Dick Vitale

"Think positive and have faith." Those are the words of a three-time cancer survivor determined to inspire the world. Yet anyone who knows Dick Vitale - or Dickie V as he's better known - understands that he is hardly a man of few words, especially on the topic of fighting cancer. The Hall of Fame broadcaster is known by millions from his four decades (and counting) with ESPN, where he's built a one-of-a-kind connection with college basketball fans. In his new memoir, Until My Last Breath, Vitale chronicles his own harrowing experiences with cancer and the childhood battles that inspired him along the way. Vitale felt imprisoned in his own body while unable to speak for four months battling vocal-cord cancer, but still managed to find his voice in this book. With his signature enthusiasm and a sensitive tone, Vitale visits the homes of a dozen pediatric cancer survivors and shares the lessons of hope and perseverance he learned from these remarkable children who have overcome the fight of their life. Go behind the scenes with Vitale's family, as he opens up about the emotional battles that accompanied his lymphoma in 2021-2022 and his vocal-cord cancer in 2023. Until My Last Breath is a touching tribute to Vitale's dear friend, Jim Valvano, who famously told the world of his own cancer battle, "Don't Give Up... Don't Ever Give Up "

In Havin’ a Ball one of basketball’s most colorful characters and storytellers chronicles his life in the game, from high school coach in New Jersey to head coach in both the NBA and the WNBA. Richie Adubato isn’t a Hall of Fame name, but he’s one of basketball’s most beloved coaches, with a lifetime of stories that are humorous and heartfelt, poignant and personal. Adubato’s career has crossed paths with many of basketball’s most memorable people and events. Starting in the 1960s, he was part of the Jersey Guys, a group of young junior high and high school coaches-including Hubie Brown, Dick Vitale, and Mike Fratello-who all later went on to coach in the NBA. He was hired as Vitale’s assistant coach with the Pistons in 1979. Then, three years later, he was hired by Hubie Brown as the Knicks’ assistant coach. He would stay in pro basketball for the next twenty-five years, with stints as head coach for the Dallas Mavericks and Orlando Magic and the WNBA’s New York Liberty and Washington Mystics. In fact, he is the first coach to have led teams in both leagues to the playoffs. Adubato grew up as an Irish Italian Jersey kid with modest aspirations who went on to experience a fascinating ride in pro basketball. He tells readers how a young Magic team led by Shaquille O’Neal came undone, about his years coaching the Mavericks at a time when the NBA was never more popular, what it was like to coach in the WNBA when the Liberty were outdrawing the Knicks in attendance, and what it was like to coach with, and against, other Hall of Famers. Havin’ a Ball takes readers into locker rooms, planes, practices, games, and off court to the inner world of pro basketball with an insider’s unique perspective.

How does it feel to play your last college game and land on the cover of Sports Illustrated? What was it like to be a part of the team that won the University of Kentucky’s first national championship ever? Readers will find the answer to these questions and so much more in Ryan Clark’s newly updated edition of Game of My Life Kentucky Wildcats. Clark takes readers into the arena and onto the court with this in-depth look at the legends of Kentucky basketball. Stars like Jamal Mashburn, Dan Issel, Kenny Walker, Derek Anderson, Walter McCarty, Richie Farmer, Jack "Goose" Givens, Louie Dampier, John Pelphrey, Travis Ford, and Brandon Knight are among the many players who share their stories. Some of the games described involve championships, while others have extraordinary personal meaning. Over thirty players share the moment that defined their college basketball careers. Without a doubt, Game of My Life Kentucky Wildcats captures the passion and spirit of the men who have made this team a legend for the last seventy years.

Do you know a young superstar who's old enough to begin learning their alphabet and numbers? A budding basketball fan who's ready to take on the world of reading and hoops? Well, Dickie V's ABCs and 1-2-3s, the first little book in the Dick Vitale Children's Literacy Initiative, is AWESOME, BABY It's a children's alphabet and counting book from the legendary ESPN college basketball analyst, Dick Vitale. Dick is a grandfather of five and a passionate advocate for early childhood development. In the book, children learn their alphabet through high-energy basketball words that Dick uses in his national broadcasts. For example, "D" is for "dunk" and "J" is for "jump." In the counting section of the book, Dick leads kids in counting using colorful basketballs. The book has a special interactive feature the child can press to hear a digital, voice-recorded message from Dick Vitale. Vitale's roots are in teaching the game he's loved since he was a child. This new book launches the Dick Vitale Children's Literacy Initiative, which has as its mission to advance the literacy skills of children and to advocate literacy as a critical element in the development of a globally competitive society. The book is richly illustrated with a colorful menagerie of characters and typefaces that attract the interest of young readers (and adult readers, too ). Endorsed by early childhood development specialists, Dickie V's ABCs and 1-2-3s is a wonderful gift for a child's birthday, for baby showers, for Christmas, Hanukkah, or "just because." The book, published by Ascend Books, who also published Dick Vitale's Fabulous 50 Players and Moments in College Basketball, is the first in a series of books from Vitale for young readers. Future titles feature subjects on virtues and values, personal development and accountability, and the importance of education as part of the Dick Vitale Children's Literacy Initiative.