Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s

Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s

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Those who can't get enough of the current court wars can further whet their pro hoops appetites with some entertaining reading. Here are excerpts from five recent books about professional basketball and its coaches and players, ranging from a mega-biography of Michael Jordan to a behind-the-scenes look at the Magic Johnson-era "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers. Though he lived fulltime in Los Angeles, Johnson returned to Lansing [Michigan] for long stretches every summer.

He would knock on the doors of old neighbors, stroll down to the nearby park for softball games with lifelong chums, eat at local dives and stay up late into the night talking about the good ol' days. He had an unusually close relationship with his parents and nine siblings. They spoke regularly, and visited as often as possible. Johnson quoted his father's doses of wisdom on a regular basis.

The most cited words usually came from a time when, as a teenager, he joined his dad, Earvin Sr. Couldn't put it down. Thoroughly researched and phenomenally written. This book will raise your basketball history IQ by at least 10 pts. I can't wait to read Jeff Pearlman's other five books. I was very excited to read this book. I grew up in the s and I have vivid memories of the Showtime Lakers and their rivalries with the Celtics, Pistons, and my hometown 76ers.

This book is about my favorite era of NBA basketball. I fully expected this to become one of my favorite sports books. Boy, was I wrong. Reading made me wonder why anyone ever wanted to become or remain a Laker. Pearlman portrays Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as a surly man lacking any compassion or humanity. Pat Riley is depicted as an egomaniacal monster. To agree, I know these depictions carry a great deal of truth.

I wonder if my criticisms are the result of the author relying too heavily on his interviews. Many of us remember the Showtime Lakers. The writing suggests to me that both the author and his interviewees took this into account.

Instead of giving us the entire picture, this book reads as a behind the scenes look at the era. I read this book to relive and supplement my memories, not the other way around.

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In this respect, I feel the book was a failure to anyone who was cognizant during the era. There is no debate: Going into that game, the Celtics and Lakers had played for the world championship eight times. The Celtics had won eight times. Many believed the Lakers would never get over the hump. They defeated the Celtics in the Boston Garden to win the championship. Pearlman handled this game the same way he did every other game of that series, which is to say he gave it no special treatment. That was a disservice to the sport, the Lakers, and everyone who appreciates NBA history.

One could write an entire book about Game 6. That, like the rest of the book, was a huge disappointment to me. Mar 02, Dave rated it liked it. Received this as a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

There's something to be said about reviewing a book won on these giveaways. Presumably you entered the contest because the book caught your eye, you made the necessary entry requirements, and you were selected as a winner out of who knows how many other applicants. That said, this book caught my eye immediately. Being a Chicago suburbanite born in the 70s and forming memories in the 80s, I have vivid recollections of the Michael Jordan era what Received this as a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. Being a Chicago suburbanite born in the 70s and forming memories in the 80s, I have vivid recollections of the Michael Jordan era what kid of that era doesn't?

But the Bulls weren't champions until the 90s and in the periphery of my collective sports consciousness, I vividly remember watching one of the epic Celtics-Lakers battles at a small Mt. Prospect diner called Mr. Home of the ham slab. I recall Kareem's sky hook and goofy googles, Magic's no look shake-and-bake passes, the gangly Michael Cooper playing a supplemental role, long-haired Kurt Rambis a white guy plays for the Lakers?

I also remember a greasy slicked back hair coif pacing the sidelines. It concludes with the unofficial end to Showtime, post-Finals loss to Jordan's Bulls a bygone era that I remember with reverence and the devastating news that Magic had contracted HIV. That, for me, is the sports equivalent to the JFK assassination in terms of knowing where you were when it happened I was walking down the street in Normal, Illinois going to a class at Illinois State University. In between I "got to know" Kareem a bit a real ass who didn't have to be , Riley from unassuming replacement coach to egomaniac , and an assortment of the cast of characters that came in and out of the Laker doors as so often happens with NBA rosters.

