{"product_id":"showtime-magic-kareem-riley-and-the-los-angeles-lakers-dynasty-of-the-1980s-9781592408870","title":"Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eSweetness\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eGunslinger\u003c\/i\u003e delivers the first all-encompassing account of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of professional sports' most-revered\u003c\/b\u003e--\u003cb\u003eand dominant\u003c\/b\u003e--\u003cb\u003edynasties.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s personified the flamboyance and excess of the decade over which they reigned. Beginning with the arrival of Earvin \"Magic\" Johnson as the number-one overall pick of the 1979 draft, the Lakers played basketball with gusto and pizzazz, unleashing coach Jack McKinney's \"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. Hollywood's biggest celebrities lined the court and gorgeous women flocked to the arena. Best of all, the team was a winner. Between 1980 and 1991, the Lakers played in an unmatched nine NBA championship series, capturing five of them. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBestselling 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, \u003ci\u003eShowtime\u003c\/i\u003e 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 1991 announcement that he had contracted HIV--\u003ci\u003eShowtime\u003c\/i\u003e is a gripping narrative of sports, celebrity, and 1980s-style excess.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJeff Pearlman \u003c\/b\u003eis a \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author and sports writer. He has worked as a columnist for SI.com and ESPN.com, a senior writer for \u003ci\u003eSports Illustrated\u003c\/i\u003e, a features writer for \u003ci\u003eNewsday\u003c\/i\u003e, and a contributor to \u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal \u003c\/i\u003eand CNN.com. He lives in New York.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Avery Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50615518593298,"sku":"9781592408870","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_17415162-2158-4a2e-a2c3-705517772f77.jpg?v=1732492367","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/showtime-magic-kareem-riley-and-the-los-angeles-lakers-dynasty-of-the-1980s-9781592408870","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}