Letters to a Young Athlete

By: Chris Bosh, Pat Riley - introduction

Narrated by: Chris Bosh, Pete Larkin

A legendary NBA player shares his remarkable story, infused with hard-earned wisdom about the journey to self-mastery from a life at the highest level of professional sports

Chris Bosh, NBA Hall of Famer, eleven-time All-Star, two-time NBA champion, Olympic gold medalist, and the league’s Global Ambassador, had his playing days cut short at their prime by a freak medical condition. His extraordinary career ended “in a doctor’s office in the middle of the afternoon.” Forced to reckon with moving forward, he found himself looking back over the course he'd taken, to the pinnacle of the NBA and beyond.

Reflecting on all he had learned from a long list of basketball legends, from LeBron and Kobe to Pat Riley and Coach K, he saw that his important lessons weren’t about basketball so much as the inner game of success—right attitude, right commitment, right flow within a team. Now he shares that journey, giving us a view from the inside of what greatness feels like and what it takes. Letters to a Young Athlete offers a proven path for taming your inner voice and making it your ally, through the challenges of failure and success alike.

Critic reviews

“I highly recommend [Letters to a Young Athlete] if you have a kid interested in basketball or if you yourself want to know a little bit more about what it takes to become a champion in any aspect of your life.” —Rachel Nichols, ESPN

“Chris Bosh, one of the smartest pro athletes of my life . . . goes deep on so many topics. . . . [Letters to a Young Athlete] is so smart, so thoughtful.” —Colin Cowherd

“On the court, Chris Bosh was a rare superstar who put his team above himself. His book is a wise, candid look behind the scenes at what made him great and how he made others even greater. It should be required reading for up-and-coming athletes—and their parents, teachers, and coaches too.” —Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife

“CB was the ultimate teammate and competitor. As his coach, I learned so much about leadership, sacrifice, and persevering through great challenges and adversity. His basketball experiences are deep and loaded with life lessons. Whether you want to improve as an athlete or just gain more thoughtful perspective on this game of life, you will be inspired by this book!” —Coach Erik Spoelstra

“Letters to a Young Athlete is a thoughtful, helpful manual for aspiring athletes to follow. The strength of the individual is the team and the strength of the team is the individual. Chris Bosh says all that and more to young athletes.” —Phil Jackson

“Chris Bosh understands the complex reality of becoming a champion, and his book will show you how to navigate those challenges and win.” —Tim S. Grover

Surprised & blown away… give this book to your teenagers! And then read it yourself when they’re finished!

I picked this booking thinking it would be more biographical rather than a literal book of advice to students & student athletes (take the title literally!)

Shortly into the book, when I realised it was the latter, I ALMOST stopped listening… I’m so pleased that I didn’t. This book was full of sage advice, anecdotes and relatable stories for any person - young or old.

I learned a lot from this book and it challenged my thinking on leadership, work ethic, and mental toughness. Chris Bosh has lived a full life and has plenty of experience to draw on when he gives advice and makes his points.

Now, if only I could go back in time and give this book to my 15yo self - I think it would have been a game changer.

EVERYONE should listen to this!

I absolutely loved this listen- fantastic book from a great person who was one of the best of the best in the NBA.

You don’t have to love basketball to love this book

This will definitely be a repeat read. So much good information- loved it a lot.

Great book

Simple but profound. Great life lessons. Would make a wonderful gift on any occasion, and for any age. Great storyteller!

The story

I liked it a lot as a athlete in high school I felt like I could relate to some parts in the story and what I need to do to be great and to get my why and mental right.