The best sports memoirs pull back the curtain on greatness, revealing the doubt, the cost and the drive behind the trophies. These eight are the finest athletes-and-founders stories ever told, from the most honest tennis memoir in print to the gripping tale of building Nike from a car trunk. A note for listeners: sports memoirs are some of the very best audiobooks, often read by the athletes themselves.
Quick picks:
- Best overall: Open by Andre Agassi. View on Amazon
- Best business memoir: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. View on Amazon
- Most motivating: Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins. View on Amazon
The all-time greats
Open by Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi is a former world number one. Andre Agassi's astonishingly honest memoir, widely called the best sports autobiography ever written. Raw, beautiful and unforgettable.
Best for: The best sports memoir.
→ View on AmazonShoe Dog by Phil Knight
Phil Knight is the founder of Nike. Phil Knight's gripping, honest memoir of building Nike from nothing. A business and sports classic and a great gift.
Best for: The Nike founder's story.
→ View on AmazonCan't Hurt Me by David Goggins
David Goggins is a former Navy SEAL and endurance athlete. David Goggins's brutal, motivating memoir of overcoming everything through sheer will. A phenomenon and a superb audiobook.
Best for: Mental toughness, extreme.
→ View on AmazonThe Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant is an NBA legend. Kobe Bryant's beautifully produced reflection on his craft and mindset. A giftable book for any basketball fan.
Best for: Kobe on his craft.
→ View on AmazonMore unforgettable stories
Playing It My Way by Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar is the highest run-scorer in cricket history. The autobiography of the Little Master himself, from a Mumbai childhood to two decades carrying a billion hopes. Essential for any Tendulkar fan.
Best for: The Tendulkar memoir.
→ View on AmazonNo Spin by Shane Warne
Shane Warne is the greatest leg-spinner of all time. Shane Warne's frank, funny autobiography, as bold and entertaining as his bowling. A candid look at genius and its chaos.
Best for: The Warne memoir.
→ View on AmazonRafa by Rafael Nadal, John Carlin
Rafael Nadal is a tennis champion and a journalist. Rafael Nadal's candid autobiography, co-written with John Carlin, revealing the mind behind the relentless competitor.
Best for: The Nadal memoir.
→ View on AmazonFinding Ultra by Rich Roll
Rich Roll is an endurance athlete and podcaster. Rich Roll's memoir of transforming from unfit and forty to an elite endurance athlete. A midlife inspiration.
Best for: A midlife transformation.
→ View on AmazonHow we chose these
We looked for the sports books that last: player memoirs with something real to say, credentialed sports scientists and psychologists and the acclaimed journalists and historians who turn a game into a story. A few iconic novels earn a place too and we label them as fiction. We describe and compare these books to help you choose your next read.
