CenterStage
Twelve of My Most Fascinating Interviews
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
CenterStage
Buy for $18.74
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
By:
-
Michael Kay
About this listen
From the longtime host of the New York Yankees’ television broadcasts, ESPN Radio’s The Michael Kay Show, and YES Network’s Emmy Award-winning CenterStage comes an “entertaining…greatest-hits collection” (Kirkus Reviews) of his most memorable interviews with the most intriguing personalities in sports and entertainment - from Jay-Z to Mike Tyson to Serena Williams to Adam Sandler to Bon Jovi to Larry David.
Emmy Award-winning television announcer and interviewer Michael Kay’s eighteen years as host of YES Network’s CenterStage have given him access to many remarkable figures in sports and entertainment. Now, this absorbing selection of the best, most revealing - and often surprising - interviews is available in one amazing collection, including some of the behind-the-scenes stories that didn’t appear on camera. From Kay’s very first CenterStage interview in 2001 with quarterback Steve Young, the show’s creators knew they had something special. Kay’s ability to get celebrities and otherwise private personalities to open up and share candid insights has become his trademark.
Among the interviews featured in the book are those with Red Auerbach, Charles Barkley, Mike Tyson, Bobby Orr, Sly Stallone, Jay-Z, Lorne Michaels, Paul Simon, John McEnroe, Rob Reiner, Seth Meyers, Serena Williams, Alan Alda, David Halberstam, Larry David, Bob Costas, Billy Crystal, Lindsey Vonn, Chris Evert, and Quentin Tarantino.
For any pop culture fan or sports enthusiast, this prized collection “should be high on your reading list” (Alex Rodriguez, three-time American League MVP).
©2021 Michael Kay (P)2021 Simon & Schuster AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Swing and a Hit
- Nine Innings of What Baseball Taught Me
- By: Paul O'Neill, Jack Curry
- Narrated by: Jack Curry
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 67
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 66
In Swing and Hit, O’Neill elaborates on his most important hitting principles, lessons, and memories—exploring those elements across ten chapters (to align with the nine innings of a baseball game and one extra inning). Here, O’Neill, with his intense temperament, describes what he did as a hitter, how he adjusted to pitchers, how he boosted his confidence, how he battled with umpires (and water coolers), and what advice he would give to current hitters.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An Honest Reflection
- By Anonymous User on 09-15-23
By: Paul O'Neill, and others
-
The 1998 Yankees
- The Inside Story of the Greatest Baseball Team Ever
- By: Jack Curry
- Narrated by: Jack Curry
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
The visiting clubhouse in San Diego was soggy, sweaty and sticky after the 1998 Yankees swept the Padres in four games and celebrated winning their 24th World Series title. The players raised bottles of Champagne, sprayed the bubbly on each other and reveled in a baseball season that might have been more memorable than any in history. Jack Curry was part of that unforgettable scene as a reporter, navigating around the clubhouse to ask the same, pertinent question.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An engaging & fun read
- By Gregory A Rawls on 06-04-24
By: Jack Curry
-
The Captain
- The Journey of Derek Jeter
- By: Ian O'Connor
- Narrated by: Nick Pollifrone
- Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 294
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 274
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 271
Every spring, Little Leaguers across the country mimic his stance and squabble over the right to wear his number, 2, the next number to be retired by the world’s most famous ball team. Derek Jeter is their hero. He walks in the footsteps of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle, and someday his shadow will loom just as large. Yet he has never been the best player in baseball. In fact, he hasn’t always been the best player on his team. But his intangible grace and Jordanesque ability to play big in the biggest of postseason moments make him the face of the modern Yankee dynasty, and of America’s game.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Great book, terrible narrator.
