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

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

• 
  Brandice

  Three-Ring Circus covers the Lakers dynasty from 1996-2004. This era included the drafting of Kobe Bryant, the signing of Shaquille O’Neal, and the coaching of one of the NBA’s all-time best, Phil Jackson.
  
  While this Lakers team definitely had its share of victories including three championships, it wasn’t smooth sailing. There was a lot of turmoil and tension among the team, most notably between Kobe and Shaq. As a long-time basketball fan, I knew about a lot of this but appreciated some of the behind the scenes information about Lakers’ trades and team management decisions.
  
  Jeff Pearlman wrote this book with some sarcasm, noting where he thought various players were being ridiculous by including comments like, “yes, that actually happened.” I know Kobe wasn’t a great teammate for many of his early years — I do think the light shed on him often felt harsher than on other players and the fact that he was drafted straight out of high school at age 18, is not given enough weight. I recognize not everyone shares the view that young athletes are often judged and not allowed the same concessions to grow up and become more mature, like non-athletes often are in their initial adult years.
  
  In reading Three-Ring Circus, it’s clear Pearlman is a Team Shaq guy, though he called him lazy multiple times. Kobe isn’t for everyone and I know he wasn’t perfect, but I didn’t love the way he was portrayed through most of this book. I am glad the Lakers were able to regroup a few years later down the road, after the scope of time detailed here — 3.5 stars
• 
  Matthew Shiney

  My formative years were spent watching and loving this team. They were my heroes and I lived and died by what the Lakers did on the court. However, I did not realize the true extent of the drama that went on off the court. Jeff Pearlman paints a vivid picture of the dysfunction that enveloped this team from 1996-2004 with no respite. I have spent much time in the years that followed wondering how many titles they left on the table by breaking up the duo of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. After reading this book, the appropriate question should be, “How did this team win any titles?” Kobe, my childhood hero, was the worst possible co-worker imaginable. Shaq was an affable, fun-loving, generous teammate, but deep insecurities exacerbated an already explosive situation with his immature co-star who could not accept that Shaq was the straw that stirred the Lakers’ drink. The less dynamic Laker role players on the court like Rick Fox, Brian Shaw and Derek Fisher were the stars off the court by keeping this team from imploding for as long as they did. Everyone is aware of the Shaq-Kobe relationship, but Pearlman does a fantastic job filling in the gaps by bringing those periphery characters to life - people like Nick Van Exel, Mike Penberthy, JR Rider and much more. Pearlman takes you right in the middle of that terrible night in Colorado in painstaking, uncomfortable detail. He pulls no punches. Yet other parts of the book he brings a sense of humor and an appreciation for the absurdity of the whole enterprise of those Lakers teams.
  
  This book was completed before the death of Kobe. While this book is not a flattering portrayal of the Black Mamba, Pearlman does a good job acknowledging that this is a factual picture of what Kobe was like in those years, not necessarily a representation of what he became before his death.
  
  It is detailed enough without being bogged down in the minutiae. It is a brisk, fast-paced narrative. I would recommend this book on a vital piece of basketball history to anyone interested in the Lakers, whether they love them or hate them (there usually isn’t an middle ground).
• 
  John Devlin

  Pearlman is pretty tough on everybody here, and I’m not sure he’s completely fair.
  He thinks coach Jackson is an elitist, Shaq lazy and Kobe arrogant; the last two to a Shakespearean degree.
  
  But this is a good book, well researched.
  
  
  Btw Pearlman’s book on USFL is a real hoot.
  
