Quotes
“The Showtime Lakers weren’t just the best team of their
era. They were also the most compelling, the most charismatic, the most
complex. The Lakers of Kareem, Magic, and Riley were to the 1980s what the
Yankees of Mantle, Ford, and Stengel were to the 1950s: a team perfectly
matched to its time, and place. Jeff Pearlman, typically, delivers the goods,
celebrating them for their achievements, pulling no punches on the subject of
their shortcomings. This is a vivid portrait of a great team, in full.” Jeremy Schaap, New York Times bestselling author of Cinderella Man
“An era that redefined the game has found a storyteller more
than up to the task. By any measure, Showtime
is magic.” Mark Frost, New York Times bestselling author of The Greatest Game Every Played
“The names (Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Riley, Buss) and the
games (four championships) have long been studied by basketball’s
anthropologists. But so much of the story of the Showtime Lakers, the Team of the 80s, took place behind
closed doors. Jeff Pearlman, as is his wont, pries them open and finds … a
whole lot of LA living.” Jack McCallum, New York Times bestselling author of Dream Team
“Showtime is a
rollicking ride, full of great characters, killer anecdotes, and surprising
details. Pearlman is an indefatigable reporter, and here he provides an all-access
pass to one of the game’s greatest dynasties, with tales of Kareem, Magic,
Riley, and Jerry Buss in their heyday. It’s a book any NBA fan—any sports fan—will
devour, likely in one or two sittings.” Chris Ballard, senior writer, Sports Illustrated
“The nickname ‘Showtime’ described the Lakers’ relentless and
unparalleled freewheeling run-and-gun offense, as well as the entire era
itself; the book it inspired is just as enticing—full of fast breaks,
dramatic intensity, and celebrity sightings.” Publishers Weekly
“The LA Lakers of the 1980s became, by mid-decade, an extraordinary basketball team, perhaps the best ever, and if their flamboyant style on and off the court belied their discipline and frequent sheer brilliance, it merits the enthusiastic and wide-ranging treatment that Pearlman gives it.” Booklist
“The sports-journalist author of Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton returns with a tough-love look at the NBA team that won five championships in the 1980s…Pearlman ably demonstrates how deeply flawed human beings can nonetheless create a near-flawless beauty on the court.” Kirkus Reviews
“Showtime proves
to be prime-time literary entertainment. A rocking, roller-coast of a ride, it
reads like the Lakers of Magic and Riley played—an artistic fast-break of
revealing, sometimes shocking tales tinged with sex, drugs, and, most of all,
humanity. You want to know the real story behind a beautifully dysfunctional
basketball dynasty? Read this book.” Armen Keteyian, 60 Minutes Sports
“Once again, Jeff Pearlman has produced an exhaustively
researched, elegantly written book that recreates one of the most colorful and
memorable teams of the modern era. Showtime
is a great show indeed, full of colorful (and complicated) characters as well
as a trove of details that even the most passionate fans will be amazed to
learn. No basketball fan’s bookshelf will be complete without it.” Seth Davis, author of Wooden: A Coach’s Life