An electrifying and poignant case study in overachievement, detailing one of the most improbable success stories in college basketball history For a magical, unforgettable stretch of time, the Stanford University men's basketball team simply forgot how to lose. The 2003-2004 squad shattered all expectations, racing to a mind-blowing 26-straight wins -- many against powerhouse programs with superior talent -- punctuated by a series of heroic finishes that still capture the public's imagination twenty years later. The true improbability of that season is magnified through an examination of the people: the players from different cities, of various races and religions, and of contrasting socioeconomic backgrounds who figured out how to win together, and who then couldn't stop winning together. There was the fatherless star from Compton -- epic afro and all -- who found strength and love in a powerful mother and three demanding brothers. The white guard from Illinois, abandoned by his
mother at age five, whose father slept on the couch of a tiny apartment in a rich suburb so his son could attend the state's best high school. The bi-racial Mormon missionary from Missouri, known as "Pops" because of his advanced age relative to his teammates. The harmonica-playing, mustache-sporting, Birkenstock-wearing hippie from Sacramento. The future NFL wide receiver who played basketball on the side.
And there was Dan Grunfeld, the Jewish kid from the suburbs of New York City, the son of the only player in NBA history whose parents survived the Holocaust. Grunfeld details the incredible upsets, wild comebacks, and unforgettable buzzer beaters, while deeply examining the values at play that allowed the whole to be much greater than the sum of its parts.
The Miracle of Team recounts an epic sports journey that is equal parts entertaining, enlightening, and inspiring.