• 
  Bry

  All style, no substance. Despite an entertaining - if slightly juvenile - writing style, this book takes over 400 pages to tell a story that could’ve been told in substantially less. Even though I’m no Kobe fan, the author rags on him constantly, never ever touching on his basketball mastery. Instead, he incessantly harps on him (through quotes and his own diction) for being selfish and self-absorbed. If you’re writing a book about one of the NBA’s greatest dynasties, at least talk about their greatness.
• 
  Kirsti

  I liked Pearlman's earlier book about the Lakers so I thought I would try this one too. It does what it says on the label! I knew there would be a lot of reminiscing and gossip, but I didn't realize that I would be reading about three of the most stubborn and intransigent humans on Earth. Probably I should have guessed that though.
• 
  Steven Mandeville

  Really fun read for the in-depth sports fan
• 
  Daniel Woolley

  This book was far from what I expected going into it. By the halfway point I was delighted (as someone who actively cheers for the lakers to lose) that the tone of the book seemed unsympathetic to the lakers and particularly Kobe Bryant. I went into the experience expecting nothing but praise for our three men at focal point of the story but it was about as far from that as one could write. The writing style and pacing made this a super enjoyable read, one of the few that had me stop everything I was doing to tell someone what I had learned about the Shaq and Kobe era lakers. But just like on the court, this book was a tale of two halves.
  
  As I got into the later parts of the book I started to get fed up with the tone. The book became more about slandering the 3 lakers stars and less about the “truth” of what happened. The author put so much effort into pointing out everything wrong with the players and coach that I began to question if I, as the reader, was getting anywhere near a full picture. The bias was too heavy handed for me to enjoy the experience fully.
  
  My biggest flaw with the book outside of the clear author bias was the handling of the infamous Kobe Bryant court case. The author gave the full detailed account from the victim, probably to give the reader the opportunity to draw a conclusion from the account (a biased conclusion). The author added extremely, and entirely too, graphic details from the victim’s initial police report. While an important part of this era of the lakers and Kobe’s legacy, my opinion of the author plummeted just as much as my opinion of Kobe when the case came to light. The account could have been handled in a different way and the reader could still understand the author’s closing argument: that even though Kobe won and succeeded on the court, his off court actions shouldn’t have been so easily forgotten. I don’t disagree with what the author was pushing, but the graphic detail probably didn’t need to be included in the manner portrayed.
• 
  James Scoolis

  Overall, this was a disappointing read. Pearlman excels at telling the dirt on everyone and unflinchingly pointing out their flaws.
  
  As he wrote in this review of dysfunctional basketball, everyone was either a Kobe guy or a Shaq guy. Pearlman was definitely NOT a Kobe guy. To believe this tale, there has never been a more despicable or selfish human than Kobe Bryant. He does have a lot of good things to say about Shaq and other lesser lights who I presume gave him the time of day during his research, like Mike Penberthy (who?) who is painted with a very favorable brush.
  
  The three-peating NBA Champion Lakers apparently did very few things well, at least according to Pearlman. I was a fan at the time and remember the drama and immaturity of it all but, it could not have been as bad as it is described here. For the most part it’s a painful read unless you hate Kobe, then this is the book for you and will make your black heart soar. For a more interesting and well written review of the disastrous 2003-04 Laker team, read Phil Jackson's "The Last Season"; Pearlman obviously did as he lifted most of the conversations verbatim in his book from Phil's superior telling.
• 
  Conor Sheehan

  Best sports book I've ever read. Not hyperbole either.
• 
  Joseph Stieb

  A very good book, thoroughly researched and highly entertaining tour for the hoop junkie. About as good as his Showtime book. Sometimes the writing style gets a bit corny though.
  
  The big takeaway from the book is that these guys really did hate each other when they played together, although it sounds like they came to a form of friendship later on. Shaq was the big lovable goof, not terribly serious, a dominant player whom most people loved and was generous and big hearted...most of the time. He could also be petty and temperamental. But really, the problem was Kobe. Coming into such fame at 17 after a somewhat unusual upbringing, Kobe was the classic mix of insecure and wannabe tough. Of course, he was a phenomenal competitor and worker, but he was also rude and standoffish to teammates as well as a straight up bully to those he saw as beneath him, like rookies. Kobe may have evolved into a mature, decent person, but he was not that guy for the first half of his career.
  