- By Butter on 05-09-14
By: Ian O'Connor
-
62
- Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees, and the Pursuit of Greatness
- By: Bryan Hoch
- Narrated by: Cary Hite
- Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 10
Aaron Judge, the hulking superman who carried an easy aw-shucks demeanor from small-town California to stardom in the Big Apple, had long established his place as one of baseball’s most intimidating power hitters. Baseballs frequently rocketed off his bat like cannon fire, dispatching heat-seeking missiles toward the “Judge’s Chambers” seating area in right field, sending delirious fans scattering for souvenirs. But even in a high-tech universe where computers measure each swing to the nth degree, Roger Maris’s American League mark of sixty-one home runs seemed largely out of reach.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Storytelling
- By Colin Korczyk on 06-04-24
By: Bryan Hoch
-
Being Henry
- The Fonz . . . and Beyond
- By: Henry Winkler
- Narrated by: Henry Winkler
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,623
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,490
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,490
Henry Winkler, launched into prominence as “The Fonz” in the beloved Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is. Brilliant, funny, and widely regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it’s simply not the case, he’s really just grateful to be here), Henry shares in this achingly vulnerable memoir the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wowww what a life, what a man
- By Paul Schabes on 10-31-23
By: Henry Winkler
-
The Closer
- By: Mariano Rivera, Wayne Coffey
- Narrated by: Michael Kay
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 282
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 253
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 251
Mariano Rivera, the man who intimidated thousands of batters merely by opening a bullpen door, began his incredible journey as the son of a poor Panamanian fisherman. When first scouted by the Yankees, he didn't even own his own glove. He thought he might make a good mechanic. When discovered, he had never flown in an airplane, had never heard of Babe Ruth, spoke no English, and couldn't imagine Tampa, the city where he was headed to begin a career that would become one of baseball's most iconic.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Awesome memoir, I only wish it was longer
- By Brock on 05-08-14
By: Mariano Rivera, and others
-
Swing and a Hit
- Nine Innings of What Baseball Taught Me
- By: Paul O'Neill, Jack Curry
- Narrated by: Jack Curry
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 67
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 66
In Swing and Hit, O’Neill elaborates on his most important hitting principles, lessons, and memories—exploring those elements across ten chapters (to align with the nine innings of a baseball game and one extra inning). Here, O’Neill, with his intense temperament, describes what he did as a hitter, how he adjusted to pitchers, how he boosted his confidence, how he battled with umpires (and water coolers), and what advice he would give to current hitters.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An Honest Reflection
- By Anonymous User on 09-15-23
By: Paul O'Neill, and others
-
The 1998 Yankees
- The Inside Story of the Greatest Baseball Team Ever
- By: Jack Curry
- Narrated by: Jack Curry
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
The visiting clubhouse in San Diego was soggy, sweaty and sticky after the 1998 Yankees swept the Padres in four games and celebrated winning their 24th World Series title. The players raised bottles of Champagne, sprayed the bubbly on each other and reveled in a baseball season that might have been more memorable than any in history. Jack Curry was part of that unforgettable scene as a reporter, navigating around the clubhouse to ask the same, pertinent question.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An engaging & fun read
- By Gregory A Rawls on 06-04-24
By: Jack Curry
-
The Captain
- The Journey of Derek Jeter
- By: Ian O'Connor
- Narrated by: Nick Pollifrone
- Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 294
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 274
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 271
Every spring, Little Leaguers across the country mimic his stance and squabble over the right to wear his number, 2, the next number to be retired by the world’s most famous ball team. Derek Jeter is their hero. He walks in the footsteps of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle, and someday his shadow will loom just as large. Yet he has never been the best player in baseball. In fact, he hasn’t always been the best player on his team. But his intangible grace and Jordanesque ability to play big in the biggest of postseason moments make him the face of the modern Yankee dynasty, and of America’s game.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Great book, terrible narrator.
