Mirin’s first book, GIANNIS: The Improbable Rise of an NBA Champion, a biography of two-time NBA MVP and NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo, was released August 10, 2021 by Hachette Books. It is a New York Times Bestseller, debuting at No. 3 on the non-fiction list. It is also a Los Angeles Times Bestseller, Wall Street Journal Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, Publishers Weekly Bestseller. Mirin was selected as the 2021 Sports Book Author of the Year by The Big Lead.
You can buy GIANNIS here or anywhere else you buy books.
Mirin’s second book, DREAM: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon, came out Oct. 15, 2024. It was praised by The Wall Street Journal as “[A] deeply detailed biography of the Hall of Fame center. … The book … captures the essence of a superstar.” Hanif Abdurraqib, bestselling author of There’s Always This Year and A Little Devil in America, said: “With storytelling and writing as dexterous and thrilling as the player himself, Mirin Fader achieves something special with Dream. A massively generous portrait of a life, which feels not only informative, but also transportative.” Mo Amer, creator and star of Netflix’s MO said: “Immigrant to an all-time great. From his handles and footwork to the iconic dream shake, Hakeem transformed the center position forever. But what’s most impressive is his faith, community, and entrepreneurial savvy, and Mirin Fader’s DREAM captures it all.”
You can buy DREAM here or anywhere else you buy books.
PRAISE + Editorial Reviews FOR BOTH GIANNIS AND DREAM:
“Giannis…captures an endearing portrait of Antetokounmpo by using his family as its primary through-line as he made his way to the N.B.A. and the United States. The framing makes for a more compelling journey than what would normally be expected of a parade of tough coaches, on-court rivals and personal uncertainty.”―The New York Times Book Review
“Mirin Fader gives readers a gorgeous portrayal of one of the most unique talents to ever play professional basketball. But Giannis is more than just the comprehensive story of a once-in-a-generation athlete. It is the story of how American promise intersects with iron will, and heartwarming vulnerability.”―Jemele Hill, host of “Jemele Hill Is Unbothered”
“For years, I have admired Mirin Fader’s ability to tell a long-form journalism story. I’m happy (and unsurprised) to say her skillset has translated over perfectly to books. This book is engaging, smart, and unputdownable.”―Shea Serrano, writer for The Ringer
“[Fader’s] biggest skill is her accumulation of details through deep reporting — that’s when she’s in her bag, as basketball fans like to say. Some of these details might seem trivial (the smell in an intern’s car after a trip to upstate Wisconsin to fetch a goldendoodle puppy for Giannis’s girlfriend), but they transport the reader to a place and time. The vividness of the stories she tells, the memories she’s able to pull out of people, unmask facets of Giannis’s playful and endearing personality. Though we see him on television as the king of the court, the book reveals a humble soul shaped by his upbringing.”―Washington Post
“Around the time that the Greek Freak was busting out in the NBA, Mirin Fader was doing the same thing in her line of work. In a journalism world that had become more and more about opinions, Fader decided that she would be a storyteller, and she invariably spins her tales with vividness and clarity, fueled by endless curiosity.”―Jack McCallum, author of Dream Team
“Mirin Fader traces an upbringing marked by deep family ties, extreme poverty, racism, and xenophobia. Like its subject, this biography is serious, engaging, and, more than anything, inspiring.”―Ben Golliver, author of Bubbleball
“Giannis the basketball player is almost too good to be true—and so is his story, told here with vivid writing and meticulous reporting. Mirin Fader’s portrait of the young superstar is as graceful, understated, and powerful as Giannis himself. A superb biography.”―Jonathan Eig, author of Ali and Luckiest Man
“We think we know everything about modern-day superstars. We’re sure we know everything about modern-day superstars. Then along comes Mirin Fader with this nuanced, detailed, revealing portrait of a man who has lived one hundred lives in twenty-six years. A fantastic read that proves most dreams go unaccomplished without toil, despair, grit, and an unyielding quest to soar.”―Jeff Pearlman, author of Three Ring Circus and Showtime
