If this pandemic has given us anything, it’s a wealth of time on our hands. With very limited sports entertainment available, many of us devout sports junkies have been thumbing through old articles and books just to keep ourselves engaged and subsequently sustain our sanity. An upcoming book which I’m anticipating is Jeff Pearlman’s Three Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty.
This book should elicit memories of such a wild time for those memorable teams. There was the very public beef between Shaq and the late and legendary Kobe Bryant. There was animosity in the locker room. There was a war of words between Shaq and Kobe in the media and a tense level of in house divisiveness never before seen in sports. There were also championships , historic performance and sustained success during of the most memorable eras in NBA history.
There was even a zen-loving, eccentric head coach in Phil Jackson who is known to manage different personalities and use innovative strategies (team meditation, giving players books to read on road trips) to build team culture. We caught up with the author, former Sports Illustrated reporter and NYT best seller of nine books, Jeff Pearlman for an interview.
ZS: You’ve been in this business for a long time and it’s no secret, it’s not the easiest business to break into. What would be your advice for some of the young, high school and college kids looking to pursue journalism as a career?
JP: Bust your ass. Truly—bust your ass. A lot of people want to be journalists. But there’s a big difference between wanting and WANTING. Do you WANT it? Are you willing to graduate college and move to Gary, Indiana or Mahopac, N.Y. or Tulsa?
Are you willing to cover traffic? To cover courts? To make shit money working unglamorous hours? Also, take action now. Start a podcast. Build up your social media numbers. Blog. Pitch.
ZS: Was there ever an “it” moment when you realized writing books and digging, finding really unique stories was the path you wanted to pursue? If so, how would you describe it?
JP: Not an IT moment, per se. But I remember being a kid and loving Sports Illustrated. Going to the local library to dig through issues. Studying it. And saying to my mom, “One day I’m gonna write for SI.” And meaning it.
ZS: Has an athlete ever personally said “No” to an interview from you and what was your reaction?
JP: Too many times to count. I say, “OK, no problem.” Nobody in the world owes me an interview, or her/his time. Nobody. They don’t make a dime off my books or articles. So I am not one to complain, or gripe. It’s a person’s right.
ZS: Alright, so here is the scenario Jeff……It is 2025. You are at a Starbucks in California. A man about 50 years old, 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds enters. You look closer and recognize him as John Rocker, the controversial former Atlanta Braves pitcher who I guess we can say has a bit of a history with you.
He approaches you, “Pearlman, what’s up? Look all is forgotten, whatever went on between us is way in the past. Let me pull up a chair and let’s chop up baseball.”
Rocker continues, “I’ll tell you some classic stories about my Braves heyday and playing alongside some great, low maintenance ball players like Greg Maddux, Tom Levine, Andruw Jones. Those were my guys!! I won’t mention anything about that liberal cesspool that is New York City. Let’s let bygones be bygones. The past is over. What do you want to drink—my dollar.” How do you react? Do you consider burying the beef once and for all?
JP: I’m 100% thrilled. Ask my wife or my kids—I am a non-grudge guy. I’d be happy he’s moved on, presumably seen the error of his young beliefs. I’d buy him the drink, and be very happy doing so.