- By Butter on 05-09-14
By: Ian O'Connor
-
62
- Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees, and the Pursuit of Greatness
- By: Bryan Hoch
- Narrated by: Cary Hite
- Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 10
Aaron Judge, the hulking superman who carried an easy aw-shucks demeanor from small-town California to stardom in the Big Apple, had long established his place as one of baseball’s most intimidating power hitters. Baseballs frequently rocketed off his bat like cannon fire, dispatching heat-seeking missiles toward the “Judge’s Chambers” seating area in right field, sending delirious fans scattering for souvenirs. But even in a high-tech universe where computers measure each swing to the nth degree, Roger Maris’s American League mark of sixty-one home runs seemed largely out of reach.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Storytelling
- By Colin Korczyk on 06-04-24
By: Bryan Hoch
-
Being Henry
- The Fonz . . . and Beyond
- By: Henry Winkler
- Narrated by: Henry Winkler
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,623
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,490
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,490
Henry Winkler, launched into prominence as “The Fonz” in the beloved Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is. Brilliant, funny, and widely regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it’s simply not the case, he’s really just grateful to be here), Henry shares in this achingly vulnerable memoir the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wowww what a life, what a man
- By Paul Schabes on 10-31-23
By: Henry Winkler
-
The Closer
- By: Mariano Rivera, Wayne Coffey
- Narrated by: Michael Kay
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 282
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 253
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 251
Mariano Rivera, the man who intimidated thousands of batters merely by opening a bullpen door, began his incredible journey as the son of a poor Panamanian fisherman. When first scouted by the Yankees, he didn't even own his own glove. He thought he might make a good mechanic. When discovered, he had never flown in an airplane, had never heard of Babe Ruth, spoke no English, and couldn't imagine Tampa, the city where he was headed to begin a career that would become one of baseball's most iconic.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Awesome memoir, I only wish it was longer
- By Brock on 05-08-14
By: Mariano Rivera, and others
-
Full Count
- The Education of a Pitcher
- By: David Cone, Jack Curry - contributor
- Narrated by: David Cone
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 206
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 181
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 180
Met and Yankee All-Star Pitcher David Cone shares lessons from the World Series and beyond in this essential memoir for baseball fans everywhere. To any baseball fan, David Cone was a bold and brilliant pitcher. During his 17-year career, he became a master of the mechanics and mental toughness a pitcher needs to succeed in the major leagues. A five-time All-Star and five-time World champion now gives his full count - balls and strikes, errors and outs - of his colorful life in baseball.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
outstanding book, glad Cone voiced it himself
- By Tom W. on 06-19-19
By: David Cone, and others
-
Till the End
- By: CC Sabathia, Chris Smith - contributor
- Narrated by: Guy Lockard, CC Sabathia
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 167
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 153
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 153
Till the End is the thrilling memoir of one of the most beloved players in the game, a veteran star of the sport’s marquee team during its latest championship era. It’s also a book about baseball - about the ins and outs of its most important and technical position and its evolution in this volatile era. But woven within it is the moving, universal story of resilience and mortality and discovering what matters.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Drunk and racist
- By valerie62 on 07-12-21
By: CC Sabathia, and others
-
Talking to GOATs
- The Moments You Remember and the Stories You Never Heard
- By: Jim Gray
- Narrated by: Tom Brady, Jim Gray, Carol Burnett, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 554
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 475
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 473
A journalist who many iconic athletes have trusted to tell their stories (of both triumph and disgrace), Jim has had unprecedented access to the people, places, and extraordinary events in the world of sports. Asking tough but fair questions, he has broken numerous stories, and landed squarely in the middle of others, from the Ben Johnson and Barry Bonds steroid scandals, to Michael Jordan’s surprise retirement, to the off-the-court Kobe/Shaq feud which led to their on-the-court break up, to being part of the live broadcast for 22 Super Bowls.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Writing a book is not easy, Dan.
- By TheDadAbides on 11-17-20
By: Jim Gray
-
Got Your Number
- The Greatest Sports Legends and the Numbers They Own
- By: Mike Greenberg, Paul Hembekides
- Narrated by: Mike Greenberg
- Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 56
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 46
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 46
ESPN personality ( Get Up and #Greeny) and New York Times bestselling author Mike Greenberg partners with mega-producer Hembo to settle once and for all which legends flat-out own which numbers. In short essays certain to provoke debate between and amongst all generations, Greeny uses his lifetime of sports knowledge to spin yarns of the legends among the legends and tell you why some have claimed their spot in the top 100 of all time.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
love it
- By Burnie P. Gaeta on 11-15-24
By: Mike Greenberg, and others
-
Tremendous
- The Life of a Comedy Savage
- By: Joey "Coco" Diaz
- Narrated by: Joey "Coco" Diaz
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2,143
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,999
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,998
Outsider. Misfit. Criminal. Convict. . . . Movie star. Family man. Comedy legend. Joey Diaz has been called every name in the book (and then some). Now, for the first time, he shares the story of his unlikely rise to fame in his own words—with no punches pulled.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Thank you
- By amanda on 05-04-23
By: Joey "Coco" Diaz
-
Killing Jesus
- A History
- By: Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard
- Narrated by: Bill O'Reilly
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 9,674
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 8,534
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8,546
Millions of people have thrilled to best-selling authors Bill O'Reilly and historian Martin Dugard's Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln, works of nonfiction that have changed the way we view history. Now the anchor of The O'Reilly Factor details the events leading up to the murder of the most influential man in history: Jesus of Nazareth. Nearly 2,000 years after this beloved and controversial young revolutionary was brutally killed by Roman soldiers, more than 2.2 billion human beings attempt to follow his teachings and believe he is God.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Jesus story in context
- By Kimberly on 10-01-13
By: Bill O'Reilly, and others
-
Is This Anything?
