10 Books By Athletes You Should Read Right Now
- Athlete memoirs go beyond wins and losses, exploring themes like obsession, discipline, and the cost of chasing greatness.
Colin Kaepernick just reminded everybody that athletes are not only out here making history on the field — they’re writing it too. This week, Kaepernick announced The Perilous Fight, a new memoir dropping September 15, 2026, through Legacy Lit, with an audiobook narrated by Kaepernick himself and released exclusively through Audible that same day. The rollout is intentional: the book lands almost exactly 10 years after his 2016 national anthem protest, and the publisher is framing it as an “equal parts memoir and manifesto” about identity, sacrifice, and the cost of courage.
And honestly, that’s why athlete books always hit when they’re done right. Fans usually meet these people through highlights, interviews, and viral moments, but a book lets them slow down the story. You get the childhood stuff, the pressure, the ego, the pain, the politics, the family dynamics, the parts TV packages and social clips usually flatten it. In Kaepernick’s case, the publisher says the memoir digs into his upbringing in Turlock, his identity as a Black child adopted into a white family, and the years of reading, reckoning, and lived experience that led up to that moment the whole world saw.
That’s also why sports memoirs stay undefeated as a genre. The best ones are never just about wins and losses. They’re about obsession, discipline, reinvention, and what it costs to chase greatness while the whole world is projecting something onto you. Whether it’s a legend breaking down how they dominated, a champion unpacking how being Black in America impacted their journey, or a superstar keeping it painfully honest about burnout and doubt, these books offer readers more than a stat line.
So with Kaepernick’s new release putting athlete-authored books back in the conversation, here are 10 books by athletes people should absolutely be reading right now.
1. Open — Andre Agassi
Agassi’s memoir is still one of the gold standards because it’s brutally honest in a way a lot of sports books are scared to be. It’s not just tennis talk — it’s fame, resentment, pressure, family expectations, and what it feels like to be great at something you sometimes don’t even love. If somebody wants an athlete’s memoir that really peels back the layers, this is a layup.
2. Uncommon Favor — Dawn Staley
Dawn Staley came into this book with the exact kind of story worth sitting with: North Philly roots, elite playing career, coaching dominance, and the kind of leadership that feels bigger than basketball. The book digs into the lessons that shaped her on and off the court, making it a strong pick for readers who want something inspiring without it feeling too polished or too fake-deep.
3. Dear Black Girls — A’ja Wilson
This one matters because A’ja isn’t just talking about hoops — she’s speaking directly to Black girlhood, confidence, criticism, beauty standards, and learning to stand in your full self. It’s personal, encouraging, and culturally grounded in a way a lot of mainstream sports books aren’t. For young readers especially, this is the kind of book that can really stick.
4. On the Line — Serena Williams
Serena’s memoir gives readers that behind-the-scenes look at one of the most iconic careers in sports history, but what makes it worth the read is the mindset underneath all the trophies. It gets into her family, her rise, and the work ethic that made her Serena. Anybody who loves stories about greatness built under pressure should have this somewhere in the rotation.
5. I Am Third — Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers’ book is one of those foundational sports autobiographies that still carries real emotional weight. Beyond football greatness, it’s remembered for its honesty about injury, race, and Sayers’ friendship with Brian Piccolo. It’s a shorter, older read, but the humanity in it still lands.
6. No Limits — Michael Phelps
If you want a book that leans into elite mentality, routine, sacrifice, and the mechanics of becoming absurdly great at something, this one delivers. Phelps breaks down the drive behind his rise and what it took to perform at a level the world had rarely seen in the pool. It’s a strong read for anybody locked in on discipline and competitive edge.
7. The Mamba Mentality: How I Play — Kobe Bryant
Kobe’s books are for readers who love process. More than a standard memoir, it’s Kobe walking people through how he thought about the game, how he studied it, and how he built that whole Mamba approach brick by brick. It’s part basketball book, part philosophy of obsession, which is exactly why so many hoop fans keep coming back to it.
8. Eleven Rings — Phil Jackson
Yeah, Phil is remembered mostly as a coach, but he was also a former NBA player, and this book earns its place because it’s really about leadership at the highest level. He gets into team-building, ego management, trust, and how he blended sports with psychology and spirituality. For readers who like books that go beyond the game itself, this one has real replay value.
9. On the Shoulders of Giants — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem has written a lot, but this one stands out because it uses basketball to talk about Black history, culture, and the Harlem Renaissance. So it’s not just an athlete telling war stories — it’s an all-time great using the game as a doorway into something bigger. That makes it especially strong for readers who want sports, history, and identity all in one place.
10. My Story — Pelé
If you’re going to read an athlete’s book, at least one should come from somebody whose name basically became shorthand for greatness. Pelé’s memoir offers readers a firsthand look at the life and career of one of the most important figures in sports. For anybody trying to understand global sports stardom before the social media era, this is a worthy pick-up.
Kaepernick’s new book is probably about to send a lot of people back into this lane, and that’s a good thing. Athlete books work best when they remind readers that the most interesting part of greatness usually isn’t the highlight everybody remembers — it’s the stuff that happened before, after, and underneath it. That’s where the real story lives, and these books prove it.
