Been reading a ton of Laker related books recently. Currently reading this book on the MPLS era. What are some of your favorite Laker books? Always looking for new stuff to read! Go Lakers!
by LatinoHeatLegend8
@Los Angeles Lakers
11 Comments
Showtime by Jeff Perlman. Winning Time on HBO is based off of it.
Eleven Rings by Phil Jackson. It’s not totally on the Lakers as it’s Phil’s book but it’s still a great read
Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty by Jeff Pearlman
“Laker Girl” by Jeannie Buss
Perlman’s book on the Shaq & Kobe Lakers was a great one too. ‘Three Ring Circus”
While not specifically about the Lakers (its more about Jerry West, Basketball history and California) Golden Days: West’s Lakers, Steph’s Warriors, and the California Dreamers Who Reinvented Basketball by Jack McCallum super good and (for me) a scary amount of info about Jerry West.
The Pearlman books
Mamba Mentality pictorial
Showboat (Kobe biography) by Roland Lazenby
Los Angeles Lakers Basketball Vault (probably the most unique one in presentation) by Roland Lazenby
West by West, Jerry West’s autobiography is great. Covers his whole life but has some great stories and insight into those old Laker teams and also his time as GM.
The 2 Jeff Pearlman books (*Showtime* and *Three-Ring Circus*) are great deep dives into specific Lakers eras. *Madmen’s Ball* by Mark Heisler (who was a long time columnist at LA Times) is a great overview of the entire Lakers’ history.
The two by Pearlman are great.
Also, Showboat is really good but it’s in Kobe not the Lakers.
And the Bird / Magic book by Jackie is really solid too.
My favorite basketball book of all time is The Punch
Rudy Tomjanovich and Kermit Washington. Kermit was a Laker in 1977 when he punched rudy. Great book
Same author John Feinstein, wrote A Season on the Brink. Which is fantastic.
Other laker books I’ve enjoyed.
Tall men short shorts
When the game was ours
Honorable mention: be quick but don’t hurry, john wooden.
Edit: pat Reillys book showtime
Mamba mentality