- By: Jerry Seinfeld
- Narrated by: Jerry Seinfeld
- Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,949
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,463
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,413
Since his first performance at the legendary New York nightclub “Catch a Rising Star” as a 21-year-old college student in fall of 1975, Jerry Seinfeld has written his own material and saved everything. “Whenever I came up with a funny bit, whether it happened on a stage, in a conversation, or working it out on my preferred canvas, the big yellow legal pad, I kept it in one of those old school accordion folders,” Seinfeld writes. “So I have everything I thought was worth saving from 45 years of hacking away at this for all I was worth.”
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Joke, joke, joke. Boring, boring, boring.
- By ECMILLER on 10-11-20
By: Jerry Seinfeld
-
A Very Punchable Face
- A Memoir
- By: Colin Jost
- Narrated by: Colin Jost
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 9,740
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 8,418
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8,363
If there’s one trait that makes someone well-suited to comedy, it’s being able to take a punch - metaphorically and, occasionally, physically. Told with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, A Very Punchable Face reveals the brilliant mind behind some of the dumbest sketches on television, and lays bare the heart and humor of a hardworking guy - with a face you can’t help but want to punch.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing
- By Erin E. Kace on 07-27-20
By: Colin Jost
-
Straight Shooter
- A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes
- By: Stephen A. Smith
- Narrated by: Stephen A. Smith
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,640
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,473
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,466
Stephen A. Smith has never been handed anything, nor was he an overnight success. Growing up poor in Queens, the son of Caribbean immigrants and the youngest of six children, he was a sports-obsessed kid who faced struggles, from undiagnosed dyslexia to getting enough cereal to fill his bowl. As a basketball player at Winston-Salem State University, he got a glimmer of his true calling when he wrote a newspaper column arguing for the retirement of his own Hall of Fame coach, Clarence Gaines.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Trash🗑
- By Maurice Davis on 01-25-23
By: Stephen A. Smith
-
Cinema Speculation
- By: Quentin Tarantino
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Quentin Tarantino
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,257
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,072
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,063
In addition to being among the most celebrated of contemporary filmmakers, Quentin Tarantino is possibly the most joyously infectious movie lover alive. For years he has touted in interviews his eventual turn to writing books about films. Now, with Cinema Speculation, the time has come, and the results are everything his passionate fans—and all movie lovers—could have hoped for. Organized around key American films from the 1970s, all of which he first saw as a young moviegoer at the time, this book is as intellectually rigorous and insightful as it is rollicking and entertaining.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A letdown I didn't see coming.
