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Playing with Purpose
Playing with Purpose: Basketball: Inside the Lives and Faith of Top NBA Stars
Meet the “dream team” of talented NBA players with fascinating faith stories in Playing with Basketball. Just in time for the new pro season, this book chronicles the lives of several players who stand strong for their Christian faith. Veteran CBA author Mike Yorkey, whose Playing with Purpose biography of NFL rookies Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, and Colt McCoy was a best-seller, now profiles NBA stars both established and up-and-coming—such as Jeremy Lin, Kyle Korver, Anthony Parker, Luke Ridnour, and Chris Kaman. With a foreword by Ernie Johnson, host of TNT’s NBA coverage, Playing with Basketball is perfect for any hoops fan.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2011
3 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 19, 2014
Playing With Purpose, Inside the lives and Faith of Top NBA Stars - Kevin Durant, Jeremy Lin and Kyle Korver is a book written by Mike Yorkey. Mike Yorkey has written several books about the lives and faith of professional athletes. This book is about not just these three NBA stars, but more of them. Every chapter tells the story of a players life, how they got to where they are and how their faith played and still plays a role in all of that. They also talk about how faith plays a role not only in their game, but in their life everyday.
The stories are great and there are several life lessons in each one of them. The underlying theme is how each of the players has a strong faith and how that faith has helped them to reach their dream of being a professional athlete. In times of struggle each one of these athletes relied on their faith and kept moving forward, even when the odds were against them. This book makes it easy to see the big difference faith can make int he life of anyone, not just a professional athlete. This book is what dreams are made of. young athletes who pursue their dreams, even when faced with adversity and relying on their faith in Jesus Christ to help them get that job done.
If you are a fan of the NBA this is a good book to read. Even of you are not a fan of the NBA, this book is easy to read and makes it easy to follow the stories of several big players.
The stories are great and there are several life lessons in each one of them. The underlying theme is how each of the players has a strong faith and how that faith has helped them to reach their dream of being a professional athlete. In times of struggle each one of these athletes relied on their faith and kept moving forward, even when the odds were against them. This book makes it easy to see the big difference faith can make int he life of anyone, not just a professional athlete. This book is what dreams are made of. young athletes who pursue their dreams, even when faced with adversity and relying on their faith in Jesus Christ to help them get that job done.
If you are a fan of the NBA this is a good book to read. Even of you are not a fan of the NBA, this book is easy to read and makes it easy to follow the stories of several big players.
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December 17, 2014The book was great! This book was actually recommended to me by my friend and classmate Luke Spegal. One of the primary reasons why I liked this book was because it gives views from many different NBA players and their religious views. I was surprised by how many of leagues biggest names/stars were Christian. This book is good because it appeals to a wide variety of opinions. It was cool to see how Kevin Durant, Chris Kaman, and more came to know God and how his presence still rules in their life today. Usually when people think of NBA players they don't think of their personal life but only their basketball life. This book shows the other side. This shows me that God can resist anyone from temptations because I believe that players in the NBA have the hardest and biggest temptations in their life with girls and alcohol and teammates all wanting them to do stuff that they are not sure they want to or should do. Most of the players talked about how important it is to have a good relationship with Christian teammates and the team Chaplin because they will have your back and hold you responsible and with their help and with Gods help they said its a whole lot easier to resist temptation rather then going in by yourself.
March 23, 2018
This book is Playing with a Purpose: Inside the Lives and Faith of Top NBA Stars by Mike Yorkey. It is a non-fiction book about multiple NBA players. It talks about their faith and how they don’t give in to all the temptations that come with it. I think the theme is showing how no matter how hard it is sometimes, you can always say no to temptations thrown your way.
The book is focused on NBA stars keeping their faith and staying strong in it. The three main players were Kyle Korver, Jeremy Lin, and Kevin Durant. They were all interviewed personally and gave their input and told us how they do it. They talk about their childhood growing up and how they had faith based families. The reason they are so distinct in the NBA is because when most people get into the NBA and see all the temptations, they give in and think they are unstoppable and can do whatever they want to.