Well written for the sports fan, basketball fan and most definitely Lakers fan, even if you lived miles away as a slow, plodding white kid dreaming of sports glory. Apr 26, Ken Heard rated it it was amazing. Before LeBron James and the Miami Heat, before Carmello Anthony and the Knicks, even before Michael Jordan, the culture of the NBA was changing to the glitzy, cocaine-fueled, rich athletes, elitism, party time that it is now and the Lakers were frontrunners of that evolution. Jeff Pearlman has done an outstanding job of writing about that era, covering the Los Angeles Lakers' Showtime dynasty that really kicked off when the team drafted Earvin "Magic" Johnson and basically ended with his announce Before LeBron James and the Miami Heat, before Carmello Anthony and the Knicks, even before Michael Jordan, the culture of the NBA was changing to the glitzy, cocaine-fueled, rich athletes, elitism, party time that it is now and the Lakers were frontrunners of that evolution.

Jeff Pearlman has done an outstanding job of writing about that era, covering the Los Angeles Lakers' Showtime dynasty that really kicked off when the team drafted Earvin "Magic" Johnson and basically ended with his announcement that he had HIV. There are a lot of stories in this book. Some are familiar, some aren't. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while arguably one of the greatest NBA players of all time, is portrayed as being a real jerk.

Johnson is a womanizing whore dog, Spencer Haywood is a drug fiend and Mark Landsberger is just plain dumb. In one tale, Pearlman writes how, when a young fan asks Landsberger to autograph and put his number on a photo of him, Landsburger signs the picture and the writes his telephone number, thinking the kid asked for that rather than his uniform number. Pearlman addresses a lot of What Ifs in his book.

What if the Lakers didn't win the coin flip in the to earn the first pick of the NBA draft over Chicago? What if they chose Arkansas' Sidney Moncrief instead of Magic Johnson as many in the organization wanted? What if Pat Riley didn't become so egomaniacal? What if Norm Nixon accepted the backup roll he was forced into when Johnson became the team leader and, by some accounts, the decision maker for players, trades, length of practices, etc. The reporting Pearlman does is great. This is a book you don't want to finish reading because it is an enjoyable run. Despite the rival feelings for the Lakers, I realized they were a legendary team, and Pearlman has done a good job conveying that in his book.

I've read most of Pearlman's books — save for the one on Walter Payton and Roger Clemens — and I've learned to expect the best from his bios of teams or players. If you're an NBA fan, you truly will not be disappointed by this book. Feb 04, Michael rated it liked it Shelves: Great if you're a Laker fan or grew up with the NBA of that era, decent for anyone else. To preface, I'm a fan of Pearlman's stuff.

The only book I haven't read yet is his Payton biography. That said, this felt like the weaker of his books. What's great about Pearlman's team chronicles is that they deeply cover both sides of the team - what they did while on and off of the field. It makes the story accessible to a broader audience than the fans of that particular team. Because of that, I feel Showtime suffers from so much gameplay material to cover, little space remains for the off-court things.

Seriously, read the book. Showtime spans the Lakers from Dr. Jerry Buss' purchase of the team in to Magic's press conference in Twelve years of game seasons, each going to the postseason, nine of which ended in the NBA Finals.

In the end, as a basketball fan, I enjoyed the book. May 07, Arjun rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: The s were a fascinating period of change for the NBA and no one encapsulates the evolution of the league better than the Showtime Lakers. Whenever I discuss basketball with my friends or look at stats, I usually split it into two eras — the era before Magic and Bird were drafted pre and after.

The early 80s set up the league for what it is today and that's seen everywhere: Buss's insistence that basketball be a show and more than a game to modern offenses stemming from the L The s were a fascinating period of change for the NBA and no one encapsulates the evolution of the league better than the Showtime Lakers. Buss's insistence that basketball be a show and more than a game to modern offenses stemming from the Lakers indeed, the lineage can be traced back from modern day offenses to the SSOL Suns to the Showtime Lakers.

Showtime is extraordinarily well-done and easily one of the best sports books I've ever read. Jeff Pearlman has done his research and weaved together a very compelling narrative of Magic, Pat, Kareem, Worthy, and the Showtime-era Lakers, starting from Dr. Buss buying the team and culminating in Magic's first retirement.

