Basketball (and Other Things) : A Collection of Questions Asked, Answered, Illustrated

#1 New York Times Bestseller • Selected by Barack Obama as one of his favorite books of the year

What year was Michael Jordan the absolute, undisputed Devil-mode version of Michael Jordan? Who belongs in the elite, deeply disrespectful Dunk Hall of Fame? What are the exact, unwritten laws governing what is allowed and absolutely forbidden in a pickup basketball game?

Basketball (and Other Things) is the definitive collection of pivotal, ridiculous, and brilliant fan disputes from hoops history. Perfect for fans of sports trivia, pop culture essays, and deep-dive NBA analysis, this book breaks down the standard talk-show debates you’ve heard a million times into the hyperspecific questions you didn’t even know your brain needed answered.

Award-winning writer Shea Serrano covers everything from the analytical (How many years was Kobe Bryant actually the best player in the league?) to the wonderfully chaotic (Which NBA player would you want as an ally if The Purge happened in real life?).

With a foreword by NBA legend Reggie Miller and packed with stunning, comic-book-style illustrations by Arturo Torres, this classic 33-chapter masterpiece treats the mythology of modern basketball with equal parts brilliant insight and hilarious irreverence. 

It's the ultimate sports gift book for anyone who has ever stayed up until 3:00 AM arguing about the NBA's greatest what-ifs, or for anyone ready to fall in love with the beautiful absurdity of basketball fandom for the very first time.

Shea Serrano is a three-time #1 New York Times bestselling author, screenwriter, and journalist known for his uniquely hilarious, deeply analytical approach to sports and pop culture.

He is the creator and author of the wildly popular, best-selling "And Other Things" series, which includes Basketball (and Other Things)―selected by President Barack Obama as one of his favorite books of the year―Movies (and Other Things), and Hip-Hop (and Other Things). His breakout hit, The Rap Year Book, was also a New York Times bestseller and was adapted into a multi-part documentary series for AMC. Beyond his essay collections, he is the author of Expensive Basketball and the comedic fiction piece Werewolf Lawyer.

In addition to his books, Serrano is an accomplished television creator. He created, wrote, and executive produced the critically acclaimed coming-of-age comedy series Primo alongside Mike Schur, which earned a rare 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

A former staff writer for The Ringer and a former public school teacher, Shea lives in Houston, Texas, with his family and a rotating cast of very good dogs.