  And this brings us to the rape charge. I didn't pay that much attention to the charges way back when or when he died. The outpouring of grief was so huge, as was his legend, that people didn't really revisit these allegations. However, after reading Pearlman's account, which is well-documented and features actual transcripts of the accuser's emails, I am about 90% convinced that he did it. The interviewing detectives, veterans of hundreds of sexual assault cases, say that she was consistent, persistent, and certain in her story and that they are fully convinced she is telling the truth. You have to be careful of pre-judgment, obviously, but this act wasn't shocking given Kobe's character: an unbelievable ego, a colossal sense of entitlement, and a history of cheating on his wife and treating women as disposable. I am now pretty sure that Kobe choked, degraded, and raped this woman. When the shock of his death fades a bit and the issue comes up of how to commemorate him (like a park or stadium in his name), I sure hope our society takes a closer look at this case, because a lot of the people who got "Me-Tooed," in Kanye's crude phrasing, did a good deal less than he did.
• 
  J.C.

  I was in the mood to read something ridiculous. I was not disappointed. It was so good I ended up reading the bibliography section because I didn't want to stop turning the pages.
• 
  Jack

  3,5
• 
  James Dillard

  The conventional wisdom about the great Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal Laker teams of the early 2000s goes like this: Shaq was content for basketball to be one of his many interests, while Kobe was solely focused basketball above anything else. They were a poor fit as teammates, and ultimately went their separate ways, dooming the dynasty.
  
  This is how I remembered it and I don’t think I’m unique. The Lakers were the first great team I knew as an NBA fan. While I have hazy memories of the second Bulls dynasty, I clearly recall the unstoppable force of the Shaq / Kobe Lakers clearly.
  
  After reading Three Ring Circus, Jeff Pearlman’s recent book about these Lakers teams, I realize that my understanding of these teams, why they succeeded and fell apart was wrong. Shaq and Kobe weren’t too different to effectively coexist. Like a basketball episode of the Good Place, they were perfectly calibrated to torture each other.
  
  Three Ring Circus is the story of the Lakers championship teams from the early 2000s. Shaquille O’Neal, the star center. Phil Jackson, the wise coach, and of course, Kobe Bryant, the kid. The book tells the story of how they came together, dominated the league, and ultimately collapsed under the weight of their egos. It’s incredibly well sourced and a must-read for NBA fans. In a way, it acts as a sort of spiritual sequel to The Last Dance, picking the league up and some of the main characters where the documentary series left off.
  
  Because of the period it covers, it also serves as a biography of the first 26 years of Kobe Bryant’s life, from his childhood in Italy through his rape trial in Eagle, Colorado. While Shaq is the key to the team’s dominance on the court, Kobe is the key to understanding what was happening off the court and why this dominant team just couldn’t stay together. He is as arrogant and selfish as Shaq is out of shape, if not more so. If Shaq’s critical flaw is that he isn’t willing to put in the work in the off season to take care of his body and extend his prime, then Kobe’s critical flaw is that he would rather be the star of the team than work with Shaq to win.
  
  I entered the book thinking that Shaq and Kobe were too different to coexist for longer than they did. I left it thinking that they were too similar — ultimately both men only wanted to win on their own terms. For Shaq, this meant enjoying life off the court; for Kobe, this meant being the star of the show with the ball in his hands. Both men expected to be the center of attention in his own way. Unlike MJ and Scottie, they never could manage to get beyond it for the greater good of the team.
  
  The book’s greatest strength is the way that it tells this story for all of the characters that enter it. Del Harris is tactically brilliant, but unable to adapt his style to a new generation of players. Nick Van Excel has all the physical gifts, but he lets little slights from others convince him he’s unvalued. J.R. Rider has all the physical gifts, but can’t figure out the work habits of being a professional. The tension between one’s own strengths and flaws, the desire to do something special as a team and desire to shine as an individual are immensely relatable.
  
  It’s impossible to read this book and not think of Kobe Bryant’s untimely death and the eulogizing that happened afterwards, particularly from other athletes. Even before the alleged rape (which the book strongly suggests should’ve resulted in a conviction), Kobe comes off particularly poorly. While Shaq’s flaws are relatable, Kobe comes off as arrogant to the point of being delusional and cruel to those less talented than he is. The question hanging over the book is, “How did this kid who everyone hated become that guy everyone loved?” That it is never answered is the book’s greatest flaw.
  
