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

He was replaced by Salley, the 36-year-old deep reserve trying to become the first man to win titles with three different franchises.

Eventually, the relationship—consummated in an April 18, 2001, wedding at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church, in Dana Point—would drive a wedge both within the Bryant family (none of Bryant’s relatives attended, and Pam and Joe moved back to Philadelphia) and within the Laker family (a grand total of zero teammates and coaches were invited).

peak. At 30, the great low-post scorers were at their greatest. At 30, Bill Russell was averaging 14.1 points and 24.1 rebounds for the 1964–65 world champion Boston Celtics. At 30, Wilt Chamberlain was averaging 24.1 points and 24.2 rebounds for the 1966–67 world champion Philadelphia 76ers. At 30, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 25.8 points and

He immediately brought calm to a frenzied scene, presenting each player with a book (the first he gave Jordan was Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison), lowering expectations, cutting back on Collins’s intensity, letting the men express themselves as individuals.

Having been born and raised in Plainfield, Indiana (pop. 2,585), Harris oozed small-town simplicity. He was a 4-H fair, a pony ride, a picnic on the church lawn, a calm breeze, and a cool glass of lemonade.

Oddsmakers had Los Angeles as 18-to-1 favorites,

Around this time, Bryant requested a meeting with Jerry West to ask how—back in 1961–62—both he and Elgin Baylor had averaged more than 30 points per game for the Lakers.

“You watch Kobe Bryant and you don’t see special,” said Rob Babcock, Minnesota’s director of player personnel. “His game doesn’t say, ‘I’m a very special talent.’” “I think it’s a total mistake,” said Jon Jennings, the Boston Celtics’ director of basketball development.

Mario Bennett, a backup center with Hakeem Olajuwon’s physique, Spencer Dunkley’s skill set, and a cucumber sponge’s intellect,