THE BOOK

A behind-the-scenes account from the epicenter of sports, social justice and coronavirus, my acclaimed book CAN’T KNOCK THE HUSTLE is the definitive chronicle of basketball’s renaissance as a cultural force beyond the game, by way of my embed with the Brooklyn Nets for the historic 2019-2020 NBA season

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WATCH THE BOOK TRAILER:

INSIDE THE BOOK:

REVIEWS + PRAISE:

“TOUR-DE-FORCE DEBUT: Sullivan’s detailed account will intrigue anyone who cares about sports and the role it plays in social justice today”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A MUST-READ for its in-depth look at the mental, economic, and political tribulations of NBA players”
— Library Journal (starred review)
“MORE THAN A BASKETBALL BOOK, this helps explain race relations, celebrity power, and personal choice in a changed world”
— Kirkus Reviews
“BRILLIANTLY AUDACIOUS”
— Kiese Laymon, New York Times bestselling author of Heavy
“AN ESSENTIAL DOCUMENT about the decades that led us to this moment and the future decades yet unspooled”
— Wright Thompson, ESPN senior writer and New York Times bestselling author of Pappyland
“THIS IS OUR GENERATION’S MONEYBALL”
— Don Van Natta Jr., Pulitzer Prize-winning ESPN investigative reporter and New York Times bestselling author of First Off the Tee and Wonder Girl
“Matt Sullivan’s giving you real access. The other access is the access that LeBron and his media empire want you to have — HIS UNVARNISHED TRUTH WAS SO REAL”
— Dan LeBatard, Meadowlark Media, host of The Dan LeBatard Show
“A can’t-look-away sampling of not merely the NBA’s most fascinating franchise, but a frozen period in time that WILL LEAVE HISTORIANS BOTH HORRIFIED AND RIVETED”
— Jeff Pearlman, New York Times bestselling author of Three-Ring Circus and Showtime
“Matt Sullivan has discovered the GROUND ZERO OF A PLAYER REVOLUTION — AND IT’S IN BROOKLYN. Is anybody ready for it?” ”
— Howard Bryant, Meadowlark Media, author of Full Dissidence: Notes from an Uneven Playing Field
“AS REVEALING A BASKETBALL BOOK AS THERE’S BEEN IN A LONG TIME”
— Dave Zirin, The Nation sports editor and author of The Kaepernick Effect
“If you are fascinated by the modern NBA, this book only adds layers to this era — from a reporter’s standpoint, IT’S NOT LIKE MOST BASKETBALL BOOKS”
— Brian Windorst, ESPN senior writer and New York Times bestselling author of LeBron Inc. and Return of the King
“Basketball? That’s just the starting point, and what a trip this REMARKABLE ODYSSEY turns out to be”
— James Andrew Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Those Guys Have All the Fun, Live From New York, and Powerhouse

INSTANT HISTORY

The real Kyrie Irving. In the shadows with Kevin Durant. A franchise designed by Jay-Z. A feud with LeBron James in China. The last days of Kobe Bryant. Covid-19. Donald Trump. Marching at Barclays Center. Boycotting in The Bubble. And the real player empowerment.

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Photographs by Josh Sobel (protest) + Victoria Jacobi (Kyrie Irving)