  In the preface of the book, Pearlman tells the story of how the book was finished when Kobe’s shocking death happened. He goes out of his way to explain that who a person is from seventeen to twenty six isn’t the sum total of who they are to avoid the charge of speaking ill of the deceased. Answering the question of how and to what extent Kobe changed over the second half of his career would’ve led to a different book and it’s certainly certainly understandable why an author, having just completed a book as thoroughly researched as this one, wouldn’t be eager to start over. But as it is, the ending of the book feels incomplete, like it’s only part one. Despite this, I enjoyed the book immensely. Sign me up for a sequel.
• 
  Daniel Montague

  I thoroughly enjoyed this heavily researched look at the Laker years from 1996 to 2004. Jeff Pearlman wrote a book that found a beautiful symbiosis between a factual game by game look and a gossipy rag. He takes the reader into a deep dive of personalities which encapsulated this era of the Lakers. He is an independent voice who does not hide or shield any of the players. He is not interested in providing hagiographies of the greats of the era (Shaq, Kobe or Phil Jackson). There are plenty of biographies of the aforementioned "stars", thankfully this is not of them.
  
  Like, previous works I have read from Pearlman on the USFL, the Dallas Cowboys and the 1980s Lakers, this book is exhaustively researched. From bench dwellers to assistant coaches to team equipment managers we get a true nuts and bolts experience. It is through various interviews and anecdotes that we learn about the dynamics of the team. From the view of an admittedly hater of this team (fuck the Lakers), I was mesmerized by the utter contempt that the two shining lights had for one another. The amount of jealousies and perceived and real slights that each harbored towards one another could have filled months of a soap opera. In spite of this disdain they were able to put together some magical hoops culminating in 3 NBA championships.
  
  As much as I enjoyed the back biting aspect of this story some of the nuance of the games felt lost. In too many cases, instead of a heart rendering account of a game we found a flat statistical account or Kobe Bryant did something selfish to sabotage the team flow (shot too many low percentage shots). The biggest drawback for a good amount of Lakers fans would be that the years covered (1996-2004) were the peak of dickish Kobe Bryant. In these years, Kobe was an immature, aloof, braggart whose mixture of arrogance and petulance endeared him to no one. Also, he raped someone. While, Shaq was depicted in multitudes of being a fun-loving, generous and affable teammate albeit with some moodiness and self-grandeur thrown in, Kobe came across as an entitled prick who needed a good ass whupping. Thankfully, by most accounts Kobe matured and became a better person (less rapey) and better teammate (his chip on his shoulder was merely continent instead of planetoid in size).
  
  Overall, this book was wholly entertaining with stories that illuminated these story teams. I found myself liking certain people more (Rick Fox, JR Rider, Shaq, Robert Horry), certain people less (Gary Payton, Phil Jackson, Cedric Ceballos) and despising Kobe Bryant the same. If you want a refreshing story about a team that pulls itself from the bootstraps and conquers despite its physical limitations then this is not the book for you. If you want a book showcasing the fallible nature of mankind manifested in a team which more often than not had a distinctive physical advantage and imploded due to fragile egos and psyches then this is your book.
• 
  Abby Huette

  I knew nothing about the Lakers dynasty, so this was an informative read. I did feel that there was a lot of repetition in the description of the characters. Shaq was lovable but not driven. Kobe was narcissistic, socially inept, but extremely driven. I left the book with questions...was the author slanted against Kobe or was he really that difficult of a person/teammate? Did Shaq and Kobe reconcile post retirement? Did Kobe mature with age and become a more likable person? Was he deified in death by those who didn’t actually know him while those who did had no relationship with him?...I’d love to know more about the post dynasty years, so I was left wanting.
• 
  Giacomo