One of the most interesting people was Kyle Korver. He is a very caring person, who never puts himself first. He is a very faithful man and has gone to church his entire life without even thinking about it. It is something he’s just always done because it how he grew up and it’s how he decided to live his life. He is also a very humble man. He never boasts about himself and will do whatever he can to make his teammates better whether it’s on the court or off. He gives input on the other players and how he feels about all the temptations.
I would say overall the book in kind of interesting It is cool to hear about the players and see what they have to say about things. It’s cool to learn about their childhood and how they got to where they are today. I’d say one of the big issues the book finds is peer pressure and getting caught up in everything others are doing. When it talks about Chris Kaman, it talks about all the war problems he had to go through when living in Israel. It was scary for him and war there is a big deal. I think after reading this book, it made me realize how easy it is and how easily people give into the society and the temptations and problems that come with it. There are so many things that can go wrong and we give in so easily. It is really making me think about that and also how important it is to keep your faith the priority of your life. They prove that without faith you lose so much and you can go downhill so fast.
The emotions I got while reading was surprised. When I think of NBA players, I never think about how much they go through and how many things are thrown their way. The amount of mental strength the guys in the book have to have is crazy. To stay pure in your faith and not give in to anything is very hard from what they say and talk about. Overall I would suggest it to people because learning about the NBA stars and how they can overcome adversity is amazing and it is very cool to read, but at the same time, if you’re looking for action and suspense it wouldn’t be a book for you.
The book is focused on NBA stars keeping their faith and staying strong in it. The three main players were Kyle Korver, Jeremy Lin, and Kevin Durant. They were all interviewed personally and gave their input and told us how they do it. They talk about their childhood growing up and how they had faith based families. The reason they are so distinct in the NBA is because when most people get into the NBA and see all the temptations, they give in and think they are unstoppable and can do whatever they want to.
One of the most interesting people was Kyle Korver. He is a very caring person, who never puts himself first. He is a very faithful man and has gone to church his entire life without even thinking about it. It is something he’s just always done because it how he grew up and it’s how he decided to live his life. He is also a very humble man. He never boasts about himself and will do whatever he can to make his teammates better whether it’s on the court or off. He gives input on the other players and how he feels about all the temptations.
I would say overall the book in kind of interesting It is cool to hear about the players and see what they have to say about things. It’s cool to learn about their childhood and how they got to where they are today. I’d say one of the big issues the book finds is peer pressure and getting caught up in everything others are doing. When it talks about Chris Kaman, it talks about all the war problems he had to go through when living in Israel. It was scary for him and war there is a big deal. I think after reading this book, it made me realize how easy it is and how easily people give into the society and the temptations and problems that come with it. There are so many things that can go wrong and we give in so easily. It is really making me think about that and also how important it is to keep your faith the priority of your life. They prove that without faith you lose so much and you can go downhill so fast.
The emotions I got while reading was surprised. When I think of NBA players, I never think about how much they go through and how many things are thrown their way. The amount of mental strength the guys in the book have to have is crazy. To stay pure in your faith and not give in to anything is very hard from what they say and talk about. Overall I would suggest it to people because learning about the NBA stars and how they can overcome adversity is amazing and it is very cool to read, but at the same time, if you’re looking for action and suspense it wouldn’t be a book for you.
January 31, 2020
This book by Mike Yorkey consists of various backstories of different NBA players. Each story describes each player's obstacles and challenges in their life as they try to achieve their dream of becoming an NBA player. Each story explains how the athlete's faith in God helped them on their journey and how it provided the foundation for everything they did. Each story is very interesting because of the steps that they took in their life in order to reach their goal and how their faith came into all of this. I recommend this book to people who enjoy watching the NBA and are religious.
October 11, 2012
"Playing With Purpose: Basketball: Inside the Lives and Faith of Top NBA Stars" is one of my favorite books I have ever read. I will explain the author's purpose, the theme, style, and my overall opinion of the book.
