In Showtime, Jeff Pearlman tells the story of the improbable Los Angeles Lakers dynasty of the 1980s. Led by Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and head coach Pat Riley, the Lakers won five NBA championships in nine seasons. They were a team built on speed and magic—a far cry from their slow-and-steady predecessors. With exclusive interviews with players, coaches, and executives throughout the organization, Showtime provides an inside look at one of professional sports’ most legendary teams. From Magic’s rookie season to his HIV diagnosis to Kareem’s feud with Riley to Shaq and Kobe’s tumultuous partnership, this is an all-encompassing account of one powerhouse franchise.
For who is this book for ?
This book is for sports enthusiasts who want to know more about the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty of the 1980s. It provides an inside look at the team, from Magic Johnson’s rookie season to his HIV diagnosis to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s feud with Riley to Shaq and Kobe’s tumultuous partnership.
Pros :
- The author does a great job of giving detailed accounts of events while also providing backstory to help readers understand the relationships between the characters.
- The book is well paced and never feels slow or bogged down by too much detail.
- It’s an entertaining read for any sports fan, even if they don’t know much about basketball.
Cons :
- The author does not provide enough information about the team’s opponents.
- The book is not organized chronologically.
- Some of the interviews seem to be unimportant to the overall story.
Learn more about the author
Jeff Pearlman is a former senior writer for Sports Illustrated and the author of six books, including Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton and Boys Will Be Boys: The Autobiography of Barry Bonds. He has won two National Magazine Awards and was a finalist for the PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sportswriting. Jeff lives in New York City with his wife and son. The book Showtime provides an inside look at one powerhouse franchise about one improbable Los Angeles Lakers dynasty during the 1980s era when it was lead by Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Pat Riley as head coach along with other players and personnel who helped make this team successful.
Reader Reviews
“This is a great book about the Lakers dynasty of the 80s. If you’re a fan of basketball or just sports in general, then this is definitely a book for you. It has detailed accounts of all the games and events that happened during that time period, as well as interviews with key players and personnel.”
“I absolutely loved this book! It was a page-turner and I could not put it down. The author does an excellent job of capturing the personalities of the players and coaches, as well as providing great insights into what made that Lakers team so successful.”
“I was born in 1985, so I didn’t get to experience the Lakers winning all those titles firsthand. But as a fan of the game and someone who appreciates business and team success stories, Showtime was awesome. It gave me an insight on what made that team so special and how they were able to achieve such lofty heights.”
“This book is great! It tells the story of the Lakers’ Showtime dynasty during the 1980s. The author interviewed many people who were a part of that team, including players, coaches, and executives. This gave him a really inside look at what happened behind the scenes with that team.”
