Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 750 ratings

Price: 21.66

Last update: 01-03-2025


About this item

New York Times best seller

From a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist comes “the best Jordan book so far” (The Washington Post), the story of Michael Jordan’s legendary years with the Chicago Bulls, capped by the 1998 NBA Finals and the team’s second three-peat.

From The Breaks of the Game to Summer of '49, David Halberstam has brought the perspective of a great historian, the insider knowledge of a dogged sportswriter, and the love of a fan to bear on some of the most mythic players and teams in the annals of American sports. With Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, he has given himself the greatest challenge and produced his greatest triumph.

In Playing for Keeps, David Halberstam takes the first full measure of Michael Jordan's epic career, one of the great American stories of our time. A narrative of astonishing power and human drama, brimming with revealing anecdotes and penetrating insights, the audiobook chronicles the forces in Jordan's life that have shaped him in to history's greatest basketball player and the larger forces that have converged to make him the most famous living human being in the world.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read for any MJ or Last Dance Fans
    Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2023
    The story we see in the Last Dance but in more detail and depth. The author gives more background on the "main characters" and the reader is introduced to other characters previously unknown but relevant to the story.
    Jordan's story is inspiring as always.
  • Arron
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books about MJ
    Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2024
    One of the best books you can get your hands on
  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well-researched, but not very insightful
    Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2013
    While trying to stay as unbiased as possible, the writer tends to soften his words to avoid any notions that this is a takedown book. While not afraid nor apologetic to drop an actual F-bomb in quotes, Halberstam doesn't choose stronger words that would be more accurate to describe a certain situation, emotion, or character trait. Most of the important stuff is covered here, but it's mostly glossed over, or assumed that the reader has read it elsewhere. With Jordan being the supposed center of the topic, the writer chose instead to focus on all the people surrounding him and going in depth into that. I suspect that's why the title is so unfocused or broad in spectrum as to include the word "World" in it.

    Overall, it's a nice ride back in time, but you leave the book having a blurrier look at the man in the middle of it all.
  • Dave Evans
    5.0 out of 5 stars 90s NBA Must Read
    Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2012
    As anyone who's familiar with David Halberstam's work can attest, you're hard pressed to find a better written dissection of nearly any topic unless it was by Halberstam himself..which given his attachment to certain subjects, is a possibility. Simply put, Halberstam was such a talented writer, that he was capable of making the most mundane events and details fascinating. When comparing Playing for Keeps with The Breaks of the Game, his early 80s dissection of the Portland Trailblazers though the former was probably a greater literary accomplishment, Playing for Keeps was a more interesting read for me. A large part of this is the subject matter, Michael Jordan, who established himself, in the most pathological of fashions as the greatest NBA player of all time. However as interesting of a feature as MJ is, if you're reading this book, you probably don't need a primer on Michael Jordan's greatness. What sets this book apart is the detailed descriptions of what the NBA became economically in the 1990s.
    One if the many things that is great about Halberstam is his no stones left unturned approach to any subject matter. In spite of omitting much of Michael Jordan's personal life from this book, I feel that reading this provides a clear picture of Michael, and even more so the climate of the NBA in the 1990's, which is the exact started purpose of the book. In it, you'll likely read tidbits regarding the 90s Bulls that you will not have seen elsewhere, and you'll gain unique perspective to how the league flourished in the 80s and 90s, and the ramifications of that success.
    I read this book immediately after reading The Breaks of the Game, and doing so really added great perspective for not just understanding the league, but also Halberstam's unique writing perspective. In truth both are kind of geared toward a niche market: NBA diehards and/or David Halberstam loyalists. If you have an interest in league history, TBOTG is worth your time, however if you were to only read one Playing for Keeps is far less obscure and dated. Having devoured just about any and every NBA book on the market, I can day without question that DH's writing is far superior to anyone else who has attempted. Highly recommended.
  • Bama Fan
    5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST Jordan book and still relevant and enjoyable!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2021
    I've read numerous books about Jordan and this one is at the top. I thought that after watching the Last Dance and having read and followed him throughout his career that this book might be redundant. I had seen it pop up on my feed several times and decided against purchasing and reading it. When I finally did, it was tough to put it down! Even though I knew how the story would end, I learned a lot of tidbits that I didn't know. Whether it was some crazy obscure facts about details of private workouts of players, Jordan's family, or his connection to the UNC coaching staff (in particular Roy Williams) was all enjoyable. Halberstam also provides details about other players and the league changing and those tidbits were just as interesting as the one about Jordan and the Bulls. A must read for any basketball fan, whether you grew up watching Jordan or not!
  • Hugh Sherry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Talent, Training , Tenacity and Timing--A Tale of Personal and Professional Success
    Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2020
    As always, David Halberstam doesn't just tell Michael Jordan's story. He tells the whole story of the NBA's amazing transformation over those years--the coaches, the teammates, the opponents, the owners. Chapters of interesting and applicable background--the trades, the changing economics, the partnerships, jealousies and characters that bring Michael Jackson's career to life--from his talented youth to his fully developed leadership talents that inspired the Chicago Bulls through the arc of their championships. Jordan loved and inspired his team easily as much as expert and intuitive coach Phil Jackson. Tense and gripping to the last play of the final Jordan championship game, it's a wonderful tale of the whole basketball aura of those years.
  • Joel B
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great sports journalism
    Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2023
    Love the Three-peat even more! This book narrates exactly what the second title says. Jordan's career reshaped the sport, fandom, merchandising and business.

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