Buying Options

Print List Price:	$16.95
Kindle Price:	$11.99 Save $4.96 (29%)
Sold by:	Random House LLC Price set by seller.

Promotions apply when you purchase

Deliver to your Kindle Library

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

The Legends Club: Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano, and an Epic College Basketball Rivalry by [John Feinstein]

Follow the Author

John Feinstein

The Legends Club: Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano, and an Epic College Basketball Rivalry Kindle Edition

by John Feinstein (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

576 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$11.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$23.60

$18.00

$1.49

Paperback, Illustrated

"Please retry"

$16.95

$8.00

$1.49

Audio CD, Audiobook, CD, Unabridged

"Please retry"

—

$20.39

—

Kindle
$11.99 Read with Our Free App
Audiobook
$0.00 Free with your Audible trial
Hardcover
$23.60

84 Used from $1.49 12 New from $18.00 4 Collectible from $40.00
Paperback
$16.95

69 Used from $1.49 26 New from $8.00
Audio CD
from $20.39

1 New from $20.39

Great on Kindle

Great Experience. Great Value.

Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.

The riveting inside story of college basketball's fiercest rivalry among three coaching legends—University of North Carolina's Dean Smith, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, and North Carolina State's Jim Valvano—by the king of college basketball writers, #1 New York Times bestseller John Feinstein

On March 18, 1980, the immensely powerful Duke basketball program announced the hiring of its new coach—the man who would resurrect the team, restore glory to Duke, and defeat the legendary Dean Smith, who coached down the road at UNC Chapel Hill and had turned UNC into a powerhouse. Duke's new man was Mike Krzyzewski. The only problem was, no one knew who Krzyzewski was, he had a so-so record in his short time as head coach of Army, and worst of all, no one could even pronounce his name. The announcement caused head scratches . . . if not immediate calls for his head . . . and on this note his career at Duke began.
The table was set nine days later, when on March 27, 1980, Jim Valvano was hired by North Carolina State to be their new head coach. The hiring didn't raise as many eyebrows, but with the exuberant Valvano on board, two new coaches were now in place to challenge Dean Smith—and the most sensational competitive decade in history was about to unfold.
In the skillful hands of John Feinstein, this extraordinary rivalry—and the men behind it—come to life in a unique, intimate way. The Legends Club is a sports book that captures an era in American sport and culture, documenting the inside view of a decade of absolutely incredible competition. Feinstein pulls back the curtain on the recruiting wars, the intensely personal competition that wasn't always friendly, the enormous pressure and national stakes, and the battle for the very soul of college basketball allegiance in a hot-bed area. Getting to the roots of the NCAA goliath that is followed religiously by millions of fans today, Feinstein uses his unprecedented access to all three coaches to paint a portrait only he could conjure. The Legends Club is destined to be one of Feinstein's biggest bestsellers.

Print length

388 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Anchor
Publication date

March 1, 2016
File size

12006 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
See all details

Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download

John Feinstein
299
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $10.99
John Feinstein
79
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $9.99
John Feinstein
114
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $6.99
John Feinstein
127
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $9.99
John Feinstein
212
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $13.99
John Feinstein
179
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $5.99

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book is one of [John Feinstein's] best, a beguilingly personal, sometimes heartbreaking look at the psychic cost of doing battle in America’s most brutally, nakedly competitive (and actual) arenas. It makes a fitting bookend to the author’s first, “A Season on the Brink” (1986), his hair-raising exposé of Indiana coach Bobby Knight, expletives included."
--The Wall Street Journal

"A compelling story of the complex relationships and backyard rivalries of the three coaches who dominated college basketball during the 1980s and early ’90s...Feinstein’s relationship with all three coaches gave him the intimate details that form the backbone of the book. One story leads quickly to another story in this fast-moving account of a memorable era in college basketball. Dating back to Feinstein’s first interview with Smith, this book was nearly 40 years in the making. It was worth the wait, because it is one of Feinstein’s best."
--Chicago Tribune

"Feinstein entertains readers with fair, objective observations based on fact and his unique inside access gained not only through years of his coverage but also through many new interviews with former players, coaches and administrators...In a famous speech before he died, Valvano implored all of us to attempt to do three things each day: laugh, think and cry. He would be pleased with “The Legends Club” because it will evoke all three from readers, no matter where their college basketball allegiances lie."
--The Washington Post

