During this Pandemic there hasn’t been much to do outside of my normal routine so I started watching basketball again as it was one of the few sports that was being played live at the time. I haven’t watch basketball consistently in over 10 years (since my favorite player Allen Iverson retired). So when I came across Jeff Pearlman’s “Three-Ring Circus: Shaq, Kobe, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty” I decided to give it a read. Not a sports enthusiast or particular fan of the Lakers my only other foray into sports books was about Allen Iverson called “Only the Strong Survive” by Larry Platt.
Three Ring Circus is a very well written, witty book. It was an easy read despite my lack of knowledge about most of the players mentioned. This is mostly due to the author injecting personality and humor throughout. There are a lot of details to cover and the author does a good job of balancing it all. He provides background and perspective on even the smallest players, the ones who only contributed a handful of minutes off the bench. It's very honest look told mostly through stories from other players, coaches, executives and fellow journalists. These stories range from funny to sad to surprising.
The main focus is on the three-headed monster that was Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Coach Phil Jackson. New to the league but full of ambition, ego and stubbornness Kobe doesn’t come across well at all. His laser focus and aloofness doesn’t endear him to teammates or coaches and definitely not the team’s leader Shaq whose attempts at playing big brother is consistently rejected by Kobe. Phil Jackson, one of the all-time winningest coaches in history and most famously coach of the great Michael Jordan, is brought in to help the volatile duo win Championships which of course they do but still doesn’t inspire any off the court camaraderie.
The Lakers is constantly adjusting bringing in and shuffling out new players that only seem to form unity when it’s down to the wire. After a 3-peat of winning the Championship the team implodes with money demands, threads to leave the team if other players stay and overall egos out of control.
With firsthand accounts, the author is able to bring an intimate feel to “Three Ring Circus” that often makes you feel like you are in the locker room, in the games, traveling with the team and their whirlwind-like dynamics. We review in detail Kobe Bryant’s rape accusation, how it affected the team and is provided with an update on what the District Attorney and Investigator feel about the case today. The author also includes a last minute Prologue regarding the tragic death of the basketball legend who died in a helicopter crash shortly after the book went to publication.
In sports it’s always fascinating to get a glimpse at the players and behind the scenes soap opera and “Three Ring Circus” does not disappoint. As casual fan I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I guess if there’s a good thing about this Pandemic we are going through in 2020 it’s discovering things you never thought you’d enjoy and in my case that would be laughing out loud and shaking my head at the antics of rich, famous, talented, egotistical athletes who spend as much time competing with each other as they do opponents.
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