LeBron James, Jack Nicholson Among Essayists in Official Lakers Coffee Table Book

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At 528 pages and nearly 10 pounds, Taschen‘s Official History of the Purple & Gold is a dream come true for Lakers fans and sports enthusiasts alike.

Combining firsthand perspectives, archival imagery and years of exhaustive research, the luxury book publisher’s latest masterpiece, produced in collaboration with the Los Angeles Lakers, meticulously recounts seven decades of legacy within the bounds of a coffee table showstopper.

The pictures and memorabilia are accompanied by exclusive essays and reflections penned by Magic Johnson, Michael Cooper, Byron Scott, Pat Riley, Shaquille O’Neal, Pau Gasol, LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Jack Nicholson, Dyan Cannon, Lou Adler, Paula Abdul and Flea. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writes the foreword, Lakers’ governor Jeanie Buss took the introduction and Phil Jackson closes it out with the afterword.

“Starting with George Mikan and the league’s first dynasty; the hard-fought years against Boston, rich with rivalry lore, when Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, and Wilt Chamberlain carried the fight; and 1979, when a new owner named Dr. Jerry Buss decided a great team wasn’t enough,” reads Taschen’s official book description. “The Lakers needed to entertain, and to match the glamour of their new home base. What followed was the dazzling Showtime epoch of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Michael Cooper and others; the unforgettable three-peat of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant; the Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol championships; and the LeBron James era that carried the Lakers into a new century, onward to Luka Dončić and the team’s future.”

Purchase Lakers: An Official History of the Purple & Gold for $100 at Taschen.com.