- By polycow on 11-03-22
-
Wish It Lasted Forever
- Life with the Larry Bird Celtics
- By: Dan Shaughnessy
- Narrated by: Dan Shaughnessy
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 246
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 221
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 223
Before primetime ESPN coverage, lucrative branding deals like Air Jordans, and $40 million annual player salaries, there was the NBA of the 1970s and 1980s. Enter Dan Shaughnessy, then the beat reporter for The Boston Globe who covered the Boston Celtics every day from 1982 to1986. It was a time when reporters travelled with professional teams—flying the same commercial airlines, riding the same buses, and staying in the same hotels. Drawing on unprecedented access and personal experiences, Shaughnessy takes us inside the legendary Larry Bird-led Celtics teams.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Enjoyable Read
- By Donna Daily on 12-03-21
By: Dan Shaughnessy
-
The Bronx Zoo
- The Astonishing Inside Story of the 1978 World Champion New York Yankees
- By: Sparky Lyle, Peter Golenbock
- Narrated by: Sparky Lyle
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 209
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 180
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 176
This best-selling, highly-acclaimed account is a hilarious but scathing baseball tell-all. After being voted the 1977 American League Cy Young Award winner, Sparky Lyle was rewarded for his efforts by being benched. The Yankees, a leader of free agency, signed Goose Gossage as their closer. Things only went downhill from there and the 1978 season turned out to be one of controversy, firings, fights, and acrimony. In short, it was a zoo.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
10 Hours of Incessant Whining
- By Read With My Ears on 04-24-21
By: Sparky Lyle, and others
Related to this topic
-
Talk of Champions
- Stories of the People Who Made Me: A Memoir
- By: Kenny Smith
- Narrated by: Kenny Smith
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 120
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 106
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 106
Kenny Smith was a star at the University of North Carolina before his storied NBA run, in which he won two championships with the Houston Rockets. His popularity skyrocketed when he joined TNT’s new show, Inside the NBA, which has thrived for twenty-four years and won multiple Emmys, receiving enormous acclaim for the insight, humor, social commentary, and unrivaled basketball coverage from Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Ernie Johnson, Jr. Kenny is known to fans for his laser-sharp analysis and eloquent observations of the basketball scene and culture.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great book. Is heavy on racial topics, but appropriate
- By Mathias Noriega on 07-09-23
By: Kenny Smith
-
Got to Give the People What They Want
- True Stories and Flagrant Opinions from Center Court
- By: Jalen Rose
- Narrated by: Jalen Rose
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 567
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 505
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 504
Jalen Rose has never been quiet. Not as a kid growing up in Detroit in the '70s and '80s. Not as the brash, trash-talking leader of the legendary "Fab Five" at the University of Michigan. Not as the player under the stewardship of Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, and others throughout his 13-year NBA career. And certainly not as a commentator and analyst on ABC/ESPN and Grantland.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing book - a MUST download / read
- By Terry on 10-08-15
By: Jalen Rose
-
Barkley
- A Biography
- By: Timothy Bella
- Narrated by: Korey Jackson
- Length: 16 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 84
He's one of the most interesting American athletes in the past fifty years. Passionate, candid, iconoclastic, and gifted both on and off the court, Charles Barkley has made a lasting impact on not only the world of basketball but pop culture at large. Yet few people know the real Charles. Informed by over 370 original interviews and painstaking research, Timothy Bella's Barkley is the most comprehensive biography to date of one of the most talked about icons in the world of sports.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great insight to the big man’s life.
- By marci rodee on 07-03-23
By: Timothy Bella
-
Basketball
- A Love Story
- By: Jackie MacMullan, Rafe Bartholomew, Dan Klores
- Narrated by: James Fouhey, Jim Frangione, Sullivan Jones, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 254
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 213
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 214
A sweeping and revelatory history of basketball, drawing upon hundreds of hours of interviews with the greatest players, coaches, executives, and journalists in the history of the game. In an effort to tell the complete story of basketball in all its fascinating dimensions, acclaimed authors Jackie MacMullan, Rafe Bartholomew, and Dan Klores have compiled nearly a thousand hours' worth of interviews with a staggering number of basketball greats. The audiobook that grew out of those interviews is an extraordinary project and quite possibly the most ambitious basketball work ever made.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Underwhelming
- By Adam Kosberg on 12-02-18
By: Jackie MacMullan, and others
-
Fantasy Life
- The Outrageous, Uplifting, and Heartbreaking World of Fantasy Sports from the Guy Who's Lived It
- By: Matthew Berry
- Narrated by: Matthew Berry
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 499
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 453
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 454
In Fantasy Life, Berry celebrates every aspect of the fantasy sports world. Brilliant trash talk. Unbelievable trophies. Insane draft day locations. Shake-your-head-in-disbelief punishments. Ingenious attempts at cheating. And surprisingly uplifting stories that remind us why we play these games in the first place.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Fun but repetitive
- By T. Myers on 01-09-14
By: Matthew Berry
-
When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It!
