\/i\u003e. James is a professor and coordinator of the MFA Illustration Graduate Program at Syracuse University. He lives in New York's Hudson River Valley region with his family. Visit James at JamesRansome.com.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Margaret K. McElderry Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50613569978642,"sku":"9781534460430","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_e46f47ac-3239-4fe0-9516-86bb23773468.jpg?v=1732408701","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/hardcourt-stories-from-75-years-of-the-national-basketball-association-9781534460430","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}