The author's purpose is pretty evident from the title. The question is, what kind of purpose does the author mean? Is the purpose for money or fame? No, it most certainly is not. The author's purpose is far from that. His purpose for writing the book was to talk about NBA players' walks with God. The author himself wasn't a Christian until he had a scare with cancer. The author talks about why God is important and the beneficial result of living for Christ when playing the game of basketball. The book is very inspirational. You could read the book just for the basketball, but the true purpose it much deeper. With all the attention NBA players get, it is hard for them to do what is right and not just what looks "cool". All the players discussed in this book did everything in Christ who gave them strength. All in all, the author's purpose was to inform the reader of God and the things He does through the players.
The theme of this book is to put your trust in God and let Him lead you through everything. NBA players are going to face adversity and tough times, but they are rewarded, and, in the end, all the glory goes to God. He got them to the big stage and through all life's struggles. Let God take over and live for Him, because He will get you through, like this book demonstrated. Every player faced difficult times. However, they put their trust in God, and look where they are now.
This story had a style that was narration. The author talked about players' early childhood and their walk with God to the present time. Every single player had a struggle throughout this book, whether it be where they lived, losing a loved one, or not making it into their desired college. God helped them through it all. I think why this style was effective, especially during this time period, is because I am familiar with the players. I like to see a player now and think they had this and that happen to them. Also, if you aren't into religion, the author isn't forcing you to believe. He just shows what God has done in their life from beginning to end.
My overall opinion of this book is it was great. If you enjoy sports, especially basketball, this book is a must read. Even if you aren't the religious type, this book has stuff all athletes can relate to and enjoy reading. This book can change the way you think and act. I liked how the book is current. So don't wait to read it. The book is a very fast read. I wouldn't change anything really. I loved how the author wrote the book. This book is similar to other sports books such as "Night Hoops".
As you can see, I thought this book was awesome. If you are a sports person, this book is perfect.
The author's purpose is pretty evident from the title. The question is, what kind of purpose does the author mean? Is the purpose for money or fame? No, it most certainly is not. The author's purpose is far from that. His purpose for writing the book was to talk about NBA players' walks with God. The author himself wasn't a Christian until he had a scare with cancer. The author talks about why God is important and the beneficial result of living for Christ when playing the game of basketball. The book is very inspirational. You could read the book just for the basketball, but the true purpose it much deeper. With all the attention NBA players get, it is hard for them to do what is right and not just what looks "cool". All the players discussed in this book did everything in Christ who gave them strength. All in all, the author's purpose was to inform the reader of God and the things He does through the players.
The theme of this book is to put your trust in God and let Him lead you through everything. NBA players are going to face adversity and tough times, but they are rewarded, and, in the end, all the glory goes to God. He got them to the big stage and through all life's struggles. Let God take over and live for Him, because He will get you through, like this book demonstrated. Every player faced difficult times. However, they put their trust in God, and look where they are now.
This story had a style that was narration. The author talked about players' early childhood and their walk with God to the present time. Every single player had a struggle throughout this book, whether it be where they lived, losing a loved one, or not making it into their desired college. God helped them through it all. I think why this style was effective, especially during this time period, is because I am familiar with the players. I like to see a player now and think they had this and that happen to them. Also, if you aren't into religion, the author isn't forcing you to believe. He just shows what God has done in their life from beginning to end.
My overall opinion of this book is it was great. If you enjoy sports, especially basketball, this book is a must read. Even if you aren't the religious type, this book has stuff all athletes can relate to and enjoy reading. This book can change the way you think and act. I liked how the book is current. So don't wait to read it. The book is a very fast read. I wouldn't change anything really. I loved how the author wrote the book. This book is similar to other sports books such as "Night Hoops".
As you can see, I thought this book was awesome. If you are a sports person, this book is perfect.
May 9, 2013
The book Playing with Purpose: Inside the Lives and Faith of Top NBA Stars was a book that really enjoyed reading. Mike Yorkey did an excellent job writing this story. I believe his purpose in writing this story is to tell young people how professional athletes not only play the sport, but what their purpose of playing the sport is. These purposes can be having faith through god, or for example, Chris Kaman getting off drug abuse and focusing on something else to succeed. I think Yorkey wrote this story for young people athletes and people who enjoy sports.