- By: Yogi Berra, Dave Kaplan
- Narrated by: Dale Berra
- Length: 2 hrs and 8 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 37
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 28
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 28
Yogi Berra is one of America's most beloved baseball players of all time, known as much for his wit and humor as he is for his exploits with the New York Yankees. In this new book, Yogi provides inspiring, funny, and surprisingly moving essays on life, happiness, and getting through the slumps.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Yogi’s inspiration and wisdom
- By The Duck39 on 07-15-24
By: Yogi Berra, and others
-
Talk of Champions
- Stories of the People Who Made Me: A Memoir
- By: Kenny Smith
- Narrated by: Kenny Smith
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 120
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 106
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 106
Kenny Smith was a star at the University of North Carolina before his storied NBA run, in which he won two championships with the Houston Rockets. His popularity skyrocketed when he joined TNT’s new show, Inside the NBA, which has thrived for twenty-four years and won multiple Emmys, receiving enormous acclaim for the insight, humor, social commentary, and unrivaled basketball coverage from Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Ernie Johnson, Jr. Kenny is known to fans for his laser-sharp analysis and eloquent observations of the basketball scene and culture.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great book. Is heavy on racial topics, but appropriate
- By Mathias Noriega on 07-09-23
By: Kenny Smith
-
Got to Give the People What They Want
- True Stories and Flagrant Opinions from Center Court
- By: Jalen Rose
- Narrated by: Jalen Rose
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 567
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 505
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 504
Jalen Rose has never been quiet. Not as a kid growing up in Detroit in the '70s and '80s. Not as the brash, trash-talking leader of the legendary "Fab Five" at the University of Michigan. Not as the player under the stewardship of Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, and others throughout his 13-year NBA career. And certainly not as a commentator and analyst on ABC/ESPN and Grantland.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing book - a MUST download / read
- By Terry on 10-08-15
By: Jalen Rose
-
Barkley
- A Biography
- By: Timothy Bella
- Narrated by: Korey Jackson
- Length: 16 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 84
He's one of the most interesting American athletes in the past fifty years. Passionate, candid, iconoclastic, and gifted both on and off the court, Charles Barkley has made a lasting impact on not only the world of basketball but pop culture at large. Yet few people know the real Charles. Informed by over 370 original interviews and painstaking research, Timothy Bella's Barkley is the most comprehensive biography to date of one of the most talked about icons in the world of sports.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great insight to the big man’s life.
- By marci rodee on 07-03-23
By: Timothy Bella
-
Basketball
- A Love Story
- By: Jackie MacMullan, Rafe Bartholomew, Dan Klores
- Narrated by: James Fouhey, Jim Frangione, Sullivan Jones, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 254
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 213
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 214
A sweeping and revelatory history of basketball, drawing upon hundreds of hours of interviews with the greatest players, coaches, executives, and journalists in the history of the game. In an effort to tell the complete story of basketball in all its fascinating dimensions, acclaimed authors Jackie MacMullan, Rafe Bartholomew, and Dan Klores have compiled nearly a thousand hours' worth of interviews with a staggering number of basketball greats. The audiobook that grew out of those interviews is an extraordinary project and quite possibly the most ambitious basketball work ever made.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Underwhelming
- By Adam Kosberg on 12-02-18
By: Jackie MacMullan, and others
-
Fantasy Life
- The Outrageous, Uplifting, and Heartbreaking World of Fantasy Sports from the Guy Who's Lived It
- By: Matthew Berry
- Narrated by: Matthew Berry
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 499
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 453
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 454
In Fantasy Life, Berry celebrates every aspect of the fantasy sports world. Brilliant trash talk. Unbelievable trophies. Insane draft day locations. Shake-your-head-in-disbelief punishments. Ingenious attempts at cheating. And surprisingly uplifting stories that remind us why we play these games in the first place.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Fun but repetitive
- By T. Myers on 01-09-14
By: Matthew Berry
-
When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It!