"The legends are right there in the subtitle: Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano, and an Epic College Basketball Rivalry. The unbilled fourth legend is the author. His longstanding relationships with the principals give the book its insider appeal; his history with each man goes back decades, and the intersecting, layered looks at each are built on firsthand knowledge...Funny and smart."
--USA Today

"Duke, UNC and N.C. State fans might quibble about the details, as they always do, Feinstein faithfully captures a rivalry that will remain a legend in sports."
--BookPage --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

The Legends Club is John Feinstein's 36th book. He is the author of A Season on the Brink and A Good Walk Spoiled, both #1 New York Times bestsellers and Last Shot, which won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for mystery writing in the Young Adult category. He was inducted into the U.S. Basketball Writer's Hall of Fame in 2000; the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. He currently writes for The Washington Post and Golf Digest and is a regular contributor to The Golf Channel, Comcast Sports Regional Networks and hosts a college basketball show and a golf show on SiriusXM Radio. He lives in Potomac, Maryland with his wife Christine and is the father of three children, Danny, Brigid, and Jane. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00Z3FRXI4
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Anchor (March 1, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 1, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 12006 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 388 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #284,262 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #17 in Basketball Coaching (Kindle Store)
- #44 in Basketball Biographies (Kindle Store)
- #94 in Basketball Coaching (Books)

Customer Reviews:
576 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

John Feinstein

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

John Feinstein spent years on the staff at the Washington Post, as well as writing for Sports Illustrated and the National Sports Daily. He is a commentator on NPRs "Morning Edition," a regular on ESPNs "The Sports Reporters" and a visiting professor of journalism at Duke University.His first book, A Season on the Brink, is the bestselling sports book of all time. His first book for younger readers, Last Shot, was a bestseller.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

576 global ratings

5 star		74%
4 star		18%
3 star		5%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Reviews with images

See all customer images

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Daniel Totten

Great Basketball Book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 25, 2023

Verified Purchase

This is a great recap of 3 basketball coaching legends & their relationships. Author John Feinstein is a sports writing legend. The author brings relationships to life.

Helpful

Thomas Kelley

One of John Feinstein's Best

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 1, 2019

Verified Purchase

I started following NCAA basketball when Magic Johnson played against Larry Bird I remember 1983 I was living in Southwestern New Mexico when they had the final four in Albuquerque and in my opinion this is what truly set what we they call march madness. From that time I moving forward I have had an utter dislike for both Duke and North Carolina the same way people now dislike New England or Alabama. Even while reading this book and knowing some of the out come of games I still hoped Duke had lost.

This is a great in looking at the history of Jim Valvano, Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski where they had started and how they have progressed all the way upto were Mike is through the 2015 season. Like I said I was not nor I am now of Mike and Dean but this book gave me a whole new respect especially for Mike and the relationship that he had with Jim Valvano when Jim was going to pass away. If you were watching college ball in the beginning of the 1980's you should appreciate this book in my opinion it has to be one of John Feinstein's finest pieces of writing.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

zelene bunch

a must read for anyone considering coaching

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 28, 2019

Verified Purchase

i took a chance on this book. i had to replace "a march to madness." i always reread it during march madness. i saw "the legends club" and took a chance. this is the best biography(?) i have ever read - i am a voracious reader and acc fanatic.
i started watching acc basketball when charlie scott integrated the unc roster. billy packer, jim thacker, and bones mckinney taught me the game. i had a scrapbook of david thompson's career at nc state and had his pictures on my bedroom wall while my friends plastered the jackson five. i introduced my son to phil ford - as the man who brought the shot clock to college hoops. i loved ralph sampson and tim duncan for loving college, i warmed to coach k so now i'm a confirmed duke fan. i've cheered for every acc team.
"the legends club" is something special. maybe because these three coaches intersected at a time when i can remember the games, celebrated and cried with them all. but these three coaches are something special. extraordinary men in an extraordinary era. just read the book y'all. made me proud to call tobacco road my basketball home.
great job john feinstein!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

JALFPO UNO

Must read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 17, 2021

Verified Purchase

I wasn’t particularly drawn to a story about three North Carolina basketball coaches, even if they are legends. However this is a compelling narrative about three very interesting characters. Extremely well written with incredible background info about a very exciting time in basketball. This is a must read.