  La storia di una squadra basata su due elementi: il talento fuori scala delle loro stelle (allenatore incluso) e il livello fuori scala della tossicità delle loro relazioni, che come in un tira e molla senza fine hanno consentito di dominare la lega anche ben più dei 3 titoli vinti. Questo sono stati quei Lakers.
  Del resto vincere in nba è difficile, ripetersi in back to back è elitario, vincere 3 di seguito è solo per una ristrettissima cerchia (che negli ultimi 30 anni sia successo solo 3 volte tutte sotto lo stesso allenatore dovrebbe dirvi qualcosa dell'elemento sopra).
  Ne esce fuori comunque un ritratto pietoso di persone iper-pagate, con degli atteggiamenti al limite tra il patetico e il ridicolo (bullismo, prepotenza, invidia, arroganza, megalomania voi pensate ad un aggettivo disqualificante e sara' ben rapptesentato in quegli anni) che dovrebbe far allontanare da questo sport/business e non avvicinarsi....eppure....
  Eppure io questi Lakers me li son vissuti proprio per bene. Avevo 13 anni al loro primo titolo e avevo sofferto pesantemente per le eliminazioni degli anni precedenti. Ancora mi ricordo tutte le sensazioni, in particolare quelle della finale del 2001 contro i Sixers. Un amico di mio padre che aveva tele+ mi registrava le partite e me le vedevo il giorno dopo. Me le sarò divorate e poi scappavo al campetto con due amici a giocare e rifare le mosse di Bryant. Solo di Bryant, unicamente di Bryant. Si perché appena lo vidi nel 1998 fu amore a prima vista. Era troppo tutto per me a quell'epoca ed era giovane, abbastanza giovane da sentirlo vicino e da potermi identificare e soprattutto non era Jordan, non aveva quell'aura divina che circondava l'ultima stagione del 23, al limite del misticismo (qualità che però Bryant stesso acquisirà nel corso della sua carriera). Ovviamente non potevo sapere tutti i dettagli che ho letto e conosciuto dopo. Al tempo era solo una giovane superstar ipertalntuosa che volevo imitare. Il libro in questo senso non gli fa troppo torto. Nei commenti leggo troppe critiche all'autore e da fan della prima ora dei Lakers e di Kobe devo dissentire. Kobe era questo. Un ragazzino disfunzionale con problemi di crescita, un ego smisurato, una fiducia in sé stesso che sfociava nell'arroganza più estrema e un'etica del lavoro leggendaria. Questo ovviamente aveva dei benefici (la sua carriera) e dei lati negativi, come il risultare un bullo attaccabrighe con i deboli, salvo poi abbassare la testa appena qualcuno abbaiava un pochino più forte di lui. Il peggiore ed il migliore compagno di squadra possibile nella stessa persona. Uno da mandare dallo psicologo ma chissà se in quel caso avremmo avuto solo un giocatore normale anziché questo o uno forse migliore perché più in pace con sé stesso. Non lo sapremo mai. Comunque non è un ritratto mortificante o negativo ma solo veritiero, anzi meglio: umano. Smitizzandolo e evidenziando i suoi difetti Pearlman fa un favore a Bryant anziché penalizzarlo, lo rende uno stronzo qualunque il che, ai miei occhi, ha reso ri-leggere le sue imprese ancora più bello ed epico. Perché grattando la superficie dorata della memoria rimangono comunque delle gigantesche imprese sportive svolte nelle peggiori condizioni relazionali possibili.
  Forza Lakers. Sempre.
• 
  Tom Gase

  A very good, well-written, thoroughly reported book on the Los Angles Lakers from around 1996-2004 that featured Kobe, Shaq and later on Phil Jackson. Author Jeff Pearlman talks about every season and how the Lakers were able to get Kobe and Shaq in 1996 through the draft and free agency. Not only are the two superstars discussed, but you also hear great stories on players such as Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones, Glen Rice, Rick Fox, Robert Horry, Derek Fisher, Byron Scott, J.R. Rider, Karl Malone and Gary Payton as well as many others I had forgotten were on the team once upon a time. All the feuds and NBA titles are discussed and yep, so is the Kobe Bryant rape case. What I got out of this book is during this time Shaq could sometimes be a tad lazy, but at least he was a good solid person and teammate. Kobe, eh, not as much. Hell of a player, but his ego was off the charts and wasn't a good teammate or person really, especially to rookies on his team. Pearlman has written other great books on Walter Payton, Brett Favre, the USFL, the 1990s Dallas Cowboys and the 1986 Mets. This book kind of feels like a sequel of sorts, because he wrote a very good book on the Lakers teams of the 1980s. But this one is even better. Good stuff once again.
• 
  Metin H. Türkmen

