Net Work: Training the NBA’s Best and Finding the Keys to Greatness

Basketball trainer McClanaghan has an impressive list of clients, including MVPs Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook, but in this debut memoir he misses an opportunity to translate his expertise into prose. Instead, he provides a chatty mix of anecdotes (like the time he briefly coached Michael Jordan’s son), concluding with banal lessons on how to succeed, and his own picks for the best players in certain categories (such as, for best defender, Dennis Rodman). Despite McClanaghan’s not being a great player himself, his hard work and sustained focus landed him a spot on the Syracuse roster as a walk-on, and those habits eventually led to a job with a major sports agency, as a trainer for clients hoping to be drafted by an NBA team. That step, in turn, resulted in his being hired by individual players such as Derrick Rose and John Wall. Impress-ively, McClanaghan not only gained the respect of extremely gifted athletes but became friends with many of those he worked with, including Memphis Grizzlies’ Kevin Love, who bravely went public with his emotional struggles. Despite his unquestioned credentials, his “Twelve Rules for Becoming a Baller” offer mostly platitudes (“Have fun”). NBA fans seeking an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at how the very best in the game prepare will be disappointed. (Oct.)