The History of the NBA: Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant & Jerry West (w/ Roland Lazenby)

In this episode of the Author Talks Podcast, we sit down with legendary sports biographer Roland Lazenby, the bestselling author behind definitive basketball books on Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Jerry West.Roland shares behind-the-scenes stories, family histories, and pivotal basketball moments that shaped the modern NBA, from the Showtime Lakers to Jordan’s shoe deal to the rise of LeBron James. If you’re a fan of NBA history, storytelling, or great biographies, this is one you don’t want to miss.⏱️ Timestamps1:20 - NBA Finals1:37 - Jerry West, Michael Jordan, Kobe and Magic Comparisons5:35 - Family Histories of Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan12:27 - Telling Magic’s Whole Story18:28 - Magic Johnson’s Positionless Basketball Style20:12 - The Showboat Era of Basketball21:33 - Harlem Globetrotter Influence24:20 - High School Magic Johnson27:30 - What Made Magic, MJ, West and Kobe Great28:45 - Weight Training Back in the Day31:55 - Magic Johnson’s Injury History34:55 - Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird National Championship37:35 - The NBA Before Magic & Bird42:27 - Magic Johnson & Michael Jordan Rivalry50:08 - Michael Jordan Freeze Out & Charles Tucker52:28 - Michael Jordan Shoe Deal & Sonny Vaccaro57:02 - Magic Johnson HIV Announcement58:20 - LeBron James’ Place in History59:33 - MJ vs. Magic: 1991 NBA Finals1:02:10 - Jerry Krause and the Bulls1:06:20 - Larry Bird & Celtics vs. Magic & Lakers1:12:00 - Jerry Buss & Magic Johnson1:14:23 - Showtime Lakers Legacy1:20:25 - Roland Lazenby’s Writer’s Toolkit📘 Magic: The Life of Earvin "Magic" Johnson https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Life-Earvin-Johnson/dp/1250248035📘 Michael Jordan: The Lifehttps://www.amazon.com/Michael-Jordan-Life-Roland-Lazenby/dp/031619476X📘 Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryanthttps://www.amazon.com/Showboat-Life-Bryant-Roland-Lazenby/dp/1478940417📘 Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Iconhttps://www.amazon.com/Jerry-West-Life-Legend-Basketball/dp/0345510836Follow Roland Lazenby:Twitter (X):  https://x.com/lazenbyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rllazenbyAuthor Page: https://celadonbooks.com/authors/roland-lazenby/Discover more author interviews and book clubs at: https://www.bookumapp.comThis Podcast is to brought you by Bookum - The book communities NEW and BEST way to host dynamic online book clubs. Download the App and Start your Book club today at www.bookumapp.com Catch all of conversations live on the Bookum App Nooks!