  Üç Yüzüklü Sirk, Los Angeles Lakers'ın 21. yüzyılın başında kurduğu hanedanlığı anlatan bir kitap.
  Kitabın magazinsel içeriğiyle ön plana çıktığını ve büyük oranda kaydadeğer tarafının olmadığını okumadan önce de tahmin ediyordum, bu yüzden ciddi bir hayal kırıklığına uğramadım. Ama eğlence sektörünün önde gelen figürleri üzerinden koca bir kitap yazıp, onlarca kişinin kendi ağızlarından çıkıp çıkmadığını bilmediğimiz yüzlerce demecine yer vermenin pek de tasvip edilir yanı yok işin doğrusu. Yazarın Kobe'nin anısına kitap yazdığını söyleyip kitap boyunca ona hakaretlere varan ithamlarda bulunması da hem rahatsız ediciydi hem de ironik.
  Yüksek puanları hak eden bir kitap olmamasına karşın kitapta işlenen konulara yönelik ilgimden ötürü elimden çoğu zaman bırakamadım. Profil Kitap baskısıyla okuduğum ilk eserdi ve çevirinin genel anlamda başarılı olduğunu düşünsem de kitapta yüzlerce yazım hatası vardı. Bu hataların doğrusunu NBA'e ve basketbola olan özel ilgimden ötürü istatistiklerden çıkarım yapabildiğim için ayırt edebildim, ama o döneme dair bilgi edinmek isteyen bir okurun bu çeviriyi okumasını kesinlikle önermem.
• 
  JP McCammon

  The opening quotation really sums it up…”To men and women who want to do things, there is nothing quite so driving as the force of an imprisoned ego. All genius comes from this class.”
  
  This was undoubtedly a great team, but it was also filled with some truly narcissistic characters with Kobe taking center stage. Shaq and PJ weren’t Boy Scouts either, to say the very least. Little tough to see the gory details behind some of my favorite players I watched as a middle schooler, but a really enjoyable read. I feel like I might be going on a Jeff Pearlman binge.
• 
  Jeff Alexy

  Very compelling. I had heard a lot of these stories and background info before but I thought the author did a good job of quickly summarizing need-to-know info and connecting it to the bigger storylines. Good book.
• 
  Josh Peterson

  Reminded me why I loved and hated being a Lakers fan throughout the Shaq/Kobe era. Incredible highs, horrific lows. Great reporting and writing, as usual, from Pearlman. Funny throughout. Give us the trilogy on the Lakers and do the Kobe/Pau era! 9/10
• 
  David Kateeb

  Great writing. Incredible reporting. My favorite author.
• 
  Dustin Griffin

  Great story. Does not hold one single thing back in regards to Kobe Bryant’s personality foibles and rape accusation. Which is pretty ballsy considering the man just died and the entire world is still mourning that.
  My only gripe is that Pearlman borrows too heavily from Phil Jackson’s own book The Last Season.
  Fascinating story though.
• 
  Eric Durso

  Fascinating. These were the teams I grew up watching. Lots of ugly stuff in this book.
• 
  Brett buckner

  An absolute blast. No one is safe from Pearlman’s no-holds-bared investigation.
• 
  Dylan Hennig

  As an avid reader of NBA nonfiction books, this may be just the best one I have ever read. Other than an ending that wasn’t quite as climactic as I could hope, it was simply very deeply reported and Jeff Pearlman did a great job of telling a lot of the stories that happen “behind the scenes” of a team like this that made it fascinating. And with characters like Kobe Shaq and Rodman etc. and coaches like Phil managing that it made it even more interesting. I know some people who are stooges about these types of books complain about the author having biases and stuff but just in my opinion if you’re a basketball junkie and back off and enjoy this one, pearlman made it incredibly easy to read (I finished the 1st 100 pages literally in a night) and like a movie. Excellent read