The Victory Machine

"While Strauss clearly loves the sport, he also treats the N.B.A. as a reflection of the 'Darwinian contest' prized by American society...[he] offers insights into how power gets played out in personalities--the motivations, insecurities, and over-all vibe of people who are often insulated from judgment."—The New Yorker

"Strauss skillfully captures a team peaking as change is taking place all around them, and pulls the curtain aside on the often unsavory realities of what it means to succeed in the NBA."
—Library Journal

What Ethan Strauss does best is to dispense with the niceties and to cut to the core. He's done it again with The Victory Machine, an unvarnished inside account of the Golden State Warriors, from the driven, resolute owner who bought them to the capricious, conflicted superstar who ultimately left them. A must-read for NBA fans.—Jackie MacMullan, senior ESPN writer and Hall of Fame basketball commentator

"The Victory Machine is The Breaks of the Game of its era. Strauss pulls the curtain back to reveal the ambitions, insecurities, and riches that propel one of the most interesting sports leagues in the world. Most sports books are either idea-driven or character-driven-but Strauss has accomplished both. This is a book I'll come back to again and again for its insight and wit."—Kevin Arnovitz, NBA writer, ESPN The Magazine

"The Victory Machine isn't a romantic look at the Golden State Warriors dynasty, but it gets to the human core of success and asks the reader to question everything he or she knew about sports."—Bomani Jones, cohost of High Noon