The theme of this story was to have a purpose to do something. I know the title says "Playing with Purpose", but that is not what i mean. Everything that you do, you should for a reason. Whether it is playing basketball, or doing homework, do these things with a purpose. Jeremy Lin kept God in his life through his journey to and in the NBA. Jeremy Lin went through tough times in his younger days. He moved all over the country and got rejected from colleges, like UCLA. Lin kept trying to get into to college, and was accepted to Harvard University. he was later then drafted into the NBA where he still plays today. Lin kept a purpose to succeed in life.
This story is both a description and a narration. It is a descriptive story because Yorkey describes the way these players play with a purpose. Once Yorkey writes how they have their purposes, the narrative part kicks in. The players have stories about their lives and times, which is telling a story in chronological order. This story is both a description and a narration.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the Yorkey included a bunch of different players including some big names. THese big names were Kevin Durant, Jeremy Lin, Kyle Korver, and Stephen Curry. Hearing these big names and listening about their faith in God, is just really cool to think about. I like they don't just play for the money in the fame. That actually have a good reason to play the game. There was not much that i disliked or would change about the story. It is very similar to the book Focus: The Name of the Game, because both stories talk about professional athletes and their faith in God. I thought this was an overall good book, and I would highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys sports.
The theme of this story was to have a purpose to do something. I know the title says "Playing with Purpose", but that is not what i mean. Everything that you do, you should for a reason. Whether it is playing basketball, or doing homework, do these things with a purpose. Jeremy Lin kept God in his life through his journey to and in the NBA. Jeremy Lin went through tough times in his younger days. He moved all over the country and got rejected from colleges, like UCLA. Lin kept trying to get into to college, and was accepted to Harvard University. he was later then drafted into the NBA where he still plays today. Lin kept a purpose to succeed in life.
This story is both a description and a narration. It is a descriptive story because Yorkey describes the way these players play with a purpose. Once Yorkey writes how they have their purposes, the narrative part kicks in. The players have stories about their lives and times, which is telling a story in chronological order. This story is both a description and a narration.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the Yorkey included a bunch of different players including some big names. THese big names were Kevin Durant, Jeremy Lin, Kyle Korver, and Stephen Curry. Hearing these big names and listening about their faith in God, is just really cool to think about. I like they don't just play for the money in the fame. That actually have a good reason to play the game. There was not much that i disliked or would change about the story. It is very similar to the book Focus: The Name of the Game, because both stories talk about professional athletes and their faith in God. I thought this was an overall good book, and I would highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys sports.
May 11, 2014
The author’s purpose for writing this book was to tell his audience about how young basketball players show that they have Christ in their life on and off the basketball court. Today lots of people are getting to know who Jeremy Lin. He’s beginning to become a little famous but what people may know about him is his walk with Christ. His grandparents had a pretty harsh life. They were refugees. His parents went to college but found it hard because there wasn’t really any Asian people at those collages. In Jeremy’s early life he moved lots of places. He got denied from UCLA collage but he knew Christ was going to help him get through this tough time. Later he enrolled to go to Harvard.
The theme of this book is if you are struggling in life you don’t always have to give up. In this book you see several professionals whose faith is as strong as their court presence. You should always know that Christ is there and he will help you. Another theme of this book is talking about highly talented basketball players who stood strong for their faith through college and then into their professional careers.
The style of this book is exposition. It is exposition because it is talking about Christ and what he has done in their lives. It goes through and talks about one player at a time and what Christ has done in their lives. This is also an argument because he is establishing facts about these basketball players and what Christ has and is doing in their lives.
I really actually liked this book. At the beginning I thought it would be all about basketball and nothing else but I was totally wrong. I liked how it talked about, what Christ has done in these guy’s lives and now I know what they have gone through. So now I can know who I can go to when I have a problem and even show that I have Christ in my life on and off the field. Their isn’t really anything to dislike in this book except for having to deal with basketball. I have a brother that plays and I like watching him play and I now I know a little more information about these players in this book. I wouldn’t change anything except maybe the sport. This book is similar to his other playing with a purpose books but that’s with football players instead of basketball players which I like better.
