10 Best-Selling Sports Books Millions Trust

Recommended by experts including Gaurav Munjal, Hughhenne (Not Hef), and Marcus Rashford, these Sports books deliver proven, best-selling strategies.

Gaurav Munjal
Hughhenne (Not Hef)
Marcus Rashford
Ben Greenfield
Updated on June 25, 2025
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There's something special about books that both critics and crowds love, and Sports books are no exception. When millions of readers and top experts agree on certain titles, it speaks volumes about their value. Sports remains a vital part of culture and personal achievement, and these books offer proven insights that have stood the test of time, giving readers strategies and stories that resonate across different disciplines.

Take Gaurav Munjal, founder of Unacademy Group, who praises "Winning" by Tim Grover for its fierce approach to mental toughness, while Marcus Rashford credits the same book for reshaping his competitive mindset. Meanwhile, basketball coach Eric Musselman recounts his firsthand experience as a ball boy and lauds Terry Pluto's "Loose Balls" for bringing the ABA's colorful history to life. These endorsements highlight the diversity and depth of expertise backing these selections.

While these popular books provide proven frameworks, readers seeking content tailored to their specific Sports needs might consider creating a personalized Sports book that combines these validated approaches. This option allows you to focus on your unique interests and goals, blending expert wisdom with personalized insights for maximum impact.

Best for competitive mindset mastery
Gaurav Munjal, founder of Unacademy Group, highlights this book as a standout in the sports and competitive mindset space, calling it an "Amazing Book!" His endorsement speaks volumes for anyone serious about mastering the unforgiving race to greatness. Munjal’s recommendation aligns with widespread acclaim from athletes and business leaders alike, reflecting a shared recognition of Tim Grover's no-nonsense approach to winning. Alongside Munjal, Hughhenne (Not Hef) also praises the book as "Fantastic," underscoring its broad appeal beyond just sports circles.
GM

Recommended by Gaurav Munjal

Founder, Unacademy Group

@pratshukla Amazing Book! (from X)

Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness (Tim Grover Winning Series) book cover

by Tim S. Grover, Shari Wenk··You?

2021·240 pages·Success, Sports, Mindset, Performance, Mental Toughness

Tim S. Grover, known for coaching legends like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, presents a raw take on what it really takes to win in any high-stakes arena. You’ll learn thirteen principles that strip away clichés and focus on embracing harsh realities with relentless intensity to push beyond limits. Chapters dive into cultivating mental toughness, overcoming internal battles, and sustaining peak performance under pressure. This book suits anyone hungry for success who’s ready to confront challenges head-on, whether in sports, business, or life’s competitive moments.

New York Times Bestseller
Author of international bestseller Relentless
Published by Scribner
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Best for basketball history enthusiasts
Eric Musselman, head coach of the University of Nevada men's basketball team, points to this book as a standout recounting of the ABA's colorful history. Reflecting on his own experience as a ball boy for two ABA teams that folded in the same year, Musselman describes "Loose Balls by Terry Pluto is an all-time great book. The ABA had so many characters, was loaded with talent and an entertaining league full of classic promotions." His recommendation highlights how this oral history vividly captures a transformative and entertaining chapter in basketball history.
EM

Recommended by Eric Musselman

Head Coach, University of Nevada Men's Basketball

Loose Balls by Terry Pluto is an all-time great book. The ABA had so many characters, was loaded with talent and an entertaining league full of classic promotions. I got to be a ball boy for the San Diego Sails and Virginia Squires, both folded in the same year! (from X)

1990·450 pages·Sports, Basketball, Professional Basketball, Sports History, League Management

Terry Pluto's decades immersed in sports journalism culminate in this vivid oral history of the American Basketball Association, told through firsthand accounts from players, coaches, and owners. You gain a deep understanding of the league's unique culture, its colorful characters, and its impact on basketball history, including detailed stories of teams like the San Diego Sails and Virginia Squires. This book suits anyone fascinated by basketball's evolution or the business and personalities behind professional sports leagues. Its blend of narrative voices brings the wild, often chaotic world of the ABA to life without romanticizing, offering a nuanced look at a pivotal era in sports.

