Chris Ballard covered Kobe and LeBron. Then he jumped into 41-degree water

Whether on press row covering the NBA Finals or writing an illuminating, insightful long-form feature on Kobe Bryant, Chris Ballard always hit the mark.

From 2000 through 2020 and then as a contributing writer for a couple of years after that at Sports Illustrated, Ballard became a rising star and one of the best storytellers of his generation.

Ballard still writes lively stories and thought-provoking features but also spends time penning books including “The Plunge: Maverick Swimmers, An Unlikely Quest, And The Transformative Power Of Cold Water.”

This deeply researched 320-page book was released in June and is available at fine bookstores and websites. It examines the world of cold water swimming, mixing adventure journalism with cutting-edge science to investigate its mental and physical benefits. Some of the pluses include mood enhancement and stress reduction.

Beginning in 2016 and lasting almost a decade, Ballard taught courses in narrative storytelling and reporting with a focus on democracy and inequality at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

Ballard, who has written five books and edited “Sports Illustrated: The Basketball Vault,” spoke about why people seek out discomfort in a world of inconvenience and, in the process, find that facing difficult challenges together creates a real human connection.

“I found this world fascinating, both as a journalist and personally. I’ve always enjoyed writing about relatively uncovered subcultures, and this one was full of interesting characters and great storylines and allowed me to weave in science and history as well,” he said.

“Personally, I was drawn to the idea of picking up a new sport later in life and the potential recovery benefits of cold water, as I am a middle-aged weekend warrior still trying to play basketball.”

While conducting exhaustive research, Ballard, whose stories have been anthologized in “The Best American Sports Writing” seven times, was a finalist for a National Magazine Award and also received the Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting, spoke about what the research revealed.

“I learned so many things, but I think the science of how our bodies react to cold was most fascinating,” he explained. “It’s something that was studied for centuries, but mainly from the perspective of how do we keep people from dying from the cold, especially in sea-survival situations. Only in the last 20 to 30 years have we started looking at the benefits of cold water rather than just the dangers.”

‘This was probably the hardest book I’ve written.’ Chris Ballard

A number of current and former elite athletes have used the cold water plunge, including Tom Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, LeBron James, a four-time NBA champion, and Stephen Curry, a four-time NBA champ.

Others include Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast ever with 11 Olympic medals, including seven gold and 30 World Championship medals, including 23 gold; and the unquestioned greatest swimmer, Michael Phelps, who claimed a record 28 Olympic medals, including 23 gold.

Taking on this project wasn’t a day at the beach for Ballard, who has a bachelor’s degree from Pomona College and a master’s from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Still, it was worth the effort, and he hopes the reader is both entertained and comes away with new knowledge.

“This was probably the hardest book I’ve written because it required not just reporting and the usual elements of journalism and narrative nonfiction, but also I entered this world myself, becoming an ice swimmer,” he explained. “That was a significant challenge, but I felt it was necessary to serve as a reader surrogate of sorts, as this world seems so extreme and I was also an outsider.”

Key players in the book that Ballard wanted to flesh out had incredible stories.

“In particular, I focus on a handful of people who are emblematic of this world. The first is Lynne Cox, the legendary open-water swimmer who really kicked off this sport decades ago. Then there is Elaine Howley, the heart and soul of the cold-water swimming community, a garrulous woman from Boston with a Nessie tattoo on her shoulder,” he said. “And of course Ram Barkai, the founder of the International Ice Swimming Association, who is chasing a dream to get this extreme sport into the Winter Olympics that might just have a shot.”

Of the four major sports, it’s long been held that basketball players are the most athletic. How do swimmers compare?

“It is a different type of athleticism from basketball, that is for sure. Swimming requires so much mental endurance, and in that vein I would compare them to ultra-marathoners,” Ballard offered. “There is also the need to focus so much on form, as power can only do so much in the water, and really it is how well you can reduce your body’s friction. At its best, swimming form allows swimmers to glide with power. That is very hard to achieve.”

‘Journalism students come in with so much idealism.’ – Chris Ballard

Ballard is certain this book will be entertaining and said he hopes the book will be well received.

“I don’t think, as a writer, you can really worry about whether the book will be critically acclaimed or not,” he said. “The goal is just to write the best story to the best of your abilities. If people are enjoying it, that makes me quite happy and grateful.”

Ballard’s book, “The Art Of A Beautiful Game: The Thinking Fan’s Tour Of The NBA,” explores the mindset, techniques and dedication behind players like Bryant, James and Steve Kerr, who won five NBA championships as players.

Kerr is Golden State’s head coach and has led the Warriors to four NBA titles, and during a 15-year NBA career as a guard, he converted 86.4 percent of his free throws.

“In that book it was really only for a chapter, when Steve Kerr was kind enough to engage me in a shooting contest,” Ballard said. “I do enjoy participatory journalism. I think that is one of the joys of a job that can otherwise be challenging, especially in the modern era. The chance to learn and learn from people who are masters of their craft is a remarkable gift.”

For this book, Ballard trained and was an ice water champion.

“That is a lifetime memory I will cherish. The whole idea of swimming in water that is 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower seemed both crazy and impossible when I started out on this,” he said. “I think what I took away was something probably we all could benefit from, and that is that it becomes especially easy as we get older to underestimate ourselves and what our bodies and minds are capable of.”

During Ballard’s time as an instructor at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, he was often amazed and inspired by his students.

“Yes, that was very rewarding. Journalism students come in with so much idealism, and the hope is that you can just give them some tools and skills without tamping down that idealism,” he stated. “More and more, they are both watchdogs and a national conscience.”

Ballard covered a large portion of James’ career, which recently concluded his 23rd season in the NBA, and is amazed that his production hasn’t waned.

“It’s a combination of a genetic anomaly like we haven’t seen in sports and the willingness and discipline to devote himself not just to the craft but to his body over the years,” he explained of his incredible longevity as he prepares for a 24th season with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Being a devotee of ice-water plunging very likely helped James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, extend his career, and that’s saying something.