Basketball Book Review: No Fear In The Arena

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I had the opportunity to read John Willkom’s new book, No Fear In The Arena, over the weekend. It is a #1 New book release on Amazon. The book is about Travis Diener, who starred at Marquette University, spent several years in the NBA, then took his game to the Italian League. For those unfamiliar with Travis, he’s certainly not the physically imposing type that you might assume when hearing that he’s a former NBA player. Raised in a small town in Wisconsin and despite his physical limitations, he goes on to not only achieve tremendous personal success but play on some incredibly
successful teams, including a 2003 Final Four run.

What I loved about this book was Travis’s incredible competitiveness and love for the game. When faced with a situation to sign another NBA contract as a third-string point guard or go overseas to play significant minutes, he passes up a significant amount of money to go star inthe Italian League. His cousin, Drake, is diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, eventually returns to form, then joins Travis in Italy to form one of the best backcourts in the world. Today, Drake is the Italian League’s all-time leading scorer, which is pretty incredible.

There are some great stories in here from Dwyane Wade, 11-year NBA veteran, Steve Novak, and several former NBA and professional players. The book does a great job illustrating some of the challenges for anyone playing overseas, while also highlighting what an incredible experience it can be. For young players looking for inspiration to parents who enjoy a true story of overcoming the odds, this is a great add to your reading list.