Built to Lose: How the NBA’s Tanking Era Changed the League Forever

An insider account of modern NBA team-building, based on hundreds of exclusive interviews

A single transcendent talent?can change the fortunes of an NBA franchise. One only has to recall the frenzy surrounding recent top pick Zion Williamson to recognize teams' willingness to lose games now for the sake of winning championships later. It's a story that weaves its way behind closed doors to reveal intricate machinations normally hidden from public view.

Backed by extensive reporting and hundreds of interviews with top players, coaches, and executives, Jake Fischer chronicles secret pre-draft workouts, feuding between player agents and executives, surprising trade negotiations, interpersonal conflicts, organizational power struggles, and infamous public relations fiascos, making for a fascinating look at the NBA.

The definitive account of the NBA's tanking era, when teams raced to the bottom in the hope of eventually winning a championship.