Alex
Kennedy is joined by best-selling author Jeff Pearlman, who has a
new book out called "Three Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil,
and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty." Jeff talks about
writing this book, the relationship between Kobe Bryant and
Shaquille O'Neal, his favorite interviews, how Bryant's death
impacted the book, his other Laker book ("Showtime") that's getting made
into an HBO show and much more. This episode is sponsored by
GreenSupply.com. Time-stamps are
below!
1:20:
What is it like putting out a new book during a
pandemic?
3:10:
How did the reporting for "Three Ring Circus" differ from
Pearlman's other team-focused books (such as "Showtime" and "Boys Will Be
Boys").
7:40:
Jeff discusses which of his interviews for the book ended up being
the most interesting/helpful.
9:35:
No matter how much he tried to focus on others, everything came
back to Shaq and Kobe.
11:05: Jeff tells some
terrific Shaq stories and talks about how he was an amazing
teammate.
12:50: Jeff explains
why Shaq and Kobe had issues co-existing - mainly because Shaq
wanted to feel loved and have a relationship and Kobe just didn't
care about that.
15:00: At that time,
Kobe seemed uncomfortable in his own skin and he was trying to act
tough. Jeff talks about how Kobe's upbringing may have contributed
to this.
17:35: The book was
already done when Kobe passed away. Did Jeff change anything after
Kobe's death and, if he were writing this book today, would he do
anything differently?
21:20: What were some
of Jeff's favorite stories that he discovered while reporting this
book?
23:20: Phil Jackson
was an outstanding coach, but he was also manipulative. Jeff
discusses what he learned about Phil while interviewing people for
this book.
26:05: Jeff's other
book about the Lakers ("Showtime") is being made into a
TV show that will air on HBO and is executive produced by Adam
McKay. He says this is a highlight of his career.
28:40: How involved is
Jeff with the TV show?
30:00: Jeff discusses
his experiences interacting with Lakers Nation since this is his
second book about the team. How have people responded to this
honest depiction of Kobe?