The theme of this book is if you are struggling in life you don’t always have to give up. In this book you see several professionals whose faith is as strong as their court presence. You should always know that Christ is there and he will help you. Another theme of this book is talking about highly talented basketball players who stood strong for their faith through college and then into their professional careers.
The style of this book is exposition. It is exposition because it is talking about Christ and what he has done in their lives. It goes through and talks about one player at a time and what Christ has done in their lives. This is also an argument because he is establishing facts about these basketball players and what Christ has and is doing in their lives.
I really actually liked this book. At the beginning I thought it would be all about basketball and nothing else but I was totally wrong. I liked how it talked about, what Christ has done in these guy’s lives and now I know what they have gone through. So now I can know who I can go to when I have a problem and even show that I have Christ in my life on and off the field. Their isn’t really anything to dislike in this book except for having to deal with basketball. I have a brother that plays and I like watching him play and I now I know a little more information about these players in this book. I wouldn’t change anything except maybe the sport. This book is similar to his other playing with a purpose books but that’s with football players instead of basketball players which I like better.
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October 4, 2016The author’s purpose for writing this book was to tell the audience about how young basketball players can have Christ in their life on and off the basketball court. Today lots of people know Jeremy Lin. He’s beginning to become a famous but what people know about him is he is very religious. His grandparents were refugees. His parents went to college but found it hard because there wasn’t really any Asian people in collage. In Jeremy’s early life he moved around lots of places. He got denied from UCLA collage. Later he enrolled to go to Harvard.
The theme of this book is if you are struggling in life you don’t always have to give up. In this book you see several players who are very religious and also play basketball. You should always know that Christ is there and he will help you. Another theme of this book is talking about highly talented basketball players who stood up for their faith through college and then into their careers.
The style of this book is exposition. It is exposition because it is talking about Christ and what he did and will do in their lives. It goes through and talks about one player at a time and what Christ has done. This is also an argument because he is saying facts about these basketball players and what Christ has is doing in their lives.
I really actually liked this book. At the beginning I thought it would be all about basketball and nothing else but I was wrong. I liked how it talked about what Christ has done in these guy’s lives. And now I know what they went through. Their isn’t really anything to dislike in this book, because I like basketball.
The theme of this book is if you are struggling in life you don’t always have to give up. In this book you see several players who are very religious and also play basketball. You should always know that Christ is there and he will help you. Another theme of this book is talking about highly talented basketball players who stood up for their faith through college and then into their careers.
The style of this book is exposition. It is exposition because it is talking about Christ and what he did and will do in their lives. It goes through and talks about one player at a time and what Christ has done. This is also an argument because he is saying facts about these basketball players and what Christ has is doing in their lives.
I really actually liked this book. At the beginning I thought it would be all about basketball and nothing else but I was wrong. I liked how it talked about what Christ has done in these guy’s lives. And now I know what they went through. Their isn’t really anything to dislike in this book, because I like basketball.
December 11, 2012
B2Q2- I really enjoyed this book! I thought that it was interesting and really inspiring. Books that inspire you are always good and they motivate you. This book is about NBA basketball players and their faith in God. So I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Christian and wants to learn about famous people who make millions of dollars a year. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.
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April 7, 2014I really liked this boom overall but I would have preferred if it talked more about the games and not so much the players personal life. I am a big sports fan so this might only pertain to me but I felt they almost spent too much time on the players family and background. I did like how the author did not only talk about the highs of the players faith lives but also how the players delt with the lows and kept their faith even when it was tough
May 22, 2013
A good book on the life of Christian NBA stars. I think the best part of the book is the last part about pistol pete. Like how this really good basketball player suddenly died but in fact he had been playing with a problem in his heart and should have died a long time ago.
Overall a good read.
Overall a good read.
January 2, 2014
quick and casual read.
July 16, 2016
This is a very encouraging book. For those who love basketball and are looking to see how Jesus has impacted people's lives, you will enjoy. Reding about Pistol Pete's life was powerful.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews