Stories about sports can enthrall and delight an audience like no other, whether it’s the excitement of witnessing a world-class athlete at the pinnacle of their abilities or the surprise of an underdog victory. Whether you’re an avid sports fan or just a casual spectator, you’ve probably experienced the surge of adrenaline that accompanies seeing a top athlete perform at the top of their game.
A sports audiobook that strikes the ideal mix between content and flair will take you closer than ever to the game, with tales ranging from rags-to-riches to some of the biggest and most illustrious comebacks in sports history. The sports biographies and inspirational audiobooks on Mr Betting’s list let you explore the lives of renowned sportsmen and get a behind-the-scenes look at historic contests.
These Are The Best Sports Biographies and Most Inspirational Sports Stories and Audiobooks
Football: Marti Perarnau – Pep Confidential
In this acclaimed sports audiobook, up until now, no writer has been as close to one of the top teams and the best players in the world in international football as this audiobook author has been. He accompanied Pep Guardiola on matchdays and throughout training, following the Catalan manager, his staff, and his key players. Real Madrid stunned Bayern in the Champions League semifinal even though they had broken all domestic records en route to winning the double. Every step of the way, Perarnau was with them. During Perarnau’s break in New York, he is accompanied by Guardiola as he is courted by the best teams worldwide.
Hearing Guardiola go into great length about the drastic tactical changes that changed Bayern’s season and reshaped the players who will win the World Cup with Germany is a treat. Players like Arjen Robben, Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm, Thiago Alcântara, and Bastian Schweinsteiger are among the ones with whom Perarnau speaks exclusively and in intriguing detail. Beyond just chronicling a season, Pep Confidential paints a timeless picture of one of the greatest sports coaches ever.
Phil Knight – Shoe Dog
Phil Knight began a tiny business in 1964, selling imported sneakers out of his vehicle trunk, after graduating from business school with just a $50 loan from his father. The Nike swoosh, arguably the most recognisable emblem in the world, gives that little company a market value of more than $30 billion today.
Shoe Dog is the inspiring personal story of what it takes to create a global brand that is now seen everywhere in the American sports industry and the risks, losses, and achievements that occur along the road. It’s an engrossing listen for both sports and business aficionados. With a captivating corporate drama that arcs through the numerous ups and downs of the Nike tale, Tony Award-winning actor Norbert Leo Butz delivers a dramatic narration that evokes tension.
NBA: Lamar Odom – Darkness to Light
Renowned for his time spent as a player for the Los Angeles Lakers and his relationship with one of the most influential influencer families in the US, the Kardashian family, Lamar Odom shares his personal story in this candid and insightful autobiography. Chris Palmer offers a compelling account of both Odom’s thrilling professional life and the less glamorous aspects of his quick ascent to stardom, exploring challenges including substance abuse and potentially fatal physical conditions.
Fans of sports and Odom will find this to be a great listen, but even people who are not familiar with his background will become absorbed in the layers of social and cultural commentary on the American sports scene, celebrity, and the appropriate (or inappropriate) amount of pressure one should or should not put on oneself.
Tennis: W. Timothy Gallwey – The Inner Game of Tennis
Gallwey’s investigation of self-doubt, focus, and flow has yielded several insights for over forty years, as players and coaches in all major sports have found. Beyond its original focus on tennis, The Inner Game has sold over a million copies and influenced the thinking of politicians, corporate executives, and performers.
By removing the mental obstacles that impede your performance and lead to errors, you will discover how to ‘get out of your own way’ and realise your full potential as you listen. Listeners may access the vast reservoir of information contained in what is perhaps the most significant book on this list because of Dan Woren’s captivating narration.
Boxing: Tyson Fury – Behind the Mask
Listen to one of the greatest athletes of all time, Tyson Fury, tell his version of the unbelievable tale and gain insight from a genuinely exceptional athlete. In tackling the narrative of his ascent to prominence, catastrophic collapse to the lowest point in boxing history, and incredible return, Fury, the most improbable heavyweight champion in history, does not falter.
Drawing the audience into the highs and lows, championships, and training, Jake Wood narrates with skill and emotion. Along with hearing about his struggles with alcohol, drugs, and mental health, you will get exclusive details of his biggest bouts. The story of the Gypsy King’s life has made him a household name in the popular sport, is exceptionally motivational, and has an appeal that goes beyond boxing.
Football: Peter Crouch – How To Be a Footballer
This isn’t just any football biography; Peter Crouch wasn’t your typical Premier League player. Securing remarkable accomplishments by unconventional means, Crouch amassed over 100 Premier League goals, represented England 42 times, and ignited a nationwide trend of robot dancing that was replicated in schoolyards and Sunday league fields.
With his highly acclaimed podcast, Crouch maintains his appeal to football fans all over the globe. His memoir How to Be a Footballer was awarded the Telegraph’s 2018 Sports Book of the Year Award. Crouch presents the authentic, unvarnished, and humorous narrative of football on and off the field while using his own sense of humor throughout.
Rugby: Eddie Jones – My Life & I
Few can compare to Eddie Jones’ coaching background. Jones has been a part of some of the most iconic moments in rugby history, having led Australia, England, and Japan to the World Cup finals and caused the greatest upset in rugby history against South Africa. In this autobiography, Jones shares his tale in a straightforward and confrontational manner that is characteristic of his work, blending witty commentary with insightful advice on handling the highs and lows of the world of professional sports.
With a masterful narration by Sam Haft, you’ll be taken on the fascinating journey of one of rugby’s most intriguing personalities. Released shortly following England’s defeat by South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final in 2019, this is a deeply personal, honest, and unvarnished view of the sport at its best.
Athletics: Christopher McDougall – Born To Run
The Tarahumara are an indigenous Mexican community that is almost unknown yet has been practicing the seemingly impossible skill of running hundreds of kilometers at a time without stopping for decades. Author Christopher McDougall shares tales of this tribe in this story of incredible athleticism.
The author visits the isolated and enigmatic Caballo Blanco, an outsider who lives among the Tarahumara while visiting the treacherous Copper Canyon in the tribe’s home state of Chihuahua. Blanco starts learning about the Tarahumara way of life with the hopes of one day becoming an ultramarathoner. Born to Run is an engaging cultural analysis, vibrant trip memoir, and motivational sports diary all wrapped into one, enhanced by Fred Sanders’ superb voice. It’s a test of endurance and shows just how much the human body can endure. It does this by fusing captivating stories with scientific studies on the limits of the human body.
Formula 1: Adrian Newey – How to Build a Car
One of the most incredible pods available, it follows Adrian Newey’s life and career biography and his 35-year career as a Formula One car creator. Work alongside the top F1 drivers, such as Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Alain Prost, and Sebastian Vettel, as you accompany one of Britain’s finest engineers in his never-ending pursuit of faster times.
Richard Trinder’s captivating narration introduces the listener to the exciting world of top motorsport, which tells a narrative about the fascination with finding a method to go a little bit faster, combining humans and technology. Be ready to be brought to life in the fast lane, whether you’re a die-hard Formula One fan or just a casual spectator.
Baseball: Michael Lewis: Moneyball
Entering a baseball revolution is what Michael Lewis does for us with the best baseball podcast on our list. Lewis exposes the application of modern analytics in America’s favourite game, baseball, by following the Oakland Athletics club as they strive for victory despite a limited budget and subverting conventional baseball knowledge.
Moneyball, a phenomenon with a wide audience beyond baseball enthusiasts, revolutionised the game by making the statistics-first strategy ubiquitous in it. Bringing out the human aspect of these extraordinary occurrences, Scott Brick’s narrative is captivating. ‘Moneyball’ is now a term used in any sport to describe the analytical methodology developed in Oakland, following its film adaptation starring Brad Pitt.
Athletics: Alex Hutchinson – Endure
This New York Times bestseller book is written by journalist, physicist, and distance runner Alex Hutchinson, drawing on his scientific and research experience. Longtime Runner’s World contributor reveals how emotional and psychological factors interact with physical factors like heat, nutrition, and muscle soreness, and how anybody may exceed their own boundaries if they can handle both sides of the equation.
Hutchinson explores the world in quest of novel endurance-enhancing methods and training, discovering amazing outcomes along the road, as he uncovers tales of superathletes who pushed above their boundaries and upended conventional wisdom. To investigate the boundaries of human potential, this audiobook takes us deep into inspirational personal stories with scientific discoveries.
Basketball: Roland Lazenby – Michael Jordan
If not the most famous athlete in history, Michael Jordan is certainly the most famous basketball player. However, nothing was known about the guy wearing the #23 jersey until Roland Lazenby’s comprehensive biography, which became a USA Today bestseller. Suitable for sports fans of all ages, listeners will get a complete picture of Jordan’s true identity, both on and off the court. Through interviews with Jordan’s friends, family, and even himself, Lazenby uncovers tales of the star’s setbacks in addition to his triumphs.
Recounts of his struggles with gambling and his intense, often scary competitive spirit are discussed in the biography. Michael Jordan is a fascinating listen for sports enthusiasts and anybody who’s ever wondered what goes into the building of a living icon, helped along by the vocal prowess of Audie Award-winning singer Bob Souer.
Tennis: Maria Sharapova – Unstoppable
Maria Sharapova, one of the most famous tennis players across the globe and Sports Illustrated model, became an instant star when she won Wimbledon at the age of 17, which many may remember as the golden age of sports. Tennis enthusiasts worldwide were enthralled with her talent and inspiring tale of rising from poverty to wealth. However, many detractors believed that her career had come to an end when she was suspended in 2016 for using the performance-enhancing medication meldonium.”
Sharapova describes in Unstoppable how she overcame this disappointment to become even more passionate about her sport. In her own words, the author describes the grueling training she went through to recover and demonstrate that she might just be unstoppable, training that was similar to the demanding training she received on the courts of her small Russian city.
Boxing: Muhammad Ali – The Greatest
Muhammad Ali is undoubtedly one of the greatest sports personalities of all times. It would be difficult to locate an athlete more deserving of the title of Greatest Sportsman of the Century than him. He paved the way for the greatest boxers today.
But Ali’s impact extends beyond his career in the ring and his Olympic gold medal; in addition, he was a poet, a well-known opponent of war, and an inspiration to many who challenged the conventional notion of what it meant to be a superathlete. Listeners will learn some of the most personal facts about the Greatest’s life through this insightful audiobook. The pace, tone, and excitement of performer Dion Graham are very similar to those of Ali, creating an immersive auditory experience.
Football: James Buckley Jr. – Who Was Pele?
This is one of the audiobooks recommended by us for when you have much free time, as there are so many facts and information included. The inspirational tale of the Brazilian youngster who rose from poverty to become one of the best talents of today and one of the most significant players of all time and of the 20th century!
Although Edson Arantes do Nascimento was his government name, Pelé was what he was known as across the world. At the age of fifteen, the football forward started playing for the Santos football club, shocking everyone in Brazil. After joining his nation’s national football squad and helping them win three Globe Cup titles, he helped recalibrate how the world perceives Brazilian footballers.