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Best for mental toughness plans
This custom AI book on mental toughness is created based on your sports background and specific performance goals. It focuses on the psychological tools and mindset shifts that athletes find most valuable, tailored to your unique interests and experience level. By concentrating on what truly matters to you, this book helps turn proven mental strategies into personal strengths, making your athletic journey more effective and rewarding.
2025·50-300 pages·Sports, Athletic Performance, Mental Toughness, Sports Psychology, Motivation Techniques

This tailored book explores proven psychological strategies to elevate your athletic performance by focusing on your unique interests and background. It examines mental toughness techniques, motivation factors, and cognitive approaches that athletes use to push beyond limits. By integrating popular, reader-validated insights with your personal goals, this book offers a focused journey into the mindset necessary for peak sports achievements. It reveals how your mental approach influences training, competition, and recovery, enhancing your ability to perform consistently under pressure. Through a personalized lens, it guides you in cultivating resilience, focus, and confidence, making the mental game an asset tailored precisely to your athletic ambitions.

Tailored Guide
Mental Conditioning
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for sports science application
Ben Greenfield, an athlete and entrepreneur specializing in health and fitness, highlights how this book reshaped his approach during his quest to master athletic performance. "This is the best book on athletic performance, recovery & mindset I’ve read in quite some times," he shares, underscoring the book's blend of science and practical application that resonates with many readers. Similarly, performance expert Fergus Connolly calls it "a must-have for any practitioner in performance," reinforcing its standing among professionals. Basketball pro Kevin Pangos adds that the nutrition and recovery guidance has been transformative in his career.
BG

Recommended by Ben Greenfield

Athlete, entrepreneur, health and fitness author

This is the best book on athletic performance, recovery & mindset I’ve read in quite some times: (from X)

2019·384 pages·Sports Science, Sports, Athletic Performance, Nutrition, Recovery

What happens when an expert in naturopathic medicine teams up with elite sports nutrition to rethink athletic performance? Dr. Marc Bubbs, with his extensive credentials including leadership roles in Canada Basketball, presents a fresh, integrated approach that goes beyond traditional training. You’ll explore tailored strategies connecting sleep, digestion, mindset, and recovery to elevate your own fitness or coaching. For example, chapters on microbiome influence and blood glucose control offer concrete insights rarely covered elsewhere. This book suits athletes, coaches, and fitness enthusiasts eager to ground their routines in science rather than hype.

Best-Selling Book in Sports Nutrition
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Best for tennis mental strategies
Winning Ugly stands out in the sports world as a guide that goes beyond physical skill, focusing on mental warfare in tennis. Brad Gilbert, an Olympic medalist and respected ESPN analyst, shares timeless strategies for outplaying your toughest opponents by leveraging psychological insight and tactical thinking. The book’s enduring popularity reflects its practical approach to helping both recreational and professional players improve their game by thinking smarter on the court. Whether you want to beat better players without necessarily playing better tennis or deepen your understanding of competitive sports psychology, this book offers valuable perspectives that have made it a staple in tennis instruction.
1994·224 pages·Sports, Tennis, Sports Psychology, Mental Toughness, Game Strategy

Brad Gilbert's decades of experience as an Olympic medalist and ESPN analyst led him to craft 'Winning Ugly,' a book that dives into the mental side of tennis rather than just physical technique. You learn how to approach matches strategically, using psychological tactics to outthink opponents, as Gilbert breaks down examples from top players like Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal. The book offers practical insights into managing pressure, exploiting opponents’ weaknesses, and maintaining focus during tough games. If you're a tennis player looking to sharpen your mental game or a fan interested in the strategic underpinnings of the sport, this book offers clear, straightforward lessons without fluff.

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Best for sports analytics fans
Moneyball captivates by revealing a side of baseball where numbers eclipse traditional instincts. This book’s approach to sports analytics reshaped how teams evaluate talent and compete, showing how the Oakland Athletics defied financial odds through innovative data use. Its influence extends beyond baseball, offering insights for anyone intrigued by the intersection of sports, economics, and analytics. The story’s focus on overlooked players and analytical rigor presents a fresh perspective on winning against the odds, making it a compelling read for those interested in sports strategy and management.
AA

Recommended by Azeem Azhar

VP at Schibsted Media Group, Entrepreneur

2003·288 pages·Sports, Baseball, Professional Baseball, Team Building, Data Analysis

Michael Lewis challenges the conventional wisdom that success in sports relies primarily on star players and big budgets. Instead, he traces the unconventional approach of Billy Beane, the Oakland Athletics' general manager, who used statistical analysis to assemble a competitive team on a shoestring budget. You learn how data-driven decision-making—focusing on undervalued metrics like on-base percentage—can overturn traditional scouting methods, as detailed in chapters exploring Beane's trades and the team’s record-winning season. If you're fascinated by how analytics can disrupt established industries, this book offers a vivid case study in applying numbers to sports management and beyond.