Helpful

Beefydoc

Feinstein has written a classic for fans of college basketball

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 3, 2016

Verified Purchase

John Feinstein who has written some of the best sports books in the last 30 years, has topped himself in nearly every way with his latest, The Legends Club. It follows the story of Dean Smith, the legendary basketball coach at UNC, who in the early 1980's began a professional and personal relationship with the two new young hotshot coaches on Tobacco Road, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, and NC State's Jim Valvano. The two young guns could not have been more different. Krzyzewski was a West Point grad who was serious, strong willed, and committed to excellence. Valvano was the brash, wisecracking and deceptively smart northerner who could inspire his players to achieve the seemingly impossible. Smith was the "Dean" of college basketball coaches and the undisputed king of ACC basketball. Through a decade of intense, ultra competitive and highly successful seasons, these 3 coaches became, at times, bitter rivals. Yet the bitterness eventually turns to mutual admiration, and then eventually love for one another and all they accomplished. Yes, Feinstein has written a love story of three men that were inextricably tied to each other against the backdrop of the the 1980's, the greatest decade in the history of college basketball.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

DaveF

The title sums it up - I recommend the book.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 11, 2016

Verified Purchase

I have always enjoyed sports author John Feinstein's writing. He's easy to read - funny, tells a good story, writes about subjects I really like, and has a great perspective. "The Legends Club" is no exception. He tells the story of the three ACC basketball coaches' national accomplishments in an enjoyable and interesting way. His sources are many, knowledgable, and very credible. He weaves in entertaining side stories, and in general, paints a good picture of them and ACC championship basketball during the last 50 years.
The minuses are that he is sometimes a bit repetitive. Also, this book should not be viewed as taking a critical look at big-time college basketball - it doesn't, and I don't think Feinstein would ever claim that it does. The money issues, 'amateur' athlete issues, and sometimes dubious scholastic issues are not addressed. (There are other good books that do delve into college sports problems, if one is interested.) If you're looking for an easy, enjoyable read about three remarkable coaches, however, this is the book for you. I liked it.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mossman

One of my Top 10 favorite books ever

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 20, 2017

Verified Purchase

I broke my habit of reading almost exclusively books on music topics. I'm glad I did . "The Legends Club" is one of the best books I have ever read, and easily one of my Top 10 favorites. Feinstein has done extensive research, in addition to already having been around the subjects for many years, and he makes you feel as if you were right there throughout the journey of these 3 legendary college basketball coaches. Feinstein's writing is superb, and totally held my interest through every single page. You do not have to be a fan of any of the 3 teams highlighted to enjoy this book, although I would imagine if you are, it greatly adds even further to your enjoyment of the book. I think that anyone interested in basketball would like this book, and especially anyone interested in college basketball should absolutely love this book. For anyone interested n ACC basketball, it should be an absolute essential read.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Rob Knapper

watch it on You Tube) and you have the story of one of the greatest basketball coaching rivalries in the USA

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 1, 2016

Verified Purchase

I am a massive NCAA basketball fan, and also a local basketball club coach in England. I have always been a big fan of Coach K and Dean Smith and rivalry between them. Add in Coach Jimmy V (If you have not seen his speech he made at the ESPIES, watch it on You Tube) and you have the story of one of the greatest basketball coaching rivalries in the USA.
Coach K is the most winningest coach in NCAA history now and to read his story was fascinating. He has coached many great players but of course we all know that Coach Smith coached the GOAT Michael Jordan.
John Feinstein is a great author and you know that he loves this subject because of the time and effort he has put into researching the book. The fact that he also knew the coaches probably helped too.

One person found this helpful

Lespatdry

Enjoyed the book (huge Feinstein fan)

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on July 18, 2016

Verified Purchase

Enjoyed the book (huge Feinstein fan). The only thing was it was highly Duke slanted, due to the deaths of Smith and Valvano.

One person found this helpful

Wm W. Miller

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on June 19, 2018

Verified Purchase

Good story and informative.

Alex Vazquez

Un libro muy largo ta

Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on January 13, 2019

Verified Purchase

considero que hace fal

Translate review to English

Amazon Kunde

Schnelle Lieferung und schönes Buch

Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on June 29, 2018

Verified Purchase

Da es ein Geschenk war, kann ich nur die Lieferung und den Zustand des Buches beurteilen.
Beides war einwandfrei.
Die Person (Basketballcoach) hat sich sehr über das Buch gefreut.

Buying Options

Buy for others

Buying and sending eBooks to others

Follow the Author

The Legends Club: Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano, and an Epic College Basketball Rivalry Kindle Edition

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Videos

About the author

John Feinstein

Customer reviews

Reviews with images

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries