Revisiting Magic’s Comeback

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I’ve been reading Jeff Pearlman’s great new book “Three Ring Circus,” which examines the Kobe-Shaq Era in Los Angeles from 1996-2004.  The book is fascinating in its subject but also touches on the pre-Kobe-Shaq times.  There is a short prologue on the 1995-96 Lakers, who were a decent team that happened to feature the return of a 36-year old Magic Johnson.  Magic’s comeback is a fascinating blip in NBA history.  The return is viewed as mostly forgettable because Magic did not get along with … [Read more...] about Revisiting Magic’s Comeback

LBJ v. MJ: The GOAT Debate

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I wanted to wait a little bit before writing about the NBA Finals but I couldn’t avoid the obvious question that has already been written about ad nauseam:  Is LeBron the GOAT now? I hate this question primarily because debates about who the greatest player of all-time is are both subjective and depend on how you define your terms.  What is greatness?  Is it peak value?  Is it career value?  Is it success relative to peers?  Does it involve magically teleporting … [Read more...] about LBJ v. MJ: The GOAT Debate

Q&A with Wilt Author Robert Cherry

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Since 2005, when we interviewed Robert Cherry, the author of “Wilt: Larger Than Life,” he has published two books. “Cherry Delight” is a memoir of his family and while, as he points out, neither of his parents ever led the NBA in points or rebounds, they are still worth writing and reading about. The other book is “Living Liberia: Laughter, Love and Folly,” a memoir/travel book of his life as a Peace Corps volunteer in a West African village. He was also asked in 2019 by the Library of Congress … [Read more...] about Q&A with Wilt Author Robert Cherry

NBA Finals 2019-2020 Preview

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Bubble Ball really is different.  The Miami Heat, a pretty solid team, has thoroughly dispatched two teams, who seemed much better on paper.  Can they do it again?  The honest answer is I don’t see it but I didn’t see them smacking around the Bucks, so what do I know?  Generally, Vegas agrees with this take.  Odds makers already have the Lakers as five-point favorites in Game 1 and the general bend seems to be in favor of LeBron James and Los Angeles.  Putting all … [Read more...] about NBA Finals 2019-2020 Preview

Q&A With Jeff Pearlman on Three-Ring Circus, Kobe, Shaq, and More

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On September 22, 2020, Jeff Pearlman released “Thee-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty.”  Jeff is a prolific sports writer who has written books on the 1986 Mets, Walter Payton, the 1990s Cowboys, Brett Favre, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens.  On the basketball side, he wrote the well-received “Showtime” in 2013 about the Magic Johnson Lakers, for which he sat down with me for a fun interview.  The book was a fascinating and detailed account of … [Read more...] about Q&A With Jeff Pearlman on Three-Ring Circus, Kobe, Shaq, and More

Eastern Conference Finals Preview: Celtics/Heat

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In the season that has lasted forever, we are finally to the Eastern Conference Finals.  Oddly, the teams playing are the three seed (Boston) and the five seed (Miami).  As an initial note, it looks like Boston is the slight favorite, even though the Heat is 8-1 in the playoffs, and convincingly beaten the best team in the NBA last round.   Shouldn’t Miami’s excellent play in the bubble mean something more?  Maybe.  I thought we could breakdown the series and see … [Read more...] about Eastern Conference Finals Preview: Celtics/Heat

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