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Best for custom training plans
This AI-created book on sports training is crafted based on your unique athletic background and goals. By sharing what you want to focus on and your current skill level, you receive a book that matches your interests perfectly. Personalization makes a big difference here because sports training isn’t one-size-fits-all — this custom book ensures you learn and apply exactly what fits your journey.
2025·50-300 pages·Sports, Sports Training, Performance Improvement, Personalized Workouts, Recovery Techniques

This tailored book explores personalized sports training programs designed to accelerate your improvement within 90 days. It examines how training regimens can be customized to fit your unique background, skill level, and specific goals. Emphasizing a tailored approach, this book focuses on your interests and adapts proven training concepts to match your development journey. You'll gain insights into optimizing workouts, recovery, and performance tweaks that resonate with your personal athletic profile. By weaving together widely validated sports knowledge with a customized focus, it creates an engaging learning experience intended to boost rapid progress and deepen your understanding of effective training practices.

Tailored Guide
Performance Optimization
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for mental toughness training
Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence stands out in the sports field by emphasizing the mental aspects of athletic performance that often go overlooked. Gary Mack’s approach distills sports psychology into forty digestible lessons, supported by anecdotes from elite athletes who rely on these mental techniques to succeed. This book offers anyone involved in competitive sports a framework to strengthen their psychological game, addressing challenges like pressure management and focus enhancement. Its wide adoption and positive feedback from top athletes underscore its practical value for those seeking to elevate their performance beyond physical training alone.
2002·240 pages·Sports Psychology, Sports, Mental Training, Performance, Focus

Gary Mack, a respected sports psychology consultant, offers a unique perspective on how mental strength can shape athletic performance. This book dives into forty specific lessons, each designed to help you train your mind much like you would your body, blending psychological insights with practical exercises. For example, you’ll encounter techniques that top athletes like Ken Griffey Jr. and Jason Kidd have found useful in managing pressure and enhancing focus. If you’re someone aiming to sharpen your competitive edge, whether in sports or other high-stakes areas, this guide presents a straightforward approach to developing mental resilience and confidence.

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Best for football trivia buffs
Christopher Price is an award-winning sportswriter known for his in-depth coverage of the New England Patriots in the Boston Sports Journal. With several books on the Patriots under his belt, including detailed histories and strategic analyses, Price brings a deep well of expertise to this collection of football trivia. His passion for the sport and extensive knowledge shines through, making this book a rewarding challenge for anyone eager to deepen their appreciation of football's storied past and present.
2019·264 pages·Sports, Professional Football, Football, Player Careers, NFL History

Christopher Price challenges the conventional wisdom that football trivia is just casual fun by compiling 600 carefully crafted questions that deepen your understanding of the sport’s history and key figures. Drawing on his experience covering the New England Patriots for the Boston Sports Journal, Price offers insights into players' careers, from rookies making their mark to legendary coaches shaping the game. You’ll sharpen your knowledge with questions on MVPs, record-setting performances, and unique player achievements, like identifying quarterbacks who never won a Super Bowl despite stellar playoff stats. This book suits those who want more than surface-level facts—it’s ideal if you enjoy testing your expertise and learning nuanced details about football’s greats.

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Best for tennis mental game focus
Tennis: Winning the Mental Match by Allen Fox stands out in the sports genre for its focus on the psychological side of tennis. Dr. Fox, a former NCAA champion and psychology Ph.D., draws from decades of playing and coaching at elite levels to address the mental stresses unique to tennis. The book offers straightforward, tested methods to help players of all levels manage nerves, confidence, and emotional swings during competition. Its value lies in addressing the mental hurdles that often decide matches, making it a go-to resource for anyone serious about improving their game beyond physical skills.
1780·Sports, Tennis, Mental Game, Performance Psychology, Confidence

What started as Dr. Allen Fox’s personal journey from a top-ranked player to a psychologist became a guide on mastering tennis’s mental challenges. You’ll encounter insights on controlling nerves, managing confidence swings, and navigating the sport’s unique scoring pressure, backed by Fox’s experience coaching pros and competing at Wimbledon. The book details psychological techniques that help you face stress and emotional ups and downs during matches, making it especially suitable if you struggle with the mental game more than physical skills. If you’re looking to understand how mindset shapes tennis performance, this book offers logical, tested approaches without fluff.

