Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty

Written by Jeff Pearlman

Narrated by Brian Hutchison

The inside story of the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 through 2004, when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille
O’Neal combined—and collided—to help bring the Lakers three straight championships and restore the team
as a powerhouse franchise

In modern sports, there have never been two superstar teammates who loathed one another the way Shaq loathed
Kobe and Kobe loathed Shaq. There was whispered—and outspoken—sniping and sparring. Taunts. Physical
altercations. The recurring threats of trades. This was warfare disguised as NBA basketball. And yet, despite eight years
of infighting and hostility, by turns mediated and encouraged by idiosyncratic coach Phil Jackson, the Shaq-Kobe duo
resulted in one of the greatest, most enduring, and ever-evolving teams in NBA history.

Just as Kobe and Shaq entertained huge crowds of fans at the Forum (and later Staples Center), so they also
provided a nonstop sideshow for their cast of supporting players—including Glen Rice, Robert Horry, Rick Fox, Karl
Malone, J.R. Rider, and briefly even Dennis Rodman—whose games often seem enhanced by their biggest stars as
they tried mightily not to pick sides.

With Kobe Bryant’s tragic death in 2020, Three-Ring Circus also serves as an extraordinary coming-of-age tale
about one of our era’s most revered athletes. Bryant’s competitiveness, insecurities, and inspiring growth as a player
come into full focus. As best-selling sportswriter Jeff Pearlman shows in this rollicking masterpiece of reporting, legacy
is never simple.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 22, 2020
• ISBN: 9781980081289

Jeff Pearlman

Jeff Pearlman is the New York Times bestselling author of ten books. His subjects include NFL legends Walter Pay­ton (Sweetness), Brett Favre (Gunslinger), and Bo Jackson (The Last Folk Hero), as well as the ’80s Los Angeles Lakers (Show­time), the 1986 New York Mets (The Bad Guys Won), and the ’90s Dallas Cowboys (Boys Will Be Boys). HBO adapted Showtime into the dramatic series Winning Time, produced and directed by Adam McKay. A former Sports Illus­trated senior writer and ESPN.com colum­nist, Pearlman is the host of the Two Writers Slinging Yang podcast.

Reviews for Three-Ring Circus

[kevinkessel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome book! Great narrator - incredible voice and ability to dramatize dialogue. My only cirque is he got a lot of the pronunciation of the European names wrong and that should have been an easy thing to fix in editing. The book brought back so many memories being a life long Laker fan. I learned a lot about what was going on behind the scenes. It certainly reminds you what a polarizing figure Kobe was right up until the end. Filled with both greatness and flaws, destined to be a legend. Thank you for writing this book!

[Lee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An incredible and in-depth sports story. Narrators voice is an easy listen.

[Derek Barlow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Typical Pearlman classic, the guy constantly outdoes himself each and every book. The interviews and attention to detail make you feel like a fly on the lockerroom wall. Can’t wait for his next book

[profgonzalez2017 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well researched, well narrated, with a sometimes sarcastic and humorous style.

[DeTravius Bethea · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the best sports book that I have ever read/listened to. The author was great. The reader was great. A must listen if you are a fan of the NBA

[James Jeff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The greatest sports bio ever read! Well researched and detailed

[writemoves · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the third book that I have read from Jeff Pearlman. All the books were sports related and I enjoyed them. Though I am not a Lakers fan, I also enjoyed this book. This book covers the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 to 2004 where they won four NBA championships. It focuses primarily on its two superstars, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. But it does look at the role and bench players that were also on the Lakers roster during this period.

While I understood there was friction between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, I had no idea how severe and pervasive the rift was. Neither player comes off very well in this book. Bryant in particular comes off as a diva and a huge head case. Bryant was not very well liked in the Laker locker room.

Pearlman also covers the rape case against Kobe Bryant. Bryant never really disputed the testimony of the woman he assaulted, just his intent. Bryant basically got away with rape and did not say any punishment or jail time.

What makes this book so entertaining are the stories from and about various players and coaches during this period. Hard to believe that's so dysfunctional a group and team could win NBA championships – – but they were that talented.