The Hoops Whisperer: On the Court and Inside the Heads of Basketball's Best Players
The Hoops Whisperer: On the Court and Inside the Heads of Basketball's Best Players book cover

The Hoops Whisperer: On the Court and Inside the Heads of Basketball's Best Players

Hardcover – May 1, 2014

Price
$21.76
Format
Hardcover
Pages
256
Publisher
Avery
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1592408917
Dimensions
5.78 x 0.91 x 9.51 inches
Weight
14.7 ounces

Description

"I never imagined that when I first worked with Idan before my rookie year, our relationship would extend more than a decade. He has influenced me tremendously and I am very grateful for his loyalty, friendship, and guidance. He is passionate about everything he does and, while some may consider his methods unorthodox, the end results for me have been remarkable."—Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicksxa0"Idan inspired me to see my full potential, to become more than others had ever expected of me, and challenge myself to do more than I had even expected of myself. xa0He showed me the importance of resilience and determination; and to capitalize on all my opportunities I had coming out of school and even to this day. His challenge to never become 'regular' stuck with me and kept me fierce in my determination to be committed to who I am, what I stand for, and to leave my lasting fingerprints on the game I so dearly love."—Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriorsxa0"Idan believed in me when others didn't. He challenged me when others couldn't. He cheered for me when others stopped. He praised me when others wouldn't. He stood by me when others ran. He encouraged me to find my greatness, which I did and continue to find."xa0—JR Smith, New York Knicksxa0"Idan is the first guy that I've worked with that brought something different to the workouts, who pushed me past my limits, who made me think of the game on a different level. He pushed me with his words, encouraged me and built my confidence as the days went on. Truly one of a kind and I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to learn from him."xa0—Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunderxa0"Idan was the best trainer I've ever worked with. The drills that we did pushed me to and past the limit. xa0Working with Idan allowed me to fall in love with the game of basketball all over again. If you want to be great, go see Idan and it will change your life."xa0—Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets Idan Ravin splits his time between Maryland, and New York City.

Features & Highlights

  • Basketball’s most unlikely—and most sought-after—training guru offers an inside look at his career, his methods, and the all-star players whose games he’s helped transform.
  • Where do the best basketball players in the world turn when they want to improve their game? Whom does a future NBA Hall of Famer thank at his press conference when he’s named Rookie of the Year? Who is it that
  • Sports Illustrated
  • ,
  • The Wall Street Journal
  • , and
  • Men’s Journal
  • all call the "Hoops Whisperer" because of his ability to engage, inspire, and challenge the players he trains? The answer to all of these questions is Idan Ravin.Ravin never played or coached in college or the pros, yet a virtual NBA All-Star team relies on him to better their game and reach their full potential. A soft-spoken former lawyer, Ravin has become professional basketball’s hottest trainer.In
  • The Hoops Whisperer
  • , Ravin shares the fascinating story of how he transformed a passion for the game into working with iconic basketball stars such as Chris Paul, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Dwight Howard, and many more.  He offers a rare unguarded glimpse inside the lives of these great athletes, drawn from his intimate connection with them that is the basis of his success. Showcasing his unorthodox drills and improvisational techniques in action, Ravin reveals how faith, effort, dedication, and passion can make a player into a superstar—and anyone into a success. Combined with his own inspiring journey, Ravin’s insights make
  • The Hoops Whisperer
  • a must-read for anyone who loves the game.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(221)
★★★★
25%
(92)
★★★
15%
(55)
★★
7%
(26)
-7%
(-25)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Very inspirational

I'm short, Jewish and terrible at the game. I found this book inspirational. It speaks to everyone - not just for basketball fans. Thank you Idan for changing my life!
7 people found this helpful
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A blueprint for making your vision a reality

Overall this book is a great page turning story about faith, devotion, vision, and inspiration. It also includes many fascinating stories of how Idan utilizes his thoughtfulness, skill, and intelligence to create precision training sessions for some of the NBA's greatest players. This book is a reminder that peak performance is only found through true passion, love, and a burning desire to master your craft. While his and his player's craft is basketball, this book is a must read for anyone who wants to be great and provide higher value, lasting impact, and be legendary in any endeavor!
7 people found this helpful
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Want more, deeper......