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Best for female athlete empowerment
Jennie Finch’s "Throw Like a Girl: How to Dream Big & Believe in Yourself" brings a fresh voice to sports literature by focusing on the powerful role athletics play in shaping young women’s lives. Drawing from both scientific research and her own Olympic experience, Finch acts as a mentor guiding girls through the complexities of adolescence with sports as a foundation for confidence and leadership. This book resonates widely, addressing a critical need by speaking directly to preteen and teenage girls navigating conflicting societal expectations. It stands out for its authentic approach to female athletic empowerment and offers meaningful encouragement to girls ready to embrace their potential through sports.
2011·224 pages·Sports, Youth Development, Teamwork, Confidence Building, Female Empowerment

What happens when an Olympic gold medalist turns her focus to empowering young women through sports? Jennie Finch, alongside journalist Ann Killion, offers more than just athletic inspiration; she provides a candid look at how sports can shape a girl's identity and future. You’ll learn how teamwork, self-confidence, and resilience cultivated on the field translate into leadership and healthy life choices off it. Chapters explore the social challenges girls face and how athletic involvement can be a powerful tool against mixed societal messages. This book is ideal if you want to understand the unique intersection of sports and female empowerment, especially for preteens and teenagers.

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Best for sports betting insights
Todd Fuhrman, a former oddsmaker and co-founder of BetTheBoardPod, brings a unique insider perspective to sports betting analysis. He highlights "The Logic of Sports Betting" as an informative, though dense, resource that dives deep into the complexities of the industry. Fuhrman's endorsement reflects a blend of technical expertise and practical experience, showing how this book challenged his understanding and provided nuanced insights into betting strategy and sportsbook operations.
TF

Recommended by Todd Fuhrman

Former oddsmaker and sports betting analyst

There’s a book called “The Logic of Sports Betting” that’s informative but dense like a textbook. Here are some other good reads on the industry but not technique (from X)

The Logic Of Sports Betting book cover

by Ed Miller, Matthew Davidow·You?

2019·237 pages·Sports, Betting Strategy, Sports Analytics, Odds Calculation, Risk Management

When Ed Miller and Matthew Davidow teamed up, their combined experience in poker, sports modeling, and analytics offers a clear window into the mechanics behind sports betting. You’ll learn how sportsbooks set their lines, which bets carry the best value, and why some betting logic is counterintuitive. Chapters unpack the operations of sportsbooks and reveal insider strategies that can shift your perspective on risk and reward. This book suits anyone serious about understanding sports betting beyond the surface, especially if you want to sharpen your approach to making smarter wagers.

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Winning Mindset Blueprint
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Conclusion

This collection of 10 best-selling Sports books reveals several clear themes: the power of mental toughness, the value of strategic thinking, and the impact of scientific approaches to athletic performance. Whether it's Tim Grover's no-nonsense lessons in "Winning" or Michael Lewis's analytical storytelling in "Moneyball," these books offer time-tested frameworks validated by experts and readers alike.

If you prefer proven methods to boost your mental game, start with "Winning Ugly" and "Mind Gym." For a deeper dive into sports history and analytics, "Loose Balls" and "Moneyball" provide rich narratives and insights. Combining these books can enrich your understanding and performance, blending mental, historical, and analytical perspectives.

Alternatively, you can create a personalized Sports book to combine proven methods with your unique needs. These widely-adopted approaches have helped many readers succeed and can guide you toward your own achievements in sports and competition.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm overwhelmed by choice – which book should I start with?

Start with "Winning" by Tim Grover if you're focused on mastering mental toughness and competitive intensity. It's widely praised by top athletes and offers a clear roadmap for success in sports and beyond.

Are these books too advanced for someone new to Sports?

Not at all. Many books, like "Winning Ugly" and "Mind Gym," break down concepts clearly, making them accessible for beginners eager to improve their mental and strategic game.

What's the best order to read these books?

Begin with mindset-focused books like "Winning" and "Mind Gym," then explore strategic and historical titles such as "Moneyball" and "Loose Balls" to round out your understanding.

Should I start with the newest book or a classic?

Both have value. Newer books like "Peak" offer scientific insights, while classics like "Loose Balls" and "Moneyball" provide foundational stories and strategies with lasting relevance.

Do I really need to read all of these, or can I just pick one?

You can pick based on your interests—mental training, history, or analytics. Each book stands strong alone, but together they offer a richer, more comprehensive view of sports.

How can I get Sports insights tailored to my specific goals and background?

Expert books offer broad wisdom, but personalized books can target your unique needs. By creating a personalized Sports book, you combine proven methods with content that fits your skill level and objectives perfectly.

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