When we talk about basketball we all say Lakers. At least we do in Los Angeles. Everyone likes the story of a winner. When we say Lakers we think of the countless NBA championships and we admire that. Champions come from someplace and this table sized book takes us from 1960 to 2009
They haven’t always been on the winning end of the game. The wins, the losses, the human interest stories are all here chronicled in the pages of the Los Angeles Times’ sports section over the years. This book even has a forward by Phil Jackson, the team’s current head coach, entitled, “Lakers’ Destiny” where he states, “The circle will be unbroken — these young men had formed a bond that solidified them for life.”
This year, 2010, marks 50 years the Lakers have been a Los Angeles team. Fifty years is a long time to be in one place. During this time a lot has happened. Sports fans like to remember. A book such as this should help.
There were the early years in Los Angeles against the Celtics who were able to walk all over the Lakers back in 1963. This book details through the sports columns written in the Los Angeles Times sports section the journey they went through to be what they are today. Like all good teams it took time and practice to become what they are.
This is a great book to have for trivial pursuit. For example, where did they come from? Which player later retired and then became the coach? When did the Lakers girls appear? Which Laker would play in his horn-rimmed glasses?
Sure there were some losing years. That is recorded here, too. But they were able to recoup and come back and win again. They had good players and some who were just players who assisted. Every player was important and every player was needed. Basketball is a contact sport and there were injuries. Even now we can read in the paper about Kobe Bryant and his finger. In spite of his pain he was able to play and make baskets, as he showed Dec. 15 when he tallied 42 points in the game against the Chicago Bulls. And we have the game on Dec. 16 against the Milwaukee Bucks when Bryant saved the day at the buzzer.
The sports staff writers included here are; Ted Green, Scott Howard-Cooper, and the legendary Jim Murray, to name a few.
The Lakers have had 18 Hall of Famers (15 players, two head coaches, and a broadcaster) all who have contributed to the organization. This is a must have for fans of the “forum blue” and gold.
Keep reading. Contact me at smdp_review@yahoo.com.