- By: Yogi Berra, Dave Kaplan
- Narrated by: Dale Berra
- Length: 2 hrs and 8 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 37
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 28
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 28
Yogi Berra is one of America's most beloved baseball players of all time, known as much for his wit and humor as he is for his exploits with the New York Yankees. In this new book, Yogi provides inspiring, funny, and surprisingly moving essays on life, happiness, and getting through the slumps.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Yogi’s inspiration and wisdom
- By The Duck39 on 07-15-24
By: Yogi Berra, and others
-
This Book Has Balls
- Sports Rants from the MVP of Talking Trash
- By: Michael Rapaport
- Narrated by: Michael Rapaport
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 611
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 547
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 544
In This Book Has Balls, Rapaport uses his signature smack-talk style and in-your-face humor to discuss everything from why LeBron will never be like Mike to how Tiger needs the ladies to get his golf game back and how he once thought Mary Lou Retton was his true love. And, of course, why next year will be the year the New York Knicks win the championship. This book is a series of rants - some controversial, some affectionate, but all incredibly hilarious.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gringo Mandingo Mike Rapaport does it again!
- By Kathryn Lara on 10-24-17
By: Michael Rapaport
-
Over Time
- My Life as a Sportswriter
- By: Frank Deford
- Narrated by: Frank Deford
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter is as unconventional and wide-ranging as Frank Deford's remarkable career, in which he has chronicled the heroes and the characters of just about every sport in nearly every medium. Deford joined Sports Illustrated in 1962, fresh, and fresh out of Princeton. In 1990, he was Editor-in-Chief of The National Sports Daily, one of the most ambitious and ill-fated projects in the history of American print journalism.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Memories
- By Amazon Customer on 05-18-18
By: Frank Deford
-
Golden Days
- West's Lakers, Steph's Warriors, and the California Dreamers Who Reinvented Basketball
- By: Jack McCallum
- Narrated by: Jack McCallum
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 71
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 57
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 57
In Golden Days, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum uses these two teams - the Jerry West/Wilt Chamberlain/Elgin Baylor Lakers and the Stephen Curry/Kevin Durant/Draymond Green Warriors - to trace the dynamic history of the National Basketball Association, which for much of the last half century has marched memorably through the state of California. Tying together the two strands of McCallum's story is Hall of Famer West, the ferociously competitive Laker guard who later became one of the key architects of the Warriors.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very interesting and fun to read
- By Joe on 06-12-18
By: Jack McCallum
-
Straight Shooter
- A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes
- By: Stephen A. Smith
- Narrated by: Stephen A. Smith
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,640
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,473
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,466
Stephen A. Smith has never been handed anything, nor was he an overnight success. Growing up poor in Queens, the son of Caribbean immigrants and the youngest of six children, he was a sports-obsessed kid who faced struggles, from undiagnosed dyslexia to getting enough cereal to fill his bowl. As a basketball player at Winston-Salem State University, he got a glimmer of his true calling when he wrote a newspaper column arguing for the retirement of his own Hall of Fame coach, Clarence Gaines.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Trash🗑
- By Maurice Davis on 01-25-23
By: Stephen A. Smith
-
Furious George
- My Forty Years Surviving NBA Divas, Clueless GMs, and Poor Shot Selection
- By: George Karl, Curt Sampson
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 185
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 164
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 163
A man of deep passion and intensity, George Karl earned his bad boy reputation while playing at the University of North Carolina, a rap that continued through the five years he spent with the San Antonio Spurs - and long after he stopped playing. Karl's beery nights, fistfights, and barking followed him into a 35-year coaching career. In a game defined by big stakes and bigger egos, rabid fans and an unforgiving media, Karl was hired and fired a dozen times.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Pathetic little black book.
- By Brad Howard on 04-20-20
By: George Karl, and others
-
Dream Team
- How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Changed the Game of Basketball Forever
- By: Jack McCallum
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 479
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 423
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 423
In Dream Team, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team that captivated the world, kindled the hoop dreams of countless children around the planet, and remade the NBA into a global sensation. As a senior staff writer for Sports Illustrated, McCallum enjoyed a courtside seat for the most exciting basketball spectacle on earth, covering the Dream Team from its inception to the gold medal ceremony in Barcelona.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great insight into the great basketball team ever.
