Games of Deception: The True Story of the First U.S. Olympic Basketball Team at the 1936 Olympics in Hitler's Germany

This nonfiction history follows basketball’s path to becoming an Olympic sport and examines the U.S. team’s decision to compete at the 1936 Munich Games. It explores amateur-team organization, sports competition, politics, and ethical questions surrounding American participation. The account also considers Avery Brundage, head of the U.S. Olympic Committee, and the way the Olympics were used to display German power rather than international unity. Events behind the scenes and militaristic displays signaled dangers ahead.