When the New York Knicks finally secured their first championship in 53 years, the roar of the crowd echoed through the offseason, prompting a wave of graphic works that revisit the game’s many narratives.
Gene Luen Yang’s Dragon Hoops, published by First Second, offers a memoir that follows a high school squad confronting a lengthy title drought, weaving personal ambition with the collective hope of a community.
Charting the Game’s Roots
Fred Van Lente and Joe Cooper’s The Comic Book Story of Basketball, released by Ten Speed Graphic, traces the sport’s evolution from its humble beginnings to the modern era, highlighting pivotal moments and cultural shifts.
Amar Shah and Rashad Doucet’s Wish I Was a Baller revives the swagger of the 1990s, capturing the era’s iconic style and street‑court ethos through vivid illustrations.
Takehiko Inoue’s Real delves into wheelchair basketball, portraying the diverse pathways athletes take to compete, and underscoring the sport’s inclusive spirit.
Sloane Leong’s A Map to the Sun follows a group of high school girls who launch their school’s first girls’ basketball team, framing their journey as a coming‑of‑age story that resonates beyond the court.
These titles are distributed through a network that includes First Second, Ten Speed Graphic, Graphix, and Shueisha, ensuring that the stories reach readers across platforms and borders.