- By James O'Brien on 09-04-12
By: Jack McCallum
-
The Russian Five
- A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage
- By: Keith Gave
- Narrated by: Bob Brill
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 81
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 81
When the Detroit Red Wings were rebooting their franchise after more than two decades of relative futility, they knew the best place to find world-class players who could turn things around more quickly were conscripted servants behind the Iron Curtain. All they had to do to get them was make history by drafting them and then figure out how to get them out of the Soviet Union.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very interesting
- By Kandace on 04-23-21
By: Keith Gave
-
How to Save a Life
- The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy
- By: Lynette Rice
- Narrated by: Kate Mulligan
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 208
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 182
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 181
More than 15 years after its premiere, Grey’s Anatomy remains one of the most beloved dramas on television and ABC’s most important property. It typically wins its time slot and has ranked in the top 20 most watched shows in primetime for most of its 17-season run. It currently averages more than nine million viewers each week. How to Save a Life takes a totally unauthorized deep dive into the show’s humble start, while offering exclusive intel on the behind-the-scenes culture, the most heartbreaking departures, and the more polarizing plotlines.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Perfect for fans
- By Pink Amy on 09-23-21
By: Lynette Rice
-
Amazing Tales from the Chicago Bears Sideline
- A Collection of the Greatest Bears Stories Ever Told
- By: Steve McMichael, John Mullin, Phil Arvia
- Narrated by: Tony Craine
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
The Chicago Bears are more than a football team - they are a legend. Founded in 1919, the Bears have won more regular season games than any other NFL franchise. With 26 players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and thirteen retired jerseys, it’s no wonder the Bears can be defined by three phrases: Big, tough, and full of characters. The Bears, like Chicago, are not just people. They are personalities. In Amazing Tales From the Chicago Bears Sideline, Bears fans can hear about the men who have made the Bears one of the greatest franchises in pro football....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Steve mcmichael
- By teamjed on 08-13-24
By: Steve McMichael, and others
-
Raise a Fist, Take a Knee
- Race and the Illusion of Progress in Modern Sports
- By: John Feinstein, Doug Williams
- Narrated by: John Feinstein
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 92
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 82
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 80
Based on dozens of shocking interviews with some of the most influential names in sports, this is the urgent and revelatory examination of racial inequality in professional athletics America has been waiting for. With an encyclopedic knowledge of professional sports, and shrewd cultural criticism, John Feinstein uncovers not just why, but how, pro sports continue to perpetuate racial inequality.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Another Feinstein triumph
- By Glenn Canning on 12-06-21
By: John Feinstein, and others
-
A Champion's Mind
- Lessons from a Life in Tennis
- By: Pete Sampras, Peter Bodo
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 185
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 149
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 148
Pete Sampras is arguably the greatest tennis player ever, a man whose hard-nosed work ethic led to an unprecedented number one world ranking for 286 weeks, and whose prodigious talent made possible a record-setting 14 Grand Slam titles. While his more vocal rivals sometimes grabbed the headlines, Pete always preferred to let his racket do the talking. Until now.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not As Strong As His Forehand
- By A. M. Dalessandro on 07-21-09
By: Pete Sampras, and others
-
Scribe
- My Life in Sports
- By: Bob Ryan
- Narrated by: Bob Ryan
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 83
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 73
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 75
Ever since he joined the sports department of the Boston Globe in 1968, sports enthusiasts have been blessed with the writing and reporting of Bob Ryan. Tony Kornheiser calls him the "quintessential American sportswriter". For the past 25 years, he has also been a regular on various ESPN shows, especially The Sports Reporters, spreading his knowledge and enthusiasm for sports of all kinds.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
No my idea of a memoir
- By Michael Friedman on 12-19-14
By: Bob Ryan
What listeners say about CenterStage
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- ROCreads
- 11-02-21
Great Interviews
I am a Yankees fan and like Michael Kay's calling of games but I had never seen Center Stage so this book was wonderful! A great mix of guests and listening to the actual interviews was delightful.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 10-24-22
Love the show
Love listening to Mike, and love the show so really appreciate which interviews he chose great listen
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!