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For the truly hardcore NBA junkies, a lot of anecdotes are repeats but there are still a lot of gems including the antics of long-forgotten role players Mark Landsberger! Pearlman does a good job of illustrating both the personalities of those involved and helping the reader grasp what it was like to "be there". He doesn't pull any punches — Kareem is painted as a bit of an arrogant prick, Magic is a sex-crazed horndog, Pat Riley is an overbearing control freak douche Solid read for all sports fans and probably a must-read for any NBA junkie.

Oct 29, Paulo Glez Ogando rated it it was amazing Shelves: I loved this book very much. How Showtime was born and how it grew up and finally died. Pearlman tries to show everyone's point of view, he doesn't take sides but prefers to tell the evolution of the protagonists.

Little and big details, successes, fails, opinions, everything. We learn a lot about West, Buss, Riley, players or even Lakers' staff. It's a well documented book, through ma I loved this book very much. It's a well documented book, through many quotes both then and recent interviews and articles , we follow internal dynamics, daily problems or the motives that can turn a successful team one season in a disappointment next year. And to complete all this information he has talked even to several of Lakers' wifes.

Everyone has flaws and virtues, and we read about both of them. Magic, Kareem, Riley, West Another part I considered very interesting was the one about McKinney. We could say that he was who really started Showtime but unfortunately he didn't get to win the ring because of his accident, but here we find wide recognition for his achievements recognising the needs of the team and which attack system his players were able to run.

Dec 27, Archie Gwathmey rated it it was amazing Shelves: If you're a fan of basketball or the Lakers, then read this book. Pearlman chronicles the rise and fall of the transcendent 's "Showtime Lakers" from Jim Buss' acquisition of the franchise to Magic Johnson's first retirement. Led by bright stars such as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Pat Riley, the Showtime Lakers pioneered a flashy uptempo style, that both turned the league on it's head and inspired generations of basketball players and fans.

Reading story after story about the ico If you're a fan of basketball or the Lakers, then read this book. I highly recommend this book. A few takeaways of mine from the book: Jim Buss was a visionary and helped put basketball back on the map, by turning the forum into a major entertainment venue with celebrities, style, and high production value. Jim will be remembered as one of the greatest franchise owners of all time.

Also, hats off to him for arguably having more fun and partying harder than anyone on the Lakers in the '80s he was in his 50s! Pat Riley was and is an incredibly successful and influential psychopath.

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Magic was a bit of a prima-donna, but was so good it didn't matter. He also ran the team and made virtually all personal decisions that weren't draft related. Magic and company enjoyed an occasional orgy. Kareem was a cold and deeply tormented guy. The forum club was epic.

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Jeff Pearlman is an American sports writer. He has written two books about baseball and was the author of the infamous John Rocker interview in Sports Illustrated. In October he released his fifth book, a biography of Walter Payton titled, "Sweetness: Beginning with the arrival of Earvin "Magic" Johnson as the number-one overall pick of the draft, the Lakers played basketball with gusto and pizzazz, unleashing their famed "Showtime" run-and-gun style on a league unprepared for their speed and ferocity--and became the most captivating show in sports and, arguably, in all-around American entertainment.

The Lakers' roster overflowed with exciting all-star-caliber players, including center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and they were led by the incomparable Pat Riley, known for his slicked-back hair, his Armani suits, and his arrogant strut.

‘Showtime’ by Jeff Pearlman

Hollywood's biggest celebrities lined the court and gorgeous women flocked to the arena. Best of all, the team was a winner. Between and , the Lakers played in an unmatched nine NBA championship series, capturing five of them. Bestselling sportswriter Jeff Pearlman draws from almost three hundred interviews to take the first full measure of the Lakers' epic Showtime era. A dazzling account of one of America's greatest sports sagas, "Showtime" is packed with indelible characters, vicious rivalries, and jaw-dropping, behind-the-scenes stories of the players' decadent Hollywood lifestyles.

From the Showtime era's remarkable rise to its tragic end--marked by Magic Johnson's announcement that he had contracted HIV--"Showtime "is a gripping narrative of sports, celebrity, and s-style excess. Reviews Praise for Jeff Pearlman and Showtime "A marvelous and dishy history of the Showtime Lakers, full of bare-knuckled assessments. What a tonic Jeff Pearlman's new book is for forlorn Lakers fans suffering through the team's disastrous current season.

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