Ed Sherman

‘Hard Labor’ looks back on NBA’s earlier days, plus more sports books reviewed

May 9, 2019 at 11:45 p.m.

“Hard Labor: The Battle That Birthed the Billion-Dollar NBA” by Sam Smith, Triumph, 368 pages, $24.95 LeBron James is on the cover of “Hard Labor” with $100 bills floating around...

Book by ‘Concussion’ doctor is recommended reading for parents of football kids

May 9, 2019 at 11:43 p.m.

“Truth Doesn’t Have a Side” by Bennet Omalu with Mark Tabb, Zondervan, 304 pages, $24.99 If you saw the film “Concussion,” starring Will Smith, you know that Bennet Omalu is...

Jonathan Eig’s Muhammad Ali biography comes as new generation of athletes kneels in protest

May 9, 2019 at 11:41 p.m.

Muhammad Ali proclaimed himself "The Greatest," which, when it comes to his boxing, is debatable, but not when it comes to his legacy as an athlete who spoke out on...

Trace Armstrong with the Raiders in 2003.

Where are they now? Former Bear Trace Armstrong busy as agent for coaches

May 31, 2019 at 9:22 p.m.

Trace Armstrong never focused strictly on playing football during his 15 years in the NFL. The former Bears defensive lineman also immersed himself in the inner workings of the NFL...

Marc Leishman watches his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the BMW Championship at Conway Farms Golf Club on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, in Lake Forest.

Marc Leishman expands lead to 5 strokes after 3 rounds at BMW Championship

May 31, 2019 at 9:25 p.m.

Marc Leishman definitely flies under the radar. He notes he has been out to dinner with fellow players like Jason Day, Rickie Fowler and Adam Scott and nobody really recognizes...

‘Sting Like a Bee’ explores Ali’s struggle after refusing draft — plus more sports book reviews

May 9, 2019 at 11:38 p.m.

"Sting Like a Bee" by Leigh Montville, Doubleday, 368 pages, $30 Few, if any, athletes lived a bigger life than Muhammad Ali. Leigh Montville, who has written best-selling biographies of...

Casey Stengel, Gary Cooper’s portrayal of Lou Gehrig, and Tim Raines explored in sports book roundup

May 9, 2019 at 11:36 p.m.

"Casey Stengel: Baseball's Greatest Character" by Marty Appel, Doubleday, 432 pages, $27.95 The title of almost every sports book seems to include labeling something as the "greatest." Usually it is...

Former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, center, poses in 1980 with UCLA alumni and NBA stars Bill Walton, left, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Wooden died in 2010 at age 99.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar discusses his new memoir, ‘Coach Wooden and Me’

June 1, 2019 at 2:09 a.m.

You will be hard-pressed to find photos on the front and back covers of a book that more vividly describe what is written inside than those on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's "Coach...

LeBron James, Leo Durocher and Rick Ankiel profiled in this week’s sports book roundup picks

May 9, 2019 at 11:33 p.m.

"Return of the King" by Brian Windhorst and Dave McMenamin, Grand Central, 288 pages, $28 When LeBron James rallied from a 3-1 deficit to Golden State in the NBA Finals...

Former Cubs outfielder Adam Greenberg speaks to a group of kids at the Sachs Recreation Center in Deerfield on March 5, 2017.

Ex-Cub Adam Greenberg puts positive spin on one of baseball’s cruelest tales

May 16, 2019 at 5:27 a.m.

Adam Greenberg insists he doesn't dwell on that one pitch that became the arc of his story. He admits, however, that the Cubs winning the World Series in 2016 filled...

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