When Josh Swade found out that the original 13 rules of basketball, penned by Dr. James Naismith—the father of modern basketball—were up for auction, he knew that it was his duty as a lifelong Jayhawks fan to make sure that they ended up where they belonged. Penned in 1891, Naismith’s original rules were auctioned off by Sotheby’s in New York City on December 10, 2010. Upon hearing the news that Naismith’s grandson, Ian Naismith, had offered the rules for auction, Swade could not accept the notion that this sacred document could reside with just some stranger or in a random home or hall. He resolved to ensure that Naismith’s rules be returned to his spiritual home of forty years, The University of Kansas. Swade had his raison d'etre. He had all the determination one could need. There was only one issue. He did not have 4.3 million dollars. Spanning the course of thirty-nine frantic days, Josh Swade embarked on a fanatical journey that would take him across the country. His nearly religious obsession brought him face-to-face with NBA players Paul Peirce and Steve Nash, NBA greats Jerry West and Larry Brown, and many others who knew the importance of this relic. With multiple hurdles ahead of him, will Josh be able to find the money and support to purchase the rules before it’s too late?

BASKETBALL Smartiepants is the most complete book on basketball ever written. Basketball Smartiepants was written for any reader that has any interest in basketball including the serious player, the pickup player, coaches, officials and every level of fan. Topics include NBA history, today's player, fundamentals for improving a player's game, Chemistry, The versatile and efficient player, limiting turnovers, practice and training, footwork, angles and spacing, individual and team offense and defense, passing, rebounding, coaching, Emotional Intelligence, pickup game etiquette, Characteristics of winning teams, common basketball injuries and rehabilitation, the senior player, and inspirational comments. Also covered are coaching "blind spots" and mistakes, why officials sometimes do not make calls, why games are at times inconsistently officiated, how to recognize a good official and how to properly work an official. For the basketball fan topics discussed include attending and watching games, Bacteriology and wagering on games and basketball on social media. Also discussed are personal interaction stories with famous basketball personnel including Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Mark Cuban and others. The single best informational source on basketball ever written. Author is a former coach, former official and has been playing since 1966.

Remembered in name but underappreciated in legacy, Forrest “Phog” Allen arguably influenced the game of basketball more than anyone else. In the first half of the twentieth century, Allen took basketball from a gentlemanly, indoor recreational pastime to the competitive game that would become a worldwide sport. Succeeding James Naismith as the University of Kansas’s basketball coach in 1907, Allen led the Jayhawks for thirty-nine seasons and holds the record for most wins at that school, with 590. He also helped create the NCAA tournament and brought basketball to the Olympics. Allen changed the way the game is played, coached, marketed, and presented. Scott Morrow Johnson reveals Allen as a master recruiter, a transformative coach, and a visionary basketball mind. Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith, Wilt Chamberlain, and many others benefited from Allen’s knowledge of and passion for the game. But Johnson also delves into Allen’s occasionally tumultuous relationships with Naismith, the NCAA, and University of Kansas administrators. Phog: The Most Influential Man in Basketball chronicles this complex man’s life, telling for the first time the full story of the man whose name is synonymous with Kansas basketball and with the game itself.

In 2010, University of Kansas officials were shocked to learn that the FBI and IRS were on campus investigating Rodney Jones, former head of the Athletics Ticket Office, for stealing Jayhawks basketball tickets and selling them to brokers. Investigators found that for more than five years Jones and a small ring of university officials had conspired to loot the university of $2 million in tickets, reselling them for $3-5 million. In what was perhaps the biggest scandal in college sports history, all seven members of the "Kansas Ticket Gang" pleaded guilty to RICO Act indictments. Five went to prison--two were given probation for turning state's evidence.

The story of Canada’s other game from its invention by a Canadian to its current struggle for popularity. Basketball, the only major world sport undeniably invented by a Canadian, has ironically failed to win Canadians’ hearts more than a century after its creation. James Naismith’s brainchild is a popular recreational pastime in his homeland, but players with bigger dreams had better take their talents south of the border. Canadian hoops has languished in the seemingly eternal shadow of hockey, with its cannibalization of air time, advertising dollars, and corporate capital. Faced with limited opportunities at home, as many as 50 teenagers flock to U.S. prep schools and colleges every year to chase their dreams of college stardom and, much less likely, a shot at glory in the NBA. Against all odds, a skinny kid from Victoria named Steve Nash managed to reach the pinnacle of the sport, with a whirling-dervish style that earned him two MVP awards in the world’s greatest league. Today, a new generation of Canadians stand poised to follow in Nash’s path. But will their success spark a renaissance back home? This book chronicles basketball’s struggle to overcome its history as a poor cousin in a hockey-mad nation.

The Holy Grail, mysterious, hopeful, offering eternal life and proof of a living dynasty. Fabled knights feature in this intriguing narrative around the Living Christ. For over two thousand years since the Holy Grail disappeared, it existed as the object of many quests, adventurous souls who even now seek eternal life. This story as fascinating as ever, bringing to light those who supported Jesus of Nazarene, such as Joseph of Arimathea and Mary of Magda. A rich tale, brimming with dedication, faith, love and abiding strength from understanding the teachings of a true Master of divinity. What can King Arthur's Knights of the Roundtable still reveal? How much did a black and white terrier have to do with this history? When a baker stepped out of twenty-first century life, what did he take into the past? Does a pilon, or mortar and pestle, represent a vital clue for seekers of truth? How many prayers did Mary Magdalene offer, living as a recluse in a French grotto? Could Samoan brothers bring the Holy Grail forth? What does a family in Texas, who love singing A cappella, cause to happen? Many such questions are answered, much wonder and delight appear too in this well paced story, packed with extraordinary detail.