“The stories. My goodness, the stories. Mirin Fader’s ability to find and tell the most illustrative and humanizing tales really shines through. A player this great deserves his story to be told like this.”―Marcus Thompson, author of Golden and KD
“[Mirin Fader] wrote the book on Giannis… at the moment that he is transmogrifying into an all-time great.”―David Shoemaker, The Press Box
“Eye-opening….Over the course of 400 pages, Fader manages to pull at the threads of Antetokounmpo’s Horatio Alger-esque tale to reveal a deeply human story that is as forged by politics as it is by sport….Fader has done something pretty remarkable….The depth of Fader’s Giannis – using basketball as just one of many lenses to view its subject – [creates] a work that feels complete, even while only being the beginning of the story.”―Milwaukee Mag
“A new name must be entered into the conversation of the great sports biographers…there’s enough detail, stories, and nuance to make these pages breeze by without wondering ‘When are we getting to the good stuff?’ It’s all good stuff….The book is simply terrific, and it’s one that readers don’t have to be fans of basketball to enjoy.”―Plainview Herald
“[A] masterpiece…the epitome of great sportswriting….Fader’s book is reminiscent of a David Halberstam masterpiece, as she uses her hundreds of interviews to paint as complete a picture of Antetokounmpo’s still young life as there is.”―The Chattanoogan
“An inspiring rags-to-riches account….Fader never loses sight of how Antetokounmpo continued to put his family’s needs first.…[A] captivating portrait of a sincere, diligent, and humble talent.”―Publishers Weekly
“The comprehensive account of [Giannis’] journey to becoming the highly versatile MVP he is today…. The depth of Fader’s research and the uniqueness of Antetokounmpo’s story make this a compelling read. Basketball fans will love it all, especially with Giannis becoming a star player for the Milwaukee Bucks.”―Library Journal
“With storytelling and writing as dexterous and thrilling as the player himself, Mirin Fader achieves something special with Dream. A massively generous portrait of a life, which feels not only informative, but also transportative.”―Hanif Abdurraqib, author of There’s Always This Year and A Little Devil in America
“Fader’s nuanced portrayal offers a fresh perspective on one of basketball’s greatest centers, showing how Olajuwon’s unwavering devotion to Islam shaped his character and inspired a generation. As the NBA’s first superstar to openly practice Islam, Olajuwon didn’t just break records—he broke barriers, paving the way for future Muslim athletes like me and showcasing the beautiful harmony between faith and sport.”―Ibtihaj Muhammad, author of Proud
“Dream is a dream book about a dream topic by one of the best basketball writers on the planet. Hakeem Olajuwon’s journey from Nigeria to NBA superstardom, is one for the ages, and Mirin Fader weaves it with reverential beauty.”―Jeff Pearlman, author of Showtime and The Last Folk Hero
“Mirin Fader’s storytelling makes you feel like you’ve been a fly on the wall for her subject’s entire life, and Dream is no different. She takes you behind the scenes of Olajuwon’s remarkable coming-of-age story; one that was often misunderstood and mischaracterized. This book cuts to the core of who he is, and precisely how he became that way.”―Chris Herring, author Blood in the Garden
“Immigrant to an all-time great. From his handles and footwork to the iconic dream shake, Hakeem transformed the center position forever. But what’s most impressive is his faith, community, and entrepreneurial savvy, and Mirin Fader’s DREAM captures it all.”―Mo Amer
“A robust account of Olajuwon’s legendary basketball career.”―Publisher’s Weekly
“[A] deeply detailed biography of the Hall of Fame center. … The book … captures the essence of a superstar.”―THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
“Mirin Fader’s ‘Dream’ explores decades of untold tales on the Houston Rockets’ legend … Take only the basketball chatter, and Fader has a tidy biography on her hands. Fader’s sociological exploration makes Dream a far more meaningful text.”―CHRON.COM
Mirin Fader 