Basketball is a religion in our home. Life lessons from basketball stream through the raising of our sons (men now) ranging from love of something bigger than themselves, to the discipline of practice, to knowing your role in team and playing it, sharing, keeping your hands to yourself. Both sons played and one went from All Metro and All City through college recruiting and playing college ball. The Hoop Whisperer moves on multiple levels: Ravin's personal story, the stories and anecdotes about the stars he trains, life "lessons" and life "practices" that he both teaches and learns from his trainees and finally, if you mine deep enough, insights into the game itself (training for different strengths---e.g. lateral movement--dribbling quickness and change of direction) and observations that add "just that" to a move that gives an additional margin of advantage. Combined, this is a quality read. I might have preferred four books done deeper. (But that wouldn't have been what Ravin intended).
6 people found this helpful
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Will inspire you to dream again!

If you are a basketball junkie, this book will definitely captivate your attention from cover to cover. More importantly, it transcends the game of basketball by giving a first hand account of an individual who kept pursuing his dreams despite of not having the "pedigree" or inside track to the industry that he now flourishes in. This is a book that will motivate you to pursue your passions and dream big again. Ravin's attention to detail when it comes to the players he works with, will help any coach, parent, teacher, businessman connect with the people they interact with on a daily basis. The accounts of Kobe, CP3, Melo,KD, Steph, and many others also give you an inside look to the dedication and sacrifice that these alpha males pay to make it and stay in the NBA. Thank you for shaking the game up, Idan. Get this book.
6 people found this helpful
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It's fine as an autobiography

No drills, no skills, no training. Just a book about the author and his relationship with NBA players. It's fine as an autobiography, but it isn't helpful as a tool to help a player get better.
4 people found this helpful
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It's a great read. Both my husband and I read Idan ...

It's a sports book....It's so much more....It's a great read. Both my husband and I read Idan Ravin's book "The Hoops Whisperer" and enjoyed for different reasons. The book follows NBA greats (and there are many player stories in the book) and their unique basketball training paths developed by the author with interesting insight into the mentality and dedication of the players. The backstory of the players and their personal lives off the court is a personality side not often seen. Idan Ravin's career journey interacting with the NBA players he trains and how he carved a life around his great love of basketball is a wonderful story in itself. After reading the book, you will watch NBA games, especially those with players described in "The Hoops Whisperer", in a new light. A very enjoyable read.
2 people found this helpful
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Interesting, but redundant

The first few chapters of this book are really interesting. As a basketball coach I found both his training methods and his careful treatment of NBA stars intriguing. Unfortunately, the remainder of the book simply details all the NBA stars he worked with. The formula for each chapter is roughly the same: How I met this future NBA star, how I carefully gained his confidence, what a great athlete he was, what he needed work on, how I helped him, how he became a star shortly thereafter. You get the feeling throughout the book that he's trying to be humble, but he's struggling to do so as he tells you about all the details of his relationship with famous NBA players. He's obviously good at one he does, and it's a great story of how he followed his dreams. However, unlike other reviewers, I didn't find it either inspirational or all that compelling.
2 people found this helpful
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I'm the narrator of this book and I LOVED it!

I don't often write reviews for book that I have narrated, but I'll make an exception in this case. Idan's book is an inspiration for anyone who has the courage to follow their heart, the focus to stay on the path, and the energy to keep moving forward no matter what! Buy a copy for yourself, then buy another for that person in your life who dreams of being something bigger and better than what they are now.
1 people found this helpful
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A Great Book!

As a basketball player growing up and a lifelong fan, I found this book fascinating and surprisingly emotional. It is amazing to read the stories about basketball greats and how Idan tailored his training sessions to match each one's specific needs. This book makes you examine your own path, inspires you to follow your dreams, reminds you not to give up and takes you on an unexpected and emotional journey. This is a great book!
1 people found this helpful
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Not just for sports fans

This book is about so much more than just basketball! I was pleasantly surprised that the deeper messages were about determination and following your heart despite outside pressures. Idan will make you question whether or not you are truly living your dreams and if not, what are you waiting for? The book also reminds us that there is work and sacrifice behind great athletes. No one gets a free ride. I highly recommend this book!
1 people found this helpful