My Best Sports Books of 2023

By Budd Bailey

I seem to have read 53 sports books during the course of the past year – at least that’s what my blog tells me. That’s just past one a week, of course … although I did read 25 nonsports books along the way too. As you’d expect, some are better than others.

At this time of year, though, it’s always fun to look back on my favorites. Here are the 10 best sports books I read since we reached this point in the earth’s orbit a year ago. They are listed in alphabetical order:

The Big Time – Michael MacCambridge – It’s a difficult task to take on all of the sports of the 1970s, but luckily one of the best in the business is doing the work here. Obviously this is something of a look from 30,000 feet in terms of the subject, and it is handled expertly and subjects are nicely placed into perspective.

Boom Town – Sam Anderson – This 2018 book popped up on a list of superb basketball books at one point, and it’s worth investigating. Anderson spends part of his time on the NBA team in Oklahoma City, and part of his time exploring the history of that city. It’s not a traditional sports book, but reading it has its rewards.

Coach K – Ian O’Connor – Coaches don’t come much better than Mike Krzyzewski, who almost always had Duke in the argument for the national championship during his long tenure there. O’Connor gives Coach K’s life a long exploration, and does a fine job of it – as usual.

Freedom to Win – Ethan Scheiner – When I was done with this, I sort of figured that it would be my favorite book of the year. Sure enough, here it is. Scheiner mixes hockey with culture and politics deftly in this look back at Czechoslovakia’s history in that particular game.

Game of Edges – Bruce Schoenfeld – The word “analytics” might send you running off into a different section of the bookstore. Still, it’s important to know what has been happening to our games in recent years, as the race for victories and riches becomes more intense by the day. Here is that story, nicely told by an author who doesn’t get bogged down in the weeds.

If These Walls Could Talk – John Murphy with Scott Pitoniak – It’s always a treat to have the chance to sit down and talk with the Bills’ play-by-play announcer. Now here’s a chance to read what he has to say as he reviews his time with the Bills as well as his life. Let’s hope that he can recover from his medical issues and return to work soon.

Kingdom on Fire – Scott Howard-Cooper – The one won’t be out until March, but I’m glad to have picked up an advance copy. The UCLA basketball dynasty will never be duplicated, and Howard-Cooper digs out all the pressures that came along with that level of success. The book is driven by the personalities involved, and the author comes up with some great perspective along the way.

Life in Two Worlds – Ted Nolan – It’s a book that draws in Sabres’ fans for Nolan’s version of his time in Buffalo (mostly centering on the remarkable 1996-97 season). What will keep you reading is the stunning path that Nolan had to take to simply reach the NHL as a player and coach. Let’s hope things are better now for the Native population trying to advance themselves.

Oscar Charleston – Jeremy Beer – It took me a few years to pick up a copy of this biography, but the story of Charleston still resonates. He’s still the best baseball player you’ve never heard about; the problem was that Charleston was out of sight for some because he played in the Negro Leagues. Beer makes a good case that he deserves to rank with game’s best ever.

Why We Love Baseball – Joe Posnanski – One of our best baseball writers takes a fond look at a large assortment of moments in the game’s history that were special. For those who love the game, it will leave them thoroughly charmed.

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